In and around Jerusalem
- Home
- Summary of walks in Jerusalem
- The City of David
- An introduction to the Old City
- The Jerusalem Archaeological Park, Davidson Center and the Western Wall
- On the Temple Mount
- The Jewish Quarter - community building, destruction and renewal
- The northern Rampart of the Old City wall and the Via Dolorosa
- Mount Zion via the southern rampart of the Old City wall
- Nachla'ot and Mahane Yehuda Market ('the Shuk")
- Teddy Kollek - a great builder of Jerusalem
- Ein Kerem and its artisans via the Jerusalem Forest
- Yemin Moshe to Nahalat Shivah
- Givat Ram - birds, roses, the Supreme Court and Knesset
- The German Colony and Liberty Bell Park
- Jerusalem during the British Mandate - from Mamilla Mall to the First Station
- Pioneers of modern Jerusalem - Dr. Ticho, Ben-Yehuda and Rav Kook - in the city center
- The Sherover and Haas Promenades and water supply system for Second Temple Jerusalem
- The haredi neighborhoods of Zikhron Moshe and Meah She'arim
- The gorgeous Jerusalem Biblical Zoo
- Nature walk: the Cedar Trail in the Jerusalem Forest.
- Nature walk: Gazelle Valley Park
- The Jerusalem Botanical Gardens
- A countryside hike on the Gazelle Trail in the Ramot Forest
- Mount Scopus - its university, botanical garden and lookout points
- The Mei Neftoah (Lifta) Nature Reserve and Arazim Valley Park
- The Judean Mountains (west of Jerusalem) - Summary of hikes and overview
- The Shvil Hamaayanot and Yad Kennedy memorial
- To Ein Kerem via Ein Hindak and the Ein Kerem National Park
- The springs of Emeq Refaim
- From Tzomet Ora (near Hadassah-Ein Karem) to the springs of Ein Lavan and Mayan Itamar in Emeq Refaim
- Ancient agriculture in Sataf
- The unusual cave formations in Nahal Halilim
- To Tzuba Spring and the crusader ruins of "Belmont"
- To Ein Hindak and Ein Bichura in the Sataf Reserve
- The spring of Ein Kobi and the luscious ravine of Nahal Kobi in the Begin Forest
- The beautiful Nahal Katlav
- Outpost 21 via the historic Burma Road
- Hiking above Nahal Sorek
- The spring of Ein Hod and Crusader castle at Hurvat Beit Itab
- Derech HaKaiser (The Caesar's Way) and overlook of Nahal Zanuach
- Castel National Park
- HaHamisha Forest and visit to the Harel Brigade Monument In Har Adar
- Hiking or biking around Har Eitan
- The HaHamisha Forest and Ein Kfira spring
- IN THE SHEFELAH (LOWLANDS) - Summary of Hikes and Overview
- Hiking to Tel Azeka
- A walk to the ruins of Qeiyafa - Goliath will you please stop hollering?
- To the ruins of Quiyafa from the Elah Valley
- Tel Tzafit and the Philistines
- Neot Kedumim and agriculture in ancient Israel
- A circular hike around Givat Hatourmusim (Hill of Lupins)/ Tel Socho
- Tel Adulam
- Hiking in the Bet Guvrin-Maresha National Park
- The ancient synagogue at Um el-Umdan, Sher Hill, and the Maccabees of Modi'in
- Midras, Itri and the Bar Kochba Revolt
- Burgin
- The Judean Desert, the Dead Sea, and the Jordan Valley - Introduction, summary of hikes, and attractions
- Attractions from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea, including Ma'ale Adumim
- A nature walk In the wadis of Maale Adumim
- Ein Prat Nature Reserve
- Ein Mabu'a
- Ein Qelt
- Nahal Og
- Qumran
- Enot Tsukim/(Ein Feshkha for swimming and nature stroll
- The Botanical Gardens in Kibbutz Ein Gedi
- Nahal David, Ein Gedi Spring and ancient synagogue at Ein Gedi
- Ein Gedi - Nahal Arugot
- Along the Jordan Valley
- Qasr el Yahud National Park
- South of Jerusalem - Herodium, Gush Etzion Springs and Nahal Tekoa
- North of Jerusalem - Nebi Samuel, Beth El, and Shilo
- Fun family cycling in the Judean Mountains, Shefelah and Judean Desert
- From the First Station to Ein Lavan and Ein Haniya
- A desert ride around Ma'ale Adumim
- The Arazim bicycle trail from Arazim Valley Park
- Spectacular views from the Aminidav Forest and Yad Kennnedy
- The Burma Road in the Shefela
- From Tzafririm to the ruins of Itri in the Adulum Park - a village frozen in time
- In Adulam Park - views, lupins and tels
- Britannia Park and Tel Azeka
- A ride around Har Eitan
- Horseback riding close to Jerusalem
- Outdoor swimming in spring-fed pools and swimming pools in and around Jerusalem
- The Zippori Center in the Jerusalem Forest
- The "Country Club "in Ma'ale Adumim, the most beautiful city in Israel
- Ein Hemed National Park (Aqua Bella) - swimming, picnicking and fortified Crusader home
- The Palm Pool at Ein Prat
- The artesian pool at Ein Mabu'a
- The Sport's Club at Ramat Rachel
- Mesilat Zion swimming pool
- Ein Lavan
- The spring-fed pool of Ein Haniya
- Swimming in Shoresh in the Judean Mountains
- The swimming pool at Kibbutz Almog close to the Dead Sea
- Swimming at Enot Tsukim/ Ein Feshkha by the Dead Sea
- A natural-style rock pool by Mevo'ot Yericho in the Jordan Valley
- The spring pool in the Mei Neftoa (Lifta) Nature Reserve close to the Central Bus Station
- The kids pool at Rechelim
- A timeline of Jerusalem and list of essays on this website
- Outdoor trips suitable for a stroller or wheelchair
- Common flowers in the Judean Mountains
- Trees, bushes and flowers of the Desert
- Contact Us
Ein Lavan
Ein Lavan is one of the most delightful spring-fed pools in the Jerusalem area, and is an ideal place for a family picnic or trip with the grandkids. There are two pools - one suitable for children and the other for toddlers. There is no entrance fee.
