Jerusalem travel guide

About Jerusalem

Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the oldest cities in the world and is considered a holy city to the three major Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Both Israel and Palestine claim Jerusalem as their capital city; Israel maintains its primary governmental institutions there, while Palestine ultimately foresees it as its seat of power. Neither claim is widely recognised internationally.

Places to visit in Jerusalem

1. 

   Western Wall

   Religious

   A remaining section of the retaining wall of the ancient Temple Mount and the holiest place where Jews can pray. Dress modestly, and avoid photography on the Sabbath out of respect for worshippers.

2. 

   Church of the Holy Sepulchre

   Religious

   A church in the Christian Quarter built over the traditional site of the crucifixion and burial of Jesus. Arrive early in the morning to reach the tomb shrine before the long midday lines form.

3. 

   Dome of the Rock

   Religious

   A seventh-century Islamic shrine with a golden dome on the Temple Mount, one of the city's defining sights. Non-Muslims can visit the plaza only at limited times and cannot enter the building, so check access in advance.

4. 

   Old City

   Neighborhood

   A walled area divided into four quarters, packed with holy sites, markets and narrow stone lanes. Walk the ramparts promenade for a different view, and wear comfortable shoes for the slippery stone streets.

5. 

   Mount of Olives

   Viewpoint

   A ridge east of the Old City with an ancient Jewish cemetery, several churches and a classic panoramic view. Take a taxi to the top and walk down past the churches to the Garden of Gethsemane.

6. 

   Yad Vashem

   Museum · 3 mi from centre

   Israel's official memorial to the victims of the Holocaust, with a powerful history museum and memorial sites. Plan at least three hours, and note that children under ten are not admitted to the main museum.

7. 

   Israel Museum

   Museum · 2 mi from centre

   The country's largest museum, home to the Dead Sea Scrolls in the Shrine of the Book and a large model of ancient Jerusalem. Start with those highlights, then explore the art and archaeology wings.

8. 

   Mahane Yehuda Market

   Market

   A busy produce market packed with stalls selling fruit, spices, pastries and street food. Visit on Thursday or before the Sabbath on Friday for the most energy, or come at night when bars open.

Things to do in Jerusalem by type

10 tours, tickets and experiences across 2 categories. Pick a type to see what is available for your dates.

• Day Trips & Excursions 9 experiences Bethlehem and Jericho - Private Tour from Jerusalem
• Art & culture 2 experiences Jerusalem and Bethlehem - Private Tour from Jerusalem

Where to stay in Jerusalem

Popular hotels in Jerusalem.

Sephardic House

• Jerusalem

From $200 per night

Eyal Hotel

• Jerusalem

From $217 per night

Prima Kings

• Jerusalem

From $287 per night

The American Colony Hotel – Small Luxury Hotels

• Jerusalem

From $297 per night

Cassia Hotel Jerusalem

• Jerusalem

From $403 per night

21ST Floor Hotel

• Jerusalem

From $285 per night

Grand Court

• Jerusalem
• 8.04 reviews

From $230 per night

Herbert Samuel Jerusalem

• Jerusalem

From $236 per night

Bezalel Hotel

• Jerusalem

From $251 per night

Rafeel Residence

• Jerusalem

From $124 per night

Jerusalem Inn

• Jerusalem

From $123 per night

Leonardo Boutique Jerusalem

• Jerusalem

From $384 per night

Best time to visit Jerusalem

Based on recent weather records, the most comfortable time to visit Jerusalem is April to May and October, when average daytime highs are around 76–81°F and rain falls on about 3 days a month.

Average daily low and high temperatures and days with at least 1 mm of rain, from recent weather records. Highlighted months are the most comfortable for sightseeing.

Jerusalem weather forecast

• Wed 21 Oct 75° 57° 0%
• Thu 22 Oct 79° 58° 0%
• Fri 23 Oct 82° 67° 0%
• Sat 24 Oct 82° 66° 1%
• Sun 25 Oct 78° 64° 2%
• Mon 26 Oct 77° 62° 2%

Know before you go

Currency

Israeli new shekel (ILS)1 US dollar ≈ ₪3.10

Languages

Hebrew, Arabic

Calling code

+972

Driving

On the right

Time zone

Asia/JerusalemUTC+3

Getting to Jerusalem

These are the airports closest to central Jerusalem. Compare fares into each one, as a slightly longer transfer can sometimes mean a much cheaper flight.

• JRS Jerusalem International Airport6 mi (10 km) from the city centre

Getting around Jerusalem

Getting around Jerusalem used to be tricky, time-consuming, and frustrating as the terrain and age of the city left clogged roads unable to handle modern population numbers. The building of the light rail line has mitigated this but where the light rail doesn't go the going may still be slow.

By taxi

Cabs are plentiful in the city of gold. You can probably flag one down quickly by walking to the nearest busy street. Just in case this doesn't work, it is good to have the number of a cab company ready, or to install the Gett smartphone app.

By car

Driving a car in Jerusalem is not recommended. In the central areas (roughly between the Central Bus Station and the Old City), the main streets are mostly reserved for public transportation, and the streets cars can go on are narrow and very confusing to navigate. Then, when you reach your destination, there will be no place to park your car. Elsewhere in the city, it is easy to drive, but still hard to find parking. If you can't use public transportation, taxis are probably a better option than cars.

By light rail

The Jerusalem Light Rail.mw-parser-output .error-deadlink{color:red;background:yellow;display:none;white-space:nowrap}[dead link] line opened in 2011. It links the north-eastern neighborhoods to the south-western neighborhoods, runs along the western side of the Old City, and passes through the city center. There are plans to construct additional lines.

Jerusalem travel FAQ