A taxi from Jerusalem to Ashdod costs from ₪350 by day for up to 4 passengers, according to the official 2026 meter tariff — about 63 km and roughly 60 minutes without traffic. Ashdod to Jerusalem is priced the same, and that includes Ashdod Port, Israel's main cruise port, where cruise passengers commonly begin a day trip to Jerusalem. Below: the fare by time of day, how a same-day cruise round trip works, the Shabbat rules, and the vehicles for ship groups.
Jerusalem to Ashdod by taxi in 2026: price, distance and travel time
Israeli taxis run on a government-regulated meter with three tariffs — Tariff A (daytime), Tariff B (night / Friday and holiday-eve afternoon) and Tariff C (late night / after Shabbat or a holiday). A pre-booked ride is priced by the same tariff, but the price agreed in advance is fixed: traffic or a detour does not change it. The "from" prices below are for a regular taxi, include the ₪5.78 pre-booking fee and are rounded down to the nearest ₪10.
| When the ride starts | Tariff | Jerusalem → Ashdod / Ashdod → Jerusalem |
|---|---|---|
| Sun–Thu 06:00–21:00; Fri and holiday eve 06:00–16:00 | Tariff A (day) | from ₪350 |
| Sun–Wed 21:01–05:59; Thu 21:01–23:00; Fri and holiday eve 16:01 until Shabbat or the holiday begins; after Shabbat or a holiday ends, until 19:00 | Tariff B (night) | from ₪400 |
| Thu 23:01–05:59; Saturday night 19:01–05:59 | Tariff C (late night / after Shabbat or a holiday) | from ₪450 |
Almaxpress does not drive on Shabbat or Jewish holidays, so the Saturday rows apply only to pre-booked rides departing after Shabbat ends; the final price is confirmed at booking. See the taxi from Jerusalem to Ashdod route page, or the full 2026 price list.
How the meter gets to ₪350
Since 1 April 2026 the meter starts at ₪12.46 and charges ₪1.95 per km for the first 10 km, ₪3.79 per km after that, plus ₪1.95 per minute — distance and time run together, so traffic raises the fare. For 63 km and 60 minutes: 12.46 + 10 × 1.95 + 53 × 3.79 + 60 × 1.95 + ₪5.78 = ₪355.61, rounded down to from ₪350. No luggage or passenger surcharge; the Highway 6 toll of about ₪20 is added at cost only if the route uses it. Full breakdown: our 2026 taxi meter tariff guide.
Cruise day trip: Ashdod Port to Jerusalem and back to the ship
Ashdod Port is Israel's main cruise port, and the classic shore plan is a day in Jerusalem — the Old City and the sights around it — about an hour from the terminal. A pre-booked taxi turns that into two legs on your own schedule.
Leg 1: port pickup with a name sign
Your driver is at the Ashdod Port cruise terminal at the time you set, holding a sign with your name or group name. About 60 minutes later you are at your Jerusalem address, for a leg from ₪350 by day.
Leg 2: back to the ship with a margin
In between the day is yours: the two legs are separate rides, so no driver waits on the clock. If you would rather keep a driver with you, a driver by the hour can be arranged in advance, including unlimited driving and waiting at your stops, at an hourly price agreed when you book, with an 8-hour minimum. At the agreed time and place a driver returns you to the port, again from ₪350 by day — a same-day round trip from ₪700 for up to 4 passengers, about ₪175 per person with four aboard. A return leaving Jerusalem after 21:00 on Sunday–Thursday moves to Tariff B, from ₪400.
Give us the all-aboard time and we set the Jerusalem pickup backwards from it: the 60-minute drive, 15–20 minutes more in rush hour, and a reserve on top. If a plan looks too tight, we say so.
What to tell us when you book
Ship name and docking date, the all-aboard time, passenger count (up to 4 in a regular taxi), a name for the sign, a phone that works in Israel or WhatsApp over Wi-Fi, both pickup points, and whether you need a baby seat or booster — on request when you book, subject to availability, ₪50 per seat. More context: our guide to taxis in Israel for tourists.
Ship docking in Ashdod? Lock in your Jerusalem day
Docking date, all-aboard time, passengers — and within minutes both legs are booked, with a driver and a name sign at the terminal.
Ship in port on Friday or Saturday? Shabbat and your day trip
Almaxpress operates 24 hours a day, Sunday to Friday (24/6). There is no service on Shabbat — from candle-lighting on Friday until Shabbat ends on Saturday night — or on Jewish holidays. Three cases for cruise passengers:
- Docking on Friday: a Jerusalem day trip works only if both legs finish before Shabbat begins. Friday is Tariff A until 16:00 and Tariff B from 16:01, but the clock matters more than the tariff: time the return to reach the ship before candle-lighting.
- In port on Saturday: no rides during Shabbat. If the ship stays into Sunday or sails late on Saturday night, pre-book a ride for afterwards: it departs once Shabbat or the holiday ends (check the Havdalah time for that date) at Tariff B until 19:00, from ₪400, or Tariff C from 19:01, from ₪450. Bookings must be made before Shabbat begins.
- Jewish holidays: there is no service on the holidays either, just as on Shabbat, and service resumes when the holiday ends, by advance booking: Rosh Hashanah (12–13 September 2026), Yom Kippur (21 September 2026), Sukkot (26 September 2026), Simchat Torah (3 October 2026), Pesach (22 and 28 April 2027) and Shavuot (11 June 2027). Holiday eves follow the Friday windows.
More once Shabbat is out: our guide to taxis after Shabbat and on Jewish holidays.
Ship groups and families: 6-seat large taxi, 10-seat van or 19-seat minibus
A family of six, or a party of eighteen from the same ship — the pickup is identical, only the vehicle changes. Up to 4 passengers travel in a regular taxi; five or six in a 6-seat large taxi; up to 10 in a 10-seat van; larger groups in the 19-seat minibus.
