By The Visit Israel Editorial Team · Last updated
Guided tours of the UNESCO Crusader city — Knights Halls underground complex, Templar Tunnel and the Old City bazaars. Many departures from Haifa and Tel Aviv; includes entrance fees.
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The classic northern coast combination: UNESCO Crusader Akko, Bahai Gardens Haifa and the dramatic sea grottos at Rosh HaNikra — all in one guided day from Tel Aviv or Jerusalem.
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A private guide for your own pace through the Crusader halls, Ottoman souq and coastal walls — ideal if you want depth at every site without a group schedule.
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Akko (Acre) stands out on any Israel itinerary as the country’s most complete medieval city: a UNESCO World Heritage Site where intact 12th-century Crusader halls survive directly beneath the living, breathing Ottoman streets above. Unlike most medieval European heritage cities, Akko was never significantly rebuilt after the Mamluks sealed the Crusader underground in 1291 — the vaulted Knights Hospitaller infirmary, grand refectory and soaring Gothic halls were simply buried and forgotten for seven centuries. Today they are open, freshly restored and deeply impressive. On the surface above them, Arab-Israeli families go about their daily lives in the souq, fishermen unload the morning catch at the Old Port, and the smell of za’atar and freshly fried fish follows you down every alley.
This guide covers how to see the Crusader underground, what else to visit in the Old City, where to eat, how to reach Akko from Haifa and Tel Aviv, and what to combine nearby.
The Old City’s centrepiece is the Hospitaller Knights Halls complex — a network of great vaulted halls built by the Knights Hospitaller as their headquarters after the fall of Jerusalem to Saladin in 1187. The main spaces include the Grand Hall of the Knights (the largest surviving Crusader-era interior in Israel), a functioning refectory with soaring ribbed Gothic vaults, and the citadel courtyard where Crusader stonework alternates with Ottoman layers above. The scale surprises most visitors — these are serious architectural spaces, not cramped tunnels.
Included in the same ticket is the Templar Tunnel: a 350-metre underground passage built by the rival Knights Templar to link their fortified compound to the harbour, allowing the movement of people and supplies without exposure on the surface. Rediscovered in 1994 when a resident noticed her garden sinking, the tunnel is well-lit and wide enough to walk through comfortably. It ends at the Old Port, and you emerge blinking into the harbour light after the cool darkness — one of the more theatrical transitions in Israeli travel.
Practical tips for the underground:
The Al-Jazzar Mosque (built 1781–1782) rises above the Old City with its distinctive green dome and Ottoman minaret. It is named after Ahmad Pasha al-Jazzar — the harsh but effective Ottoman governor who held Akko against Napoleon Bonaparte’s siege in 1799. (Napoleon attempted to take Akko for three months and failed; it was one of his few significant defeats and arguably altered the course of his entire Middle Eastern campaign.)
The mosque is one of the most beautiful Ottoman interiors in Israel: marble columns looted from the Roman city of Caesarea, a courtyard with shaded arched portico, and a cryptoportico beneath the courtyard containing ancient sarcophagi and Ottoman tombs. The basement also reportedly held part of a hair from the Prophet Muhammad’s beard — a significant relic under al-Jazzar’s tenure. Non-Muslim visitors are welcome outside prayer times; a modest entrance contribution is expected.
Once you surface from the Crusader underground, the above-ground Old City repays an hour of wandering. The Khan al-Umdan — a large Ottoman caravanserai (merchants’ inn) built over a Crusader courtyard, with a clock tower added in 1906 for Kaiser Wilhelm II’s visit — anchors the harbour end of the souq. The enclosed courtyard once sheltered merchants, camels and cargo; today it is used for cultural events.
The Old City market (souq) is a working neighbourhood market, not a tourist crafts bazaar: spice stalls, butchers, bakeries and fabric shops where local Arab-Israeli residents shop alongside visitors. The pace is unhurried. The port promenade runs along the waterfront from the Templar Tunnel exit past the fishing harbour to the sea walls — catch it in the late afternoon when the light is golden on the sandstone.
The Ottoman sea walls, restored in the 18th century by al-Jazzar using stones scavenged partly from earlier Crusader structures, are walkable for stretches and give views across the Bay of Haifa toward Mount Carmel.
