Beit Shean National Park – Visitors Guide
Beit Shean National Park (Scythopolis) has the best-preserved remains (due to an earthquake) of an ancient Roman city in Israel.
Map
As the name suggests, Beit Shean National Park is in Beit Shean, a city in the North District of Israel.
Directions for drivers: Link to Waze and Link to Google Maps
Directions for public transport: Link to Moovit
Interactive map of the area:
Here is the map of Bet Shean National Park from the brochure that you receive at the entrance:
Note: You can click on the image to enlarge it.
The suggested loop trail goes through all points of interest on site. The route starts with the Roman Theater (#1), then continues to the bathhouse (#2), Palladius Street to the Tel (#9), and returns using Silvanus Street.
Directions
Driving to Beit Shean from Tel Aviv using toll road #6 will take around 1.5 hours (117 km). You can also drive there without taking Road #6 (using only non-toll roads). And in that case, it will take around 1 hour and 40 minutes (116 km).
Haifa is closer to Beit Shean, and a typical drive will take approximately one hour (70 km). There are two options for getting from Jerusalem to Beit Shean. The shorter one (2.5 hours and 131 km) will take you along roads #1 and #90. If you do not want to drive across the Green Line (near Jericho, for example), you can take Highway #1 towards the center and then use, for instance, toll road #6 north. It will be a slightly longer drive (2.5 hours and 159 km). Of course, all times are approximate and may vary depending on the traffic.
There are two options if you plan to get around using public transport. You can use the train to get to Beit Shean. And then take a bus, taxi, or walk (the distance from the train station to the national park is 3 km). Or you can use buses. Several sites include bus routes for all companies. Moovit is one of them. And they also have an app for smartphones. Here is a link to Moovit, where the endpoint is already set. Enter the starting point, and you will get the updated directions.
Opening Hours
Sunday – Thursday and Saturday: 8:00 – 17:00 (16:00 in winter).
Friday: 8:00 – 16:00 (15:00 in winter).
On holiday eves, usually 8:00 – 13:00.
Note: Since the pandemic, the Israel Nature and Parks Authority has started limiting the number of people in each park. Thus, reservations are recommended through the official site (you can find the link below).
Entrance Fee
The entrance fee depends on two parameters. Do you have a subscription (Matmon Club Member) or a combo ticket (I covered these topics at National Parks and Nature Reserves), and what is the type of visit?
| Entrance Fee | Regular Visit | Beit Shean Nights |
|---|---|---|
| Entrance Fee for Matmon Club Member | Free | 28 NIS per person |
| Regular Entrance Fee | Adult – 31 NIS Child – 16 NIS | Adult – 55 NIS Child – 45 NIS |
Note: You can find additional info about Beit Shean Nights towards the end of this post.
If you plan to visit several National Parks, consider purchasing a combo ticket. For additional information, see National Parks and Nature Reserves.
Note: opening hours and ticket prices were updated in March 2026. In any case, recheck the official site before visiting.
Contact Information
Phone: 04-6481122, and for ordering Shean Nights, call *3639.
Weather
If I had to describe the weather in Beit Shean in two words, I would say sunny and hot.
When I checked the annual temperatures for Beit Shean, I saw that temperatures rise above 30°C (up to 36°C) from June to September. And it never goes below 10 degrees. Moreover, there is almost no shade in this national park. Moreover, many structures make it feel even hotter. Therefore, I would advise against visiting Bet Shean during the summer if you can choose. And if you have no choice, then come either early or late. In any case, take plenty of water and use sunscreen.
Another option is to visit the night show, Beit Shean Nights (additional details are provided towards the end of this post).
And if you are wondering what the best season to visit Israel is, then the short answer is Spring. In Events And Festivals By Season, you can find information about Israeli weather and various events.
The Entrance
When you enter the site, you can find a model of the city:
The entrance is one of the city’s viewpoints, and I shot this Panorama of the city from there.
While looking at the photographs, you might wonder how the town remained in such good condition. Bet Shean is located above the Dead Sea transform fault line, and as such, it is one of the cities in Israel at high risk for earthquakes. An earthquake occurred in 749 CE. A layer of stones and ground concealed the city. Thus, for centuries, nothing was touched (of course, the standing pillars are part of reconstruction).
Roman Theater
The theater is one of the most impressive structures (number #1 on the map).
It is a 7,000-seat theater. Only the lowest tier of seating (of three) survived intact. Thus, we see about 2,000 seats in the photo above, and the original construction was three times higher.
As in other Roman theaters, the acoustics are phenomenal. Even if you stand on the stage and talk without a microphone, people will hear you.
Many people confuse a theater and an amphitheater. Do you know the difference between the Roman Theater and the Amphitheater? For a full explanation, check out Is Caesarea Amphitheater really an amphitheater? As you can understand from that post, Bet Shean and Caesarea National Park have theaters. The only amphitheater in Israel can be found at Beit Guvrin National Park.
