Lakeside Luxe: Galilee VillasN°001
Safed, Israel
Private pool
From $3,419 per night
Photo by Mark DireenA mystical hilltop city above the green hills of the Galilee
Safed, also written Tsfat, is Israel's highest city, a blue-shuttered hilltop town in the Upper Galilee famed for centuries as the home of Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism and a thriving artists' quarter. A private villa in the surrounding hills, around Safed or the restored village of Rosh Pinna, gives families and groups cool mountain air, sweeping views and space that the old city's small hotels cannot.
- The old city's synagogues, blue-washed lanes and centuries of Kabbalistic heritage
- A celebrated Artists' Quarter of galleries and studios in stone-vaulted alleys
- Cool mountain air at nearly 900 metres, with views over the Sea of Galilee and Mount Meron
- Rosh Pinna's restored stone village, boutique dining and pastoral charm nearby
- Spacious hillside villas with gardens and views, a private base for touring the Galilee
Known forKabbalah and centuries-old synagogues, the cobbled Artists' Quarter, blue-painted lanes, Galilee mountain views and the famous summer Klezmer Festival
Best time to visitApril to June and September to November for mild, clear weather; August for the Klezmer Festival; winters are crisp with occasional snow
Nearest airportBen Gurion (TLV) near Tel Aviv, about two and a half hours by road; Haifa (HFA) is a smaller domestic option closer to the Galilee
Ideal forFamilies, multi-generational gatherings, culture and heritage travellers, and groups exploring northern Israel
Amazing Suite with Galilee ViewN°002
Safed, Israel
Hot tubGardenAir conditioning
From $291 per night
2homes available
1–15bedrooms
up to 60guests
1with a pool
Safed in pictures
Events not to miss in Safed
- May
Lag BaOmer at Mount Meron
One of Israel's largest annual pilgrimages gathers at the tomb of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai on Mount Meron, just outside Safed, with bonfires and celebration. The surrounding region fills, so plan travel accordingly.
- August
Tsfat Klezmer Festival
Safed's famous free festival of Jewish soul music fills the old city's lanes and squares with klezmer performances over several summer nights. It is the city's signature event and its liveliest week of the year.
- December
Hanukkah in the Old City
The festival of lights suits Safed's candlelit stone lanes beautifully, with menorahs in windows and celebrations through the synagogue quarter over eight winter nights.
Safed through the seasons
- Spring (March – May)
Wildflowers across the Galilee
The hills around Safed turn green and flower-covered, prime season for hiking, winery visits and clear-day views over the Sea of Galilee.
- Summer (June – August)
Cool mountain evenings and klezmer
Safed's altitude keeps evenings refreshingly cool while the lowlands swelter, and August brings the celebrated Klezmer Festival to the old city.
- Autumn (September – November)
Holidays and the crane migration
The High Holy Days animate the old city, and from late autumn tens of thousands of cranes gather in the nearby Hula Valley, one of the region's great wildlife spectacles.
- Winter (December – February)
Crisp stone lanes, sometimes snow
Cold, clear days and the occasional snowfall give the hilltop city a hushed, atmospheric beauty, best enjoyed from a warm villa with a view.
The Area and Where to Stay
Safed crowns a ridge in the Upper Galilee at close to 900 metres, the highest city in Israel, looking across pine-covered hills to Mount Meron on one side and down towards the Sea of Galilee on the other. The compact old city holds the famous synagogues and the Artists' Quarter, best explored on foot along steep cobbled lanes. Villas sit in the greener hills around the city and near Rosh Pinna, a beautifully restored nineteenth-century stone village ten minutes' drive below, known for its boutique restaurants and pastoral views. From either base the whole of northern Israel opens up: the Sea of Galilee, the Golan wineries and the Mediterranean coast are all within day-trip range. A hillside villa with a garden gives families room to gather after full days of touring.
Things to Do
Begin in the old city, wandering the blue-painted alleys of the synagogue quarter, where houses of prayer trace back to the great sixteenth-century Kabbalists. The adjoining Artists' Quarter has drawn painters and craftspeople since the mid-twentieth century, and its galleries, candle workshops and studios reward slow browsing. Watch the sunset over Mount Meron, then spread out across the region: swim or sail on the Sea of Galilee, hike the trails of the Upper Galilee and Golan, visit Rosh Pinna's restored old quarter, and tour the area's acclaimed boutique wineries. Nature reserves such as the Hula Valley, famous for vast crane migrations in autumn and winter, are close by. Photographers should time the golden hour from the citadel park at the city's crown. The concierge can arrange guides, tastings and day-trip drivers.
Food and Local Flavour
Galilee cooking is generous and produce-driven: hummus and fresh-baked bread, grilled meats, labneh, olive oils from surrounding groves and vegetables from the valley farms. Safed itself is known for its cheeses, and the old city's small eateries serve traditional Jewish and Middle Eastern dishes, with many kosher kitchens. Rosh Pinna has grown into a small dining destination, its restored stone houses holding some of the north's most charming restaurants. The Galilee and neighbouring Golan Heights produce respected boutique wines, easily explored on a touring day. A private chef at the villa, arranged through the concierge, suits Shabbat dinners and family gatherings especially well.
When to Visit
Safed's altitude gives it a climate all its own by Israeli standards. Spring, from April to June, brings wildflowers, clear light and ideal touring temperatures. Summer is warm by day yet famously cool in the evenings, when the mountain air draws visitors up from the humid lowlands; August adds the city's renowned Klezmer Festival. Autumn stays mild through November, with the Hula Valley's crane migration a memorable spectacle. Winters are cold and crisp, occasionally dusted with snow, and the stone lanes are quietly atmospheric. Jewish holidays, particularly Passover and the autumn High Holy Days, are peak periods worth booking well ahead.
Getting There
Most international travellers fly into Ben Gurion Airport (TLV) near Tel Aviv, from which Safed is around two and a half hours' drive north via Route 90 or the coastal highways. Haifa (HFA) handles some domestic and regional flights and sits about an hour closer. A hire car is the practical choice for the Galilee, where villas, wineries and nature reserves are spread across the hills, and the concierge can arrange private transfers from the airport or chauffeured touring days. Rosh Pinna lies just off Route 90, making it an easy first or last stop between Safed and the road south.