Jerusalem is sacred for the three Abrahamic religions – Judaism, Christianity and Islam and is a must-see for any visit to Israel. The first stop of any visit to Jerusalem should be the Old City. The Old City has four quarters; Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Armenian and is home to The Temple Mount/The Noble Sanctuary, The Western Wall and The Holy Sepulcher, the place were Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected.
On this page we have listed the sites
OLD CITY SITES
TOWER OF DAVID
Build on remains of one of the defensive towers of the Palace of Herod the Great.
The museum of the History of Jerusalem is located in the medieval citadel known as the Tower of David. The Citadel itself is a fascinating archaeological site. The finds uncovered within are a testimony to Jerusalem’s eventful past and produce a representation of Jerusalem and its various historical periods in microcosm. The Citadel’s towers offer a 360-degree view of the Old City of Jerusalem as well as the city’s modern areas.
The museum also stages a sound and light show about the story of Jerusalem.
Museum NIS 40, Sound & Light Show NIS 55, combination ticket NIS 75
Museum Opening Hours: Saturday-Thursday 9am-4pm, Friday 9am-2pm
WESTERN WALL TUNNELS
The tunnels run along approximately 488 meters of the Western Wall, giving visitors a taste for the challenge that stood before Herod the Great during this biggest of all his immense building projects—the expansion of the Temple Mount.
The tour is about 1 hour and 10 minutes and allows you to reach the segments of the Wall hidden from view, and to touch the original and special stones that tell the story of the Jewish nation. We will walk through ancient and fascinating subterranean spaces with exquisite archeological findings, such as large stone arches, water pits, an ancient water aqueduct that ends at the Strouthion Pool, and more.
It is possible to add this tour into your private tour or your guide can finish your private tour at the entrance of the tunnels. You will be part of a larger group and the tour is guide by someone from the The Western Wall Heritage Foundation.
Entrance fee: NIS 35 per person.
Hours of operation of the Western wall tunnels: Sunday – Thursday: 9am until 6 pm, Friday: 7am – 12pm
CARDO
In the heart of the Jewish Quarter, we will visit one of the pearls of Jerusalem, the Roman Cardo, used for centuries as the main street of the city where most of commercial and social activities were taking place. We will continue through the modern shopping area, where we will learn about ritual objects used in Judaism from centuries until today and we will see the beautiful examples of Jewish modern art.
BROAD WALL
A few steps from the commercial area we will go back in time, with the help of archaeology and the Old Testament, to the days of Hezekiah (7th Century BC), when a miraculous event took place and Jerusalem was saved from destruction.
PLAZA
In The central Plaza of the Jewish Quarter we will see how the quarter developed in the last 60 years since the establishment of the State of Israel and how daily life is for the locals.
HURVA SYNAGOGUE
This majestic synagogue located in the center of the Jewish Quarter became an emblem of Jerusalem and its Jewish Heritage after a turbulent history. Today it is an active synagogue and house of study.
Entrance fee: NIS 20 per person
KOTEL / WESTEERN WALL
This is the most significant site in the world for the Jewish people, the Western Wall, where Jews have been praying for centuries.
AUSTRIAN HOSPICE
AUSTRIAN HOSPICE: the place is a Christian guesthouse/hotel in the heart of the bustling Via Dolorosa and Arab market. But a lot more, than that! Entering this 19 th century building we find ourselves in quite, charming corner of Europe. Highly recommended to visit the cafeteria, where you can taste German apfelstrudel with hot cocoa and the rooftop for a breathtaking view all over the Old City, Mount of Olives and parts of the New City.
Entrance fee to the roof: NIS 5 per person
VIA DOLOROSA
The painful path of 14 stations of Jesus on his way to his crucifixion.
HOLY SEPULCHER
After Jesus was condemned to death, he was crucified on Mount Golgotha and was buried in a nearby tomb. According to Christian tradition he rose again after three days. From this moment the Tomb of Resurrection became the central place of faith for all Christians in the world.
BURNT HOUSE
In the original basement of the house that belonged to a Jerusalemite family around 2000 years ago, we will see a multimedia show dedicated to the last days before the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple during the Great Revolt in the 1st century C.E.
Entrance fee: NIS 25 per person.
DAVIDSON CENTER
In this archeological park located south of Temple Mount. With the help of a 3 dimensional reconstruction of the Second Jewish Temple and the archaeological remains , we will learn about how the Temple looked like 2000 years ago and how Jews worshiped there during that time.
Entrance fee: maximum NIS 30 per person.
ST ANNE’S CHURCH/BETHESDA POOLS
It marks the traditional site of the home of Jesus’ maternal grandparents, Anne and Joachim, and the birthplace of the Virgin Mary. Next to the church is the large excavation area of the Pools of Bethesda, where Christ healed a sick man (John 5:2-9). The church is the best-preserved crusader church in Jerusalem, with wonderful acustics, and with a good chance you can enjoy the singing of pilgrim groups.
