Mini Israel – Visitors Guide – All You Need to Know Before Visiting

Mini Israel is a miniature park near Latrun, and it features over 385 models of the most important places in Israel.

Basic Info

Mini Israel is a miniature park. And according to the official site, it “features over 385 beautifully crafted replica models of Israel’s most important historical, religious, archaeological and modern sites, at a scale of 1:25, including 25,000 7cm high miniature residents within the models themselves”.

Map

Mini Israel is located near Latrun, about halfway between Tel-Aviv and Jerusalem (about 30 min from either one).

Directions for drivers: Link to Waze and Link to Google Maps
Directions for public transport: Link to Moovit

Interactive map of the area:

Directions

If you use public transport, you can take a bus to Latrun or Mini Israel junctions. But keep in mind that if you take the bus to Latrun and walk from there, despite this is not a long walk, you will be walking beside the highway (which is not a nice walk, especially considering you are most likely with children). Here is a link to Moovit, where you can set your origin and get updated directions.

And if you are driving there, enter “Mini Israel” into Waze or Google Maps, and you will get there. Also, there is plenty of free parking on site.

Opening Hours

Sunday – Thursday: 10:00 – 17:00
Friday and holiday eve: 10:00 – 14:00

Entrance Fee

• 69 NIS per person (children younger than two years old do not require a ticket).
• 59 NIS per student, retiree, and soldier.

Note: opening hours, ticket prices, and discounts were updated in May 2021. In any case, recheck them at the official site before visiting.

Discounts and Coupons

As you can see, the entrance price is quite costly for spontaneous users, but if you prepare in advance (and find coupons and deals), you can buy much cheaper tickets.

• Credit card companies:
  • 1+1 at Isracard
  • 1+1 at Max
  • 1+1 at American Express
  • 45 NIS per ticket at Cal
• Committees:
  • Teachers Association: 34 NIS per member and 49 NIS per escorted
  • HTZone: 45 NIS per ticket
• 55 NIS per ticket at Cuponofesh
• Zebratix: 47 NIS per ticket or 179 NIS per family (4 people)
• Megalean: 46 NIS per ticket
• chuparimplus.co.il 50 NIS per ticket

Contact Information

Phone: 1-700-559-559
Email: info@minisrael.co.il

When To Visit Mini Israel?

It is an outdoor attraction. Thus it gets pretty hot in the summer. But, in the summer, they are open late. Therefore, you can come before sunset and see the models in sunlight and then see them with lights turned on. In any case, there is practically no shaded area, and I would not advise visiting during the hot hours. Beyond the heat, there are no limitations, and you can see it all year round.

Series of Photos from Mini Israel

Mini Israel park is arranged into sections representing six main regions of Israel: North, South, Center, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Haifa.

On our visit, we started from Tel-Aviv, and these are Azrieli towers:

Latrun Monastery is located not far from Mini Israel. In front of the model, there are steps. If you climb on them and look west, you will see the monastery. And this is the model:

Video

Some of the models are static. But there are many moving parts all over the park. Some are moved continuously, like cars and airplanes. And others start moving after you press a button. Here is a short video I created from one of our visits.

How Much Time Does a Typical Visit Take?

Mini Israel is not a small park, but it is not big either. A typical visit would take 2-3 hours. And according to Google: “People typically spend up to 2.5 hours here”.

Latrun Attractions

Here is the list of other nearby attractions in the Latrun area:

• Yad La-Shiryon – The Armored Corps Memorial Site and Museum at Latrun.
• Latrun Monastery is the only Trappist monastery in Israel.
• Ayalon-Canada Park near Latrun junction offers nature, hiking tracks, cycling trails, places for a picnic, viewpoints, and ruins from various periods.
• Emmaus Nicopolis was the Roman name for one of the towns associated with the Emmaus of the New Testament, where Jesus is said to have appeared after his death and resurrection. Emmaus was the seat of the Roman Emmaus. In contrast, Nicopolis was the name of the city from the 3rd century CE until the conquest of Palestine by the Muslim forces of the Rashidun Caliphate in 639. In the modern age, the site was the location of the Palestinian Arab village of Imwas, near the Latrun junction, between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, before its destruction in 1967. The site today is inside Canada Park, a place maintained by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority. However, the archaeological site has been cared for by a resident French Catholic community since 1993. (source).

And you can combine several attractions for an adventure.

Summary

Overall, it is a lovely attraction for both adults and children. Moreover, it gives an overview of the most exciting places in Israel. But, three reasons prevent me from recommending this place to everyone. The first reason is the high entry fee (see discounts and coupons section). Secondly, there is almost no shade, and thus it is boiling in the summer. And thirdly, the maintenance of the park is not top-notch (we saw cracks in some models and broken parts in others, probably due to the hot climate). Moreover, the park has not changed since my initial visit more than a decade ago. Thus there is no reason to revisit.

After reading this post, I hope you will know what to expect. And with the appropriate planning (coupons and visiting time), it will be an enjoyable event.

Have you visited Mini Israel? 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:

• Trip Planner with Attractions and Itineraries is the page that will help you create your perfect travel route.
• What is the Best Time to visit Israel? To answer this question, we will consider the weather, prices, holidays, festivals, and more.
• Information and Tips for Tourists to Israel will answer the most common questions tourists have about Israel (including safety, passports, weather, currency, tipping, electricity, and much more).
• Israel National Parks and Nature Reserves include a complete list, top ten, map, tickets (Israel Pass, Matmon, combo), and campsites.
• If you are looking for things to do, here are the pages for Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Sea Of Galilee, Akko (Acre), Eilat, Nazareth, Safed (Tzfat), and Makhtesh Ramon.