How to Get from the Ben Gurion Airport (Israel) to Hebron: One of the most daunting things for solo travelers coming to Palestine can be getting from Ben Gurion Airport to Hebron. However, the process is very simple and prospective volunteers, interns, and students have no need to stress.

To help lay your worries to rest, we will be sharing with you how to get to the Excellence Center, following your arrival at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel. Again, the process is very straightforward. Travelers will go from the airport to Jerusalem, where they will then switch modes of transportation to go from Jerusalem to Hebron.

Important: Arriving during Shabat or a Jewish Holiday

Please note that if you arrive at Ben Gurion Airport during Shabat (the Jewish sabbath or rest day) or a Jewish holiday, you will still be able to get to Jerusalem or Hebron, but the only option will be a service (pronounced “ser-vees”, which is a shared taxi. Public transportation does not run to Jerusalem or within Jerusalem during Shabat or Jewish holidays, but it does run during Zionist holidays (eg. Memorial Day). Shabat is observed from Friday afternoon until Saturday night.

Jewish holidays are observed from sundown the night before until sundown on the date of the holiday. Jewish holidays are observed throughout the year and the dates change each year, so it is best to do a quick Google search before booking your flight to see if your arrival will coincide with a religious holiday. 

Obtaining shekels for your trip to Hebron

As soon as your plane lands at Ben Gurion Airport, you will need to obtain your 3-month visa, retrieve your checked luggage, and go through customs. Once all these steps are complete, we advise stopping by the ATM and obtaining shekels for your trip to Hebron. 

The ATMs in Ben Gurion are easy to find and easy to withdraw money from. The ATMs are located inside the airport only and not outside the airport doors. It is only possible to pay for shared taxis (or services) in cash, not with card.

Exit the airport and be on your way to Hebron

After you have all your belongings and have stopped by the ATM, it is time to exit the airport and be on your way to Hebron. Right outside the airport, you will see many taxis lined up. 

While you could take a private taxi, we highly recommend taking a shared taxi, also called a service (sherut in Hebrew). These large vans will be lined up outside the airport. Service is pronounced like “ser-vees”. 

A third option, which is quicker but requires a little more effort, is to take the train from the airport to Jerusalem and then change to the light rail to Damascus Gate in Jerusalem. The train station is also just outside the airport. You will see signs to guide you.

Taking the train and light rail to Jerusalem’s Damascus Gate

The fastest and cheapest way to Jerusalem is to take the high speed train to Yerushalayim/Yitzhak Navon Station and then take the light rail to Damascus Gate. Please note that the train and light rail do not run during Shabat and Jewish holidays. If you have a lot of luggage, are arriving during Shabat or a Jewish holiday or would simply prefer to avoid public transport, then taking a service is a better option for you (see next section). 

The train takes approximately 20 minutes from Ben Gurion Airport to Yerushalayim/Yitzhak Navon Station and it departs every half hour. As of July 2022, the price is 17 shekels per person, one way. You can buy a train ticket from the vending machine outside of the train station, which is just outside of the airport’s exit. It is possible to pay with cash or card. 

Once you arrive at Yitzhak Navon Station, find the exit and go up to the street level. Then, walk about 30 meters to the light rail station. This stop is called Central Station. Find the side of the station with the direction towards “Heil Ha’avir”. Then, purchase a ticket to Damascus Gate station from one of the vending machines. You may pay with cash or card and it costs approximately 6 shekels as of July 2022. The journey will take around 12 minutes and it is six stops to Damascus Gate. It is possible to use Google Maps to help you plan the journey from the airport to Damascus Gate on public transport.

Taking a service to Jerusalem’s Damascus Gate

Taking service to Jerusalem’s Damascus Gate will cost travelers 70 shekels (as of July 2022). This price is one way, per person. An important thing to note is that these vans do not leave until they are completely filled. If the van is taking a long time to fill up, the driver may ask all the passengers to pay more money to leave sooner.

Therefore, you may have to wait before the service can depart. The wait might be a few minutes or one hour, it can be unpredictable depending on the time of day and how busy the airport is. (Since the high speed train to Jerusalem opened in 2018, services to Jerusalem have become less popular.) Once the service is full, enjoy the beautiful scenic ride to Jerusalem. 

Please note that the driver will drop the passengers off in the order that the driver has decided is the most efficient. Sometimes passengers have destinations that are far from the center of Jerusalem, which can add extra time to your journey. Depending on the time of day, there may be traffic which will also impact how long your journey takes.

Once you arrive at Damascus Gate in Jerusalem, pay the driver 70 shekels for the ride.

“Al Khalil!” Al Khalil

When you arrive at Damascus Gate, you will easily be able to spot the bus station. Next to the bus station is a parking lot and that is where you will want to go to find another service that can take you to Hebron. The parking lot is called in Arabic Hay Al Musrara حي المصرارة (in English: Musrara) (in Hebrew: מוסררה)

Wrap around the buses to Hay Al Musrara and soon enough you will hear someone shouting “Al Khalil!” Al Khalil means Hebron in Arabic.

If you do not hear anyone shouting “Al Khalil”, ask one of the people in the parking lot for the service (“servees”) to Al Khalil or Hebron. Palestinians are friendly, helpful and those in Jerusalem generally speak English, so they will point you in the right direction.

Once you find that van, tell the driver you want to go to Masjid Al Hussein. (“Masjid” means “mosque” in Arabic.) 

Remember that the service will not leave until it is filled up with passengers. You may not have to wait at all, or you may have to wait for up to one hour. If the van is taking a long time to fill up, the driver may ask for more money to leave sooner.

The Location of the Excellence Center

The Excellence Center is located right across the street from Al Hussein Mosque (Masjid Al Hussein in Arabic). This service ride from Damascus Gate to the Excellence Center in Hebron generally will cost 25 shekels, but sometimes will cost 30 shekels.

Remember that for all taxis in Palestine, you will need cash to pay the driver and it is best to pay with exact change or as close to it as possible. Once you arrive, pay the driver and come join us at the Excellence Center. We will be happily awaiting your arrival.

Otherwise, stay on the service until it stops at the Hebron’s city center to let everyone off; from there, take a private taxi for no more than 10 shekels to the Excellence Center. If the taxi is shared with other passengers, it is 2.5 shekels per person.

Check out this video to see our location in Hebron. 

Travelers can also call the Excellence Center via Whatsapp for more directions if they need help: 

Marwa Shantir’s Whatsapp Number: +972-597-840984 

Osama Abu Hussein’s Whatsapp Number: +972-598-042496

Here are three more Articles about to get to Hebron from the Ben Gurion Airport (Israel)

• First Article: How to Get to Hebron Palestine
• Second article: Planning your trip to Palestine
• Third Article: How to Fly to Palestine

Final remarks 

As you can see, it is very stress-free getting from the Ben Gurion airport (Israel) to Hebron, Palestine. If you find yourself confused or lost at any point during the journey, do not be afraid to ask for help!

Whether you are at the airport trying to locate the service to Jerusalem, or at the bus station trying to locate the service to Al Khalil, Palestinians will be glad to point you in the right direction. With all that said, we hope you have a safe trip to Palestine and we are looking forward to meeting you in Palestine.

Find us online

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/excellence.center

The Excellence Center’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ExcellenceCenter

Excellence Center’s Facebook account: https://www.facebook.com/RafatECHebron

Watch us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsQSLdFZWZcBm6Uj0XMYuKg

Visit and Explore Palestine: https://www.facebook.com/ExplorePalestine