Jerusalem is a hilltop city of about 1 million people in the Judean Mountains, sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims. Its walled Old City holds the Western Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Haram al-Sharif (Temple Mount) with the Dome of the Rock, while West Jerusalem offers the Mahane Yehuda market, Israel Museum and Yad Vashem, and East Jerusalem has Palestinian-run neighbourhoods, markets and the Mount of Olives.
- Summary
- Jerusalem's centre is walkable, the Old City is traffic-free and the light rail links the main sights. Public transport stops from Friday afternoon until Saturday evening.
- Best way around
- Walk the Old City, use the light rail on Jaffa Road, and use taxis or the Gett app on Shabbat.
- Shabbat note
- Light rail, buses and trains stop before sunset on Friday and resume after nightfall on Saturday; some private shared taxis operate.
- Payment
- Buy a Rav-Kav card at the Central Bus Station or use a transport app; paper tickets were retired.
Transport at a glance
- Walking
- 4.5
- Light Rail
- 4.4
- Bus
- 4.0
- Taxi
- 4.2
Airport transfers
Getting from the airport to your accommodation.
- Airport
- Ben Gurion Airport (TLV), about 45 km west
- Train
- Israel Railways from Ben Gurion Airport to Jerusalem Yitzhak Navon station, about 25-30 ILS (approx $8-10), 25-40 minutes, with a change at Modi'in or direct depending on timetable; check rail.co.il. No trains on Shabbat.
- Sherut
- Shared taxi (sherut) from the airport arrivals hall to Jerusalem, about 70-90 ILS (approx $23-30), 1 hour; Nesher (nesher.co.il) and other firms.
- Taxi
- Metered or fixed fare 250-350 ILS (approx $82-115), 45-60 minutes.
Local transport
Getting around the city.
Light rail
Line 1 (formerly Red Line) crosses the city from Mount Herzl through Jaffa Road and Damascus Gate to Pisgat Ze'ev and Neve Ya'akov; a second line, L3, reportedly opened in 2026, so confirm the map on Moovit.
Buses
Egged and other operators from the Central Bus Station, Jaffa Road
Walking
Old City and downtown walkable
Taxi
Metered or via Gett
Taxis & rideshare
What to expect from taxis and apps.
- Overview
- Licensed taxis are white with a yellow roof sign. Insist on the meter; a city ride costs 25-60 ILS (approx $8-20). Gett and Yango are the main ride-hail apps. Fares rise 25% at night and on Shabbat.
Intercity travel
Getting between cities and regions.
Egged buses
To Tel Aviv, Dead Sea, Masada, Haifa and Eilat from Central Bus Station
Cost: 20-70 ILS (approx $7-23)
Israel Railways
To Tel Aviv and the airport from Yitzhak Navon station
Cost: 20-30 ILS (approx $7-10)
Arab buses (East Jerusalem)
To Bethlehem and Ramallah from Damascus Gate bus stations
Cost: 5-10 ILS (approx $2-3)
Transportation details
Full breakdown of how to get around.
Compact city with light rail, buses and taxis; closed to most transit on Shabbat.
Airports
Ben Gurion Airport (TLV)
Useful apps
Download before you arrive.
Transport tips
Travel smarter, not harder.
Light rail runs about 5:30AM to midnight Sun-Thu and stops for Shabbat.
The light-rail fare is about 6-8 ILS (approx $2-2.65) with a 90-minute transfer window; the Rav-Kav card is the standard payment.
Use Moovit, Google Maps or Gett for routes and taxis.
Taxis must use the meter; agree a price for airport trips.
Carry small bills for buses.