7 Days of Jerusalem Day Trips: Do It Right
Seven days from Jerusalem is enough to do the entire gateway lineup properly and still have a day to spare: Dead Sea/Masada, Bethlehem, Tel Aviv, Jericho-or-rest, a real Shabbat day, and one flex day at the end. This extends the 6 day plan with a final buffer day; for the full logistics behind each trip, see the Jerusalem day trips guide .
Book these before you go:
- Masada sunrise, Ein Gedi and Dead Sea tour
- Bethlehem half-day tour from Jerusalem
- Jerusalem hotel rates on Booking.com
| Day trip | Travel time from Jerusalem | Covered here? |
|---|---|---|
| Dead Sea + Masada | ~90 min | Yes, Day 2 |
| Bethlehem | ~30 min | Yes, Day 3 |
| Tel Aviv | ~30 min (train) | Yes, Day 4 |
| Jericho (or a rest day) | ~45 min (tour) | Yes, Day 5, optional |
| Shabbat day | n/a, stay put | Yes, Day 6 |
| Flex day | varies | Yes, Day 7 |
Day 1: Land, settle in, taste the Old City
Land at Ben Gurion, train or metered taxi/Gett into Jerusalem, hotel near Jaffa Gate or the German Colony. Afternoon at the Western Wall plaza (free, open 24 hours) and the Old City’s alleys toward the Church of the Holy Sepulchre; the full Jerusalem guide and Old City place page are the deep dive you’re saving for later. Dinner at Mahane Yehuda Market.
Day 2: The Dead Sea and Masada, all day
A combined tour covers Masada (cable car or the pre-dawn Snake Path for sunrise), Ein Gedi, and a Dead Sea float, typically 07:00-17:00. Full pricing on the Dead Sea and Masada place page . Water shoes for the sharp, salt-crusted shoreline.
Day 3: Bethlehem, then back to Jerusalem
Bus 231 from Damascus Gate or a permitted taxi through Checkpoint 300, about 30 minutes into the West Bank; passport and ETA-IL record for re-entry. Church of the Nativity, Manger Square, and the Milk Grotto fill the half-day.
Day 4: Tel Aviv, the beach-city contrast
Direct train, Jerusalem-Yitzhak Navon to Tel Aviv HaHagana, about 30 minutes, roughly hourly; check Israel Railways for current times. Not a Saturday, since Shabbat stops the train. Beach, Jaffa, Bauhaus downtown.
Day 5: Jericho, or a Jerusalem breather
Jericho is one of the oldest continuously inhabited sites on earth but thin on tourist infrastructure, a niche pick best done on an organized tour if ancient archaeology genuinely interests you. Otherwise, spend the day on the Israel Museum, Yad Vashem, or a slower Old City pass.
Day 6: Shabbat day, on foot in the Old City
Whichever day of your trip lands on Friday-Saturday, put it here. The light rail and intercity buses stop from late Friday afternoon to Saturday evening, and most West Jerusalem shops close. Friday evening at the Western Wall has an atmosphere unlike any other time; the Old City’s Christian and Muslim Quarter restaurants generally stay open Saturday. Walk everything; don’t plan around transit this day.
Day 7: Flex day, then depart
Use this day for whatever the trip actually needs: a second Tel Aviv half-day at the beach, an Ein Gedi hike if the Masada day left you wanting more time in the reserve, or straightforward souvenir shopping in Mahane Yehuda before the airport. If you’re flying out, the train back to the airport rail station runs roughly hourly via Tel Aviv; leave more runway than you think, since Ben Gurion security lines run long.
Is a full week too much time for Jerusalem’s day trips?
No, if you use the flex day honestly instead of forcing a sixth hard day trip that doesn’t exist in this family. Five real gateway trips plus a Shabbat day already fills six days properly; the seventh is insurance against heat, jet lag, or simply wanting a second look at somewhere that earned it.
Which day trip is easiest to cut if seven days feels like too many?
Jericho. It’s the one this itinerary already frames as optional, so dropping it turns this into a comfortable 6 day trip without losing any of the trips most people actually came for.
Build this itinerary loosely at first, lock the Shabbat day to the real Friday-Saturday of your dates, then decide what Day 7 becomes once you’re already there and know what you’d like more of.