You can have unlimited entrance to all 68 national parks and nature reserves in Israel for only $50! This is one of those best-kept secrets of Israel and an underrated deal. Since 2016, the National Park of Israel introduced this thing called “Annual Pass”, for locals and tourists alike.
Places such as Masada, Qumran Cave, Beersheva, City of David and Ein Gedi are all included in this package. And there are many more sites worth visiting! And seriously, $50 is nothing! Let me share more in details and a little bit about the tourist cards (not as good as Annual Pass though).
📚Annual Pass for National Parks in Israel
Israel, due to safety concerns, is generally an off-beaten country for tourists. But there are numerous sites in this tiny country. Best of all, most of these sites are managed under Israel Nature and Parks Authority. You buy this card, and you have access to all 68 sites! (or is it 55?)
With this Annual Pass, I went to 28 sites in 2 weeks. That’s less than $2 for a site! No way!!!! That’s too cheap! That is why I strongly recommend this pass if you plan to visit at least 5 sites (and if the City of David is one of them).
✅ How To Purchase “Annual Pass”
1. Buy it online!
Simply go to https://fe.sales.parks.org.il/subscriptions
Remember to enter your passport number correctly!
You’ll get the bar code once the purchase is done!
2. Buy it at the park
Go to any national park WITH your passport!
Tell the ticket counter that you wish to purchase the “Annual Pass”. It’s for locals and tourists alike, but you need an Israeli address (a hotel address is fine). The actual card will be sent to that address, but you will get a handwritten card like this and with receipt. This can be used as the annual pass immediately.
The Fees for Annual Pass
It’s pretty cheap. And the crazy part is….. For one adult is ₪181 ($50). For two adults is ₪275 ($75)。 (The name of the second person will not be registered)
And 2 adults with 1 kid is ₪340 ($94), and 2 adults with 2 kids are ₪396 ($109)。 Anyone less than 20 years old is considered “kid”.
For details please go to their website, English version is available now!
👉How to Use Annual Pass?
You present the barcode OR present that handwritten card and receipt at the ticket office, and you’ll get an entrance ticket and possibly a new map! 😉
📍What’s Included? Is the City of David Included?
Yes, the City of David is included in the annual pass.
The exceptions are the following (not free, but 50% discount is available): Akhziv, Horshat Tal, Gan Hashlosha, Beit Yanay, and Palmachim. Probably tourists won’t find interests in going these parks anyways.
And of course, cable car rides and night activities are not included. And Poleg Nature reserve and Jerusalem Wall Promenade are not included.
🙋♀️What about the Israel Pass?
The new option, Israel Pass, is a combined ticket designed for tourists, you can save some shekels with this pass if you only intend to visit 3/6 parks within 2 weeks! But as a park lover, it isn’t as good as an annual pass in my opinion.
Let’s take a look:
- 3 sites: 78NIS ($22)
- 6 sights:110NIS ($30)
- Unlimited sites in 2 weeks 150NIS ($42)
Though these combined tickets are transferable, the city of David is NOT included in this ticket, and these tickets are good for 2 weeks only.
The City of David ( ₪29) is where the Hezekiah Tunnel and Siloam Pool is, so when you cannot use this ticket for the site, then go for the annual pass!! In terms of pricing, the annual pass is better.
It looks like this (2019)
It can also come with Israel’s oyster card called Rav-kav card. This is called “Israel Pass& Ride”
But there’s no further discount, you still need to pay 5NIS to get the unloaded card.
There’s a small feature of 20% discount on some sites, which I don’t find so relevant for tourists who are visiting Israel for just 2 weeks. (The logic is, if you have more than 2 weeks, there’s a ton of more important sites that can be used with annual pass). But here’s a list: https://www.israelpass.biz/north
You can buy Israel Pass online, here at https://fe.sales.parks.org.il/tickets
And since March 2019, you can purchase the new at the airport!
And also from the following places
Conclusion
The Israeli national park annual pass is a GREAT option!! If you are in Israel for more than 2 weeks or if you are traveling as a family, consider the annual pass option!
*Anyone less than 20 years old is considered “kid”.