Luggage matters most on embarkation and disembarkation days. A regular taxi takes up to 3 large suitcases; the 6-seat large taxi about 6–8; the 10-seat van about 10–12; the 19-seat minibus 19 and more with a luggage hold or trailer. Large vehicles are quoted individually: book a 6-seat large taxi, 10-seat van or 19-seat minibus on our large taxi page and we confirm the price within minutes, or compare the three in group transfers in Israel. Tell us at booking about strollers, sports gear or a folding wheelchair — drivers help with storing folding wheelchairs and medical mobility aids in the trunk.
Not on a cruise? Embarkation days, family visits and business
- Embarkation or disembarkation: Jerusalem hotel to the port on sailing day, or terminal to Jerusalem when you leave the ship — from ₪350 by day, no charge per bag.
- Family visits: Ashdod to Jerusalem costs the same as the outbound leg, from ₪350 by day; a baby seat or booster for any age is ₪50 per seat, on request when you book and subject to availability.
- Business: a full tax invoice is sent by email for every payment, and business customers can receive one monthly invoice.
Almaxpress runs intercity rides only — no rides within a city — but any Ashdod address to any Jerusalem address is covered; see our intercity taxi page.
Ben Gurion Airport to Ashdod, and Haifa Port for other itineraries
Ben Gurion Airport ↔ Ashdod
Flying in to join your ship, or home after you disembark? Ben Gurion ↔ Ashdod is priced by the official meter tariff — get an instant price in the calculator. The pickup works like all our taxis from Ben Gurion: the driver waits in the Terminal 3 arrivals hall with a name sign and tracks your flight, so a late or early landing does not change the agreed price, and up to 45 minutes from actual landing are free; after that, waiting is charged per minute on the official meter. Leaving the airport adds the official ₪5 departure surcharge.
Haifa Port
Haifa Port also receives cruise ships, and the same two-leg plan works there. A taxi from Jerusalem to Haifa covers about 151 km in roughly 105 minutes, from ₪770 by day (₪870 at night, ₪970 late on Thursday night, or after Shabbat or a holiday ends), with the same starting price in the other direction; the Highway 6 toll of about ₪20 and the Carmel Tunnels toll are added at cost if used.
Booking, payment and cancellation
Book in the online calculator or by phone and WhatsApp at +972-50-912-2133; confirmation comes in writing with the price on it. Payment: cash (in shekels), Bit or PayBox to the driver; credit card only through a payment link, with a 10% surcharge; bank transfer only in advance, before the ride. A deposit may be requested for large vehicles and long trips. Cancellation is free more than 24 hours ahead, up to 50% between 24 and 6 hours, and 100% under 6 hours or for a no-show — in writing (see our terms page). Tipping is not obligatory; rounding up is a common courtesy.
Bottom line
- Jerusalem ↔ Ashdod, including Ashdod Port: about 63 km, roughly 60 minutes, from ₪350 by day (₪400 at night, ₪450 late on Thursday night, or after Shabbat or a holiday ends) — official 2026 meter tariff, final price confirmed at booking.
- A cruise day trip is two legs: a name-sign pickup at the terminal, a day in Jerusalem on your own schedule, a return timed with a margin before all-aboard — from ₪700 for up to 4 passengers.
- No service on Shabbat or Jewish holidays; Friday plans must finish before candle-lighting, and rides afterwards are pre-booked, departing once Shabbat or the holiday ends.
- Ship groups: 6-seat large taxi, 10-seat van or 19-seat minibus, price confirmed within minutes.
- Ben Gurion ↔ Ashdod: instant price in the calculator; Jerusalem ↔ Haifa Port from ₪770 by day.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a taxi from Jerusalem to Ashdod in 2026?
From ₪350 by day (Tariff A) for a regular taxi with up to 4 passengers, from ₪400 at night (Tariff B) and from ₪450 late on Thursday night, or after Shabbat or a holiday ends (Tariff C), per the official 2026 meter tariff. Ashdod to Jerusalem costs the same.
How long does the taxi ride from Ashdod Port to Jerusalem take?
About 60 minutes for roughly 63 km without traffic. Allow 15–20 minutes more in rush hour — the meter bills per minute as well as per kilometre.
Can the driver pick us up at the cruise terminal in Ashdod Port?
Yes. The driver is at the cruise terminal at the time you set, holding a sign with your name or group name, and drives you straight to your Jerusalem address.
How much does a same-day round trip from Ashdod Port to Jerusalem cost?
From ₪700 for up to 4 passengers by day — two separate legs at from ₪350 each, so no driver waits in between. A late return can move into the night tariff.
Our ship is in Ashdod on Saturday — can we still get a taxi to Jerusalem?
Not during Shabbat: there is no service from Friday candle-lighting until Shabbat ends. If the ship sails late on Saturday night or stays into Sunday, pre-book a Motzei Shabbat ride — Tariff B (from ₪400) until 19:00, Tariff C (from ₪450) from 19:01.
We are 12 passengers from the same ship — which vehicle do we need?
A 19-seat minibus. Up to 10 passengers fit in a 10-seat van and five or six in a 6-seat large taxi; the price is confirmed within minutes of your request.
Do you also serve Haifa Port and Ben Gurion Airport?
Yes. Jerusalem ↔ Haifa is from ₪770 by day for about 151 km; Ben Gurion ↔ Ashdod is priced by the official meter tariff — get an instant price in the calculator.
One booking, both legs, back before all-aboard
Send us your docking date, all-aboard time and passenger count — a driver with a name sign will be waiting at the Ashdod Port cruise terminal.
