Shvil Parot HaChalav, Bethlehem of Galilee – Visitors Guide

Shvil Parot HaChalav is a dairy farm in Bethlehem of Galilee that offers behind-the-scenes tours for families.

Map

Shvil Parot HaChalav is located at Bethlehem Of Galilee. As you enter this Moshav, you continue driving straight to the end. And then you will see their sign. You turn left and continue for about half a kilometer. You will see Shvil Parot HaChalav to your left.

Galili Olive Oil is situated near Shvil Parot HaChalav.

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

Interactive map of the area:

Directions

The simplest way to reach this place is by entering Shvil Parot HaChalav to your favorite navigation app.

Once on-site, you will see big parking and a sign (on the right of the following photo) directing you towards the entrance.

You can also find restrooms near the parking, and I would suggest using them before the tour since we did not see other toilets in other parts of the farm.

Opening Hours

You can visit only as a part of a tour. According to the official site, the times of the tours are:

Sunday – Thursday: 10:00 – 13:00 – you must call in advance and register for a tour.
Friday: 10:00 – 13:00
Saturday: 10:00 – 15:00

We planned to visit on a Saturday, so I called the owner (his phone number is 052-3275682). He told me to come whenever I wanted during the mentioned hours.

Entrance Fee

The entrance fee is 45 NIS per person. And everybody above the age of two requires a ticket.

Note: Currently, I do not see any coupons online. But there are discounts from time to time. So, it is worth checking before your planned visit.

Once you enter Shvil Parot HaChalav, you will reach the waiting area. Then, you purchase tickets and wait for a tour to start.

They are probably waiting for more people to come. But as the sign says, they try to keep you waiting for less than half an hour. And we waited for about ten minutes until our tour started.

Tour Language

First, I want to mention that our tour was in Hebrew. However, they also offer tours in other languages (including English and Arabic). Thus, if you want to join a tour not in Hebrew, call the phone number mentioned above.

The Tour

The tour is divided into different stations. Now, we will go over them.

Station #1 – Meeting Baby Calves

We started our tour by visiting two baby calves. There, our guide told us about cow pregnancy and birth and why cows, in particular, and the mammal family, in general, have milk.

Station #2 – Feeding Cows

At this station, children, depending on their age, received different tools. Some got shovels, others received buckets, and they started feeding the cows. The toddlers brought hay by hand.

Near the feeding station, we also visited the hens. We discussed various related topics and headed to the next station.

Station #3 – Milking Cows

We entered a small building, the milking parlor, where each child (who wanted) got to milk a cow by hand. And now, when my older daughter can milk cows, my role as a parent is done 😉

Station #4 – Feeding Baby Calves

At this point, each child got a large bottle of milk and got to feed the baby calves.

Note: during our visit, one bottle refill was allowed.

Station #5 – Preparing Chocolate Milk and Butter

Next, each child got to prepare chocolate milk and helped to create buttercream. You can see the guide spreading butter on crackers. And then, of course, we got to eat it all.

Station #6 – Automatic Milking

We headed back towards the car parking to the last stop, automatic milking.

We got into a dedicated room, and our guide explained the process.

Cows learned that the machine offers them tasty fruits and vegetables during milking. Thus, they want to come for milking. When a cow comes, the robot checks the last milking time. If not enough time has passed, the fruit and vegetable bucket is not opened, and she continues.

Automatic milking begins if a cow is not milked for a long time (usually milked twice a day).

First, the robot washes her nipples. Then, using lasers, it assembles the goblets, milks the cow, removes the goblets, and reports.

A colleague told me that each cow has a steps counter in some dairy farms. If the number of steps is low, it means the cow has a health problem. The electronic device automatically notifies a veterinarian to come and check the cow. I asked about similar devices at Shvil Parot HaChalav, but they do not use this technology.

Who is this tour for?

As you probably understand, this tour is aimed at families with children. We mainly saw families with toddlers, preschoolers, and elementary school-age children during our visit.

How Much Time Does a Visit to Shvil Parot HaChalav Take?

I saw many reviews online. Some even stated that their tour took almost three hours. But that is the exception. Most tours, and the one we participated in, lasted about one and a half hours.

Summary

Overall, it was an enjoyable experience. The children get to participate in various activities, and they love it. But I want to add a small word of caution. This is an active farm, and you might see things you will not like. For example, the baby calves are standing in small compounds.

If you have not been there, then check them out.

Note: if you love agrotourism, check out the agrotourism category. For additional attractions nearby, browse the map at the top of the page or see Bethlehem Of Galilee.

Have you ever been to Shvil Parot HaChalav? Tell us 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.