Jerusalem: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
Jerusalem is a city of 971,800 people in Israel, 786 m (2,579 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV), 41 km (25 mi) from the centre. It has 4 railway stations on record, including Jerusalem – Yitzhak Navon railway station. Our booking partner lists 711 places to stay.
Key facts
Daylight in Jerusalem runs from about 10 h 7 min a day in late December to 14 h 16 min in late June (computed for 31.77° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Jerusalem is served by 3 airports with scheduled flights within 100 km. The closest large one is Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV), 41 km (25 mi) from the centre, whose 13,327-ft runway is long enough for long-haul wide-body aircraft. The alternatives are Queen Alia International Airport (AMM, 74 km), Marka International (Amman Civil) Airport (ADJ, 77 km).
Flights to Jerusalem: every airport, routes and times
By rail: stations on record include Jerusalem – Yitzhak Navon railway station, Jerusalem – Malha Railway Station, Jerusalem—Khan railway station, Jerusalem – Biblical Zoo Railway Station. Trains to Jerusalem
Buses to Jerusalem · Driving and car hire
Where to stay
Our booking partner lists 711 places to stay in Jerusalem. Of the 207 with a star rating, the largest group is 4-star (142), and 10 are five-star. Across 160 properties with at least 50 reviews, the average guest score is 8.4 out of 10. Guests have left 121,042 reviews in total.
Hotels in Jerusalem: the full picture, and book
What people come for
| Sight | Visitors a year | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Israel Museum | 750,066 | 2016 |
The busiest is Israel Museum at 750,066 visitors in 2016. Figures are the latest each site has published, so they are not all for the same year.
UNESCO World Heritage in the city: Al-Aqsa Mosque; Dome of the Rock; Masjid Al-Aqsa; Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls; Walls of Jerusalem.
Tours, tickets and day trips from Jerusalem
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Beirut, 238 km (Lebanon) — flights
- Damascus, 218 km (Syria) — flights
- Amman, 72 km (Jordan)
- Zarqa, 89 km (Jordan)
- Port Said, 282 km (Egypt)
- Homs, 357 km (Syria)
- Suez, 325 km (Egypt)
- Tabuk, 397 km (Saudi Arabia)
- Al Mansurah, 373 km (Egypt)
- Al Maḩallah al Kubrá, 395 km (Egypt)
Twin towns and sister cities: New York City, Ayabe, Prague, Rio de Janeiro, Cusco, Fez, Bratislava, Kyiv, Tbilisi, Helwan.
Common questions
Which airport serves Jerusalem?
Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV), 41 km (25 mi) from the centre, plus 2 other airports with scheduled flights within 100 km.
How big is Jerusalem?
About 971,800 people live in Jerusalem, across 125 km² (GeoNames and Wikidata).
What time zone is Jerusalem in?
Asia/Jerusalem, currently UTC+3.
What currency is used in Jerusalem?
The Shekel (ILS). Traffic drives on the right.
How many hotels are there in Jerusalem?
Our booking partner lists 711 places to stay in Jerusalem, bookable on this site.
Which cities are near Jerusalem?
Beirut (238 km), Damascus (218 km), Amman (72 km), Zarqa (89 km), Port Said (282 km).
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 13 September 2026. Hotel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.