United Tours, HaYarkon Street (tel: (03) 616 2656; website: www.unitedtours.co.il), offers a wide variety of tours from Tel Aviv, including to Caesarea, Haifa and the North, and one- and two-day tours to Jerusalem, some themed as religious or art tours, several also including other places such as Masada and the Dead Sea.

The Egged National Bus Co-operative (tel: (03) 694 8888; website: www.egged.co.il), as well as operating the national public bus system, also runs tours with commentary in a choice of languages from Tel Aviv to Caesarea and Jerusalem and destinations all over Israel. Alternatively, it is safe and easy to travel in Israel and there is no need to join an organised tour. For example, Egged's public buses from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem leave frequently throughout the day and take about one hour.

For a Half Day

Caesarea: One of the world's greatest archaeological sites lies beside the sea some 50km (30 miles) north of Tel Aviv. Administered as Caesarea National Park (tel: (04) 626 7080; website: www.parks.org.il), it is extensive, impressive and takes some hours to visit.

From Tel Aviv it's an easy drive on the coastal freeway, taking about 40 minutes. There are also many organised tours. However, it is difficult by public transport, which is geared to the needs of residents, not tourists. Bus travel requires a change in Hadera, making a total journey time of over two hours. The train station at Caesarea is not near the site and has no connecting transport.

Caesarea was a major Phoenician port from the fourth century BC onwards, conquered and taken over by Alexander the Great, coming under the control of Herod in 22BC and soon afterwards becoming the Roman capital of Judea (as Israel was called then), which it remained for hundreds of years. During the period of Roman rule, at first Jews and Romans lived here together. After the Jewish Revolt, Judea was then renamed Palestine and the Jews expelled. After the fall of Rome, the town remained important under Byzantine rule. Following the Arab conquest of Palestine, Caesarea fell into ruin but was partly restored by medieval Crusaders. A small 19th-century mosque on the site was built not by Arabs but by Muslim refugees from Serbia.

Clearly marked routes run around the site. The most visible of the extensive ruins date from the Roman and the Crusader periods. The fine Roman theatre is now used for concerts and opera performances. The best relic of the subsequent period is a Byzantine street once lined with shops. In the 13th century, French Crusaders constructed Gothic fortifications on a small part of the site.

The Caesarea Experience multimedia presentation (see www.caesarea.org.il and click Caesarea Harbor) gives an entertaining overview. The adjacent modern town of Caesarea (pronounced Kessaria) is one of Israel's ‘smartest', with expensive homes, luxury restaurants and the country's only golf course.

For a Whole Day

Jerusalem: It is possible to reach almost any part of the country for a day trip from Tel Aviv, except Golan and Eilat, but the one great unmissable excursion is to Jerusalem, the capital of modern Israel and historic capital of the Jewish people. It is best to explore either the Old City or the city centre (west Jerusalem) and the great museums, although at a pinch it would be possible to see both in one day.

Jaffa Road, where Jerusalem's Central Bus Station is located, is a busy, hectic narrow main street lined with small old-fashioned shops. It leads through the city centre to Jaffa Gate, the massively fortified main entrance through the imposing Ottoman walls of the Old City. The World Travel Guide to Jerusalem details all these sights, including the Tower of David (or Citadel); Temple Mount, on which stands the magnificent Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem's most famous landmark, and the Al Aqsa Mosque, the oldest mosque in Israel; the Western Wall, a prayer site of paramount importance in Judaism; and the Via Dolorosa, believed to have been walked by Jesus as he carried the Cross to his crucifixion on Calvary, now inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, one of the holiest sites in Christendom. The main museums, on the western outskirts of Jerusalem, include The Israel Museum, the nation's leading showcase for its archaeology, anthropology and art, part of which is The Shrine of the Book, displaying the Dead Sea Scrolls. Close by is the extensive Yad VaShem, Israel's principal Holocaust memorial.

Masada: Situated on an isolated flat mountain top in the Judean Desert and overlooking the Dead Sea, Masada (pronounced ‘matzada' in Hebrew and meaning ‘fortress') was the scene of the final Jewish resistance against the Romans. The extensive ruins include Herod's Palace (tel: (08) 658 4207), the synagogue, the fortress, an elaborate mikveh (ritual bathhouse) and much more. Guided tours are available.

Masada (tel: (08) 658 4207/8; website: www.parks.org.il - click English and search for ‘Massada', note spelling) is run as a National Park. It is open daily 0800-1700 (until 1600 Oct-Mar), but closing one hour earlier on Fridays. The cablecar operates Saturday to Thursday only, 0800-1600. Masada lies on Route 90 close to the Dead Sea, 22km (14 miles) east of the desert town of Arad, and 20km (12 miles) south of Ein-Gedi. Approaching from the east, the road ends at the parking lot at the foot of the mountain. From there the ascent is either by the cablecar, or by walking up the Snake Path - a steep climb taking just under an hour. From the west, the road ends at the western parking lot, from which there is a 15- to 20-minute easy climb to the top. Visitors should make an early start as the site becomes very hot and crowded in the middle of the day. United Tours (see Excursions) run full-day excursions to Masada from Tel Aviv, including a dip in the Dead Sea.