Shopping in Israel

What are some of the best inexpensive things to buy in Israel as gifts for people back home and as souvenirs for ourselves. We will have very little time for shopping so would like to have some good things in mind.

Eilat stone when set in silver is quite inexpensive. You will see it everywhere and some are used by very talented craftsmen. Many other semi-precious stones are cheaper than in the states as is gold jewelry .

You can also by beautifully embroidered children's ad women's blouses, skirts and dresses.

There are several brands of Dead Sea cosmetics which make good gifts provided your not sold a bill of goods that they do any more than any cosmetics which do not contain fragments of dead sea water.

The Dead Sea is great for your skin provided, you bathe in it often for a length of time, as I did for years.

Eilat stone when set in silver is quite inexpensive. You will see it everywhere and some are used by very talented craftsmen. Many other semi-precious stones are cheaper than in the states as is gold jewelry .

You can also by beautifully embroidered children's ad women's blouses, skirts and dresses.

There are several brands of Dead Sea cosmetics which make good gifts provided your not sold a bill of goods that they do any more than any cosmetics which do not contain fragments of dead sea water.

 

The Dead Sea is great for your skin provided, you bathe in it often for a length of time, as I did for years.

Thanks for the ideas. I'm not a real shopper when traveling but have family I feel the need to bring something and of course I need something as a memento.

In Israel I bought some Dead Sea products (my skin feels amazing afterwards), an olive wood star of Bethlehem Christmas tree ornament and a couple of tacky little momentos like a copy of the Dead Sea scrolls and a little case with some soil, oil and water from the Jordan river in it. Only a few dollars but a fun reminder.

For inexpensive gifts, I think I would actually recommend food. Israel has some really good local products that can be transported. These are not "touristy" and really give a person a literal taste of a place.

Some of the products that are both culturally significant and of high quality in this area are:

Olive oil

Olives in general - Not the canned kind, you can get fancy jars that are sealed.

Tahini - not the ready to eat kind, this will spoil. Raw Tahini requires no refrigeration.

Bamba! A peanut flavored savory snack. less fancy but very very Israeli and very popular.

Dried local fruits, especially dates and figs.

Sunflower and other seeds - really tasty, healthy and an integral part of various social events in Israel.

Various Arab spicy sauces (Schug/ Amba) - very popular part of street food culture.

Arak - an anise based spirit.

These are just a few suggestions I can think of, you can make a lovely basket/ care package with 2-3 items. Almost all of these (except, in some cases, the more fancy olives) are readily available in regular supermarkets and markets.

Great suggestions! I wish we would have more time to do this shopping but every minute is accounted for so I will have to be fast about it. I'm not complaining as I want to see as much as possible in the short 8 days we have to tour (this is a land tour not a cruise but, being a cruise person I have learned to love this site for travel tips).It seems there is never enough time on any trip! I am just so blessed to get the chance to go!!

For inexpensive gifts, I think I would actually recommend food. Israel has some really good local products that can be transported. These are not "touristy" and really give a person a literal taste of a place.

 

Some of the products that are both culturally significant and of high quality in this area are:

 

Olive oil

Olives in general - Not the canned kind, you can get fancy jars that are sealed.

Tahini - not the ready to eat kind, this will spoil. Raw Tahini requires no refrigeration.

Bamba! A peanut flavored savory snack. less fancy but very very Israeli and very popular.

Dried local fruits, especially dates and figs.

Sunflower and other seeds - really tasty, healthy and an integral part of various social events in Israel.

Various Arab spicy sauces (Schug/ Amba) - very popular part of street food culture.

Arak - an anise based spirit.

 

These are just a few suggestions I can think of, you can make a lovely basket/ care package with 2-3 items. Almost all of these (except, in some cases, the more fancy olives) are readily available in regular supermarkets and markets.

When I was in Israel, someone introduced me to Bamba -- that stuff is addictive. Luckily I have tracked down a local source. :)

I love the date honey we bought. It is yummy. Other treats include halvah if you like it. I bought beautiful ceramic painted tiles to use as hot dish trivets on the table. We brought friends a little olive wood nativity set.

Just browsing through forums and found this question. I worked in Israel for 3 years and found some wonderful shopping opportunities. Here's a summary of what I've sent to friends planning to visit Israel. I've pretty much limited this to Jerusalem as that's where most people will go if they're just taking one tour as part of a cruise.

