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Distance: 1km	Time: 1 hour	Difficulty: Easy

Anyone out there ever try hiking with a family of 35 people, ages 1 to 72?

This Passover, we set out to explore nature with a group of this size. I was assigned the task of choosing a trail for this crew. And one perfect little spot came to mind: Givat Tom veTomer, near Ashkelon.

Aside from being beautiful, Tom and Tomer Hill was also a great option because of the location – it’s not too far from where we live, but also conveniently located near Kiryat Gat for other members of our family. The trail was expected to be full of spring flowers, short, and peaceful: all things which work well for a large, meandering group.

I was surprised at how much time we were able to spend on this 1+ kilometer trail – we were there for hours! Givat Tom veTomer drew our family in….nobody seemed to want to leave.

Here’s how we hiked this short and sweet trail at Givat Tom veTomer in Southern Israel:

A Quiet Place

We pulled into the parking lot and were pleasantly surprised to discover that there were only a handful of cars there, even thought it was Chol HaMoed Pesach. Of course, even without the crowds, it took us a while to assemble ourselves as a group. We sat on some stone benches near the entrance to the trail as we waited for our group to gather.

Eventually, we were ready to set off on our adventure. We began to slowly meander along the trail, stopping to read signs as we walked.

A Beautiful Memorial

We read about the botanical gardens planted at the site, and about the man who spearheaded the project, Yoav Keidar. In 1997, his son, Tomer, was killed in the Israeli Helicopter Disaster, when two Israeli Airforce helicopters collided mid-air while carrying soldiers into southern Lebanon, killing all 73 people on board. It was the deadliest disaster in Israeli Air Force history.

To memorialize his son and his best friend, Tom, also killed in his disaster, Yoav transformed the gardens into a memorial site. Eventually, others got involved, creating a beautiful way to commemorate all 73 Israeli soldiers killed in the disaster.

Aside from natural and cultivated plants, there are also memorial stones listing the names of the soldiers, and speakers playing soft music on some parts of the trail.

Hands On

The adults and older children were all interested in the history of this captivating place. But the kids were more fascinated with butterflies and flowers. They rubbed their hands and noses into lavender, and hyssop, and oregano. They picked wild dandelions and blew white petals through the air. We all breathed in the magnificent scent of spring wildflowers that lined the path.

Although the trail was not long, we seemed to stop every few steps – to climb a rock, to sit on a bench, to look out at a view. From the top of the hill, we could see out to the coast on one side and towards Jerusalem and Hebron on the other. The surroundings were simply perfect.

Is it Lunchtime Yet?

Eventually, we departed from the neatly paved pathway to head into a wilder part of Givat Tom veTomer, inside a little depression in the center of the hill (a rehabilitated quarry). Here, we looked for the perfect picnic spot (which nobody could agree on), and we climbed into the thick overgrowth (and had trouble extricating ourselves from it). We discovered fields of white chamomile and red poppies. There were bees and butterflies and little Palestinian sunbirds flitting between the many gorgeous flowers.

We stopped at one spot and almost ate lunch…but then decided we would find a better place up ahead. And slowly, slowly, we made our way through the kilometer or so of trails within Givat Tom veTomer.

Back on the Main Path

Eventually, we emerged from the overgrown section and went back onto the paved path (this walk is completely stroller friendly, by the way!). The kids were absolutely desperate for lunch. But we wanted to walk down the official Memorial Trail before stopping for a break.

We listened to the recorded descriptions and music along the Memorial Pathway. And, as we assembled in a circle on stone benches, we found an excellent spot for a family photo.

Lunchtime…Finally!

And then finally, it was lunch time. We stumbled across a large paved area surrounded by low stone benches, plentiful shade, wild plants, and lots and lots of flowers. The kids were more than ready to dig into their matza pizza sandwiches and Pesach potato chips. We sat down and pulled out our food.

And then we played. And sat. And picked leaves. And ran around. And watched. And talked. And ended up staying in that one spot for at least two hours.

What a Day

After a VERY long time, we left our picnic spot and finished up the last part of the trail. Our family excursion to Givat Tom veTomer had been a huge success. We had lots of time to bond and chill and a beautiful setting to spend a spring morning.

Of course, with our family, just one short outing is never enough. So after buckling everyone back into the car, off we drove to the Nachal Lachish riverside walk to the beach. Another fun-filled day of Chol HaMoed Pesach well spent!

Hikers Notes:

Here’s what you need to know about Givat Tom VeTomer:

This is an all season trail.
Great for kids.
This is a circular trail.
You can walk this path with a stroller, skipping the wilder part.
This is a circular trail.
No map or directions needed! This short, easy walk is not exactly a hike. You can't really get lost. Just pack a picnic, put on a pair of sneakers and enjoy!
There are bathrooms near the trailhead.

Don’t forget to read my guide to the navigational features in this post before you hit the trail!

Hiking can be dangerous and is done entirely at your own risk. Information is provided free of charge; it is each hiker’s responsibility to check it and navigate using a map and compass.