Itineraries for Your Trip to Jerusalem
3 Days in Jerusalem for First Timers
The first place I lived in Israel was Tel Aviv. But I was always drawn to Jerusalem, with its millennia-old layers of history. You can easily spend weeks exploring the four quarters of the Old City—Armenian, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim—on foot, chatting with shopkeepers, browsing craft shops, and enjoying the bustle of tourists, pilgrims, kids playing soccer in the alleys, and street vendors peddling green almonds.
With only three days, you might be tempted to partake in a whistle-stop tour of all the main attractions—and there are plenty—but be sure to stop and observe the city’s everyday moments, because those are the ones that will stay with you.
Israel is a country of microclimates, and Jerusalem can be cold in winter.
If you only have time for one thing, make it a visit to the Old City.
On your first day, head to the Old City, encircled by massive 16th-century stone walls commissioned by the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman. Inside, you’ll find a tangle of steps and alleyways that can be confusing to navigate—consider a guided walking tour. To get a balanced historical perspective, take a dual-narrative Jewish and Palestinian tour.
Not to be missed: the Western Wall (last remnant of the Second Temple, the synagogue Roman forces destroyed in AD 70), the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where Christians believe Jesus was resurrected, and the Dome of the Rock, the gold-domed Muslim shrine that can be admired from the Temple Mount.
Head to the Israel Museum, a sprawling art and archaeology collection covering the region’s ancient history and traditions. The original Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit is a highlight.
From there, ride the 66 bus for 15 minutes to Mahane Yehuda Market, a bustling shuk (market) with local delicacies across 250 food stalls. Nab a great falafel or shawarma lunch.
Your last visit is a sobering one: Yad Veshem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center, which presents an overview of Jewish culture in Europe prior to Nazism and the personal stories of Jewish people killed—as well as those who tried to save them.
Today is for a day trip. Intrepid independent travelers can catch a Palestinian bus from Damascus Gate in the Old City to West Bank cities, most easily Bethlehem and Ramallah. Buses leave when they’re full.
