Flights to Israel

For the purpose of this page I assumed you plan to arrive using one of the many flights to Israel available (and not by sea or land…).

There are a lot of international airlines that operate flights to Israel:

El Al Israel Airlines (this is the nation’s main airline), Air Canada, Alitalia, Air France, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines, KLM, Lufthansa German Airlines, and others.

Getting cheap flights to Israel depends to some degree on the time of the year. Usually during Jewish and Christian holidays and also in the summer prices tend to be higher. You can also check out this guide to learn how to get real cheap flight tickets & upgrades!

For airline tickets to Israel you can check with your local travel agent or one of many travel websites.

I had very good experience with both El Al Airlines and Delta Airlines flying from and to the U.S and Europe many times. So I can definitely recommend those to you. But other airlines can be just as good.

The companies I listed above and specifically El Al operate flights from the United States, Canada, Europe, the Far East and Africa. If you plan to arrive from some distant location like Australia for example, you might need to get to Europe first before landing in Israel.

I’ll give you some examples of how long of a flight you should expect:

• Coming from New York – about 10-11 hours


• Coming from Los Angeles – about 15 hours


• Coming from Western Europe cities – about 4-5 hours


• Coming from London – about 4.5 hours


• Coming from Hong Kong – about 11 hours

Most all of the flights arrive at Ben Gurion Airport. The airport is about 30 minutes or less drive from Tel Aviv, and about 45 minutes drive from Jerusalem.

If you are waiting for your flight – try a cup of coffee at the Arcafe or at Aroma espresso bar, those guys can teach Starbucks what coffee is all about.

If you are coming as part of a group - which I strongly recommend, especially if this is your first time in Israel - for a guided tour, usually your package includes the airfare to Israel in the total price. Those are usually very good pre-negotiated prices.

A few points before I forget:

1. make sure you don’t need a visa to Israel.


2. if you are flying with EL AL Airlines and landing in Israel, you might be surprised to see the other passengers clapping when the plane touches the ground. Don’t be alarmed – the Israelis are just happy to be home.


3. Bon Voyage.