Akko’s reputation for seafood is well-earned. The Old Port area concentrates the most famous restaurants; expect grilled fish, shrimp and calamari at moderate to expensive prices.
Four kilometres north of the Old City, the Bahá’í Mansion of Bahjí is the holiest site in the Bahá’í Faith — the place where Bahá’u’lláh, the founder of the faith, spent the last years of his life and is buried. The surrounding formal gardens (immaculately maintained, UNESCO-listed as part of the Bahá’í Holy Places inscription) are open to all visitors during visiting hours; the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh is open for respectful architectural viewing at limited times but is not accessible to non-Bahá’í visitors during pilgrimage hours.
The gardens alone justify the short journey: cypress-lined paths, manicured parterres, and the mansion’s elegant 19th-century architecture. Modest dress required (covered shoulders and knees); no photography of pilgrims or worshippers per Bahá’í International Community policy, but photography of gardens and architecture is welcome.
A taxi from the Old City takes about ten minutes. If you are combining Akko with Haifa, note that the Bahá’í World Centre and its famous terraced gardens (a separate and equally impressive UNESCO inscription) are in Haifa itself. For full visitor logistics on both sites — Haifa terraces, Bahjí and the Ridván Garden — see the Bahá’í World Centre visitor guide.
Haifa (22 km south) — combine Akko with Haifa for a full northern coast day: Crusader city in the morning, Bahá’í Gardens terraces in the afternoon, dinner in the German Colony. The train takes 25–30 minutes. See our Haifa travel guide for the Bahá’í Gardens, Carmelit and Wadi Nisnas.
Rosh HaNikra (30 km north) — the sea grottos cut into the white chalk cliffs on the Lebanon border are one of the most dramatic natural sites in northern Israel. A cable car descends to the grottos; the UNESCO-blue waters inside are extraordinary. A full northern coast day from Tel Aviv — Akko, Haifa and Rosh HaNikra — is ambitious but doable with an early start or an overnight in Akko or Haifa.
Caesarea (60 km south) — the Roman theatre, Crusader walls and Herodian harbour ruins of Caesarea pair well on a longer road-trip day along the northern coast.
Nahal Kziv water hike (45 min east) — a forested limestone canyon in the hills east of Akko with clear pools, small waterfalls and ancient water mills, flowing October–May. One of the best water hikes in northern Israel and a natural pairing with an Akko day for drivers. See the water hiking Israel guide for trail details and what to bring.
From Haifa: Israel Railways runs direct trains from Haifa Merkaz HaShmona or Haifa Bat Galim to Akko in 25–30 minutes; departures roughly every 30 minutes throughout the day. The station is a 10-minute walk from the Old City entrance. By car: 22 km on Highway 4, about 25 minutes.
From Tel Aviv: Coastal train from Tel Aviv Hagana or Tel Aviv Savidor Center to Akko in about 90 minutes (some services require a change at Haifa). By car: around 100 km on Highway 2 then Highway 4 north of Haifa, 90 minutes outside peak hours.
From Jerusalem: No direct train — the most practical options are a guided day tour (many operators run Akko + Haifa combinations from Jerusalem pickups) or renting a car. Drive time is around 2–2.5 hours via Highway 6 or Highway 1 to Tel Aviv then north.
Parking: The paid car parks near the Old City entrance gate are the easiest option if driving; avoid driving into the Old City itself (the lanes are narrow and mostly pedestrian).
Opening hours: The Hospitaller Knights Halls complex typically opens at 08:30 or 09:00 (check akko.org.il for current seasonal hours and last entry times; hours change between summer and winter). The complex closes around 17:00–18:00. Al-Jazzar Mosque opens between prayer times; confirm timing at the entrance.
Entrance fees: Combined Old City ticket (Knights Halls + Templar Tunnel) — check current prices at the entrance or akko.org.il; fees change annually. Al-Jazzar Mosque charges a small separate donation. The Old City walls and harbour promenade are free.
Weather: Akko sits on the Mediterranean coast and has a similar climate to Haifa — pleasant spring and autumn (22–28°C), warm but bearable summers (28–33°C with a coastal breeze), and mild, occasionally rainy winters (14–18°C). The underground Crusader halls stay cool in any season. Summer weekends are crowded; weekday mornings in any season offer the quietest experience.
