The Negev's main draws are geological and archaeological. Makhtesh Ramon is the unmissable centrepiece — the scale of it takes a while to sink in. The Nabataean cities along the ancient incense route (Avdat, Mamshit, Ein Avdat gorge) are UNESCO World Heritage Sites and genuinely impressive. Hiking the Israel National Trail through the desert, or spending a night at a Bedouin camp under a sky full of stars, rounds out the experience. Avoid July and August; the heat is brutal.