Are you thinking to visit the charming town of Akko, as Marco Polo did on his way to China? Then, plan a full day with an overnight in the town – if possible, take the bus from Nazareth (as we done) or the train from Haifa.
Because of its strategic position near the Mediterranean Sea, Akko (or Acre) used to be a fruitful point for commerce, which made it desired and conquered by many troops among the years.
Regarding the city itself, I do remember two important things. The first one is that Alexander the Great grant the rights to the city to mint coins since 333 BC, for six centuries. The second one is that Akko had a prison, where many people were captured including the Baha’ullah, the founder of the Baha’i faith.
Start your visit with the tourist office located in the old city. Ask for a city map and purchase your combo ticket for the city’s attractions. If you have more days, you can explore the surroundings like the Baha’i Gardens from Akko or the Rosh HaNikra Grottoes, near the border with Lebanon.
Don’t forget to ask for the opening hours in order to plan your visit accordingly – unfortunately we missed one museum because of the lack of time!
For your information, we took the combined ticket for 64 NIS / adult, valid one year, which gave us access to the Hospitallers’ fortress (Knights’ Halls), Osaki Museum, Templars’ Tunnel, Turkish Bath and the Treasures in the Walls Museum (which we missed it).
Now, let’s visit Akko together!
Akko Port
We started our visit by going straight to the port. We had a walk around but the best views can be seen from a boat. So, we opt in for a 45 minutes boat trip to admire the city walls and the surroundings. I totally recommend it!
Al Abiad Souq
Take your time to explore this small charming souq. From dream catchers to magnets, from clothes to shoes, there is something for all. We stopped to eat some traditional hummus and later on for an Arabic coffee.
Knights Halls
You will receive an audio guide at the entrance – included in the ticket price – to explore this beautiful halls. You will hear many stories about the place, the people and their day by day life.
Hamman al Pasha
Discover the place and the history of Al Jazzar thanks to the audio guide and the multimedia show. It is very well done and the story is related in a way to remember.
Templars Tunnel
You will enter this secret tunnels from a side and you’ll exit 350 meter away to continue the journey further. It is quite impressive to see a parallel world below the street level.
Al Jazzar Mosque
You can see this beautiful Mosque from everywhere around. It has been designed by Al Jazzar himself, following the Turkish Ottoman style. Unfortunately, we didn’t had the time to go inside, but I beat is worth in a stop!
I do hope you enjoyed the article and if you want to discover more lovely places around Israel and Palestine, read more here.