Israel is a beautiful and fascinating place to visit but is also quite expensive for the average backpacker. In this post, I’ve gathered some money-saving tickets and codes that might make your trip to Israel a bit more affordable. If you know of any others, let me know through my Facebook Page or leave a comment below. I’ll be happy to expand the list!
Money-Saving Tickets for Israel
The Israel Pass
This card is perfect for people who plan on visiting at least three national parks and nature reserves while in Israel. There are three types of cards – 3 Parks Entry Pass (78 ILS), 6 Entry Parks Pass (110 ILS), or All Parks Entry Pass (150 ILS).
Here are some of the top national parks and nature reserves in Israel:
- Masada National Park
- Caesarea National Park
- Beit Shean National Park
- Hula Nature Reserve
- Eilat Coral Beach Nature Reserve
- Gamla Nature Reserve
- Banias Nature Reserve
- Tel Dan Nature Reserve
More benefits:
Apart from entry to national parks, the card also offers a 20% discount on selected attractions around the country.
You can also use the Israel Pass as a public transit Rav Kav card. But, you will need to load it with cash to use it on public transportation. The Rav Kav gives you a small discount, which you can read about in my post – Let’s Talk About the Rav Kav. The Rav Kav you get as part of the Israel Pass is anonymous, which means you won’t be able to load special plans onto it, like a 24-hour pass. You will only be able to use it with stored value.
You can purchase the Israel Pass at Ben Gurion Airport, Ramon Airports, and Abraham Hostel in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. It is valid for only two weeks from the first site entry.
For more info about the Israel Pass, enter the Israel Pass official site.
Get special offers with the Secret Tel Aviv VIP Card
It seems like Secret Tel Aviv has some great offers for those who use their VIP Card. Most discounts or offers are relevant for restaurants and bars in Tel Aviv, less for activities. The best part about this card is that it’s free! You just need to fill in their form or pick up the card from their pickup point.
For more info, check out the Secret Tel Aviv official website.
Explore Jerusalem for less with the JLM Pass
If you plan to stay in Jerusalem for more than one day, this JLM Pass might be useful. The pass offers free or discounted entrance to some of the city’s attractions for a whole week.
There are four types of passes:
- JLM All Included – It includes transfers from and to Ben Gurion Airport and public transportation in Jerusalem. The price – 248 ILS.
- JLM Plus – It does not include transfers from and to Ben Gurion Airport. Though, it does include public transportation in Jerusalem. The price – 211 ILS.
- JLM Cultural – It only includes the free and discounted sites, without any transportation. The price – 142 ILS.
- JLM Plus for 3 Days – It includes public transportation in Jerusalem and entry to 2 free JLM attractions. Though, it is valid for only three days, which should be enough. The price – 152 ILS.
Is it worth it?
Let me break it down for you:
- The ride from Ben Gurion International Airport costs about 16 ILS one way.
- Taking one light rail/ bus ride will cost about 6 ILS. To the city center and back will cost you about 12 ILS.
- The Israel Museum entrance fee is about 54 ILS (39 ILS for students). With the pass, you get to enter for free. You will probably have to use public transportation to get to and from the museum, so add about 12 ILS, and that’s about 66 ILS saved.
- The Ramparts Walk entrance fee is about 16 ILS. But with the pass, you get to walk it for free. It’s in the Old City, so if your hostel is close by, you can easily walk there.
- Zedekiah’s Cave entrance fee is about 16 USD. But with the pass, you get to enter for free. It’s near Damascus Gate, so if your hostel is close by, you can easily walk there.
- The other attractions in the pass have discounts. My recommended attractions are the Night Spectacular Sound & Light Show at the Tower of David Museum. With the pass, you’ll save about 10 ILS. There’s also the Hebrew Music Museum, where you can save about 10 ILS with the pass.
According to this calculation, the card isn’t too money-saving. But, it really depends if you’re planning to visit the sites included in the pass. Check the list of sites on the official site of the JLM Pass. I think this pass is the best for family travelers because it includes many kid-friendly attractions.
Get discounts on Groo
This website includes tons of discounted tickets for a great variety of attractions, restaurants, and vacations. The only problem is that it’s in Hebrew. But if you can overcome this challenge, you can get a lot out of this site.
Check it out here – Groo.
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Yours,
Lior