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What We Recommend That You Must See and Do in the Old City in Jerusalem

Jerusalem is a wonderful city full of mixed cultures and histories. The west side of the city is more modern and lush while the east side hosts the Old City, a one-square kilometer space that incredibly holds some of the holiest sites in the world for Muslims, Jews, Christians, and Armenians. (Armenian Orthodox Christians actually have their own quarter in the Old City.)

There is far more to do and see in the Old City than you would expect! We felt as though we barely scratched the surface, but I have outlined a few of the most important things you should see and do below.

1. Go to the markets

If you are looking for souvenirs you will find them everywhere in the Old City markets. Special products are glass and tiles, and you will also find beautiful olive wood carvings everywhere.

Haggling is often a real struggle but we were surprised at how different haggling in Jerusalem was to other parts of the world. We managed to get at least 10% off of everything we bought but it was very difficult to go lower than that. That means it’s a bit less painful than haggling elsewhere in the world, such as Africa and Asia! We definitely have some funny stories to tell about haggling in many parts of the world, but Israel was an exception. No funny stories here – they took business very seriously!

There are also many food opportunities for you to check out, although it will be pretty overpriced. I would recommend checking out the Mahane Yahuda Market, where you can find tiny bars nestled between hundreds of fruit and nut vendors. You can find everything here, from jewelry to challah! It is a very busy and can be a slightly overwhelming place. We wished we had more time to sit down and people-watch here.

On the Sabbath many supermarkets close around 5pm, but there are some 24/7 ones. We were lucky enough that our hotel was right over a 24/7 supermarket.

2. Food and restaurants

You definitely must try Israeli food! Make sure you try the salads (lentil and quinoa salads are surprisingly good), hummus, and fish. Israeli wine is also wonderfully fruity, and their beer is quite good. Palestinian beer is not quite as good but that is understandable as many Muslims do not drink!

Contrary to popular belief, you can definitely find a place to eat on the Sabbath. A short walk around will reveal many lively restaurants and bars down side streets. I can’t say that we didn’t enjoy any of the food we ate. It was all wonderful! Although with most of Jerusalem being kosher you may find that pizzas and burgers aren’t quite the same …

I would highly recommend checking out Eucalyptus as a slightly higher end restaurant. We had a cauliflower dish that was to die for. Thankfully, no one died of pleasure while eating Israeli food on this journey. We were close, though.

Palestinian food is similar and also very tasty. We had a great experience with homemade meals at Dar Siti Aziza when we stayed in Bethlehem. We had date cake and cookies, homemade jams, olives, and spicy eggs.

3. Visit the Western Wall

We visited the Western Wall (or the Wailing Wall) twice – once on a normal weekday and once on the Sabbath. On a normal weekday tourists are allowed to go to the wall but be sure you go in the correct area. There is a place for men and a separate place for women. Men will be given a yamaka if you don’t have one. Women will be given a shawl if your shoulders or legs are not covered. You can pray at the wall and even write your prayers down on a piece of paper to leave in a crack in the wall.

On the Sabbath, everyone gathers at the wall and worships in small groups. We saw many groups get together and pray, read the Torah, and dance and sing. It was quite the experience! We had heard that there would be a siren at sundown but we did not hear anything, nor was there any special announcement that the Sabbath had begun.

4. Visit Yad Vashem (The World Holocaust Remembrance Center)

Yad Vashem was the best museum and remembrance center I have ever visited dedicated to the Holocaust. It was completely respectful and beautifully designed. There was so much information one could easily spend days here and, while it’s very emotional, it’s well worth visiting.

Entrance to the museum is free. Please note that children under the age of 10 and babies in strollers or carriers are not allowed to enter. If you are in a group of over 6 people they recommend making a reservation.

The museum was chock full of information, including interviews, timelines, multiple pieces of history from Europe, and so much more. It was almost overwhelming to realize how much information has been collected here.

A visit to Yad Vashem also includes gardens and memorials outside which are beautifully structured and very respectful to the memory of those lost. It has definitely been carefully thought out and I cannot stress enough that this is a place you must visit while you are in Jerusalem.

Other things to do

Renting a bike is a great way to get around the city, although we were quite happy walking everywhere. There is a tram and buses that run through the city but we never had the need to take them.

Exploring the Old City at night is also an interesting experience. Some areas of the city can be very much alive while others are very quiet. We felt very safe walking around.

Walking the ramparts of the Old City is also a fun thing to do, although a bit pricey. We went on the Sabbath and had the place nearly to ourselves. Do take note that not all of the entrances will be open on the Sabbath. The views are also not that astonishing but it is a nice way to see more of the city.

One of the top things recommended for Catholics and very orthodox Christians is to walk the Via Dolorosa, supposedly the way that Jesus walked to Golgotha. There is a place on one of the walls where Jesus may have placed his hand to rest, and other places are marked where key events happened on that fateful day.

As a Christian, I have to say that visiting the Church of the Holy Sepulchre was not the great spiritual experience that I expected. It is full of icons and houses what many believe to be the tomb of Jesus. There were people praying at a stone where Jesus may have been whipped before he was crucified. They were also consecrating relics by touching them to the stone. This was a little too much for me and I would say I’m very firm in my faith!

The church was quite beautiful and very large, but there were so many tourists and people trying to touch relics and pray at certain stations that the space didn’t feel very consecrated at all to me. What was more impressive was the church bells and the nearby mosque’s call to prayer going on at nearly the same time around noon! If you are a Christian or just curious, the church is probably not exactly what you expected, but it is still beautiful to go inside and see.

Don’t be surprised if you want to go back!

Our overall experience in Jerusalem left us wanting more. Although it is small for a major city, there is so much culture to experience, food to eat, and history to explore. We are already looking forward to planning another trip back!

Have you been to Jerusalem? What are key places and things to do that you think should not be missed? Share your thoughts with me below!