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Israel Sites Guide 2026: Opening Hours, Ticket Prices & Booking Tips

Writer: Daniel Kaminer
Daniel Kaminer
3 hours ago
6 min read

Planning a trip to Israel? Here are the opening hours, entrance fees and booking rules for the places visitors ask about most — from the Western Wall Tunnels and Yad Vashem to Masada, Qumran and the Sea of Galilee. Prices are per adult in Israeli shekels (₪). Last checked: October 2026.

Before you go: 7 things to know

  1. Shabbat changes everything. Many Jerusalem sites close on Saturday and close early on Friday. National parks stay open on Saturday.

  2. Book ahead. Advance booking is required for Yad Vashem, the Western Wall Tunnels, Banias, the En Gedi reserve, Nazareth Village and group visits to Mount Tabor.

  3. Winter hours (October–March) are usually one hour shorter than summer hours. Last entry is often one hour before closing.

  4. Jewish holidays (Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Passover) mean shorter hours or full closures.

  5. Dress modestly at churches, the Western Wall and Yad Vashem: shoulders and knees covered.

  6. Groups pay less. National parks offer group rates (for example ₪26 instead of ₪31). An Israel Pass covering several parks can save more.

  7. Bethlehem, Jericho and Nablus are under Palestinian Authority control. Visits usually require a change to local transport and a local guide. Check current travel advice before you go.

Jerusalem: underground and archaeological sites

Western Wall Tunnels

  • Hours: Sun–Thu, by booking

  • Closed: Sat

  • Adult ₪: 30 + guide ₪295 per group

  • Good to know: Guided tours only, 18–35 people, about 70 min

City of David & Hezekiah's Tunnel

  • Hours: Sun–Thu 8:00–17:00, Fri 8:00–14:00

  • Closed: Sat

  • Adult ₪: from 16; guided tour with water tunnel from 38

  • Good to know: Bring water shoes and a flashlight

Davidson Center / Jerusalem Archaeological Park

  • Hours: Sun–Thu 8:00–17:00, Fri 8:00–14:00

  • Closed: Sat, Jewish holidays

  • Adult ₪: 16–30 (approx.)

  • Good to know: Southern Wall steps; booking required

Herodian Quarter (Wohl Museum)

  • Hours: Sun–Thu 9:00–17:00, Fri 9:00–12:00

  • Closed: Sat

  • Adult ₪: combined Jewish Quarter ticket

  • Good to know: Priestly mansions 6 m underground

Burnt House

  • Hours: Sun–Thu, Fri morning

  • Closed: Sat

  • Adult ₪: combined Jewish Quarter ticket

  • Good to know: House burned by the Romans in 70 CE

Zedekiah's Cave (Solomon's Quarries)

  • Hours: Sun–Thu 9:00–16:00 (winter), to 17:00 (summer)

  • Closed: Fri, Sat

  • Adult ₪: 25; light show 40

  • Good to know: Show by reservation, 16:00

Ramparts Walk

  • Hours: Sun–Thu & Sat 9:00–16:00 (winter), to 17:00 (summer); Fri 9:00–14:00 (south route)

  • Adult ₪: 25

  • Good to know: Tickets online or at Jaffa Gate

Temple Mount (non-Muslim visitors)

  • Hours: Sun–Thu 7:30–10:00 & 12:30–13:30 (winter); 7:30–11:00 & 13:30–14:30 (summer)

  • Closed: Fri, Sat

  • Adult ₪: free

  • Good to know: Entrance from the Western Wall plaza; may close without notice

Jerusalem: museums and memorials

Yad Vashem (Holocaust museum)

  • Hours: Sun, Mon, Wed 9:00–16:00; Tue 9:00–14:00; Thu 9:00–18:00; Fri 9:00–13:00

  • Closed: Sat, Jewish holidays

  • Adult ₪: free

  • Good to know: Booking required; no children under 10 in the museum

Israel Museum (Dead Sea Scrolls, model of ancient Jerusalem)

  • Hours: Mon, Thu, Sat 10:00–16:00; Tue 16:00–20:00; Fri 10:00–14:00

  • Closed: Sun, Wed

  • Adult ₪: 62

  • Good to know: Plan at least 3 hours

Tower of David Museum

  • Hours: Apr–Dec: Mon, Wed, Thu 9:00–17:00; Tue 9:00–20:00; Sun 12:00–17:00; Fri–Sat 9:00–15:00