Language: Akko is a predominantly Arab-Israeli city; Arabic and Hebrew are both widely spoken; English is understood at tourist sites, restaurants and ticket offices.
Day-trip pacing: Arrive at opening time for the underground complex, walk the Old City before midday heat builds in summer, eat a seafood lunch at the port (12:30–13:30 to beat queues), and spend the afternoon at the sea walls and Bahá’í Mansion before heading back. That schedule gives you a complete visit without rushing.
Extending north: Drivers can continue north from Akko along Route 4 to combine the visit with the Western Galilee circuit — Lohamei HaGeta’ot Holocaust museum (10 km north), Rosh Hanikra sea caves, and inland sites including Montfort Castle and Beit She’arim UNESCO necropolis.
A full day (six to eight hours on the ground) gives you enough time to do the UNESCO Crusader complex properly — allow at least two hours underground in the Hospitaller Knights Halls and Templar Tunnel — plus the Al-Jazzar Mosque, a walk through the Old City souq, a seafood lunch at the harbour, and a stroll along the sea walls. A half-day (three to four hours) covers the highlights if you arrive at opening time. Two days are worthwhile if you want to add the Bahai Mansion of Bahji four kilometres north, explore the working residential neighbourhoods at a slower pace, or combine with Rosh HaNikra on the Lebanon border 30 minutes north.
The train is the easiest option: Israel Railways runs direct services from Haifa Bat Galim or Haifa Merkaz HaShmona to Akko in about 25–30 minutes, with departures roughly every 30 minutes. The Akko train station is a ten-minute walk from the Old City entrance. By car the distance is 22 kilometres on Highway 4, taking around 25 minutes outside rush hour. Sherut (shared minibus taxis) also run between central Haifa and Akko.
Take the coastal train from Tel Aviv Hagana or Tel Aviv Savidor Center to Akko — the journey takes around 90 minutes on a direct or once-change service. This is the most comfortable option. By car, the drive north on Highway 2 (Tel Aviv–Haifa coastal road) and then Highway 4 north of Haifa is about 100 kilometres and takes around 90 minutes outside peak traffic. Guided day tours depart from Tel Aviv, typically picking up at around 08:00 and returning by 18:30.
The combined Old City ticket covers the Hospitaller Knights Halls underground complex and the Templar Tunnel. The Al-Jazzar Mosque charges a separate small entrance donation. The Ottoman city walls and harbour promenade are free to walk. The Bahai Mansion of Bahji four kilometres north has its own entrance arrangement and is managed by the Bahai International Community. Exact fees change annually — check the current price at the site entrance or at akko.org.il. The Israel National Parks Pass does not cover the Crusader City privately-managed sections, but does cover some nearby INPA-managed areas.
Yes — Akko has one of the best concentrations of seafood restaurants in Israel, with fish landed at the working Old Port harboured directly behind many of the restaurants. Abu Christo on the port promenade is the most famous address and has been operating for generations. The Old City fish market is best visited on weekday mornings. Prices are higher at the tourist-facing harbour restaurants; locals eat at smaller spots on Salah ad-Din Street in the souq. Arrive early for lunch — peak-season queues at popular restaurants can be long by 13:00.
Yes — this is a popular and manageable combination. Akko is 22 kilometres north of Haifa and the train between them takes under 30 minutes, so a day that starts in Akko (morning in the Crusader city, lunch at the port) and ends in Haifa (afternoon at the Bahai Gardens terraces, evening in the German Colony) works well. Many organised day tours run exactly this combination, often adding Rosh HaNikra grottos to the north as well.
The Al-Jazzar Mosque — named after the ferocious 18th-century Ottoman governor Ahmad Pasha al-Jazzar ("the Butcher") — is one of the finest Ottoman mosques in Israel and one of the largest outside Jerusalem. Non-Muslim visitors are welcome outside prayer times. Modest dress is required: covered shoulders, arms and knees for all visitors; women should bring a head covering or use one provided at the entrance. Remove shoes at the entrance. The courtyard garden with its arcaded portico and Napoleon-era fortification stones is particularly photogenic. A small entrance contribution is requested.
By The Visit Israel Editorial Team · Last updated