Are you finding this website useful? You will find my new book “In and Around Jerusalem for Everyone,” even more helpful. It is a guide to the best walks, hikes and attractions in and around Jerusalem. For more details and purchasing options see the Home page.
But before you do that, check out this short video!
Both pools are about 4 meters long. The depth of the larger pool is about half a meter and a bit higher in the winter. It’s great for kids to swim in, but too shallow for adults. The water is not particularly cold. There is smooth concrete on the bottom so footware is not needed. Entry into the pool is via steps.
On the terrace above is a shallow pool for smaller children. Its depth is to just below the knees of an average-height male. There are steps to enter, and it has a smooth and sometimes somewhat slippery concrete bottom.
Below the pools are terraced areas for relaxing and picnicking, with some shaded areas. The shaded areas are taken up quickly during the summer so you may be without shade. The ground surface is dirt, and only some areas have grass. So, you might want to bring ground-covering or chairs. There are no picnic tables, drinking water, WC's, or designated changing area.
Public transport:
There are two ways to get to Ein Lavan by public transport. The quickest way is to take a bus to the Biblical Zoo. A more scenic way is to take a bus to the Ora Intersection (the bus stop before Hadassa Medical Center) and to walk down the hill to the pools:
From the Biblical Zoo or Aquarium: Enter "Jerusalem Biblical Zoo" or "אקווריום" into Moovit. From the zoo, walk through its parking lot and past the Aquarium. The entrance to Ein Lavan is where the paved road comes to an end and changes to a jeep trail. It's about a 15-minute walk from the zoo.
From Ora Intersection (Tzomet Ora): Take the bus to Tzomet Ora. Just beyond the first roundabout after Tzomet Ora on the Mesho'a Ora Rd. (i.e. in the direction away from Hadassah Medical Center and Route 369) is a brown sign on the road indicating "White Valley", and after this a paved road with a pedestrian and cyclist sign. This paved path soon turns into a jeep road. You will pass an ancient wine fermentation area and mikva on your right. A mosaic sign "עין לבן" points down the valley. There are many interconnected paths in this area, but follow the jeep trail marked with either a blue-marker or a Shvil Yisrael-marker and you will not go wrong. After some distance, you will see Ein Lavan park below you. Look out for a footpath on your left indicated by a Schvil Yisrael marking leading to Ein Lavan. When the footpath comes to a paved road with railings follow it to the right and very soon you will come to steps leading into the park.
Driving directions and parking: Enter "Ein Lavan” into Waze. This will take you through the parking lot of the Biblical Zoo and past the Israel Aquarium. Continue on this paved road until it ends at a gravel jeep path by the entrance to Ein Lavan. There is parking on the side of the road. Ascend to the pools via the steps. There is a paved road just before this that can be used for a wheelchair or stroller.
Nearby places of interest:
The pool of Ein Haniya. A path with steps leads from Ein Lavan down the valley to the pool of Ein Haniya. The walk takes about 20 minutes. The path goes under the railway line via a short tunnel. Ein Haniya is a bigger and deeper pool than Ein Lavan and is suitable for adult swimming.
The Biblical zoo is only a short distance from Ein Lavan. (See our webpage on the "Jerusalem Biblical Zoo")
The Israel Aquarium is only a short distance from the zoo. It displays the aquatic life found predominantly in the Mediterranean and Red Seas. Tickets need to be booked in advance. Details are available on their website. There are guided tours in the morning, which are also available in English, and self-guided visits from 3.00 PM to 5.00 PM, weekends and holidays. Admission is 50 NIS for adults, 45 NIS for children 3-18 years, and 30 NIS for soldiers and seniors. Their telephone number is (073) 339-9000.
The path to Ein Haniyah. Although the pool of Ein Haniya is currently closed, the path to this pool from Ein Lavan is a very pretty one.
