It can be hard work to reach the top of the Mount of Olives on foot, but your reward is a panoramic view of Jerusalem that includes the Temple Mount and, in the distance, the Judean Desert. The Jewish cemetery is located on the western slope, along with the Tomb of the Prophets, the Catholic Church of Dominus Flevit, and the Russian Orthodox Church of Mary Magdalene. At the base of the mount, you’ll find the garden of Gethsemane with the Church of All Nations.
If you’d rather not make the arduous walk up, a number of tours can take you to the top by bus and down on foot. Guided excursions often stop by the Mount of Olives as well as other Jerusalem attractions.
The easiest way to get to the Mount of Olives is on a guided tour. Otherwise, take bus 275 from the bus station opposite Herod’s Gate on Sultan Suleiman Street, and get off at the Church of the Ascension. The journey lasts roughly 40 minutes.
The Mount of Olives is typically open Sunday through Thursday during daytime hours. Most of the churches and gardens open in the morning, close around noon, and reopen mid-afternoon.
At the western foot of the Mount of Olives, the garden of Gethsemane is the ancient olive grove identified as the place where Jesus went to pray and where he was arrested the night before he was crucified. Some of the olive trees in the garden are believed to be 900 years old.