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Israel travel guide

Best time to visit from the UK, weather, festivals, flights from London and FCDO travel advice.

Old City (Jerusalem)
Old City (Jerusalem). Photo: Edmund Gall, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
5hflight from London
New shekelcurrency
Apply onlinefor UK passports
Type C, Hplugs

Jerusalem's Old City and floating in the Dead Sea

Don't miss

  1. Jerusalem
  2. Dead Sea
  3. Tel Aviv
Good forHistory & ruinsBeachesFood lovers

Best time to visit Israel from the UK

Best value: Nov–Feb, Jun–Aug. Mar–May and Sep–Nov; check FCDO advice. Busiest and priciest: Mar–May, Sep–Oct.

11.4 C11°J12.3 C12°F14.7 C15°M17.7 C18°A21.7 C22°M24.7 C25°J26.6 C27°J27 C27°A25.5 C26°S22.8 C23°O17.9 C18°N13.5 C14°D
Best valueBusy and pricierQuietAverage temperature in Jerusalem, °C, 2001–2025 (NASA POWER).

Each bar is the average temperature in Jerusalem for that month, and its colour shows the season for visitors: best value (good weather, fewer crowds and lower prices), busiest and priciest, or quiet (off-peak, sometimes because the weather is poorer).

  • Our pick: July and AugustThe warmest of the best-value months (27°C), with fewer crowds than peak season.
  • Peak season: Mar–May, Sep–OctUsually 15–26°C. The busiest time, so book flights and rooms early and expect higher prices.
  • Warmest: August (27°C) · coolest: January (11°C)A 16°C swing between the warmest and coolest months.
Temperatures as a table
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
11.412.314.717.721.724.726.62725.522.817.913.5

Festivals and events

  • Jerusalem Light Festival Jun · Jerusalem
  • Tel Aviv Pride Jun · Tel Aviv
  • Hanukkah Dec · Nationwide

Festival dates move from year to year: check before you book.

Getting there from the UK

Flight time
About 5h
Distance
3,628 km
Main airport
TLV

Flight times are straight-line estimates for a direct flight from Heathrow; journeys with a change take longer.

Add Israel to your bucket list Search flights to TLV

Practical info and travel guidance

New shekelCapital: Jerusalem (disputed)
Type C, H · 230VBring a UK adapter
Drive on the rightOpposite to the UK
100
EmergencyPolice, fire, ambulance
Tap water safeAcross the country
  • FCDO adviceAdvises against travel to parts of IsraelCheck which areas before you book.
  • VisaApply online before you goCheck the ETA-IL rules before you travel
  • HealthcareNo free healthcareYou pay for treatment, so travel insurance with medical cover is essential.
  • LGBT+ travellersLegal and broadly accepted
  • Women travellersNo specific FCDO warningTake the usual precautions.

For British passport holders, summarised from the FCDO's advice for Israel, checked October 2026. FCDO page last updated 22 July 2026. Rules change: read the official FCDO travel advice for Israel before you book and again before you go.

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