Exploring Jerusalem

When planning your next vacation, consider Jerusalem, one of the oldest and holiest cities in the world. It will be a hands-on lesson in religious history that you will never forget. Be aware however, that Jerusalem is not just a collection of ancient sites and shrines and temples. Buried beneath its historical, cultural, and religious significance is a modern, fun, compelling city waiting to be explored.


Depending on your interests, there are a variety of Jerusalem sightseeing tours available. You can embark upon tours slanted towards various religious perspectives (Jewish Tours, Catholic Tours, Christian Tours) or more generic ones (Holy Land Tours, Pilgrimage Tours).


However you decide to experience Jerusalem, make sure not to miss the Western Wall, the holiest shrine of the Jewish world, which was built to support the temple mount in 20 B.C. After the Holy Temple was destroyed, Jews were permitted entrance into Jerusalem only once a year, on the anniversary of its destruction, to weep over the last remnant of their Temple. Hence the shrine became known as the Wailing Wall. As this site is a popular location for Bar Mitzvah celebrations, you may get to witness a young Jewish boy reading from the Torah as he becomes a man.



Head to Ben Yehuda Street and discover Jerusalem’s perhaps unexpectedly vibrant nightlife. Dancing on the bar at Kings Bar or sitting at one of the tables outside of Zolly's or getting down at Bonita – all makes for a great night out.
Before heading home, absorb your historic religious experience (or recover from a night out on Ben Yehuda) while floating peacefully in the famous salt-satiated waters of the Dead Sea, or Devil’s Sea, as it was called in the Crusader period due to its uninhabitable nature. Then smother yourself in its therapeutic mud at the Ein Gedi Spa, located in the middle of the Judean Desert.
Return home from Jerusalem feeling rejuvenated and relaxed, if not a little more religious!



If you’re a little more adventurous, experience the wall in an ‘underground’ way and take a Kotel Tunnel tour. You’ll enter the Western Wall Tunnels through a secret passage and marvel at the shafts that Charles Warren dug through Wilson’s Arch in the 19th century while trying to discern the wall’s precise measurements.
Feel like sneaking in some shopping? Take a stroll through Jerusalem’s Old City and seek out the Arab souk (or market) that extends through the Christian and Moslem Quarters. You’ll find tons of souvenirs and gifts here, and the cheapest prices in the city.