Israel road trip: 5, 7 and 10-day self-drive itineraries

For almost every itinerary, pick up at Ben Gurion airport (TLV) and return it there; consider a one-way drop in Eilat if your trip ends in the south.

• Ben Gurion: the largest fleet, the best prices and some desks working on Shabbat. Driving times from the airport: about 1-1.5 hours to Haifa, under an hour to Jerusalem, 1.5-2 hours to the Dead Sea.
• Start in a city instead: if you spend the first days in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem, do not rent yet. You will pay for parking and not use the car. Pick it up the morning you leave the city.
• One-way to Eilat or Ramon Airport (ETM): saves the 4-5 hour drive back north. Expect a one-way fee shown in the comparison-site total; for Israelis, a rental leaving or entering the VAT-free Eilat zone may be invoiced with VAT. Ramon Airport is about 18 km north of Eilat.
• Ramon desk hours: typical hours are daytime only, with early closing on Fridays. Match your drop-off to the desk's hours and your flight time.
• Jerusalem in the middle: on a 10-day trip, some travellers return the car before Jerusalem and pick up another when they leave. Compare that with simply paying for a car park for two nights.

Tourists on a B2 visa pay no VAT on the rental anywhere in Israel; keep the entry slip from passport control.

Five days is enough for the highlights outside Jerusalem if you accept 2-3 hours of driving on two of the days.

• Day 1, coast: Ben Gurion to Caesarea (about 1 hour), then on to Haifa (30-45 minutes). Evening on the Carmel. Sleep in Haifa.
• Day 2, Akko and the Galilee: Akko's Old City (30 minutes from Haifa), then inland to the Sea of Galilee (about 1 hour from Haifa). Sleep in Tiberias or on the shore.
• Day 3, around the lake: Capernaum, Tabgha and the Mount of Beatitudes on the northern shore, a swim, and a sunset drive. If you add the Golan, check the current advisories first.
• Day 4, to the Dead Sea: the long day, about 3-3.5 hours. The fastest routes go down the Jordan Valley on Route 90, which partly runs through the West Bank, or via Highway 6 and Jerusalem. Check that your rental terms allow the route Waze picks. Sleep in Ein Bokek.
• Day 5, Masada and back: Masada early (the Snake Path opens an hour before sunrise; the cable car runs from opening time), a last float, then about 1.5-2 hours back to Ben Gurion.

If you prefer less driving, swap days 4-5 for Jerusalem: see it on foot, then do the Dead Sea as a day trip from the city.

Seven days lets you cross the whole country from the Galilee to the Red Sea, ideally with a one-way drop in Eilat.

• Days 1-3: as in the 5-day plan: Caesarea and Haifa, Akko and the Sea of Galilee, a day around the lake.
• Day 4, Galilee to the Dead Sea: about 3-3.5 hours. Sleep in Ein Bokek.
• Day 5, Masada and the Negev: Masada in the morning, then about 2 hours via Arad and Dimona to Mitzpe Ramon, on the rim of the Ramon Crater. Sunset over the crater, a dark sky at night. Sleep in Mitzpe Ramon.
• Day 6, Ramon Crater to Eilat: drive through the crater on Route 40, then about 2 hours south to Eilat. Fill up in Mitzpe Ramon: there is no petrol station for more than 100 km before Yotvata. Stop at Timna Park on the way in.
• Day 7, Eilat: Coral Beach and the Red Sea, then return the car at Ramon Airport or in Eilat and fly back north, or drive about 4-5 hours to Ben Gurion.

The reverse direction works just as well: fly into Ramon or take a domestic flight to Eilat, pick up the car there and finish at Ben Gurion.

Ten days is the comfortable length: shorter driving days, a full day in Jerusalem without the car, and time for the Golan and the Upper Galilee.

• Day 1: Ben Gurion to Caesarea and Zichron Ya'akov, sleep in Haifa.
• Day 2: Haifa (Bahá'í Gardens, German Colony), Akko and the Rosh Hanikra grottoes (about 45 minutes from Haifa). Sleep in Haifa or the western Galilee.
• Day 3: Nazareth (about 45 minutes from Haifa), then the Sea of Galilee. Sleep in Tiberias.
• Day 4, Golan: wineries, Katzrin and the nature reserves, 1.5-2 hours from Haifa or under an hour from the lake. Check Home Front Command guidance and your government's advisory before going; areas near the borders can close at short notice.
• Day 5: Safed (Tzfat), Rosh Pina and the Hula valley. Sleep in the Galilee.
• Day 6: drive to Jerusalem, about 2.5 hours. Park the car for your stay or return it.
• Day 7: Jerusalem on foot: Old City, Western Wall, Mahane Yehuda. No car needed.
• Day 8: down to the Dead Sea (about 1.5-2 hours to Ein Bokek and Masada). Sleep in Ein Bokek.
• Day 9: Masada at sunrise, then Mitzpe Ramon (about 2 hours). Sleep at the crater.
• Day 10: the crater, Timna and Eilat; drop the car at Ramon Airport or in Eilat, or drive back north.

