The Tower of David and the museum are a popular Old City stop for travelers who are staying in Jerusalem and have time to explore further than the classic sights. While the ruins you can see date back much further, the structure took its current form during the 14th and 16th centuries.
There are a wealth of ways to experience the Tower of David, with tours and tickets available online. Book tickets for the museum alone or for special exhibitions. Enjoy two separate evening shows, the Night Spectacular, a sound and light show telling the story of Jerusalem, and the King David Show, focused on the exploits of the giant-killing king. Prebook a slot on the one weekly tour to gain access to the Citadel moat and the “Kishle”, where you can see foundations of the historic palace and cells where British forces imprisoned Zionist freedom fighters.
The Tower of David sits in Jerusalem’s Old City, just by the Jaffa Gate (Bab al-Khalil), about a half-mile (800-meter) walk from the Way of the Cross (Via Dolorosa). It’s a 5-minute walk from the Safra Square LRT station. From Jerusalem Central Bus Station, catch the number 1 bus to City Hall and walk five minutes.
The Tower of David is open from morning to mid-afternoon, Saturday through Thursday, but closes after lunch on Friday. Opening hours are slightly extended during the August peak season. Guided museum tours run mid-morning during the Israeli working week (Sunday through Thursday), with one English-language Kishle tour on Friday morning.
A sacred figure to all three Abrahamic religions, but of special significance to Jewish people, the biblical King David died around 1,000 years before the Tower of David began construction. King Herod built the 144-foot (44-meter) Phasael Tower on the site around the time of Jesus. Centuries later, Christian pilgrims were so impressed by the scale of its remains that they assumed David had built it.