  • Closed: Sat in Jan–Mar

  • Adult ₪: 55

  • Good to know: Night show sold separately

Bible Lands Museum

  • Hours: Sun–Tue & Thu 10:00–17:00; Wed 10:00–21:00; Fri–Sat 10:00–14:00

  • Closed: Jewish holidays

  • Adult ₪: approx. 40–44

  • Good to know: Free English tours most days at 11:30

Friends of Zion Museum

  • Hours: Sun–Thu 9:30–20:30, Fri 9:30–14:00, Sat 10:00–18:00

  • Adult ₪: approx. 44

  • Good to know: Interactive, popular with Christian groups

Chagall Windows (Hadassah, Ein Karem)

  • Hours: Sun–Thu, last entry 15:30

  • Closed: Fri, Sat

  • Good to know: Twelve Tribes stained glass

Jerusalem and Bethlehem: Christian holy sites

Church of the Holy Sepulchre

  • Hours: 4:00–19:00 (winter), 5:00–20:45 (summer)

  • Adult ₪: free

  • Good to know: Special hours in Holy Week

Garden Tomb

  • Hours: Mon–Thu & Sat 9:00–13:00

  • Closed: Fri, Sun

  • Adult ₪: free (donation)

  • Good to know: Book: bookings@gardentomb.com

Upper Room (Cenacle)

  • Hours: 8:00–18:00

  • Closed: Yom Kippur

  • Adult ₪: free

St. Peter in Gallicantu

  • Hours: Mon–Sat 8:30–17:00

  • Closed: Sun

  • Good to know: Traditional house of Caiaphas

Gethsemane (Church of All Nations)

  • Hours: 7:30–17:00 (winter), to 18:00 (summer)

  • Adult ₪: free

Dominus Flevit

  • Hours: Mon–Thu & Sat 8:00–17:00; Fri & Sun with a break 11:50–14:00

  • Adult ₪: free

Pater Noster

  • Hours: currently Tue, Thu, Sat 8:00–12:00

  • Closed: other days

  • Adult ₪: 12

  • Good to know: Lord's Prayer in 100+ languages

Chapel of the Ascension

  • Hours: 8:00–17:00

  • Adult ₪: 10

Tomb of Mary

  • Hours: 8:00–18:00

  • Adult ₪: free

St. Anne's Church & Pools of Bethesda

  • Hours: Mon–Sat 8:00–12:00 & 14:00–16:00

  • Closed: Sun

  • Adult ₪: 12

Ein Karem: Visitation & St. John the Baptist

  • Hours: 8:00–12:00 & 14:00–17:00 (to 18:00 in summer)

  • Closed: Yom Kippur

  • Adult ₪: free

  • Good to know: Birthplace of John the Baptist

Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem

  • Hours: temporarily 5:00–17:00

  • Adult ₪: free

  • Good to know: Grotto open only Mon–Sat 13:00–14:00, Sun 11:00–15:00 (restoration)

Shepherds' Field, Beit Sahour

  • Hours: Mon–Sat 8:00–17:00; Sun with a break 11:30–14:00

  • Adult ₪: free

Dead Sea and the desert

Masada

  • Hours: 8:00–16:00 (winter), 8:00–17:00 (summer); Fri one hour shorter

  • Adult ₪: 37 (group 31); cable car extra; museum 20

  • Good to know: Snake Path closes early on hot days; light show Tue & Thu

Qumran (Dead Sea Scrolls caves)

  • Hours: 8:00–16:00 (winter), 8:00–17:00 (summer)

  • Adult ₪: 31 (group 26)

  • Good to know: Film and small museum

En Gedi Nature Reserve

  • Hours: 8:00–16:00 (winter), 8:00–17:00 (summer); David's Cave last entry 10:00

  • Adult ₪: 31 (group 26)

  • Good to know: Booking required; some trails changed after floods

Qasr al-Yahud (baptism site)

  • Hours: 8:00–16:00 (winter), 8:00–17:00 (summer)

  • Closed: check Fridays

  • Adult ₪: free

  • Good to know: Last entry one hour before closing

Avdat (Nabatean city)

  • Hours: 8:00–16:00 (winter), 8:00–17:00 (summer)

