The best eSIM for Israel
A land of ancient history and religious significance. Here is the plan we would pick today, the live pricing for every plan we track, and the practical things to know before you fly.
The lowest price-per-gigabyte we currently track for Israel. A solid fit for most one-to-two-week trips with maps, messaging, and the occasional photo upload.
| Provider | Data | Days | Price | $/GB | Get |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 GoMoWorld | 50GB | 30 | $19.99 | $0.40 | Get → |
| GoMoWorld | 75GB | 30 | $29.99 | $0.40 | Get → |
| GoMoWorld | 18GB | 30 | $10.99 | $0.61 | Get → |
 Saily | 20GB | 30 | $15.29 | $0.76 | Get → |
| GoMoWorld | 4GB | 7 | $3.99 | $1.00 | Get → |
| Saily | 10GB | 30 | $10.79 | $1.08 | Get → |
 Virgin Connect | 100GB | 30 | $141.00 | $1.41 | Get → |
| Saily | 5GB | 30 | $7.99 | $1.60 | Get → |
 Nomad | 20GB | 30 | $35.00 | $1.75 | Get → |
| Virgin Connect | 50GB | 30 | $87.50 | $1.75 | Get → |
| Virgin Connect | 20GB | 30 | $39.00 | $1.95 | Get → |
| Saily | 3GB | 30 | $5.99 | $2.00 | Get → |
| Nomad | 10GB | 30 | $22.00 | $2.20 | Get → |
| Virgin Connect | 10GB | 30 | $22.00 | $2.20 | Get → |
 Roamless | 3GB | PAYG | $8.85 | $2.95 | Get → |
 GigSky | 10GB | 30 | $36.49 | $3.65 | Get → |
Prices are live and may change. Google Fi is excluded from the value ranking because it is a full phone plan rather than a travel data plan.
Partner, Cellcom and Pelephone all run 5G across central Tel Aviv, the Old City quarters of Jerusalem, the German Colony and the Mamilla Mall corridor. Coverage holds inside the Western Wall plaza and through the Christian, Muslim, Jewish and Armenian Quarters.
The Highway 2 corridor along the Mediterranean stays connected the whole way. The Caesarea National Park ruins and the Bahá'í Gardens in Haifa are fully covered.
The Ein Bokek resort strip and the Masada visitor centre are well covered by all three carriers. The Masada cable car keeps signal on the ascent; the Snake Path predawn hike has signal at the trailhead but drops on parts of the climb.
Tiberias, Tzfat (Safed) and the Golan resort areas (Mevo Hama, Katzrin) are covered well. Nature reserves with deep canyons (Banias, Yehudiya, Majrase) see brief drops on the trail interiors.
Town centres including Mitzpe Ramon, Be'er Sheva and Sde Boker are fully covered. The Ramon Crater interior and the remote Negev hiking trails drop coverage on Pelephone and Cellcom; Partner is the slightly more consistent option.
The Eilat hotel zone, the coral beach reserve and the dive sites are all fully covered. The Red Canyon and the border area with Jordan need offline maps for deeper hikes onto the Israel National Trail.
Tel Aviv
- Arriving
- Ben Gurion International (TLV) is about 20 km southeast of the city. The fastest transfer is the Israel Railways train from the Terminal 3 station to Tel Aviv (HaShalom or Savidor Central) in around 15 minutes, with continuous signal; note that trains do not run from Friday evening to Saturday evening over Shabbat. All terminals have full 4G/5G from Partner, Cellcom and Pelephone. Have data live on arrival so Moovit and Gett work for the run into town.
- On the subway and rail
- The new Tel Aviv Red Line light rail opened in 2023, running underground through the city centre with signal on the platforms and above ground on the outer sections. The Egged and Dan buses and the sherut shared taxis stay connected everywhere except over Shabbat. Israel Railways on the coastal line keeps signal at stations and along the route. Moovit, the locally built transit app, is the standard way to navigate and needs data.
- Free public WiFi
- The Tel Aviv municipality runs free public WiFi along Rothschild Boulevard, the beachfront promenade (the tayelet), Sarona Market and Dizengoff Center. Cafes throughout Florentin, Neve Tzedek and the port leave WiFi open with a purchase. TLV airport has free terminal WiFi. Hotels along the beachfront provide guest WiFi as standard, so friction is low across the city.
- Coverage in the city
- Partner, Cellcom and Pelephone all run dense 5G across Tel Aviv, the beachfront, Florentin, Neve Tzedek, the port and old Jaffa. Coverage is consistent indoors and out across the whole metro. The drive south to the airport and north along Highway 2 toward Herzliya and Netanya stays fully connected. There is effectively no gap to plan around inside greater Tel Aviv.
- If you prefer a local SIM
- Partner, Cellcom and Pelephone, plus the budget brands 019 Mobile and Hot Mobile, sell tourist SIMs at TLV arrivals and across the city. Tourist data packages are inexpensive and generous. Passport ID is required for activation. For a short visit the eSIM route is the simplest, and most global plans cover Israel well.
