Jerusalem Travel Costs: Visit Jerusalem on a Budget
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Planning a budget-friendly trip to Jerusalem? Keep reading for a breakdown of Jerusalem travel costs, including how to keep your trip affordable!
Jerusalem is an extraordinary city. The variety of attractions in Jerusalem can keep a tourist with any type of interests busy for a week. Historical sites from 3000 years ago, religious sites, museums, markets, street food, and nightlife all blend in a unique way.
But Jerusalem is also an expensive city. It ranks as the 44th most expensive city in the world according to the cost of living index, in the same ballpark as major cities like Los Angeles and Milan.
When it comes to travel expenses, the costs are even more. Hotels, restaurants, and alcohol prices are sky-high. Almost every travel blogger writing about their visit to Jerusalem complains about this. However, if you are mindful about your expenses and plan correctly, you can easily have a budget-friendly trip to Jerusalem.
Are you planning a trip to Jerusalem but don’t want to spend an arm and a leg on travel expenses? Keep reading for a detailed guide to Jerusalem travel costs and how to keep your Jerusalem trip affordable! (Note: All prices mentioned are accurate at the time of publication. Additionally, the exchange rate from NIS to USD may fluctuate.).
This post was written by Erez Speiser from Israel on Foot, an expert on travel to Jerusalem.
A World in Reach contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I may receive a commission at no cost to you! Read my full disclosure here.
How to Get to Jerusalem
Reaching Jerusalem:
Most travelers visiting Jerusalem will arrive at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. The fastest and cheapest way is to travel to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv by train (22 NIS, or $6.53 USD). The trip only takes about an hour. There is also a bus service, but it is much less convenient. Taxis are another option, but they can be quite expensive (around 300 NIS, or $90 USD).
Important: Keep in mind that due to the Shabbat, or Jewish day of rest, the train service does not run from Friday afternoon to Saturday evening. If you need to travel during this period, you will need to take a taxi.
Accommodation Costs in Jerusalem
As with any large city, the range of accommodations in Jerusalem is vast. You can find everything from budget-friendly hostels to famous luxury hotels like the King David Hotel. Additionally, there are hundreds of vacation rentals in Jerusalem.
As a tourist, the best location to stay is in the city center, close to all of the top attractions in Jerusalem. These prices are what you can expect to pay for your accommodation in the Jerusalem city center:
- A bed in a shared hostel dormitory: 100-150 NIS ($30-45 USD)
- A double room in a mid-range hotel: 500-1000 NIS ($150-300 USD)
- A double room in a luxurious, 4-5 star hotel: 1000-2000 NIS ($300-600 USD)
Prices on vacation rentals tend to be much cheaper than hotels in Jerusalem, with some entire apartments costing just a bit more than a bed in a hostel. You can check out all vacation rentals in Jerusalem here. If you’d prefer a hostel or hotel, check out Booking.com.
Food and Dining Costs in Jerusalem
Jerusalem is full of flavors when it comes to food and dining. You can find everything from traditional Jerusalem dishes, Arab food, any international cuisine you can think of, and high-end gourmet restaurants.
However, the best foodie experience in Jerusalem is the street food. Be sure to check out the stalls selling falafel, humnus, burekas, bagels, sabich, or shawarma. Don’t miss wandering around in the fantastic Mahane Yehuda Market and pick up fresh, local products.
Here are the average costs of a meal for one person in Jerusalem:
- Street food: 20-40 NIS ($6-12 USD)
- Cheap Restaurant: 50-100 NIS ($15-30 USD)
- Mid-Range Restaurant: 80-150 NIS ($20-40 USD)
- Fine Dining: 120-300 NIS ($35-90 USD)
Another thing to keep in mind when planning your Jerusalem travel costs is the alcohol prices. A glass of beer in a pub can cost 30 NIS, and a shot of whiskey more than 10 NIS.
Getting around Jerusalem: Transportation Costs
Public transportation in Jerusalem is very cheap and efficient. A weekly pass (called Rav-Kav) for the entire Jerusalem area costs 94 NIS (around $28), or you can get a daily pass for 21 NIS (about $6.23 USD). You can use the Rav-Kav Pass on both the light rail train and the buses.
Things to Do in Jerusalem
There are many attractions in Jerusalem that you won’t want to miss.
