Quality Galilee delicacies produced by boutique manufacturers make these northern marketplaces premium hotspots for your palate

Welcome to the Galilee, one of the lushest, most stunning regions in the Land of Israel. Home to Israel’s main water source, the Galilee and its pristine beauty, scenic attractions and warm locals serves as an ideal backdrop for a bustling and vibrant marketplace scene. If you’re in search of a memorable artifact or souvenir, handmade crafts or antiques, or premium quality delicacies produced by boutique manufacturers, the Galilee’s many marketplaces are where you need to be. You can enjoy many cultures, colors and cuisines - aromatics and flavors that spark joy and excitement, with every bite.

Here are 6 of the Galilee’s best marketplaces, or shuks, that most certainly should be on your to-do list this year:

1 - Agmon Market

Located in the heart of the Galilee’s breathtaking natural expanse, at the entrance to Agmon HaHula, Agmon Market is the region’s most fragrant, gustatory attraction. The market is home to a wide variety of chef-quality booths, chef restaurants, coffee shops, local produce on offer by small manufacturers, performances, a hot-air balloon ride, and much more. Premium cheeses, smooth and sweet ice cream, boutique wines, churros, burgers, chocolates and other treats for your taste buds - on weekdays between 10:00 AM and 8:00 PM, Fridays between 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM and Saturdays between 10:00 AM and 7:00 PM. For more information, call 04-8377770.

2 - Nazareth Old City Market

Stroll through the charming alleyways of the Nazareth Old City Market and discover windows into authentic Nazarene life and the warmth of this Galilee hotspot. Established in the 17th Century, this shuk is teeming with a wide range of stores selling nearly every item imaginable - homemade cured olive, aromatic black coffee, freshly-ground spices and teas, fresh fruits and vegetables, clothing, Christian souvenirs, and more. It’s no wonder the Old City Market is a drawing spot for locals and tourists alike. Enter via 6153 Street in Nazareth’s Old City, just ahead of the Annunciation church. The market is open daily from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM (closes at 2:00 PM on Sundays).

3 - Old Acre Market

During the Crusader Period, Acre’s Market Street was the road merchants and suppliers took to the city’s port. Today, it serves as a bustling main marketplace, where authentic Galilee delicacies are on offer alongside quality perfume and original spices. Want a taste for sweet oriental pastries? Have a hankering the freshest catch of the day (fish)? Weave through the colorful stalls full of premium products sold by boutique manufacturers, but be careful! The marketplace is undergoing a restoration process. Other popular Old Acre Market attractions include Chaim Parchi's Home and the Ramchal Synagogue.

4 - Tiberias Flea Market

If you’re looking for unique products and items, the Tiberias Market, which sells fresh and high quality produce during the week, holds a flea market on weekends that you most certainly must visit! A great place to source and purchase local crafts, the market has a great view of the Sea of Galilee, making the experience of shopping for vintage clothing, crafts and antiques magical and mesmerizing. A word for the wise: don’t take the local vendors’ bristly mentality personally; it’s all part of the Sabra (born in Israel) life, and makes the marketplace shopping experience that much more memorable.

5 - Afula Market

Afula’s indoor market is a versatile environment that provides you with day-to-night shopping opportunities and entertainment. On Mondays and Thursdays, the market hosts a fresh fruit-and-vegetable shuk, and come the weekend, it transforms into a hopping party scene, with special events and the popular Beer Festival taking center stage. Grab some grub from the prepared food stalls, and a tall, cold glass of beer, and prepare to sway to the sound of music ebbing from center stage. Galilee delicacies not on your menu today? Opt to shop the market’s wide variety of Judaica, metalwork, exquisite carpets, or clothing from trendy pop-up shops.

6 - Tarshisha Market

Head on up to the northern Galilee village of Tarshisha, where a vibrant culinary scene brings the best of the Galilee’s delicacies to a stunning and accessible marketplace. There you’ll find the perfect mix of locally-farmed produce cultivated by small manufacturers, and freshly-prepared cooked food that tempts even the most stubborn of taste buds. Hummus, knafeh, baklava, Galilee olives and oil, ice cream, and other tasty treats. The only caveat: the market is only open on Saturdays. Enter via HaShuk Street and prepare for one of the most appetizing experiences of your life!

Want to “shuk it up” with some of the Galilee’s tastiest delicacies from the comfort of your own home? Click here to discover the secrets of the Galilee, with Galilee’s today!