Jerusalem
- Arriving
- Ben Gurion International (TLV) is the gateway, about 50 km west. The high-speed rail from the airport to Jerusalem-Yitzhak Navon station takes around 25 minutes; the station is deep underground but the platforms have cell signal. All carriers cover the route. Taxis and Gett also serve the run. Activate data before leaving the airport so maps work in the Old City lanes.
- On the subway and rail
- The Jerusalem Light Rail Red Line runs along Jaffa Road through the city centre, mostly above ground with continuous signal. Egged buses cover the rest of the city and stay connected. The high-speed rail to Tel Aviv departs from the deep Yitzhak Navon station, where the platforms still hold signal. Within the walled Old City the lanes are pedestrian-only and GPS struggles among the stone alleys; cellular data still works.
- Free public WiFi
- Mamilla Mall, the Mahane Yehuda market area and many cafes in the new city centre offer open WiFi. Hotels across the German Colony and the city centre provide guest WiFi. The Old City has scattered hotspots in the larger restaurants and hotels but is best treated as cellular-data territory. Free WiFi is generally easy to find in the modern districts.
- Coverage in the city
- Partner, Cellcom and Pelephone all deliver 5G across the new city and the Old City quarters. Coverage holds inside the Western Wall plaza and through the Christian, Muslim, Jewish and Armenian Quarters, at the Mount of Olives viewpoints and across Mahane Yehuda. Note that Israeli networks do not extend onto the Palestinian carriers in the West Bank; a separate plan applies if crossing into Palestinian territories.
- If you prefer a local SIM
- The same carriers (Partner, Cellcom, Pelephone) and budget brands sell tourist SIMs in the city centre; the easiest pickup is at TLV airport on arrival. Tourist packages are cheap. Passport required. The eSIM route avoids the in-store step and works seamlessly across both Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
Grab an eSIM before you arrive in Israel to skip local SIM queues. Most urban areas offer 4G or better, while rural regions can slow down, so keep offline maps handy. Activating the eSIM in advance ensures you are connected the moment you clear customs.
Israel has a highly developed mobile network with excellent coverage across the country. Partner, Cellcom, and Pelephone provide widespread 4G LTE and growing 5G coverage in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa, and Beer Sheva. The country is compact enough that you will maintain strong connectivity in virtually all populated areas, from the Mediterranean coast to the Sea of Galilee.
The Negev Desert and remote areas near the Dead Sea may have reduced coverage, but major tourist routes and highways are well served. Israel is a tech-forward country where mobile data is essential for navigation apps like Moovit (widely used for public transit), restaurant reservations, and ride-hailing. Note that coverage does not extend into Palestinian territories on the same networks - see Palestine for separate coverage details.
- Moovit is the go-to app for Israeli public transit - data makes it essential
- Coverage in the Negev Desert can be spotty away from main highways
- Israel-specific eSIM plans do not typically cover Palestinian territories
- Shabbat (Friday evening to Saturday evening) affects business hours but not network availability
- Free Wi-Fi is common in cafes and hotels in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem
Average Data Cost
~$0.60-$3/GB
Network Quality
5G expanding in Tel Aviv and major cities. Strong 4G LTE nationwide.
eSIM Availability
eSIM fully supported by all major Israeli carriers. Tourist eSIMs widely available.
Major Carriers
Recommended Providers for Israel
Plans for Israel
From $3.99
Plans for Israel
From $3.99
Plans for Israel
From $3.50
Plans for Israel
From $2.95
Pay-as-you-go: $2.95/GB
Plans for Israel
From $4.50
Plans for Israel
From $4.99
Plans for Israel
From $10.00
Pay-as-you-go: $10.00/GB
- 1
Buy and install at home on WiFi.
Installation is not the same as activation. You can install the Israel eSIM days ahead and only switch it on after you land, which avoids burning days of validity in transit.
- 2
Screenshot your current APN before you swap.
If you ever need to switch back to your home line quickly, that screenshot saves a support call from a foreign airport.
- 3
Decide on your dual-SIM strategy.
Keep your home line on for SMS-based bank logins, two-factor codes, and emergency calls. Set the travel eSIM as the data line only. Most modern phones can do both simultaneously.
- 4
Disable iMessage on the travel eSIM line.
Otherwise iMessage will try to re-activate against the new line on arrival and you will spend the first ten minutes troubleshooting it instead of finding the taxi rank.
- 5
Download offline maps for Israel.
Google Maps and Apple Maps both support offline regions. Pull them down on home WiFi so a flaky activation never leaves you without a route from the airport. Our offline maps guide walks through it step by step.
- 6
Activate at the airport, not before.
Once the validity timer starts it does not pause. A 15-day plan you turn on the morning of departure burns a full day of validity before you even land.
We are building this section from real, verified traveler submissions rather than stock testimonials, so it stays empty until we have notes we can stand behind. If you have used an eSIM in Israel recently, a one-paragraph note on what worked (and what did not) helps the next traveler.
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Pricing on this page is pulled live from our database and refreshed every four hours. Coverage notes are sourced from carrier roaming agreements and updated when carriers change partners. Provider rankings are determined by price-per-gigabyte and plan flexibility, not by who pays the largest commission.