Blog/April 8, 2026·5 min read
Jerusalem Light Rail: Complete Tourist Guide
How to ride the Light Rail in Jerusalem — tickets, app, every stop worth using, and the secret of "Rav-Kav Online".
Jerusalem's Light Rail (the Red Line, with the Green Line opening soon) is the best transit decision any visitor can make. Single fare: ₪6. From our hostel to the Israel Museum: 6 minutes. From the airport-train station to our front door: 9 minutes. Here's how to use it like a local.
How to pay — three options
The fastest: download "Hop On" or "Rav-Kav Online" before you land. Add ₪50 in credit, pair to your phone. Tap your phone on the validator at any stop, hop on. No paper ticket, no queue.
The simplest: buy a paper ticket from the machine on the platform (English available) — ₪6 per ride, valid for 90 minutes including transfers. Cash or card.
The cheapest: day pass for ₪13.50 — pays off on your second ride.
The 5 stops every traveler should know
Yitzhak Navon Station — the airport train terminus. From here, 1 stop to Jaffa Center for Capsule BH, or 4 stops to City Hall for Mamilla Mall.
Jaffa Center (יפו מרכז) — our doorstep. Mahane Yehuda Market 5 min walk, Old City 5 min walk.
City Hall (כיכר ספרא) — Mamilla Mall and Jaffa Gate entrance to the Old City.
Mount Herzl — last southern stop. Yad Vashem is 8 min walk from here.
Damascus Gate (שער שכם) — closest stop to the Muslim Quarter.
Hours, frequency, and Shabbat
The Light Rail runs 05:30–24:00 Sunday–Thursday, 05:30–15:00 Friday, and is closed on Shabbat (sundown Friday until ~1.5 hours after sundown Saturday).
On Saturday nights it usually restarts around 21:00 in summer, 19:00 in winter. Check the live schedule on the Hop On app — it's the only timing source we trust.
Rookie mistakes to avoid
Don't ride without validating. Inspectors check often. Fine: ₪180.
Don't expect to ride during Shabbat. Plan accordingly — book taxis or stay walking-distance.
Don't crowd the doors at Mahane Yehuda stop on Friday afternoon. Locals load on with shopping bags. Be patient.
Don't forget: the same Rav-Kav works on Israel Railways, so your ₪50 covers transit between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem too.
From our front door
Capsule BH is 90 seconds from Jaffa Center stop. From there: Old City Jaffa Gate is a 5 min walk, Israel Museum is 6 minutes on the train (₪6), Yad Vashem is 22 minutes (₪6), Ben Gurion Airport is 12 min train + 35 min Israel Railways (₪22 total).
The Light Rail isn't just transport. It's the best ₪6 you'll spend on your trip.
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