The basics at a glance
Lines
Red Line (open) and Green Line (opened 2023). Blue Line under construction.
Fare
₪6.00 per ride (90 min transfers). Pay with a Rav-Kav card.
Hours
Sun–Thu ~5:30am–midnight. Fri until ~2h before Shabbat. Closed Shabbat.
Frequency
Every 5–7 minutes at peak, 10–12 minutes off-peak.
Jerusalem Light Rail map
The Red Line runs southwest to northeast — from Mount Herzl through downtown and the Old City perimeter to Pisgat Ze'ev and Heil Ha-Avir. The Green Line connects Gilo in the south with Mount Scopus and Hebrew University in the northeast, sharing the central Jaffa Road corridor with the Red Line.
Official interactive map: CityPass — Jerusalem Light Rail. Real-time arrivals: the Moovit app.
Rav-Kav tickets & fares
You cannot buy tickets on board. Every rider needs a Rav-Kav smart card — Israel's nationwide transit card that also works on buses and intercity trains.
- Where to buy: ticket machines at every light rail station, the Central Bus Station, or Rav-Kav service points. Anonymous cards are fine for tourists.
- Cost: ₪5 for the card + top up any amount. A single ride is ₪6.00 and includes free transfers within 90 minutes.
- How to ride: tap the card on the validator on the platform before boarding. Inspectors do check — fines start at ₪180.
- Contactless bank cards: also accepted at station validators (EMV).
Red Line stops near top attractions
| Stop | What's nearby |
|---|---|
| Mount Herzl | Western terminus; Yad Vashem, Herzl Museum |
| Yefe Nof | Ein Kerem area transfers |
| Central Station (Binyanei HaUma) | Buses to Tel Aviv, high-speed rail to airport |
| Machane Yehuda | The shuk — food, spices, nightlife |
| Jaffa Center | Ben Yehuda pedestrian mall, downtown |
| City Hall (Kikar Safra) | Municipality, Mamilla Mall walk |
| Damascus Gate (Shechem Gate) | Old City north entrance, Muslim Quarter |
| Shivtei Israel | Mea Shearim neighborhood |
| Ammunition Hill | 1967 memorial site |
| Pisgat Ze'ev Center | Northern neighborhoods |
| Heil Ha-Avir | Northern terminus |
Shabbat & holidays
The light rail does not run on Shabbat — service stops roughly 2 hours before sunset on Friday and resumes about an hour after sunset Saturday. Same rule applies to major Jewish holidays. Plan taxis or Gett for those windows.