How to get to West Bank from Tel Aviv: Traveling to the West Bank, Palestine from Tel Aviv might seem like a difficult task, but it doesn’t need to be. While the situation in Palestine makes traveling between cities more complicated than traveling in other countries, it is easy to figure out what you’ll need to do if you know in advance which busses or taxis to take. There are multiple routes that you can take to get to Palestine, although some are easier than others. We want your travel to go as easily as possible, so please use this information to help guide you to Hebron.
There are two main ways that you can get to the West Bank, Palestine. One is to fly into the airport in Amman, Jordan, and then cross over the Allenby/King Hussein Bridge into the West Bank. This is not the method that we recommend, however, should you choose to come this way, this is what you need to know. The process of entering through Jordan usually takes longer, and you may spend more time going through the checkpoint than you would at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel. If you do come in through Jordan, you will have to pay for a private taxi. You can take one that goes to Bethlehem or Jerusalem, and then you would need to take a separate taxi to Hebron, but you can also pay for a taxi directly to Hebron. This route is more expensive, and if you are coming through Jordan, we ask that you email us so that we can contact you with more specific instructions to get to Hebron.
The easier, and more common, route to the West Bank is to fly into Israel via Ben Gurion Airport first. The processing at Ben Gurion is faster than at Allenby bridge, and you can go directly to Jerusalem from there (however, you could also stay in Tel Aviv for a night if you’re tired or jetlagged). Once you go through customs, you will be issued a tourist visa that is valid for three months. From Tel Aviv, you can take a shared taxi (called a sherut in Hebrew), which will cost about 60-70 shekels to Jerusalem, and this should take about two or three hours. Alternatively, you can take a private taxi to Jerusalem, which is faster, but much more expensive. When you go to Jerusalem, you’ll want to ask the driver to drop you off at Damascus Gate, which is one entrance to Jerusalem’s old city.
If you do stay in Tel Aviv, Israel for the first night you arrive, you’ll want to take a bus from the Tel Aviv central bus station. Once there, you will find the bus to Jerusalem on the sixth floor, and the bus line is number 405. This bus station is very big – one of the largest in the world – so ask somebody for help if you can’t find the right bus. The bus from Tel Aviv will drop you off at the central bus station in Jerusalem, at which point you’ll want to walk down Yafo street (or take the light rail) until you reach the old city. However you choose to go to Damascus Gate, the bus station for the West Bank will be within eyesight.
First you’ll take bus number 231 to Bethlehem. This trip should last about 45 minutes and costs seven shekels. Stay on the bus until it reaches its final stop, at which point you’ll want to get a taxi directly to Hebron. The taxis are right outside the final bus stop, and you can take a private taxi if you want, but as usual it is cheaper to take a group taxi (which, in Arabic is called a ser-vees). A private taxi should cost no more than 100 shekels, while a servees will cost only 9. Either way, the taxi will bring you directly to Hebron.
When you go to Hebron, West Bank, Palestine you’ll want to tell your driver to bring you to Ein Sara street, near al Hussein School (madrasat al Hussein ben Ali al-thanawieh in Arabic). If you end up in the city center, a taxi will take you to Excellence Center for less than 10 shekels. If you have any trouble once you’re here, feel free to call us at either 00972597840984 or 0097222254792 and we will gladly come help you.
