Sussita-Hippos National Park: A Tour of Ancient Israel

Sussita-Hippos is one of northern Israel’s most dramatic archaeological sites. The Greco-Roman city is perched atop Mount Sussita, with sweeping views of the Sea of Galilee below. On this walking tour, you’ll explore the ruins of this ancient Decapolis city, hearing about its layers of history, from its founding in the 2nd-century BCE, through to its transformation into a major Byzantine Christian center. You’ll find out why some historians believe Jesus himself may have walked these streets, and mentioned the city at least twice in the New Testament.

The tour starts at the site entrance, where you’ll pass the remains of monumental tombs that mark Hippos as unique as the only Roman city with such elaborate mausolea at its gates. You’ll climb past the remains of a 24-kilometer aqueduct system and a Greek theater before entering through the fortified city gate, where Syrian and Israeli trenches from 1948–1967 sit alongside 2,000-year-old Roman walls.

You’ll walk along the city’s main street, the 550-meter Decumanus Maximus, and discover the Forum where political speeches rang out and merchants struck deals. You’ll explore multiple Byzantine churches including the magnificent Cathedral, its massive imported marble columns lying precisely where they fell during the catastrophic earthquake of 749 CE. The tour ends at the Western Bastion, a monumental defensive structure built into the mountainside that protected the city’s most vulnerable approach and still stands as a testament to ancient engineering prowess.

On this 75-minute tour, you’ll have a chance to:

• Appreciate breathtaking views of the Sea of Galilee and the landscape where Jesus carried out most of his ministry
• Pass by the remains of the Mausoleum which greeted visitors to Hippos and symbolized the power and wealth of this prosperous city
• Visit the grand Basilica where legal cases were decided and stand in the North East Church, once a major pilgrimage destination in the Byzantine world, built above sarcophagi of saints
• Explore the Forum’s paved square where civic announcements, festivals, and commercial dealings shaped daily life
• View the Odeion, where residents gathered for musical performances, poetry readings, and refined cultural events
• Learn about recent discoveries including a mosaic inscription that might mark the world’s oldest old-age care facility

By the end of this tour, you’ll have an understanding of a city that flourished for nearly a millennium before earthquakes and invasion left it frozen in time – and have heard some of the stories it’s been waiting to share with you.