Entrance fee: NIS 10 per person
RAMPART WALKS
The Ramparts Walk is divided into two separate walks, totally just under two miles: the north side walk and the south side walk. Both have their diffenrences, both have amazing views of popular and more hidden sites. Highly recommended for children and family activities!
Entrance fee: Adults: 18 NIS, Children: 9 NIS
OLD CITY TRAIN
It rides from Jaffa gate to the Dung through the Old City and returns outside the Old City Walls. Since the Dung gate is in a low part of the city this is a nice way to finish the day if you have to go to the much higher Jaffa gate, especially with children.
One way fee: Adults: 20 NIS, Children: 10 NIS
MOUNT ZION SITES
MOUNT ZION
Also called Sion, its name in Old Testament times became projected into a metaphoric symbol for the whole city and the Promised Land.
DORMITION ABBEY
The marvelous church owned by the German Benedictine Order where Mary, Jesus ‘s mother, ended her worldly existence.
LAST SUPPER ROOM/CENACLE
A few meters from the church we will continue to this two-story room that commemorates the “upper room” in which Jesus shared the Last Supper with the disciples.
King David’s Tomb
One of the holiest sites for Jews
ST.PETER IN GALLICANTU
The fabulous St. Peter in Gallicantu is built in the slopes of Mt Zion. According tradition this was the place of the palace of high priests Caiaphas, where Jesus was brought to jail after his arrest. The place’s name is given after the story of Peter’s triple denial of Christ and the cock crowing twice. the church has fascinating decorations inside, and archaeological remains, for example a part of a long stepped paved street, that might served as a connection between this area and the Temple.
Entrance fee: NIS 7 per person
MOUNT OF OLIVES SITES
MOUNT OF OLIVES
Mount of Olives is one of the most prominent sites mentioned in the Holy Scriptures. From the top you have a breathtaking view of the Temple Mount, the Old City and the City of David.
PATER NOSTER CHURCH
It is located on the Mount of Olives, commemorating the site, where Jesus was teaching the Lord’s Prayer. You can find this prayer all around the compound walls in more than 100 different languages. Close to the Mount of Olives lookout this historically rich place is an excellent start following the footsteps of Jesus in Jerusalem.
Entrance fee: NIS 10 per person
DOMINUS FLEVIT
This church was built to commemorate the site where Jesus wept over the fate of Jerusalem. We will visit the Franciscan church designed by the famous Antonio Barluzzi.
GETHSEMANE/CHURCH OF ALL NATIONS
This is without a doubt one of the most impressive sites in Jerusalem and one of the most moving moments in the last days of Jesus. The place where he prayed alone to God. You can contemplate in the shadow of the ancient olive trees and visit the modern church built over the ruins of an ancient Byzantine church.
GROTTO OF GETHSEMANE
This unique cave church is dedicated to the site where Jesus was betrayed by Judas, decorated by Crusader frescoes and graffiti
TOMB OF THE VIRGIN MARY
This Crusader church was built over a quarried-out tomb that may well date from the 1st century, surrounded with the atmosphere of the Orthodox Churches, hanging lamps and incense
CITY OF DAVID SITES
CITY OF DAVID
King David left the city of Hebron for a small hilltop city known as Jerusalem, establishing it as the unified capital of the tribes of Israel.
The tour of the City of David begins with a breathtaking observation point overlooking Biblical Jerusalem which sends visitors 3,800 years back in time to the days of Abraham, when the first foundations of the city were laid. As one moves through the site, one comes in contact with archaeological excavations and thrilling biblical finds that span thousands of years of history including both First and Second Temple Jerusalem. The tour continues underground to the Gihon Spring, the major water source of Jerusalem for over 1,000 years. Visitors seeking adventure can trek through knee deep water in King Hezekiah’s 2,700 year old water tunnel, one of the wonders of early engineering.
Visiting the excavation site of the Royal Palace and the Israelite House is free.
Warren Shaft, Gihon Spring and the tunnels costs NIS 28 per person, combi ticket with the long drainage tunnel and Davidson Archaeological center NIS 44
Bus Shiloam Pool to Dung Gate (optional): NIS 5 per person
POOL OF SILOAM
The Siloam Pool, a rock-cut pool, has long been considered a sacred Christian site, even if the correct identification of the site itself was uncertain. It was discovered on the southern slope of the City of David in 2004. According to the Gospel of John, it was at the Siloam Pool where Jesus healed the blind man (John 9:1–11)
Entrance fees and opening hours are subject to change, check before visiting.
Children, students and seniors often get discount.
You do not pay entrance fee for the tour guide.