- Israel Museum: There are several halls of art and archeology, but the main attraction is the “Shrine of the Book”, where the Dead Sea Scrolls are on display. Admission: 54 NIS ($16 USD) for adults, 39 NIS ($11.58 USD) for students (bring your student ID/ISIC card to get the discount).
- Western Wall Tunnels: An array of underground halls and tunnels along the route of the Western Wall, below the houses of the Old City of Jerusalem. While you walk in the tunnels, you will see ruins from the Second Temple Period and the Middle Ages. Admission: 55 NIS ($16.33 USD).
- City of David: This is where it all started. An archeological site where ancient Jerusalem was located from its early days, during the Bronze Age (3000 years ago until the Middle Ages). Admission: 28 NIS ($8.31 USD).
- Bloomfield Science Museum: An interactive, educational, and fun museum that children and adults will enjoy. Admission: 45 NIS (55 NIS from July-August).
- Jerusalem Biblical Zoo: One of the most popular tourist attractions in Israel. The zoo is known for its efforts for the conservation and breeding of endangered species. Admission: 59 NIS ($17.52 USD).
- Yad Vashem (Holocaust Museum): Israel’s memorial and museum dedicated to the victims of the Holocaust. Admission is free.
Day Trips from Jerusalem
Some of the best attractions to visit on a trip to Jerusalem are day trips to several historical and natural landmarks. These include Masada, Ein Gedi Nature Reserve, Qumran, Wadi Qelt, and St. George’s Monastery.
Most of these attractions are around a one-hour drive from Jerusalem. You can hire a car for one day (200-300 NIS/$60-90 USD) or use public transportation, which will cost you about 75 NIS (around $22 USD) round-trip.
A more expensive but very convenient option is to book one of the many organized day trips from Jerusalem. Most of them will even pick you up from your hotel. Prices range from 150-300 NIS per person.
Jerusalem Travel Costs: Budget Travel Tips
Avoid Visiting Jerusalem on a Holiday
For many travelers from abroad, it can be a bit confusing to understand when there is a holiday in Israel. This is because of two things. There are many Jewish holidays, and the Jewish calendar shifts about seven days each year compared to the Gregorian calendar. Because of this, the date of each holiday changes every year.
The first thing anyone should do before planning to visit Jerusalem is to check the list of upcoming holidays and make sure to avoid them! You can use the Hebcal website to get the holiday dates for the year.
Why is this so important? Accommodation prices spike up dramatically during holidays, and the tourist attractions get overcrowded since Jewish holidays usually don’t overlap Christian holidays. This is generally easy to avoid if you plan ahead.
Don’t be Afraid to Haggle
Haggling in Israel is a must if you don’t want to get ripped off. It is not considered impolite. However, it is not acceptable everywhere. For example, restaurants, hotels, and stores inside shopping malls are not places where someone should consider haggling. On the other hand, don’t be ashamed to haggle in the markets (especially in the Old City), in a small local shop, or with a taxi driver.
Explore Jerusalem on Foot
The best (and cheapest) way to explore Jerusalem is on foot.
The narrow alleys of the Old City are the top destination in Jerusalem and justly so. But, there also several attractive neighborhoods and areas outside the Old City. The slopes of the Mount of Olives, with its unique churches and the fantastic view of the Old City, is a must. There also several beautiful and interesting neighborhoods that deserve a ramble, including Yemin Moshe, Nachlaot, Ein Karem, and Mea Shearim.
Get the JLM Jerusalem City Pass
The JLM City Pass is a great way to save money on attractions and public transportation. You can get the pass for 211 NIS (around $62 USD) at the Ben Gurion airport, at several spots in the city, or online.
The Pass is valid for 7 days and includes free public transportation, free entrance to 3 attractions, and 25% discount on all the others. There is also a cheaper option if you’re visiting Jerusalem for a shorter amount of time, which includes 3 days of public transportation and admission to two attractions. Click here to book your pass online.
You can view a list of all the attractions, including those with free admission and the ones with discounted admission, here.
Jerusalem might have a reputation for being an expensive city to visit, but you can easily visit the city on a budget with proper planning. When planning your trip, keep these Jerusalem travel costs in mind in order to minimize your spending while maximizing your experience.
Have you been to Jerusalem? What are your best tips for visiting on a budget?
