Bahá'í World Centre Visitor Guide: Haifa & Akko Sites (2026)

The Bahá’í World Centre is one of Israel’s most visited destinations and one of its least well understood by first-time visitors. The terraced gardens cascading down Mount Carmel toward the sea are, on the surface, among the most beautiful designed landscapes in the Middle East. Behind the geometry is a living international religious headquarters — the holiest sites of the Bahá’í Faith, which counts five to eight million adherents worldwide.

This guide covers both the Haifa sites (the 19 UNESCO terraces and the Shrine of the Báb) and the Akko sites (the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh at Bahjí and the Ridván Garden), with practical visitor information for 2026.

Brief background: the Bahá’í Faith

The Bahá’í Faith began in 19th-century Persia. The Báb (literally “the Gate”) — Ali Muhammad (1819–1850) — proclaimed a new religious cycle in 1844. His follower Bahá’u’lláh (1817–1892) became the central figure of the faith, teaching the unity of God, the unity of religions and the unity of humanity. Bahá’u’lláh was exiled by the Ottoman authorities, eventually being imprisoned in the walled city of Akko in 1868; he remained in or near Akko until his death in 1892. This history is why the faith’s holiest sites are in northern Israel rather than in Iran where the religion originated.

UNESCO inscribed the Bahá’í Holy Places in Haifa and the Western Galilee — encompassing both the Haifa terraces and the Akko shrines — as a World Heritage Site in 2008.

The Haifa sites

Bahá’í Terraced Gardens

The 19 terraced gardens are the centrepiece of the Haifa World Centre. They descend approximately 850 metres along the north slope of Mount Carmel from the Yefe Nof viewpoint at the summit to the German Colony boulevard at sea level. The design by Canadian architect Fariborz Sahba (completed 2001) aligns every fountain, staircase and hedge on a perfect north–south axis — an axis that also points toward the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh in Akko. From the air the symmetry is striking; from inside the gardens the experience is one of descending through layers of manicured calm above the noise of the city.

Free guided tours of the full 19 terraces are the most rewarding way to visit. Tours run Sunday to Friday, typically departing at 09:00 from the upper gate (entrance off Yefe Nof Street, reachable from the Carmelit upper station). They last approximately 75–90 minutes and include the Shrine of the Báb exterior; volunteers lead the tour and their first-hand knowledge of the site’s spiritual significance adds considerably to the experience. Advance registration is required — book via bahai-haifa.org at least 24 hours before your preferred date. Tours fill quickly during spring and summer.

Self-guided walking on the lower and middle terraces is possible during public opening hours (approximately Sunday to Thursday 09:00–17:00; Friday 09:00–13:00). These sections offer excellent views of the formal garden geometry and the gold dome of the shrine above. Photography of the gardens, the exterior of the shrine and the surrounding architecture is welcome; photography inside the Shrine of the Báb is not permitted.

What to wear and bring:

• Modest clothing (shoulders and knees covered) is required; this is enforced at the gate
• Non-slip shoes: the terraces are polished and steep; the stone can be very slippery after overnight dew or rain
• Sun protection and water in summer; a jacket in winter (the elevation is noticeably cooler than central Haifa)

Shrine of the Báb

The Shrine of the Báb stands at the midpoint of the 19 terraces — the octagonal white-marble building topped with the gilded dome that has become the symbol of Haifa. The Báb’s remains were interred here in 1909 after being moved clandestinely from Persia following his execution in Tabriz in 1850. The shrine’s gold-leaf dome was completed in 2001 as part of the overall gardens project. The exterior and the immediately surrounding terraces are open to all visitors; the interior is a sacred pilgrimage space open to Bahá’ís only.

Visiting logistics

Getting to the upper terrace gate: The simplest route is the Carmelit funicular from Paris Square in the lower city to the top station (Gan Ha’Em), then a 5-minute walk north to the Yefe Nof viewpoint and the upper terrace entrance. Alternative: taxi directly to the upper gate from central Haifa. The German Colony (lower gate) is a 15-minute walk from the Haifa HaCarmel train station — start here if you prefer to ascend rather than descend.

Opening hours and closures: Terraces and guided tours are closed on Bahá’í holy days. The main closure periods are:

• Naw-Rúz (Bahá’í New Year, around March 21)
• Ridván festival period (late April to early May)
• Declaration of the Báb (late May)
• Martyrdom of the Báb (July 9)
• Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh (late May/early June)
• Birth of the Báb and Birth of Bahá’u’lláh (late October/early November)

Always check bahai-haifa.org for the current schedule before planning your visit, as closure dates follow the Bahá’í lunar calendar.

The Akko sites

Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh at Bahjí

Bahjí — meaning “delight” in Arabic — is approximately 7 km north of Akko’s Old City. The mansion and surrounding formal Persian garden are where Bahá’u’lláh spent the last years of his life and where he passed away in 1892. The Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh, within the grounds of the mansion, is the holiest place on earth for Bahá’ís.

