Amazing Caves and an Ancient City
‎Discover Tel Maresha in Beit Guvrin
and Avshalom Cave in the Judean Hills

Tel Maresha in Beit Guvrin National Park and the Stalacite Cave Nature Reserve in the Jerusalem Mountains make a great day trip if you're looking to travel off the beaten path in Israel.

Descending into Tel Maresha Beit Guvrin Caves

Book a Judean Hills Caves Private Tour

They are both located in central Israel within an hour's drive from both Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

Don't worry about special caving equipment, just put on a a good pair of comfortable walking shoes.

Want to book a private Caves Tour instead of exploring them on your own? Book the one day tour here.

Tel Maresha and Soreq Cave
Avshalom Cave - A Crystallized Wonderland

Soreq - Avshalom Cave were discovered by chance in the 1960s by workers at ‎a stone quarry in the Jerusalem Mountains near Beit Shemesh. ‎

Known as 'Mearat Hanetifim' in Hebrew, the amazing crystallized ‎formations in this active drip cave were formed about 5 million ‎years ago. Those hanging from the ceiling are called ‎stalactites and those on the floor are ‎stalagmites. When they meet, differently shaped walls and ‎pillars form. ‎

The caves are not large, but their effect is stunningly surreal. ‎

beautiful formations of stalatcites and stalagmites in Avshalom Cave in Stalatcite Cave National Park in the Jerusalem Mountains near Beit Shemesh

Your guided walk around the cave takes about 45 minutes.

The ‎guide's flashlight illuminates one shape after another along the ‎twisted path with artfully placed lights and colors, creating a unique, ‎other-worldly atmosphere.‎

underground wonderland in Avshalom Cave in Stalatcite National Park in the Jerusalem Mountains near Beit Shemesh

There is “Moses”, “Santa Claus”, "elephant ears", sculpture ‎garden", "Snow-White and the Seven Dwarfs", the "macaroni field", ‎and "Romeo and Juliette" - a stalactite and stalagmite that are ‎almost, but not quite, kissing each other. ‎

When you leave the caves, you face a a breathtaking panorama of ‎the evergreen pine forest of the Jerusalem Mountains. ‎

TIP: There are rails and lighting along the trail, but the humidity is high and the trails can get slippery. So wear good shoes.

Site Details

Visiting Hours: 8:30 AM - 4 PM daily, Friday and Holiday Eves until 1 PM
Entrance fee - 28 Shekels, Children - 14 Shekels
Telephone: 02-991-1117‎

Tel Maresha and Soreq Cave
The Ancient City of Maresha in Beit Guvrin National Park

It will take you a few hours to explore the the hundreds of caves in Beit Guvrin National Park, in the Judean Hills near Kiryat Gat on the road to Beit Shemesh.

You can visit the fascinating remains of the ancient city of Tel Maresha, as well the huge, underground cave complex.‎

There are 14 different areas to visit in this Unesco World Heritage site. Start the tour visiting the Tel Maresha ruins.

Maresha was a Biblical city mentioned in the Book of Joshua that was inhabited by the Edomites, the descendants of the Idumeans. It later became a thriving Hellenistic and Roman city ‎where uniquely, Idumeans, Romans and Jews lived side by side together.

Roman Coloseum in Maresha-Beit Guvrin National Park

You can see the fully preserved Roman amphitheater and Roman storehouses.

Beside the Roman ruins, visit St. Anne's Crusader Church, later turned into a mosque by the local Arab population.‎

Tel Maresha and Soreq
Labryinth of Caves in Beit Guvrin National Park

Underneath the city is an amazing labryinth of hundreds of manmade caves used by the city dwellers above for their storehouses, shelters, stables, workrooms, water cisterns and cemeteries.

Start at the impressive Bell Caves, some of which are enormous.

You will see the cave they used for pressing olive and for weaving and dyeing cloth.

Descend down to the Columbarium cave where doves were bred.

Perhaps the loveliest caves are the Sidonian burial caves and the Necropolis from 2,200 years ago.

The underground Necropolis in Beit Guvrin - Maresha National Park

There are beautiful ancient frescos in the famous Cave of the ‎Musicians:

Ancient Frescoe of Cerebrus, the Greek 'Hound of Hades' in Beit Guvrin National Park Caves

There are original engravings on the walls, such as this romantic excerpt by an anonymous writer from thousands of years ago:

" ...I am sleeping with someone else, but it is you I love, dearest to ‎me of all.‎ In the name of Aphrodite, I am happy about one thing, that your cloak has been left to me as a pledge.‎ But I flee, and permit you expanses of freedom. Do anything you desire.‎"

Wow!

Site Details

Visiting Hours: 8:30 AM - 4 PM daily, Friday and Holiday Eves until 1 PM
Entrance fee - 28 Shekels, Children - 14 Shekels
Telephone: 08-681-1020‎

Private Day Tour of Caves and Ancient History in the Judean Hills

Instead of visiting the Judean Hill caves on your own, our licensed guide Levi would be happy to take you on a private tour. Spend your day among the wonders of the cave town of Beit Guvrin-Maresha, Israel’s UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the breathtaking stalatcites and stalagmites of Soreq - Avshalom Cave.

Tour Itinerary:

Start the tour at your Tel Aviv hotel and drive along the scenic roads in the Jerusalem mountains
Take the guided tour of the Soreq - Stalatcite Cave National Park
Enjoy the panoramic views of the Judean plains from the Observation Point
Continue the drive to Beit Guvrin National Park
Discover the remnants of the ancient city of Tel Maresha
Explore the amazing man-made cave complex under Maresha of the Idumeans

Judean Hills Caves and History Tour Price