Where to ride each month
Each row is a region and each column a month. On a phone, scroll the table sideways.
- North, December–February: rain, mud, cold nights and snow on the Hermon.
- North, June–September: hot. Ride early morning and evening.
- Center, June–September: hot and humid.
- Negev and desert, October and April: hot at midday.
Daylight
- December The sun sets around 16:40, about 10 hours of daylight.
- June The sun sets around 19:50, about 14 hours of daylight.
- In winter Plan fewer kilometres a day and reach camp before dark.
Autumn
The heat breaks, the whole country opens up again and the event season begins. Time to get back on the trails after summer and plan the year’s trips. In early October the desert can still be hot at midday.
First rains, and flash floods in desert wadis. Check the IMS forecast before you go.
IMS forecast →Winter
The desert’s best season: pleasant days, dark starry nights and empty trails. The north gets rain, and the trails turn to mud.
Cold desert nights (bring a warm sleeping bag), flash floods after rain, and short daylight hours. After rain, check HaSingletor by Boaz Yoffe (mtb.yoffe.net) for how much mud to expect on the trail. Loess and rendzina soils stick to your tyres even two days after the rain.
HaSingletor mud forecast →What is P2P?
P2P is the community’s series of bikepacking events. The Special events are non-competitive: everyone rides the route at their own pace and meets at the same campsite each night for a campfire and stories.
More on the Special events →Spring
The north turns green and blooms with wildflowers: the best time for the Galilee and Golan. The desert heats up fast toward May.
Heat waves (sharav) can arrive suddenly. Carry extra water.
Summer
Too hot for the desert. Ride in the north and along the coast, start at dawn, rest at midday and ride in the evening. Shorter trips work best.
Heat and dehydration. Much more water than you think, and avoid the midday hours.
Shabbat and holidays
- Public transport In most of the country there’s no public transport from Friday afternoon until Saturday night. Plan your return around it, or book a shuttle. Shuttles →
- Shops Closed on Shabbat and Yom Kippur. Gas stations on main roads are usually open.
- Holidays and summer break At Sukkot, Passover and in the summer break campsites fill up. Arrive early or book ahead. Sleeping rules →
- Firing zones Before holidays the IDF spokesperson publishes which areas are open. Firing zones in the sleeping rules →
