Your passage to the
soul of the Galilee
Experience authentic and traditional home hospitality in
Israel’s
most culturally diverse region
Go beyond tourism
The Galilee’s multicultural nature offers a unique opportunity to encounter diverse people, traditions, and cuisines. Engage with Druze, Christian, and Muslim hosts and hospitality styles, complemented by traditional home-cooked meals and cooking workshops.
Our on-site representatives guarantee an impeccable experience.
Our experiences
Your hosts
Experience the Galilee’s rich hospitality culture firsthand.
Pnina
Born and raised in the village of Maghar, Pnina is a traditional Druze woman who was widowed at a young age, raising her three small children on her own. She learned to cook traditional Druze recipes as a girl, spending days in the kitchen with her mother and grandmother. Today, Pnina loves cooking for Galileat’s guests, using her family’s traditional recipes, passed down lovingly through generations of women. She uses fresh fruits, vegetables and nuts grown in her garden in every dish and continues to enchant visitors with colorful stories from her life and the delicious flavors of her cooking.
Miad and Snir
Miad, Snir and their 3 children live in a beautiful home surrounded by fruit trees in the village of Maghar. While maintaining a secular and modern lifestyle, they are intimately connected to their Druze heritage. Snir is a senior officer in Israel’s security forces and Miad is a chef who specializes in traditional Galilean cuisine. Guests are often invited to enjoy their dessert and some tea on their beautiful scenic porch.
Saada
A modern religious Muslim woman resides in the village of Kaukab Abu el Hija in the Western Galilee. She serves as the director of the Community College of Sakhnin. While maintaining her strong spiritual and religious beliefs, Saada is also passionate about influencing cultural changes for Muslim women living in the traditional Arab society and is fiercely outspoken about how she mixes traditional Islam with modernity. Saada opens up her home to guests, welcoming them with an “I’m so glad to have y’all here today” in a broad Texan drawl. Her food, however, is straight out of Galilean tradition.
Amira and Waggi
Amira and Waggi live in the large Druze village of Daliat al-Carmel in a beautiful modern home. They are active members of their community, staunch Zionists and are proud of their Druze heritage. Amira is a skilled chef and, together with delicious recipes, her cooking workshops include helpful tips and techniques for guests to use at home. They have purpose built an extension to their home, which is fully accessible for those with mobility disabilities, so they can host larger groups. As part of their cooperation with Galileat, they also built a separate kosher kitchen. We are proud of our continued cooperation with Amira and Waggii and now have the ability to host all groups, those that keep kosher and those that don’t.
Gusun and Badjat
Overlooking the Sea of Galilee, Gusun and Badjat welcome guests into their home with loving smiles. Gusun, a stay at home mum, raised their 5 children, while Badjat is a retired army combat medic. The pride in their Druze identity, cooking, and most all, their adult children is apparent for all to see. Guests are captured by their infectious enthusiasm, culinary knowledge and delicious food. Gusun’s banquets are a feast for all the senses. You can literally taste the love put into its preparation.
Rina
Rina is a retired teacher in the village of Ussfiya, near Haifa. From the breathtaking view from her kitchen, guests are privileged to hear about Druze beliefs and customs, while learning about the culinary traditions that have been passed on through the generations. Her sister Rina, also a retired teacher, often joins her in hosting guests in Rina’s home, ensuring a truly immersive experience
Roudena
Roudena is a Christian woman who lives with her husband in their home in the village of Deir Hana in the Lower Galilee. They have six children and fourteen grandchildren and she cooks meals for many of her grandchildren every day. Roudena’s cooking showcases the Galilee’s finest culinary traditions and she proudly insists on making every dish served in her home from scratch. Roudena is also a skilled baker, famous for her delicious spice cookies and mahmoul pastries. Groups dining with Roudena enjoy a breathtaking view of the village and surrounding hills.
Nohad
Nohad is a passionate hostess in the village of Jat, in the western Galilee who has more than a decade of experience studying Druze cuisine, especially traditional sweets and baked goods. She has also learnt the secrets of winter green foraging from her mother and grandmother, and can be seen on sunny winter days picking a variety of edible wild plants to serve to her guests. She is eager to share with visitors her knowledge of baking, deserts, foraging or a wealth of classic Galilean recipes.
Ibtisam
A religious Druze woman, Ibtisam and her husband, Amal, lives in the picturesque Druze village of Hurfeish. Ibtisam loves sharing with guests the unusual story of how she learned to cook. Her mother refused to teach her to cook in the hope that she could keep her only daughter out of the kitchen. Yet Ibtisam’s ambition and talent resulted in her mastery of the Druze kitchen at a later age. She is also a champion of Druze women’s issues and has even addressed the Knesset on the subject. Guests are always treated to her gentle loving nature and outstanding traditional fare.
Zada and Ziad
Zada and her husband Ziad are Bedouin Muslims from the village of Sallameh, in the lower Galilee. They can often be found foraging for wild edible plants and herbs in the lush Sakhnin Valley, which they then use to prepare fresh and delicious Galilean dishes. Their own garden is beautifully cultivated, and every meal that Zada prepares includes something fresh from her garden. The couple’s courtyard also boasts a large authentic Bedouin tent, in which they welcome groups to join them for a delicious meal and to hear tales of their Bedouin heritage.
Salaam and Fu’ad
Salaam Abudola live in a large modern house in the outskirts of the Druze village of Yarka in the Western Galilee. She is a physical education teacher by training, but her true love is hosting people in her kitchen and teaching them traditional Druze dishes, often with a modern twist. Her husband Fu’ad is a retired army officer but today he takes his orders from Salaam when he’s helping her in the kitchen.
Experience a kosher Druze dining experience in the Galilee
We want everyone to be able to explore the many flavors and aromas of the Galilean kitchen. Working in collaboration with the Tzohar Organization, we offer our guests who keep Kosher authentic Druze culinary workshops and home hospitality meals, with full kashrut supervision.
Tailor made
Galileat’s hospitality experiences offer an intimate glimpse into the diverse cultures of Israel’s Galilee region. Guests are welcomed into local homes, partake in authentic culinary traditions, and engage in enriching cross-cultural exchanges. More than a visit, Galileat offers immersive cultural adventures for the palette and the soul.
