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.
Getting to Jerusalem
= = Israel's main entry point for the international traveler, 1 Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV IATA), is next to the highway linking Tel Aviv and Jerusalem (Highway 1). Travel from the airport to the center of Jerusalem takes 40–50 minutes, or more if there is traffic. By train - A train line from the airport to Jerusalem opened in 2018. See "By train" below.
Worth seeing
Jerusalem has an amazing array of attractions for the traveler to see. The following are some of the must-sees. For more attractions see individual district articles. The Old City is the atmospheric historical core of Jerusalem, surrounded by Ottoman period walls, filled with sites of massive religious significance and a bustling approach to life.
Things to do
Ramparts Walk - view the city from atop of the Old City walls. There are two different routes: the northern route starts from inside the old city by the Jaffa gate and circles the Christian quarter and the Muslim quarter. The southern route starts from outside the Jaffa gate and circles the Armenian quarter and the Jewish quarter. Western Wall Tunnels is a tour that is well worth your time.
Where to eat
Jerusalem, being a multicultural city, has food from all countries, cultures and tastes. Besides the ubiquitous falafel stands, there is European, Ethiopian, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern food. There is also a large range of prices, from the ritzy Mamilla and Emek Refaim, to falafel stands surrounding Machaneh Yehuda and the Central Bus Station.
Getting around Jerusalem the local way
- Get inBy shuttle - The 'Nesher' shared taxi service (+972 2 623 1231 - Hebrew and English) is a 10-seat minibus that runs approximately hourly services to/from the airport, 24/7.
- Get inNotes: Some Arab neighborhoods in East Jerusalem are seen as "no go zones" by Israeli Jews, and some taxi drivers, including shared taxis, may hesitate or even refuse to take you to these destinations.
- Get inTaxi drivers, including shared taxis, have been known to overcharge or shortchange, so check the price before boarding, and check your change when it is handed back to you.
- Get inOn the Sabbath, and very late at night, your only option other than a private taxi is a sherut (shared taxi).
- Get inShared taxis are also the best option if travelling between Jerusalem and Palestinian cities in the West Bank, especially Ramallah and Bethlehem.
- Get inThere is a shared taxi direct to/from the Allenby bridge (The border crossing with Jordan), for (Feb 2019) ₪42 plus ₪5 per luggage or 10 JD for 1 seat plus 1 luggage (picking up from Al-Souq Al-Tijaree "The commercial souq" not far away from the main bus station).
- Get inAll Palestinian shared taxis are very cheap, ₪5.00 for the surrounding villages, ₪5.50 for Abu-Dis and ₪6.50 for Ramallah.
- Get aroundBoth differ from the shared taxi ("sherut" or "servees"), which runs fixed routes for many people like a bus.
From Wikivoyage: Jerusalem, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.
Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: PRAVEEN (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikimedia Commons.