Pesach 2027

Why people travel then

Pesach tells the story of the Exodus from Egypt. It opens with the Seder, the festive meal at which the story is retold, and for a week no leavened bread is eaten. Because the Seder and the kosher-for-Pesach kitchen are a lot of work, many families travel to a hotel programme that does it for them, in Israel or abroad.

In Israel the week of Chol HaMoed is the country’s great spring outing: the hills are green, the springs are full, and trails from the Golan to the Dead Sea fill with families. In 2027 Western Easter is already over (28 March) and Orthodox Easter follows on 2 May.

What you will see on the routes

• Ein Gedi Nature Reserve: Nahal David and the David Waterfall

  Nahal David is at its greenest in April, and Ein Gedi is one of the busiest reserves in the country on Chol HaMoed. Arrive at opening time and expect queues at the waterfall.

• The Banias: Spring of Pan to the Waterfall

  Spring melt from Mount Hermon makes the Banias waterfall loud and full in late April; the suspended trail is one of the classic Chol HaMoed walks.

• Tel Dan Nature Reserve: The Jordan's Source and the House of David

  The shaded trail along the Dan springs stays cool even on a warm April day, which is why it is packed on Chol HaMoed. Book entry in advance if the reserve asks for it.

• The Jesus Trail: Nazareth to Capernaum

  Spring flowers line the trail from Nazareth to the Sea of Galilee. Hotels around the lake run Pesach programmes, so a night on the Kinneret needs booking well ahead.

• Jerusalem: A Walk Through the Old City's Four Quarters

  On Chol HaMoed tens of thousands come to the Western Wall for the Priestly Blessing. Jerusalem’s Old City is very crowded that morning; walk the other quarters first.

How it changes travel

• In Israel, public transport stops from the afternoon of 21 April to nightfall on 22 April, and again from the afternoon of 27 April to nightfall on 28 April. Shops and most restaurants close on those days.
• For the whole week, bread and other leavened food are hard to find in Jewish areas: supermarkets cover those shelves and many restaurants switch to a Pesach menu.
• Ben Gurion Airport has one of its busiest weeks of the year, and hotel prices in Israel and in kosher programmes abroad are at their annual high.

Travel window: 18 April to 2 May 2027. Israeli schools are off for the whole festival and the days around it; Chol HaMoed (23 to 27 April in Israel) is the peak for trails and attractions.