Traveler information for Israel
How to move around Israel comfortably on regional public transport, and where to go and how to get there. A practical travel guide in two short parts, the same information I give travelers as a licensed tour guide, with a detailed page behind each one.
This is everything you need to travel Israel without a rental car. The first part explains how to move around on public transport: how to pay, what it costs and which apps to use. The second part shows where it is worth going and how to reach each place, with a separate page for every destination. It is the same information I give travelers on my tours, for independent travelers and for anyone looking for a guided tour. Written by Nimrod Nir, a licensed tour guide in Jerusalem and across Israel.
Two parts, and everything you need to know
The site is built from two parts that fit together: how to move around Israel on public transport, and where it is worth going and how. Each part is a short, ordered page, and from there you continue to the detailed pages.
How to move around on public transport
Buses and trains reach almost everywhere, so there is no need at all for a rental car. On that page you will find how to pay (my recommendation: the HopOn app on your phone), what a ride costs by distance, which apps to download, and what happens on Shabbat.
- Pay from the app or with a Rav-Kav card, no cash
- Fares by distance, plus a daily pass
- Moovit and Google Maps for lines and live times
Where to go and how to get there
Ten destinations I love taking travelers to: Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Acre, Caesarea, Nazareth, the Sea of Galilee, the Dead Sea and Masada, Machtesh Ramon and Ben Gurion Airport. Each one has a page with the comfortable way there by train and bus, and what to see along the way.
- Reached by train and local bus, with no rental car
- What to see at each destination and what to know before you go
- Bus lines, fares and operating hours, kept up to date
This information comes from years of guided tours and transfers around Israel, for Israelis and for visitors from abroad, and it is updated from time to time.
Ten recommended destinations for independent travel in Israel
Pick a destination and get the comfortable route to it by train and local bus, plus what to see along the way. Each page is short enough to read before you set off.
To Ben Gurion Airport
A train straight out of the terminal to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, plus line 485 that also runs overnight, except on Shabbat.
Jerusalem
The easy way into the Old City is the light rail from the central bus station, and the rest of the city on foot.
To Tel Aviv
About 40 minutes by train from Jerusalem, then the beach, the market and Jaffa.
To Haifa
About an hour by train from Tel Aviv, right into the city center and the Bahai Gardens.
To Old Acre
A direct train to a walled city on the sea: the Crusader fortress, the market, the port and famous hummus.
To Caesarea
Train to Binyamina, then a short bus ride to the Roman theatre, the harbor and the beach.
To Nazareth
A direct bus from Tel Aviv, and then everything on foot: the basilica, the market and the alleys.
To the Sea of Galilee
Direct buses from Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, and a full day of lake, old town and hot springs.
Dead Sea and Masada
Buses from Jerusalem and Tel Aviv to Kalia, Einot Tzukim, Ein Gedi, Masada and Ein Bokek with its hotel strip.
To Mitzpe Ramon
Train to Beersheba and line 65 to Mitzpe Ramon: the largest machtesh in the world, trails and desert.
Looking for something specific?
These are the requests travelers send me most often, each with a direct link to the answer:
Want me to combine this with a tour and a ride?
If you would like a guided tour, a pickup from where you are staying, or just help building the route and the timing, I am here. We can plan it together before you set off.
Talk to mePrices, lines and operating hours change from time to time. Before traveling, check the exact details for your day in Moovit or on the Ministry of Transport website.