6 best day trips from Jerusalem

Day trips compared

The day trips

10 km · About 30–45 minutes by bus or taxi

1.Bethlehem

Bethlehem, in the West Bank, is home to the Church of the Nativity, a UNESCO World Heritage Site built over the grotto venerated as the birthplace of Jesus, and Manger Square. Visitors pass a checkpoint; check your government's travel advice for the West Bank before going and carry your passport.

Getting there

Organised tour or Arab bus from near Damascus Gate

Best for

Culture, First-timers

105 km · About 1 hour 30 minutes by car

2.Masada

Herod's palace-fortress on a mesa above the Dead Sea is reached by cable car or by the steep Snake Path on foot, best climbed at dawn. The summit has storerooms, bathhouses, a synagogue and views over the Roman siege camps.

Getting there

Car, bus or organised tour

Best for

First-timers, Families, Culture

90 km · About 1 hour 15 minutes by car

3.Ein Gedi and the Dead Sea

Ein Gedi Nature Reserve has short trails to freshwater pools and waterfalls where Nubian ibex roam, and the Dead Sea, more than 400 metres below sea level, lets you float effortlessly. Public beaches at Ein Bokek have showers and shade.

Getting there

Car, bus or organised tour

Best for

Families, Couples, Quiet stays

60 km · About 35 minutes by fast train

4.Tel Aviv and Jaffa

A complete change of pace: Mediterranean beaches, Bauhaus boulevards, Carmel Market and the old port and hill of Jaffa, with cafés and restaurants that stay open on Shabbat.

Getting there

Train from Jerusalem–Yitzhak Navon

Best for

Food lovers, Beach

13 km · About 20 minutes by car

5.Abu Ghosh

An Arab village in the Judean Hills known for its hummus restaurants and a well-preserved 12th-century Crusader church, part of a Benedictine monastery, with medieval frescoes.

Getting there

Car, taxi or bus

Best for

Food lovers, Quiet stays

20 km · About 30 minutes by car

6.Sorek Cave

The Avshalom (Sorek) Stalactite Cave Nature Reserve has a short guided route through a chamber full of stalactites and stalagmites, discovered by chance in a quarry in 1968.

Getting there

Car or taxi

Best for

Families, Quiet stays

Day-trip tips

• Leave early: most trips are more relaxed with a morning departure and a return before dinner.
• Pay with a Rav-Kav card or a supported app; drivers do not take cash.
• Jerusalem–Yitzhak Navon station, deep underground beside the Central Bus Station, has fast trains to Ben Gurion Airport and Tel Aviv.
• For trips over about 150 km, an overnight stay or an organised tour saves a lot of travelling.

Questions travellers ask