Getting around Jerusalem: public transport, passes and taxis

Jerusalem is a city of hills, and the distances that look short on a map often involve a climb. The light rail covers the main north–south spine through the modern centre and stops near the Old City; buses fill in the rest. Inside the Old City walls, everything is on foot.

Match the tool to the trip: light rail for Jaffa Road and the market, buses for the Mount of Olives, Ein Karem, the Israel Museum and the universities, a taxi or app for late nights, Shabbat and anywhere with bags.

The light rail is the simplest way to move along the centre. It runs past the Central Bus Station, the Mahane Yehuda market, Jaffa Road, City Hall near Damascus Gate, and on to Mount Herzl. If your hotel is on or near that line, you can reach most of the modern city and the Old City edge without changing.

City buses cover the rest, including routes up to the Mount of Olives, out to Ein Karem and the Israel Museum area, and to the Hebrew University campuses. Routes and numbers are renumbered from time to time, so check the stop sign or an app rather than trusting an old list.

Payment is by Rav-Kav card, loaded with stored value or a pass. Paper single tickets exist but cost more. Validate on boarding; on the light rail, validate at the platform machine before you get on.

The Rav-Kav card is the workhorse: a rechargeable smart card that covers buses and the light rail in Jerusalem and most other Israeli cities. Load stored value for pay-as-you-go, or a daily or weekly pass if you will ride three or more times a day. The card itself has a small one-off cost.

For a short visit, a daily pass is usually the easy answer; for a week, compare the weekly pass against your likely number of rides. Students and seniors may qualify for discounts with the right ID. Keep the card topped up rather than buying singles each time.

Metered taxis are plentiful in the centre and around the Old City gates. Insist on the meter, or agree a price before you get in for airport runs and long trips. Ride-hailing apps such as Gett and Uber show a price before you book and avoid haggling; pickup points near the Old City are limited because of narrow streets and pedestrian zones, so walk to a main road.

Taxis and apps are the practical choice on Shabbat, when most buses and the light rail stop from Friday afternoon until Saturday after nightfall, and late at night. They are also worth it for the Mount of Olives, where the climb is real.

No vehicles run inside the Old City, so the quarters are walked. Distances between gates are short in metres but slow in practice: stepped lanes, crowds and market stalls can turn a 500 m walk into 20 minutes. Wear shoes with grip; the polished stone is slippery when wet.

The main gates connect to the modern city: Jaffa Gate to Mamilla and the light rail, Damascus Gate to the light rail and East Jerusalem buses, Zion Gate to the Mount Zion area, and Lion's Gate to the Mount of Olives side. Plan your entry and exit gate before you go in, especially on Friday, when some quarters are busier and some routes close for prayers.

Public transport is cheap by Western standards; taxis are where a day's budget can drift. The figures below are 2026 estimates for planning, not quotes. Confirm current fares at the machine or in the app.

Plan around Shabbat: from Friday afternoon until Saturday after nightfall, most buses and the light rail stop, and some shops and restaurants close. Taxis, sheruts on some intercity routes and Arab-run transport in East Jerusalem keep running. If you arrive on a Friday, sort out your route from the airport before the afternoon.

Load your Rav-Kav before the weekend rush, keep small change for taxis, and use a map app offline in the Old City, where signal in the covered lanes can be patchy. An eSIM keeps you online for apps and tickets without hunting for a SIM shop.