Jerusalem, Israel: travel guide
One of the world's oldest cities and a holy city for Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The walled Old City holds the Western Wall, Temple Mount, and Church of the Holy Sepulchre, ringed by modern West Jerusalem and its markets and museums.
- Country
- Israel
- Currency
- ILS
- Time zone
- Asia/Jerusalem
- Nearest airport
- TLV
Top places to visit in Jerusalem
Al-Aqsa Mosque
Mosque · 4.8 rating · about 0.5 h
The silver-domed congregational mosque on the southern Temple Mount, the third-holiest site in Islam. Entry to the mosque is limited to Muslims.
Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Church · 4.7 rating · about 1.3 h
Revered by most Christians as the site of Jesus's crucifixion, burial and resurrection. Shared by six denominations, its chapels enclose Golgotha and the Aedicule over the empty tomb.
Temple Mount & Dome of the Rock
Mosque · 4.6 rating · about 1.3 h
A vast walled esplanade sacred to Jews and Muslims, crowned by the gold-capped Dome of the Rock (691 CE). Non-Muslim visitors enter via the Mughrabi Bridge during restricted morning hours and cannot enter the shrines.
The Knesset
Cultural · 4.0 rating · about 1 h
Israel's national parliament building in the Givat Ram area, offering guided tours by advance booking.
Yad Vashem
Museum · 4.8 rating · about 3 h
Israel's national Holocaust remembrance centre on Mount Herzl, its striking Holocaust History Museum, Hall of Names, Children's Memorial and Avenue of the Righteous.
Via Dolorosa
Heritage · 4.8 rating · about 1 h
The processional route through the Old City that Christian tradition marks as the path Jesus walked to crucifixion, lined with the fourteen Stations of the Cross ending at the Holy Sepulchre.
Tower of David Museum
Fort · 4.6 rating · about 2 h · entry ILS 57
A medieval citadel beside Jaffa Gate housing a museum of Jerusalem's history, with ramparts and a minaret giving panoramic views over the Old City.
Israel Museum
Museum · 4.7 rating · about 3 h · entry ILS 54
The country's largest museum, home to the Dead Sea Scrolls in the Shrine of the Book, a scale model of Second-Temple Jerusalem, and wide archaeology and art wings.
Garden of Gethsemane & Church of All Nations
Church · 4.8 rating · about 0.8 h
An ancient olive grove at the foot of the Mount of Olives where the Gospels place Jesus's agony before arrest, beside the mosaic-fronted Church of All Nations.
Mahane Yehuda Market
Market · 4.6 rating · about 1.5 h
Jerusalem's bustling produce market ("the Shuk"), packed with spice, halva, produce and bakery stalls by day and turning into a lively bar and restaurant scene after dark.
Garden Tomb
Church · 4.8 rating · about 0.8 h
A quiet walled garden with a rock-cut tomb that many Protestant Christians venerate as an alternative site of Jesus's burial and resurrection.
Western Wall (Kotel)
Heritage · 4.8 rating · about 1 h
The holiest site where Jews may pray, a surviving retaining wall of the Second Temple's Temple Mount. The plaza is open around the clock; men and women pray in separate sections and prayer notes are placed in the wall's cracks.
Things to do
- Old City Four Quarters Walking Tour Walking Tour · 4 h · from ILS 120 per person
- Western Wall Tunnels Tour Cultural · 1.3 h · from ILS 45 per person
- Ramparts Walk on the Old City Walls Walking Tour · 1.5 h · from ILS 25 per person
- Mahane Yehuda Market Food Tour Food Tour · 3 h · from ILS 250 per person
- City of David Underground Tour Cultural · 2.5 h · from ILS 60 per person
Day trips and tours
- Jerusalem Old City & Mount of Olives 7 h · from ILS 320
Where to stay in Jerusalem
- Old City / Jaffa Gate about ILS 700 per night
Staying inside or beside the walls puts the holy sites on your doorstep, in atmospheric guesthouses and pilgrim hostels.
- City Center (Downtown) about ILS 800 per night
West Jerusalem's centre around Jaffa Road and Mahane Yehuda offers modern hotels, nightlife and the light rail.
- German Colony / Emek Refaim about ILS 900 per night
A leafy, upscale residential quarter of cafés and boutique stays, quieter and a short ride from the Old City.
Hotels
- Mamilla Hotel 5-star · ILS 1,600 to ILS 3,200 per night
- King David Hotel 5-star · ILS 1,800 to ILS 3,800 per night
- Abraham Hostel Jerusalem 2-star · ILS 150 to ILS 520 per night
- Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center 4-star · ILS 700 to ILS 1,100 per night
- YMCA Three Arches Hotel 3-star · ILS 600 to ILS 900 per night
Where to eat
- Machneyuda Israeli, Mediterranean, Contemporary · about ILS 260 per person
- Azura Sephardi, Kurdish, Iraqi · about ILS 75 per person
- Eucalyptus Israeli, Biblical, Mediterranean · about ILS 230 per person
- Abu Shukri Palestinian, Levantine, Middle Eastern · about ILS 55 per person
- Lina Restaurant Palestinian, Levantine, Middle Eastern · about ILS 50 per person
- Ishtabach Kurdish, Israeli, Middle Eastern · about ILS 90 per person
Getting around
- Bus main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
- Taxi main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
- Tram main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
- Walking main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
Safety and scams to avoid
Unofficial "guides" at the Old City gates
Jaffa & Damascus Gates, Old City
Men approach tourists offering to guide them to sites or shops, then demand a large fee or steer you to commission-paying stores.
How to avoid it: Politely decline and use a licensed guide booked in advance or an official tour; agree any price before starting.
Overcharging in the souk
Old City markets
Vendors quote inflated prices to tourists for souvenirs and spices, especially without marked prices.
How to avoid it: Compare a few stalls, bargain, and know the rough going rate before buying.