My favorite things to buy in Israel

Dead Sea mineral cosmetic products

Safed candles

Olive wood ornaments and nativities

Armenian ceramics

Olive Oil and products

Naot shoes

Palestinian embroidery

Israeli wine

Ayala Bar jewelry

Jerusalem – note that shops in the Jewish Quarter close of Friday afternoon and are closed all day on Saturday. Many shops in the Armenian and Christian quarters are closed on Sundary.

The Jewish Quarter – many shops specializing in Judaica items, jewelry and art.

The Mamilla Mall - an outdoor mall between the David Citadel Hotel and Jaffa Gate. Has a good selection of all the Israeli-chain stores and Israeli made products I love the Naot shoes. Very comfortable. Available in the US, but for much more money. Also Ahava Dead Sea and Laline Cosmetics. And, I like Michel Negrin jewelry. Some is a bit over the top, but I liked the simpler pieces. But, to my favorite shops.

http://www.sandrouni.com/ - We fell in love with this store and the Armenian Ceramics. They did some work for the US consulate and they are a favorite of many diplomats. This is one store that you can trust to ship your products. They used to be in the Armenian quarter - lots of nice ceramics shops there too, but now are close to New Gate - now just across the street from Melia Center - listed below.

http://www.palestinianpottery.com/ - This shop is outside the Old City just across from the US consulate in E. Jerusalem. If you visit the Garden Tomb (other supposed site of Jesus' tomb) it's nearby. They have a larger shop. This is called Palestinian, but is really Armenian pottery. They've done lots of work at the American Colony hotel - just up the road in East Jerusalem.

If you like the Palestinian embroidery, here's two favorites - both sell embroidery made by Palestinian women trying to support their families.

Melia Center on Al-Freir Street - new New Gate in the Old City

St. Andrews Scottish Guest House - also recommended as a place to stay. This is just down the road from the King David and has a small shop.

Olive wood ornaments and Nativities – you can buy in many stores in Jerusalem’s Christian quarter. Bethlehem also has many shops that sell olive wood. Several Christian sites in the Galilee also have nice shops with olive wood and products made from olive oil.

is it really safe to visit Israel ? my husband and I would like to go on April , but we are not sure about the safety ??

is it really safe to visit Israel ? my husband and I would like to go on April , but we are not sure about the safety ??

Due to security, it's probably safer than Paris, Istanbul, Australia, New York, Chicago, Ferguson, etc. Actually almost everywhere in the world can be a problem. Just use good sense & avoid protest areas and dark, lonely streets.

shopping is something very good to do in Israel , but how was the shopping with you ??

is it really safe to visit Israel ? my husband and I would like to go on April , but we are not sure about the safety ??

I lived in Israel during the 2nd Lebanon War and the 2008 Gaza Crisis. For the most part, I felt very safe in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem- safer than in the US as there is very little crime. Unless the US State Department - or equivalent especially advises citizens against travel, don't worry about it.

I posted the following on the River Cruising forum as some people expressed concern about travel to France. I'll repost here - and start a new topic to inform more people who are nervous about travel.

Here's a few tips that may help just in case the unthinkable happens - terrorist attack, crisis, or natural disaster.

I always register at U.S. State Departments Smart Traveler Enrollment Program. (Not sure if other countries have a similar program).

https://step.state.gov/step/

This way, the nearest embassy or consulate knows where you are if something does happen and can expedite assistance. I also "like" the embassy and consulate Facebook pages which helps to keep me up to date - generally of festivals and special events, but also alerts to strikes, warnings, etc. You can easily "unlike" once you get home. (Since I worked at the Embassy, I can say that State Department warnings tend to be very conservative and somewhat overly restrictive - but they consider the safety of Americans to be their responsibility and they take that role very seriously).

And a tip I learned from a US government official - and this applies anywhere. If you hear a blast, police sirens, or other type of commotion - don't follow your natural curiosity to see what's happening - move away from the area as quickly as you can. Terrorists may use a small blast or some time of commotion to draw in people - then will set off a larger blast to kill more people.

Safe travels to everyone.

Because of many of the issues stated here, as well as not having space in my bags, I used a site here in the US to order gifts when I returned. The very same items in every detail at good prices shipped directly to me within a few days.

Sent from my KFTT using Tapatalk