Galilee Panhandle

• 🌍 Kiryat Shmona (Hebrew: קרית שמונה) – Israel's northernmost city and the only city in this region, with a population of 22,000.
• 🌍 Metulla – Israel's northernmost town.

It borders Lebanon to the west and north, the Golan Heights to the east, and the rest of the Galilee region to the south. It is a rural area mostly known for its natural beauty.

Geographically, the Finger of Galilee mainly consists of two parts: the Hula Valley, a very flat region known for agricultural kibbutzim and as a focus of bird migration, and the Naftali Mountains, a steep hilly region along the Lebanese border. Route 90, the main road in the area, runs north-south on the boundary between these areas.

Kiryat Shmona is the urban center of the region. It has facilities like stores and restaurants that will be of use to travelers, and it's the destination for all the area's buses. However, it is not very interesting.

The fastest way is by private car. Infrequent buses run from Kiryat Shmona to neighboring villages and to the Golan Heights. Taxis are easily obtained, they are expensive if you want to go a long distance, but sometimes you can share with other people and it will be cheaper. Hitch-hiking is also accepted and possible.

• 🌍 Metulla. The northernmost community in Israel. Somewhat yuppified. Until 2000 it was home to the "Good Fence", a border crossing where Lebanese citizens could cross into Israel to work and receive medical care. But since Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon, the border has become heavily militarized and little trace of the Good Fence can be seen. 
• 🌍 Tel Hai. Established in 1907 by workers from the nearby Jewish town of Metulla, Tel Hai was attacked by an Arab militia in 1920. Eight people were killed in the attack, including Joseph Trumpledor, one of the few Jewish pioneers at the time to have any military experience. In retrospect this is often seen as the very first military confrontation of the Israeli-Arab conflict. Trumpledor's alleged last words were "No matter, it is good to die for our country" and for decades afterwards he was seen an Israeli military hero. Now the site has been restored as a museum about the early Jewish pioneers who lived here. 

• 🌍 Kfar Giladi. The eight pioneers killed in Tel Hai are buried here. Near their grave, in 1934 a large statue of a lion was erected as a memorial to them. 
• 🌍 Prehistoric Man Museum (In Kibbutz Maayan Baruch). daily 10-13:30. Exhibits prehistoric artifacts recovered in the area, particularly from ancient burial caves located near the museum. Among the exhibits is the oldest known domestic dog skeleton in the world, 12,000 years old. ₪20/18/16/10 adult/student/child/disabled&senior. 
• 🌍 Tel Hazor National Park (Route 90 to the Ayelet HaShachar interchange, then 2 km south to the site), ☏ +972 4-6937290. winter 8-16:00, summer 8-17:00, closing one hour earlier on Fridays and eve of holidays. The largest ancient ruin in modern Israel and an UNESCO World Heritage Site. When the Israelites first entered the Holy Land, this was the largest city in the land, and the book of Joshua describes them conquering it. Later on, King Solomon fortified Hatzor, and still later a sophisticated underground water supply system was built. You can see all these ruins, including the water system which you can climb down into. At the entrance of Kibbutz Ayelet HaShachar (just across the street from Tel Hatzor), there is a museum which holds some artifacts from the site, although the most important artifacts are kept in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. ₪22/9 adult/child. 

This region is not a shopping destination. The one thing you might want to buy here is hiking and camping gear if you forgot to bring it with you:

• 🌍 Hagor Tzafon, Kiryat Shmona north industrial zone. Hiking and camping goods 
• Camping HaTzafon, HaMakabim 13, Kiryat Shmona. 

Eating in Kiryat Shmona is probably not at the level of gourmands. Nevertheless, there are a number of Israeli-style places to eat where you can walk away feeling satisfied and well-nourished.

At the most basic level, there are any number of falafel stands. Probably the best is Falafel Shel Aharon, across the street from the police station in the Rasko shopping center. Another good one is found in Kikar HaHistadrut, near the municipal auditorium.

More elegant dining is found in a number of places that combine Italian influence with Israeli style. These include:

Toscana - Just outside of town on Highway 99 in the direction of the Golan Heights, this place is recommended for good coffee and fine Israeli-style breakfasts.

Focaccia Bar - In a small shopping center on Highway 99 near the entrance to Kibbutz Ma'ayan Baruch, this place has outstanding wood-fired pizza.

Kiryat Shmona has no hotels inside the city limits. So either stay at a tsimmer (what most Israelis do), or at a hotel in a nearby kibbutz.

• 🌍 HI Tel Hai Hostel (אכסניית אנ"א תל חי), ☏ +972 2-594-5666, tel-hai@iyha.org.il. $$$. 
• 🌍 At Our Yard - Vacation Apartments in Upper Galilee, Hamayasedim 4, Yesod HaMa'ala, ☏ +972 52-324-9440. Try booking.com/hotel/il/at-our-yard-ysvd-hm-lh.en-gb.html ... 
• 🌍 אירוח משק קורלנדר, Yuvalim St 60, She'ar Yashuv, ☏ +972 54-937-3344, farm@kurlender.co.il. Farm stay. 
• 🌍 Kfar Giladi Hotel, ☏ +972 4 690-0000. 
• 🌍 Pastoral Hotel (Pastoral Hotel Kfar Blum), Kfar Blum, 12150 (in Hula Valley), ☏ +972-4-6836611, res@pastoralhotel.org. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 11:00. 193 rooms, green spaces, clear air. The hotel has a high-quality spa, featuring a variety of water facilities and body treatments, an Olympic-sized pool (open in the summer months), a restaurant serving an international range of cuisines and a conference center. 
• 🌍 Kibbutz Manara hotel, Manara, ☏ +972 4 690-8209, +972 4-690-8198, tayarot@manara.co.il. A more basic - and much less expensive - hotel service than Kfar Giladi or Pastoral, but gives the advantage of truly stunning views of both Lebanon and the Huleh Valley right from your hotel window. 
• 🌍 Lev-ari Guest House, Metulla, ☏ +972 4 694-9393. 

Southern Lebanon, which borders the Galilee Panhandle, is controlled by the Hizbullah militia which is dedicated to destroying Israel. There have only been a handful of border incidents since the 2006 Israel-Hizbullah war. But a major war could in theory break out at any time. The regions immediately next to the border (typically 1 km away or less) are heavily militarized. If you see any military installations, or signs declaring areas to be closed military zones, stay away!

• Golan Heights – If you've made it this far, you might as well continue a few last kilometers east. In particular, northern Golan attractions like Mount Hermon and Nimrod Castle are very close to Kiryat Shmonah, Tel Dan, and other northern Galilee Panhandle destinations.