Agamon Hula versus Hula Nature Reserve – Which one is Better?

Agamon Hula and Hula Nature Reserve are located in Hula valley, with only several kilometers separating them. But they offer different experiences. Let’s compare them!

Agamon HulaHula Nature ReserveNotes
Opening Hours 9:00 – 18:00 dailySunday – Thursday and Saturday: 8:00 – 17:00 (16:00 during winter).
Friday: 8:00 – 16:00 (15:00 during winter).
Entrance FeeAdult 35 NIS, child 21 NIS, and student 30 NISAdult 28 NIS, child 14 NIS, and student 24 NIS.Since the trail is much longer in Agamon, you will likely need to rent a bike or a golf cart. And this makes Agamon considerably more expensive.
Trail length9.6 km2.2 km
How people usually visit this place?Ride bicycles, use golf carts or join toursWalk
Accessible trailsYesYes
What birds are currently visiting?Facebook page with constant updatesTwo live cameras streaming on YouTube
Typical visit duration1 – 3 hours2 – 3 hours
How many birds?Lots during the migration season.ModerateAt the Agamon, during the migration season, workers are feeding cranes and sometimes feeding pelicans.
Better PhotosVUsing the Safari Wagon at the Agamon, you can get close to birds.

Note: I visited both places many times, and here you can find guides to both Agamon Hula and Hula Nature Reserve.

Which one should you visit?

Both places have advantages and disadvantages. And in this section, I will give you several rules of thumb to help you decide.

  • Are you visiting during the migration season (usually March – April and October – November)? If the answer is no, then there will be few birds at Agamon Hula. Hence, no need to pay extra, and I would suggest Hula Nature Reserve.
  • Are you visiting with babies? If you do, you will probably not be able to join the Safari wagon tours at Agamon Hula. You can rent big bicycles or golf carts, but the rent time is limited, and you can not get close to birds. Thus, in this case, I would also suggest Hula Nature Reserve.
  • Are you on a tight budget? In this case, Hula Nature Reserve is a clear winner. Particularly if you are a Matmon member or have a combo ticket to National Parks And Nature Reserves.

It might look that I always recommend Hula Nature Reserve. But over the last fifteen years, I visited Hula Nature Reserve only twice. At the same time, I was at Agamon Hula around eight times. And the fact is that Agamon Hula leaves a stronger impression. But as it comes to Agamon, there are two important rules that you should keep:

  1. Visit only during the migration season.
  2. Join tours: the sunrise tour is my favorite, but regular Safari wagon tours are also a good option. If you rent bicycles or golf carts, besides having limited rent time, you will not be able to get really close to birds (and the tours enter restricted areas).

I hope this post helped you and if you have questions or suggestions, leave a comment below. And you can find additional information at Agamon Hula and Hula Nature Reserve.

Have you ever been to Hula Nature Reserve and Agamon Hula? Tell us about your experience in the comments below.

That’s all for today, and I’ll see you in future travels!

Stay Tuned!

   

Additional Resources

Here are several resources that I created to help travelers: And if you have any questions then check out Useful Information For Tourists To Israel.  
Did not find what you were looking for? Leave a comment below, and I will do my best to answer your questions.

Lev Tsimbler

Lev from israel-in-photos.com. You can contact me at hi@israel-in-photos.com

2 thoughts on “Agamon Hula versus Hula Nature Reserve – Which one is Better?

  1. Peace
    My name is Shimshon Hammerman, a former principal at an elementary school in Montreal, Canada. I brought students on trips to Israel maybe 20 years and I'm not sure if the trip went out this year due to covid. I hope to come to Israel for a birding trip with my wife, but we cannot come during Sukkot and Passover. Can you suggest a period when to arrive.
    Our granddaughter will learn at a girls' seminar in Jerusalem that the intention is to connect the daughter's visit with our trip.

    If you need more information ask.

    your

    Samson

    1. Hi Shimshon,

      The migration season (usually March – April and October – November) is the best time for birdwatching. And my favorite months are October and November. Several times I visited Agamon Hula off-season, and there were barely any birds. Thus if you cannot visit during the mentioned months, you have two options:
      – Visit places where birds can be found all year round. Example: Ein Afek Nature Reserve, Hai-Bar Yotvata Nature Reserve, and Gamla Nature Reserve. You can find additional places in the birds category.
      – Joining tours and finding guides. Try: birds.org.il

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