Guide To Best Things To Do In Jerusalem

Jerusalem – The city where history and importance have their home.

Jerusalem is a city that is situated in Israel and holds a lot of history and culture as well as is considered sacred by Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Thus, it hosts millions of visitors annually to help them explore the strong religious base and traditions of the country. However, apart from historical and religious activity sightseeing, which is the primary reason visitors flock to Jerusalem, there are other attractions and activities to indulge in. This guide seeks to provide insight into the recommended practices for one to have the most out of his or her time in Jerusalem.

Explore the Old City

Surrounding the Old City is a stone wall system built in 1538 during Ottoman Sultan Suleiman's rule over Jerusalem. You can choose to limit your searches and choose among such sites as the Western Wall, Temple Mount, Dome of the Rock, Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Via Dolorosa Street, and others. A great approach to experiencing Middle Eastern culture is to visit a nearby market and meander through little lanes dotted with stores and kiosks providing traditional Middle Eastern goods and exquisite works of art. Given there is so much to see in the Old City, I would advise spending at least 24 hours there.

Stations of the Cross also known as the Way of Sorrows.

To the Christian and religious tourists, having a feel of the old path in Jerusalem that is believed to have been used by Jesus Christ when taking the cross on which he was nailed and later crucified is considered a worthy experience. Called ‘’Via Crucis’’ or the ‘’Way of Sorrow’’ today it’s a path of 14 stations passing through narrow and crowded market roads which one can do on own or can be a part of the walking pilgrimage.

Visit History’s Eye at Yad Vashem

Dedicated to honoring the six million Jews who perished in the Holocaust during the Second World War, Yad Vashem is a museum housed in Jerusalem, Israel. Using oral and written histories, physical things, memorial artworks, images, moving visuals in the form of movies, timelines, and the survivor's testimonies, it tells this terrible moment in human life.

Marvel at Archaeological Sites

Jerusalem contains history that dates back nearly 5000 years due to the ever numerous archaeological findings that have been found in the region ranging from the Bronze and Iron Ages. Some of the exciting discoveries include the Western Wall Tunnels, the Southern Wall Excavations, the Davidson Center, the City of David, Hezekiah’s Tunnel, the underground fortress of King Herod, and burial tombs, which hold the history of the region and are a fun site to visit. History lovers—so don’t let it slip!

You can on a Bethlehem Day Trip.

Bethlehem is another place where no visitor to Jerusalem can afford not to pay a visit. Bethlehem being the town where Jesus was born makes it one of the most significant Palestinian towns to Christians. There are also many places of interest located in this region such as the Church of the Nativity which is constructed over the authentic birthplace of Jesus, the Shepherd’s Fields where the angel pronounced conception of Jesus, the site of the Tomb of Rachel, and the vibrant Manger Square. Bethlehem is another place that can easily be visited on a one-day sightseeing trip from Jerusalem.

Hit the Markets

Food markets and bazaars are present in most parts of the Old City, with many of them being the type of goods that were usually traded there. Go shop for fabrics, pottery, paintings, sculptures, and even more normal things as souvenirs and artifacts. Negotiate with the stall owners for the best prices at crowded markets such as Christian Quarter Road, Cardo, Khan el-Zeit Souq, and David Street Market.

Visiting is the Dome of the Rock.

The most attractive sight in Jerusalem is, of course, the Dome of the Rock shrine with its centerpiece of solid gold on top of the dome. Being the oldest mosque still exists in the world and was built in 692 AD, the beautiful site of worship shrines the Old City from many different views. Snap a memorable picture!

Visiting the Holyland and the Western Wall

Jewish religion allows the open prayer only in one place inside the Old City and that place is the Western Wall. Only the western, or Wailing Wall, remains from the foundation that circumscribed the temple used by Jews before the Romans conquered Jerusalem 2000 years ago. There is still the custom of writing prayers or petitions on slips of paper and putting these between the stones.

Localized Overnight Stay

Nothing can be as genuine as renting a room for a night or two from one of the many homely B&Bs or Homestays that are situated in residential areas within Jerusalem. It will give you a whole different perspective having to time live with the locals and how they go about their lives, a plus for most tourists.

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