  • Adult ₪: 31

  • Good to know: Film in 15 languages

Timna Park

  • Hours: daily 8:00–16:00

  • Closed: Yom Kippur

  • Adult ₪: approx. 45

  • Good to know: Ticket valid one week

Underwater Observatory, Eilat

  • Hours: daily 9:00–16:00

  • Good to know: Ticket valid three days

Galilee and the north

Capernaum

  • Hours: 8:00–12:00 & 14:00–17:00

  • Closed: Yom Kippur, Dec 25, Jan 1

  • Adult ₪: 10

Tabgha: Multiplication of Loaves

  • Hours: currently Mon–Sat 9:00–15:00

  • Closed: Sun

  • Adult ₪: free

Tabgha: Primacy of St. Peter

  • Hours: 8:00–17:00

  • Closed: Yom Kippur, Dec 25, Jan 1

  • Adult ₪: free

Mount of Beatitudes

  • Hours: 8:00–11:30 & 14:00–16:30

  • Closed: Easter, Christmas

  • Adult ₪: free

  • Good to know: Bus parking ₪100

Magdala

  • Hours: 8:00–18:00

  • Closed: Dec 25, Yom Kippur

  • Good to know: First-century synagogue

Ancient "Jesus Boat" (Ginosar)

  • Hours: Sun–Thu 8:00–16:00 (winter), to 17:00 (summer)

  • Closed: Fri–Sat (groups of 20+ by arrangement)

Basilica of the Annunciation, Nazareth

  • Hours: 8:00–18:00

  • Closed: Good Friday

  • Adult ₪: free

Nazareth Village

  • Hours: Mon–Fri 9:00–17:00

  • Closed: Sat, Sun

  • Good to know: Booking required

Cana – Wedding Church

  • Hours: 12:00–17:30 (from Oct 2026)

  • Adult ₪: free

Mount Tabor

  • Hours: 8:00–17:00

  • Closed: Christmas, Jan 1, Holy Week, Yom Kippur

  • Adult ₪: free

  • Good to know: Groups must call one day ahead

Muhraqa (Mount Carmel)

  • Hours: Mon–Sat 9:00–16:00

  • Closed: Sun

  • Adult ₪: 5, cash only

  • Good to know: Site of Elijah's contest

Megiddo (Armageddon)

  • Hours: 8:00–16:00 (winter), 8:00–17:00 (summer)

  • Adult ₪: 31 (group 26)

Beit She'an

  • Hours: 8:00–16:00 (winter), 8:00–17:00 (summer)

  • Adult ₪: 31 (group 26)

  • Good to know: Night show "She'an Nights"

Tel Dan

  • Hours: 8:00–16:00 (winter), 8:00–17:00 (summer)

  • Adult ₪: 31 (group 26)

  • Good to know: Near the Lebanese border — check travel advice

Banias (Caesarea Philippi)

  • Hours: 8:00–16:00 (winter), 8:00–17:00 (summer)

  • Adult ₪: 31 (group 26)

  • Good to know: Entry only with a booking

Coast and Tel Aviv

Caesarea National Park

  • Hours: 8:00–16:00 (winter), 8:00–17:00 (summer)

  • Adult ₪: 46 (group 39)

  • Good to know: Busy on Saturdays

Bahá'í Gardens, Haifa

  • Hours: balcony daily 9:00–17:00; main entrance Tue–Sun

  • Closed: Bahá'í holidays, Yom Kippur

  • Adult ₪: free

  • Good to know: Guided tours by booking

Old Akko: Knights' Halls & Templar Tunnel

  • Hours: Sun–Thu & Sat 9:00–17:00, Fri 9:00–16:00

  • Closed: Yom Kippur, Rosh Hashanah

  • Adult ₪: combined ticket, approx. 49

  • Good to know: Audio guide in ~10 languages

Rosh Hanikra grottoes

  • Hours: Sun–Fri 9:00–16:00, Sat later

  • Adult ₪: approx. 49

  • Good to know: On the Lebanese border — check it is open

ANU – Museum of the Jewish People, Tel Aviv

  • Hours: Sun–Thu & Sat 10:00–17:00, Fri 10:00–14:00

  • Closed: some maintenance days

  • Adult ₪: 54

  • Good to know: Bring your passport

Ghetto Fighters' House (Holocaust museum, Western Galilee)

  • Hours: Sun–Thu 9:00–16:00

  • Closed: Fri, Sat

  • Adult ₪: 35

  • Good to know: Recommended from age 14

Independence Hall, Tel Aviv

  • Hours: closed for renovation

Planning a group trip to Israel?

We put these sites together into a complete package for groups of 20+: hotels, coach, licensed guide and all entrance tickets — one price per person. Send us your dates and group size, and we'll reply with a quote within 24 hours.

We work with groups and travel agencies only and don't sell individual entrance tickets. Hours and prices change, especially around holidays — information last checked in October 2026; please confirm with the site before visiting.

 
 
 

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