This spring, travelers will be able to ride Israel’s new high-speed train connecting Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. The electric rail line opens in April and cuts travel time between the cities to about 28 minutes, making day trips and business travel far more convenient. On May 4, Jerusalem will also host the Giro d’Italia cycling race — one of the sport’s three Grand Tours — marking the first time the event takes place outside Europe. After starting in the Old City, 176 riders will embark on a challenging route that takes them northward and then down toward the Red Sea over two days.
Several notable luxury hotels are set to debut this year. In Jaffa’s Clock Tower Square, the historic Kishle Building — formerly an Ottoman prison — reopens as The Setai Tel Aviv. The hotel offers 120 stylish guestrooms and suites, upscale dining, a lounge bar situated in a 1,000-year-old room, and an extensive wellness area that includes seven treatment rooms, a Turkish hammam and a full-service fitness center. Later in the year, Six Senses Shaharut will welcome guests to the Arava Valley in the Negev Desert. Emphasizing sustainability alongside comfort, the resort will feature a Six Senses Spa, traditional Bedouin dining experiences, camel stables, an outdoor cinema under the stars, and a desert activity center with an Earth Lab.