Israel & Palestine travel diary 2025① (A little scary now…)

Israel and Palestine are currently the focus of much attention due to terrorism and civil war. Although these are dangerous countries, I couldn’t resist the tourist attraction and went to both.

⚠️ Please do NOT go now, the war between Israel and Iran broke out just 1week after this.

Arrived Ben Gurion international airport

Arrived at Ben Gurion Airport via Dubai using Emirates Airlines (shared flight with FlyDubai).

And immediately, the first daunting task, Israel’s “the world’s toughest”immigration inspection.

Since they are in the middle of a civil war, I was prepared for some pretty tough questions, but surprisingly, I could smoothly went through the immigration.

【Questions asked】

6) was funny. Wtf….

It just took about 2 minutes like this, and instead of stamping my passport, they gave me a stay permit (small green paper)

I entered Israel, which I had longed for!

↑found national flag

The inside of the airport is quite luxurious. The pillars look like the lobby of a luxury hotel.

While wandering around, I found a currency exchange in the airport and exchanged only $120.

(However, the exchange rate at the airport is quite bad, so it is better to exchange money at a money exchange in the city, such as in the Old City of Jerusalem.)

Anyway I got Israel shekels in cash!

Start exploring!

From airport to city

Since it was only 10:00 in the morning, I decided to go to the Old City of Jerusalem before going to the hotel.

It is 50 km from Ben Gurion Airport to the Old City of Jerusalem, and taking a cab is expensive, so I chose to go by train & bus.

1. Israel Railways

ticket↓

The train station is connected to the airport, so it is easy to find. There is a ticket machine, which I did not know how to use, but there is an attendant stationed next to it and he will help you if you tell him where you are going.

（Ben Gurion Airport Station)

(Train)

From platform 1, get on this train.

And 30 minutes later, you will arrive at Navon station in the center of Jerusalem↓.

Outside of Navon station is quite urban. There are many people coming and going, and it is so peaceful that it is hard to believe that they are in the middle of a civil war.
(*this is May30th 2025, just before the war against Iran broke out in June. Do not go now!!)

↑(The bus stop for Route 1 is at the back of this photo)

2. Bus (Route1)

First, purchase a Rav-Kav card from a nearby ticket machine.
⚠️Note that you cannot ride Israeli buses without this card.

It cost 10.9 shekels (3USD) for the card & one ride on the city bus.

Then, I took bus route 1. The bus station is located in front of the Navon station, so it is easy to find.

After waiting for a while, the bus of route 1 appeared.

I boarded the bus and took a short break.

All that remained was to watch the scenery outside until we reached the old town.

It seems that Jerusalem is safe. There are many families, and the scenery is peaceful.

Gaza and the west side of Jordan are of course dangerous, but Jerusalem is said to be safe with a fairly robust defense system.

(PostScript) No, not safe

Jewish people don’t laugh..

Although I’ve only been in the country for about two hours, I have noticed one thing so far.

Jewish people do not laugh at all.

Just like at immigration earlier, the person I spoke to at the airport, the one who helped me with the train ticket (as part of his job), and even the people I asked for directions — none of them showed the slightest trace of a polite smile.

Even while talking, they kept a deep frown, as if they were chewing on something bitter, and responded to even the simplest questions in a stern, almost intimidating tone.

To be honest, I haven’t had a very positive impression so far.

…

But perhaps, it’s history that made them this way.

Two thousand years of relentless tragedy etched into their collective memory — it’s not hard to imagine how that might have intensified their sense of caution and distrust toward others.

..phew..

As I was lost in these thoughts, the bus finally arrived at the old city.

Strolling through the Old City (Western Wall/Via Dolorosa etc)

Checking Google Maps and get off at the bus stop near the Wall of Sorrows.

The bus stop’s name is “Western Wall” so it is easy to find.

Tight security gate.

Beyond this gate, Western Wall is right in front of you.

Finally, we arrived at the Jewish holy place we had always wanted to visit!

Western Wall

Around 2,000 years ago, the Jewish temple was destroyed by the Roman Empire, and the Jewish people were scattered across the world.

This wall is a surviving part of that ancient temple.

Even today, it remains a deeply sacred site for the Jewish people.

Many Jews come here to offer their prayers:

I stayed for about 30 minutes, lost in thought. It was deeply moving.

A little further up, I found a spot where I could see both the Western Wall and the Dome of the Rock at once

It turned out to be one of my favorite shots — but soon I realized I had accidentally entered private property. The gate had been open, so I slipped in without thinking, and ended up making a hasty, apologetic exit.

⚠️Just a heads-up: in the Old City, private homes are often mixed in with historical sites, so be mindful of where you’re walking

Now then —

Next up: the Via Dolorosa.

This is the path that Jesus is believed to have walked, carrying the cross from the place where he was sentenced to be crucified, all the way to Golgotha.

For Christians, it’s one of the most sacred sites on earth.

The entire route takes about 20 minutes to walk.

Of course, the road is paved now, but knowing that Jesus once walked this path makes it a deeply moving experience.

At key points along the way — such as 【where Jesus fell】 【where the Virgin Mary grieved】and 【where the crucifixion took place】

— you’ll find round stone markers like the ones in the photo: ↓

These markers total 14 in all.

And, of course, the final stop is the Church of the Holy Sepulcher

the site of Jesus’s tomb and the place where he is believed to have been resurrected three days after his death.

You can go inside, too.

Normally, it takes 2–3 hours to get in because Christians from all over the world gather here —

but right now, hardly anyone is traveling to Israel.

Only the truly adventurous (a bit crazy) are here.

…So I got in after just five minutes. Totally worth it.

After that, I do normal sightseeing such as eating local hummus at a restaurant in the Old City,

wandered outside the old city to see what the rest of the town looked like,

then got into a ridiculous incident at a burger joint when I stopped in just to buy some water. ↓

(The incident:)

Me: Excuse me, I’d like to buy two bottles of water.

Owner: Ugh. 20 shekels! (about 7USD)

Me: Huh? Isn’t that a bit expensive?

Owner: We’re closed! Can’t you see that?! 😡

Me: But the entrance door is open. Anyway is this the reason you are gonna overcharge me?

Owner: Yes! Do you understand!?

Me: Ok, whatever, I don’t need them from you. Forget it!

---

Honestly, it was such a stupid exchange.

I’ve been getting this feeling since immigration — and now it’s confirmed.

I just don’t vibe with Jewish people.

You might say “it depends on the person,”

but honestly, I’ve found a disproportionately high number of Jewish people here who communicate in a really aggressive, confrontational way.

Stay in capsule hotel

Shaking it off, I headed to the hotel.

I had booked a capsule hotel called Capsule Space X through Agoda.

120 shekels per night (36USD)

Hotels in Israel are generally expensive, and this capsule hotel was the cheapest private room I could find.

This capsule hotel…

I wouldn’t really recommend it.

More on that later — I ran into quite a bit of trouble.

Here’s what the inside looks like: ↓

After a long flight and walking around all day, I was completely worn out.

So I’ll call it a night for now.

More in the next post! ‼️