Gilon: Circular Trail, Viewpoint and Ceramics

If you’re looking for hotels in Gilon, you can use local experiences to help plan your trip: the Sovev Har Gilon circular trail for a walk or bike ride, and Galilika for handmade pottery workshops. The trail leads to the Michal viewpoint; the studio offers couples’ and family workshops with personal instruction by prior arrangement. When planning, you can weigh up outdoor activity, panoramic views and a creatively guided experience. Check workshop availability directly with the studio.

Sovev Har Gilon: direction and route

The Sovev Har Gilon circular trail is about 12.5 kilometers long and is intended for cyclists and pedestrians. Cyclists should travel clockwise, following the yellow markings; pedestrians should go counterclockwise and follow the blue signs. Check for current information along the trail before setting out.

The trail descends to the community woodland, passes north of Gilon and climbs in a sharp turn to the Michal viewpoint. It then goes around Gilon to the south and reaches the area where the homes of Tzurit and Gilon meet. This sequence of woodland, a northern stretch, the viewpoint and a southern loop makes the route easy to follow.

Michal viewpoint

From the Michal viewpoint in Gilon, panoramic views extend from Mount Carmel and the Acre Valley to Western Galilee. Since the trail climbs to the viewpoint, you can combine exercise and scenic views on one outing. This makes the viewpoint a prominent landmark for planning your trip.

Pottery workshops at Galilika

Galilika is a handmade pottery studio in Gilon. It offers couples’ and family workshops with personal instruction. For scheduling purposes, the studio differs from the trail: workshops are held by prior arrangement. Coordinate your visit with Galilika and confirm current availability directly with the studio.

Archaeological sites in the wider destination of the Northern District

The archaeological sites of Tel Hazor and Tel Megiddo are located in the wider destination of the Northern District. Tel Hazor is a biblical tell with significant remains of a city associated with the Bible; visits focus on the Upper City. Tel Hazor includes Solomon’s Gate, a six-chambered gate with two towers dating to the 10th century BCE. The Canaanite palace was used by the kings of Hazor in the 14th and 13th centuries BCE; the Late Bronze Age palace is considered the most elaborate in Israel and one of the most important in the Levant.

Tel Hazor preserves significant remains of an underground water-collection system, an advanced feat of engineering adapted to the geography for water storage. The excavated shaft is 45 meters deep, with steps three meters wide carved into its walls. Tel Megiddo in the Northern District is also a biblical tell with significant remains of a city associated with the Bible and a close connection to biblical events. Its Early Bronze Age temple complex is exceptional in terms of the number of temples, the continuity of cult activity and the documented ritual practices. An orthogonal city plan from the Iron Age has few parallels in the Levant.

Discover more destinations: She'ar Yashuv, Kiryat Shmona, Beit Keshet, Nazareth Illit, Kafr Kanna, Umm el Ghanam, Shibli, Shavei Zion

For the wider travel overview: Northern District.