Jerusalem Activities: A Practical Guide
Travel advisory: the security situation in Israel and the West Bank shifts, and different governments describe Jerusalem differently at any given moment. Check your own government’s current advice, such as the US State Department or UK FCDO , before booking, and note that advice differs for the West Bank and areas near Gaza.
Jerusalem packs three religions, four Old City quarters and a working market into a few square kilometers, and most of what matters is free or close to it. The trick isn’t finding things to do, it’s sequencing them around a city that runs on Israeli Shekels (ILS) and closes hard for Shabbat.
The free core
Western Wall Plaza is open 24/7 with no admission fee; modest dress is required and paper kippot and shawls are handed out at the entrance. The plaza is split by gender, men’s section on the left, women’s on the right, and no photography, electronics or writing is permitted from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is also free, open roughly 05:00-20:45 in summer, and shared under a strict status-quo arrangement by six Christian denominations. Via Dolorosa, the 14-station route through the Old City, and the Mount of Olives viewpoint cost nothing either.
Temple Mount / Haram al-Sharif is free to enter for non-Muslim visitors, but only through the Mughrabi Bridge and only Sunday to Thursday, in two short windows (roughly 07:30-11:00 and 13:30-14:30 in summer, shorter in winter). Non-Muslims cannot enter the Dome of the Rock or Al-Aqsa Mosque interiors, and the esplanade closes without notice for security reasons or prayer times. Get there before 07:00 if the morning window matters to your day.
What costs money
The Israel Museum, home to the Dead Sea Scrolls in the Shrine of the Book, is 54 ILS for an adult. The Western Wall Tunnels run 45-50 ILS and must be booked online in advance; they’re closed Saturdays. City of David, including the wade through Hezekiah’s Tunnel, is around 65 ILS and needs water shoes and a flashlight. Tower of David Museum is 55 ILS for the museum alone, 69 ILS for the Night Experience, or 108 ILS combined - worth checking tod.org.il directly since it has repriced more than once this year.
For a first look at booking a guided walk through the Old City or a Dead Sea day trip, search Jerusalem tours on GetYourGuide or compare operators on Viator .
Shabbat changes the plan
From roughly 1-2 hours before Friday sunset until about an hour after Saturday sunset, the Jerusalem Light Rail and Egged city buses stop running across West Jerusalem, and the Western Wall Tunnels, City of David and most museums close. Build a Saturday around walking the Old City or Mount of Olives instead, since those don’t depend on transit or ticketing. East Jerusalem’s private bus network and ride apps like Gett and Yango keep running through Shabbat.
Getting oriented
Taxis and ride-hailing run on Gett and Yango; Uber and Lyft do not operate as passenger services in Israel. A single Light Rail or Egged bus ride is 5.90-6.00 ILS with a Rav-Kav card or the Moovit app, with a 90-minute transfer window. From the airport, the high-speed train to Jerusalem-Yitzhak Navon station runs about 21 ILS and takes 20-25 minutes; a metered or Gett taxi runs 300-380 ILS. If you plan a day in Mahane Yehuda Market, go hungry - falafel runs 15-22 ILS and a full hummus plate 22-35 ILS, and evenings turn the market into a bar scene.
Related reading: the sightseeing guide covers the headline sites in more depth, and Jerusalem day trips walks through Masada, the Dead Sea and Bethlehem.