A Weekend in Jerusalem, Off the Beaten Path
Two days covers the Old City’s essentials without ever queuing for the Western Wall Tunnels or the Tower of David’s paid views: a free ramparts walk, the Western Wall Plaza, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Temple Mount’s narrow visiting window, and a walking descent from the Mount of Olives, all on foot or by light rail. For the longer version of this trip, see the 3 day offbeat plan next.
| Day | Focus |
|---|---|
| 1 | Ramparts, the Western Wall, and the Holy Sepulchre |
| 2 | The Temple Mount window, the souks, and the Mount of Olives |
Book these before you go
- Book a guided Old City walking tour , useful if you’d rather have the ramparts and the four quarters narrated
- Reserve a Mount of Olives and Old City tour if you want the sunset view without route-planning it yourself
- Compare Old City hotel rates , since rooms inside the walls book up first
Day 1: Ramparts, the Western Wall, and the Holy Sepulchre
Morning: Enter through Jaffa Gate and walk the Ramparts Walk’s southern route first, atop the Old City walls, before the heat and the crowds build; entry runs roughly 25 ILS adult, 15 ILS discounted, and this section closes early on Fridays. Climb down near the Jewish Quarter and walk the Cardo, Jerusalem’s excavated Roman-era market street.
Midday: The Western Wall Plaza is free and open around the clock. Dress modestly, shoulders and knees covered; a shawl and paper kippah are handed out at the entrance if you need one. Photography is fine except on Shabbat.
Afternoon: Walk ten minutes into the Christian Quarter for the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, free with no ticket, seasonal hours roughly 5:00-20:45 in summer and 4:00-19:00 in winter. Arrive before 8:00 or after 17:00 to dodge the tour-group crush.
Evening: Climb to the Austrian Hospice’s rooftop terrace on the Via Dolorosa for a coffee and a 360-degree Old City view before dinner in the Christian or Armenian Quarter.
Day 2: The Temple Mount window, the souks, and the Mount of Olives
Morning: Be at the Mughrabi Gate queue by 7:00-7:15am, Sunday through Thursday only, for the Temple Mount’s first entry window, roughly 7:30-11:00 in summer and shorter in winter; esplanade only, modest dress, no non-Islamic religious items through security. If your visit lands on Friday or Saturday, skip straight to the Muslim Quarter souks instead, since the compound is closed to non-Muslim visitors both days. Check current Temple Mount hours before you queue, since they shift without much notice.
Midday: Walk the Via Dolorosa’s fourteen stations through the Muslim Quarter, stopping for kanafeh at one of the stalls near Damascus Gate, roughly 15-25 ILS a portion.
Afternoon: Browse the souk streets running north from the Temple Mount toward Damascus Gate, the densest and, in some ways, the most interesting of the Old City’s four quarters.
Evening: Head to the Mount of Olives for the free, ungated view over the Old City and the Temple Mount, then walk down through the Garden of Gethsemane and past the Church of All Nations into the Kidron Valley rather than turning straight back to the bus.
Two days won’t touch Yad Vashem, the Israel Museum, or the Western Wall Tunnels, and that’s fine. Add the 3 day offbeat plan next time and spend this trip on the ramparts and the rooftop coffee instead. Once the Dead Sea, Bethlehem, or Tel Aviv enter the plan, Jerusalem as a base for Israel covers those day trips separately.