How to get from Ben Gurion Airport to Jerusalem at night or on Shabbat (2026)

Quick answer

Since January 2026 there are no more shared sherut vans from Ben Gurion to Jerusalem. At night your options are the train (until service stops for the night), bus 485 to the central bus station on weekdays, an official taxi for roughly 270 to 400 shekels, or finding people on your flight window and splitting one taxi to your door. On Shabbat neither the train nor the bus runs, so it is a private taxi either way.

What changed in 2026

For decades the answer to "how do I get to Jerusalem from the airport at 2am" was the Nesher sherut: a shared 10-seat van that left when it filled, took you to your door, and cost a fraction of a private taxi. In January 2026 Nesher stopped operating, and the Amal sherut to Haifa stopped as well. Bus 485 still runs between Terminal 3 and Jerusalem's central bus station on weekdays (check Moovit against your landing time), but it skips Shabbat and leaves you at the station with your luggage, not at your address. Most guides and forum answers written before 2026 are wrong about the rest.

That leaves four real options.

Option 1: the train (daytime and evening only)

The fast train from the airport station (Terminal 3, level S) reaches Yitzhak Navon station in central Jerusalem in about 25 minutes, and the fare is around 20 shekels with a Rav-Kav card. It is by far the cheapest and fastest option when it runs.

• No trains from Friday afternoon until Saturday night, and reduced hours on holiday eves.
• Late at night frequency drops and the Jerusalem line stops running for several hours. Check Moovit or the Israel Railways app against your actual landing time, not your scheduled one.
• Yitzhak Navon is a deep station, and from there you still need the light rail or a taxi to your final address, which matters at 1am with luggage.

Option 2: an official taxi from Terminal 3

Taxis wait at the official stand outside Terminal 3 around the clock, including Shabbat. Prices are regulated: a daytime ride to Jerusalem runs roughly 270 to 340 shekels including the airport surcharge. Between 23:31 and 04:59 the night tariff adds 25 percent, and on Shabbat and holidays the surcharge can reach 50 percent. In practice a night or Shabbat arrival usually means 300 to 400 shekels to a Jerusalem address, whether one person rides or four.

Use only the official stand. Ignore anyone approaching you inside the terminal offering a ride.

Option 3: a pre-booked private transfer

Transfer companies drive to Jerusalem at fixed pre-agreed prices, including on Shabbat. Convenient if you want a name sign at arrivals, and usually priced at or above the official taxi rate. Book before you fly and confirm the price covers night or Shabbat timing.

Option 4: split the taxi (what replaced the sherut)

The sherut worked because ten people shared one vehicle. The vans are gone, but the math still works: hundreds of people land at Ben Gurion every night heading to Jerusalem, and they can share one taxi from the official stand and split the fare. One match cuts a 320 shekel ride to 160 each, and a full taxi brings it down to 80, less than the old sherut in most cases.

The hard part was always finding those people. Full disclosure, we built PairMee for exactly this, and this is our site. You post your flight window and destination for free, see people landing around the same time going the same way, and the person who posts the ride approves who joins. There are women-only rides for anyone who prefers them. We launched recently and we are honest about being small, but posting a ride costs nothing, and on the Jerusalem corridor every landing wave brings new people with the exact same problem.

Prices at a glance (2026)

Fare estimates are examples only, actual fares vary with time, address, and luggage.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a sherut from Ben Gurion to Jerusalem in 2026?

No. The Nesher sherut stopped operating in January 2026, and no company replaced it. The Amal sherut to Haifa was discontinued in the same period. Intercity bus 485 still connects Terminal 3 with Jerusalem's central bus station on weekdays, but it does not run on Shabbat and it is not door-to-door.

How much is a taxi from Ben Gurion to Jerusalem at night?

The regulated fare with the night tariff usually lands between 300 and 400 shekels depending on your address and luggage. The night tariff applies from 23:31 to 04:59.

How do I get from Ben Gurion to Jerusalem on Shabbat?

Only by private vehicle: an official taxi from the Terminal 3 stand, a pre-booked transfer, or a taxi shared with other people landing in the same window. Trains and buses do not run from Friday afternoon until Saturday night.

Does the train from the airport run all night?

No. Late night service to Jerusalem has long gaps and stops entirely for part of the night. Check the Israel Railways app or Moovit for your landing time.

Can I share a taxi with people from my flight?

Yes, and it is the cheapest door-to-door option that works at night and on Shabbat. You can coordinate on PairMee before you land: post your flight window for free and approve the people who join you.