In July-August, move hikes to early morning and keep the afternoon for the hotel pool or the sea.

Route 90 is Israel's longest road, about 479 km from the Lebanese border to Taba, and its Dead Sea section is the lowest road in the world.

• Dead Sea section: passes Qumran, Ein Gedi, Masada and Ein Bokek. From Jerusalem you reach it via Route 1 and the Beit HaArava junction; from the south via Route 31 and the Zohar junction.
• Closures: Route 90 along the Dead Sea is occasionally closed after heavy rain and flash floods; it reopened in January 2026 after one such closure. Check Waze or local news before you set off in winter.
• Checkpoints: there are permanent checkpoints on Route 90, including one north of Ein Gedi. Have your passport and rental papers to hand.
• Masada: the national park opens at 8:00; summer closing is 17:00 (16:00 on Fridays), winter 16:00 (15:00 on Fridays). The west side, with the shorter Roman Path, is reached from Arad by a different road, so set your GPS to the right entrance. On very hot days, ascent times are restricted.
• Fuel and water: stations are sparse along Route 90 and Route 40. Keep the tank above half and carry several litres of water per person.
• Heat: summer temperatures in the Arava and around the Dead Sea often exceed 40 °C. Test the air conditioning before leaving the rental lot.
• Speed cameras and overtaking: many desert sections are single-lane each way with trucks. Overtake only where allowed; fines reach you via the rental company.

Highway 6 is the fastest north-south road between the Galilee and the Beersheba area, and it is tolled by camera: the rental company bills you later with a handling fee.

• Highway 6 rate: a casual trip costs about 24-34 ₪ in 2026 depending on the number of segments, billed at the non-subscriber rate. Highway 6 North (Yokneam-Somech) is run by a separate operator.
• Other tolls: the Carmel Tunnels in Haifa (about 12 ₪ per segment, cash accepted) and the Route 1 Fast Lane into Tel Aviv.
• Avoiding tolls: Waze has an option to avoid toll roads; Route 2 along the coast and Route 4 are free alternatives, slower at rush hour.
• Fuel: most stations offer self-service and full service. Rentals are usually full-to-full; keep the receipt of your last fill-up near the return point.
• Parking at sites: national parks such as Caesarea and Masada have their own car parks; in cities, use paid car parks or blue-and-white curbs with Pango or Cellopark. Red and white curbs mean no parking.
• Parking tickets: unpaid tickets and speed-camera fines go to the rental company, which adds a handling fee and charges your card, sometimes weeks after you fly home.

Shabbat is when a rental car is most useful, because buses and trains stop, but it changes when you can pick up the car, eat and shop.

• Rental branches: most city branches close from Friday around midday to Saturday night. Ben Gurion is the main exception. Plan pickups and drops around it.
• Sites: many national parks open on Saturday; Masada, for example, opens on Saturday with normal hours. Friday and holiday-eve hours are shorter.
• Food and shops: in most Jewish towns, supermarkets and many restaurants close from Friday afternoon. Buy food on Friday morning. Tel Aviv, Haifa and Arab towns such as Nazareth and Akko keep more open.
• Fuel: fill up on Friday if you will drive on Saturday in a quiet area.
• Traffic: Friday mornings and Saturday evenings are busy on routes to the north and back to the centre.
• Religious neighbourhoods: some streets are closed on Shabbat, for example in parts of Jerusalem. Respect the barriers.
• Yom Kippur: almost nobody drives anywhere in Israel. Do not plan a driving day.
• Holidays: at Pesach and Sukkot, hotels in the Galilee, the Golan and Eilat fill up and rental prices peak. Book 6-10 weeks ahead.

Israeli rental contracts allow normal driving anywhere in Israel on paved roads, but they forbid several things that matter on a road trip.

• Area A: Palestinian Authority cities such as Bethlehem, Ramallah and Jericho are off-limits with an Israeli rental car; insurance does not cover you there, and red signs warn Israeli drivers at the entrances. Waze and Google Maps can route through the West Bank; check your route.
• Off-road: dirt tracks and desert trails are usually excluded, and underbody, tyres and glass damage are often not covered by standard CDW, even in an SUV.
• Abroad: you cannot take the car into Egypt or Jordan. At Taba or the Yitzhak Rabin crossing, park on the Israeli side and cross on foot.
• Northern border and Golan: the Golan is normal rental territory, but check the current situation and official guidance before you go; this guide makes no claim about current conditions.
• Licence and age: a valid foreign licence works for one year from entry, with an International Driving Permit if it is not in English. The practical minimum age is usually 21, with a surcharge under 24. Check your rental terms.

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