Arad (Israel)

Arad (Hebrew, &#1506;&#1512;&#1491;) is a small city in Israel that lies on the border between the Negev desert and the Judaean Desert.

Understand
Tel Arad, the site of the ancient city of Arad, is located some 10 km west of the modern city centre. Arad is a great centre for hiking and exploring the northeastern part of the Negev desert.

Modern Arad was founded in 1962 by young Israelis, most of them ex-kibbutzniks and ex-moshavniks, who were seeking an environment free of the urban ills of overcrowding, traffic, noise and pollution. Although not noted for its great beauty, the town's growth has closely followed a well-designed master plan. Arad's present population is approximately 28,000 (2003 estimate) and reflects the broad spectrum of Israeli society with a special emphasis on recent immigrants.

Get in
Take a bus from Beer Sheva. There are also less frequent buses from Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and other cities. Check the schedule for those ahead of time.

From Beer Sheva
From the Beer Sheva central bus station, line 386 (express), 387 (direct) and line 388 (higher frequency, but more intermediate stops) run to Arad. The price is ₪8.70.

From Tel Aviv
From Tel Aviv (Arlozorov terminal only), lines 389 and 421 run to Arad. Each line has only 2-3 trips per day each direction. Line 421 continues to the Dead Sea.

In addition, line 550 runs from Bnei Brak to Arad, approximately 9 times per day.

From Jerusalem
From Jerusalem, lines 554 and 555 run to Arad. These lines are oriented to the Haredi sector, so they start in Haredi neighborhoods rather than the central bus station. Together these lines have about 9 trips per day in each direction.

Get around
There are 5 local bus lines (Lines 1, 2, 3, 11 and 12) that serve all parts of the city. These lines are operated by Metropoline.

Having said that, Arad can easily be explored on foot.

See





 * Camel herds, owned by the local Bedouins, can be spotted along the main road before and after the.
 * Camel herds, owned by the local Bedouins, can be spotted along the main road before and after the.
 * Camel herds, owned by the local Bedouins, can be spotted along the main road before and after the.
 * Camel herds, owned by the local Bedouins, can be spotted along the main road before and after the.
 * Camel herds, owned by the local Bedouins, can be spotted along the main road before and after the.

Do
There are some hiking destinations east. Align with the local tourist information.

The following lookouts are used as hiking or biking destinations from Arad: and.

Buy

 * The biggest shopping mall,, is located in the centre of the city
 * The is famous for its weekly market on Mondays

Sleep
There are apparently many private rooms available for rent here – try the usual suspects.

Go next

 * Masada – A former Roman fortress on top of a mountain. The only road access to the west side of Masada is through Arad. This route is popular for those arriving early for sunsets.

Besides that, Arad is a great location for trips to all directions including:
 * Dead Sea – One of the most famous things to see/do in Israel and Jordan.
 * Judaean Desert – Visit its various attractions, next to the Dead Sea.
 * Beer Sheva – University town, but does not much cater for tourists and especially backpackers.
 * Mitzpe Ramon – Great site, hikes and views on the edge of a giant crater.
 * Eilat – Holiday town in the far south with border crossings to Jordan and Egypt.