The Nabatian Ancient Cities

Avdat, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was founded by Nabatean traders, who made it a way station on the Incense Route across the Negev. At the visitor center a short film will introduces you to the site. You can then tour an ancient bathhouse, a third-century guard tower, and a Nabatean shrine turned-church, whose pillars frame a magnificent Negev desertscape. A wine-press attests to Nabatean arid-land farming skills.

1 The short route:From the upper
parking lot to the Roman tower, the
winepress and the lookout, the citadel and
churches, and from there back to the upper parking lot
(1–1.5 hours).

2. The medium route:From the upper parking lot to
the Roman tower, winepress and lookout, citadel, churches,
storage caves and Roman bathhouse, and from there to the
lower parking lot (2 hours).

3. The long route:From the lower parking lot to the burial
cave, Roman villa, Roman tower, Nabatean settlement, Roman
army camp, farmhouse, winepress and lookout, citadel,
churches, storage cave and Roman bathhouse, and from there
back to the lower parking lot (3 hours)