For non-Bahá’í visitors, the gardens are the main draw. They are open free of charge on Sundays through Thursdays (approximately 09:00–17:00) and on Saturday mornings (approximately 09:00–12:00). Friday afternoon is closed — this is a firm religious closure; plan accordingly. The formal gardens surround the mansion in geometric beds of flowers, cypress and palm; the sense of quiet is striking compared to the noise of the Akko Old City nearby.

The interior of the mansion and the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh are open only to Bahá’í pilgrims. Non-Bahá’í visitors are welcome in the gardens and the outer areas.

Getting to Bahjí: There is no regular public bus. Options:

• Taxi from Akko Old City (approximately ₪35–50 each way; negotiate a return fare or ask the driver to wait)
• Organised tour that includes Bahjí as part of a northern Israel day trip
• Rental car (7 km north of Akko centre via Route 4)

Allow 45–60 minutes for the garden visit.

Ridván Garden

The Ridván Garden stands on an island in the Na’aman River, a short drive from the Akko Old City. This is the garden where Bahá’u’lláh spent time during his imprisonment in Akko, and where he is said to have declared his spiritual mission to his followers during the Ridván festival (April/May). The garden is open to visitors and has a quiet, riverine atmosphere quite different from the formality of Bahjí. It is a secondary site — most visitors combine it with Bahjí rather than visiting separately.

Mansion of Mazra’ih

The Mansion of Mazra’ih, several kilometres north of Akko, is where Bahá’u’lláh lived from 1877 to 1879 after being released from the Akko prison city. It opens on certain public days — check bahai.org.il for the current schedule, as access is limited and not always available for self-guided visiting.

Two-day Bahá’í circuit

The most rewarding way to see both the Haifa and Akko sites is across two days:

Day 1 — Haifa

• 09:00: Guided terrace tour departing from the upper gate (book ahead)
• 11:00: German Colony for coffee and lunch; walk the Ben Gurion Avenue restaurants and the Bahá’í lower gardens
• Afternoon: Wadi Nisnas neighbourhood walk, Carmelit up to the Carmel ridge, sunset from the Louis Promenade
• Evening: Stay overnight in the German Colony or Merkaz HaCarmel area

Day 2 — Akko

• Morning: Akko Old City — Crusader halls, Templar tunnel, the Ottoman market
• Afternoon: Taxi to Bahjí (7 km north; book the taxi at your hotel; 45–60 min visit); Ridván Garden optional on the return
• Return to Haifa by train (25 min) or continue south

For a one-day combined visit: Haifa terrace tour (09:00–11:00) → German Colony lunch → afternoon train to Akko for Old City + Bahjí (by taxi from Akko; confirm Bahjí open time) → return to Tel Aviv by 20:00. Tight but workable with advance planning.

What to know before you go

It is a religious site, not a public park. Both the Haifa gardens and the Akko sites are active religious spaces maintained by and for the Bahá’í community. Visitors are welcome and the World Centre staff are generous with access, but respectful behaviour is expected and observed. Speak quietly near the shrines; follow the guides’ instructions on where to walk and stand.

Photography rules: Gardens and shrine exteriors — permitted and encouraged. Inside the Shrine of the Báb or any other shrine building — not permitted. Inside the Bahá’í administrative buildings — not permitted without prior written approval.

Dress code is enforced at both Haifa and Akko. Staff at the entrance will politely ask visitors who are not dressed modestly to cover up; shawls are sometimes available to borrow. Planning ahead avoids disappointment.

Friday afternoon closures apply at Bahjí — do not travel to Akko expecting to visit on a Friday afternoon.

Combine with Haifa city. The Bahá’í Gardens sit at the centre of Haifa but Haifa itself has far more: the Carmelit funicular, Wadi Nisnas, the German Colony market, and the Louis Promenade. See the full Haifa travel guide for everything else the city offers.

Combine with Akko’s Old City. The Crusader underground of Akko is one of the most impressive preserved medieval sites in Israel. The Akko visitor guide covers the Knights’ Halls, the Templar tunnel and the Ottoman market in full.

Getting there

Haifa from Tel Aviv: Israel Railways coastal train to Haifa HaCarmel (nearest station to German Colony and lower terrace entrance) or Haifa Merkaz HaShmona (city centre). Journey: 55–65 minutes. See the Tel Aviv to Haifa transport guide.

Haifa from Jerusalem: Train via Tel Aviv or direct express bus from Jerusalem Central Bus Station (~1h 45 min).

Akko from Haifa: Train from Haifa HaShmona to Akko — 25 minutes, frequent service. Akko Old City is a 10-minute walk from the station.

Bahjí from Akko: No public bus — taxi or car only (7 km north, approximately ₪35–50 by taxi from the Old City).