Things to Do in Jerusalem
Discover 20 activities and experiences in Jerusalem, Israel — from outdoor adventures to cultural events. Curated from real traveler recommendations.
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Bike Jerusalem
This 3-5 hour guided tour covers most of Jerusalem's historical neighborhoods, including many places that most visitors never get to see. The tour includes The Knesset, The Valley of the Cross, Rehavia and Talbia, The German Colony, Mishkanit Shananim, Jaffa Gate the Russian Compound and Nachlaot. The ride goes through side streets, short cuts and alleys. Despite the hills around Jerusalem, the ride in the city is not as hard as people tend to think, and the ride can be modified to suit families and inexperienced riders. The Jerusalem Night ride includes a ride through the empty streets of the Old City.
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Slonim
You will find the Slonim headquarters on the corner of Shmuel Salant st. and Avraham MiSlonim st., behind the Toldos Avraham Yitzchak synagogue on Chevrat Shas st. After the tish there is a "''Zitzen''", where the Hasidim sit in the dark and meditate while singing slow, spiritual melodies without words. This lasts until around 01:00. This is conducted in the cafeteria downstairs and is an amazing experience. There is a tish almost every Friday night, and there is a "''zitzen''" even on weeks when there might not be a tish.
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- 21:00-23:00
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Toldos Avraham Yitzchak
From Meah Shearim St., turn down Shmuel Salant St. (by the Breslov Shul), then right through the arch to Oneg Shabbos St.; Toldos Avraham Yitzchak headquarters is right there. There is a tish almost every Friday night, as well as holidays, and Saturday afternoon around sunset. The tish is very spirited with a lot of singing and dancing, with a lot of catchy tunes, many from Viznitz and Chabad, and is probably one of the best in Jerusalem for newcomers to experience. The ladies' section is open during the tish as well.
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- 22:00-04:00
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(Ruzhin-)Boyan
The Boyaner Rebbe's tish is held on Shabbos mevorchim ''(last Sabbath of the Jewish month)'' on Friday night (9PM) in the winter, Shabbos afternoon in the summer (around the time of candle lighting), and on all Jewish holidays. You will find the Boyaner headquarters in the Mekor Baruch neighborhood at the beginning of Malchei Yisrael st. (a 10 minutes walk from the central bus station). The large building is easily recognizable by its size and dome on top of the synagogue.
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Dushinsky
Dushinsky headquarters on Shmuel HaNavi Street, about halfway between the roundabout close to the light rail, and the intersection with Yechezkel Street. It is on the northwestern side of the road, in a low, long building. In front of the building, facing the square, are steps going up to a hall where the tish is held. During the winter, the tish starts at about 22:00 and ends at about midnight. There is a tish almost every Friday night, as well as on holidays.
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Ramparts Walk
Visitors can walk along two sections of the Old City wall, from Jaffa Gate clockwise to St Stephen's Gate, and counter-clockwise from Jaffa Gate to the Dung Gate. Access to the ramparts is only possible at Jaffa and Damascus gates, although walkers can descend at any gate. Hours are 9AM–4PM (2PM on Fridays) daily. Admission is NIS 16, students and children NIS 8. Wear shoes suitable for hiking, as the ramparts are quite bumpy.
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Temple Mount Sifting Project
Participate in salvaging antiquities from debris that was dumped out of the Temple Mount during construction by Muslim authorities there. The basic program is two hours long. At the beginning, you get instructions on how to sift through the archaeological debris. At the end, the guide explains the significance of the artifacts that each of the participants have found.
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- Tzurim Valley National Park
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- 9-17
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- 15nis
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Cinema City
A recently built movie theater/shopping mall. Full of loud flashing signs and life-sized movie character figurines, it is the definition of tacky. You'll spend the rest of your trip wondering how they got approval to build it across the street from the Supreme Court. But it is a reasonable place to get lunch after a trip to the Knesset, or to see a movie.
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First Station
Between 1892 and 1998, Jerusalem's train station was located here, not too far from the Old City. The station has since been reopened as an entertainment destination, with restaurants, shops, concerts, and more. There is something going on here every evening. A very nice linear park/bike path extends south from here all the way to Malha.
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Belz
One of the largest chassidic groups, originating in Poland. The Belzer Rebbe holds a tish on Friday night and on holidays. The best time to arrive is around 22:00. The entrance to the Belzer building is on: [a] Dover Sholom Street [b] Divrei Chaim Street [c] Binat Yissachar Street or [d] Kedushat Aharon Street, all in Kiryat Belz.
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Lights in Jerusalem Festival
While the Old City walls always look dramatic, they look even more spectacular for one week each June, when artists from around the world come and illuminate the Old City with their creations. Every year this festival is more popular, and involves more of the Old City, than the year before.
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Spinka
You will find the Spinka synagogue of Jerusalem on Shmuel Salant Street, across the street from the Slonim Yeshivah. It is a very small tish, and it is nice to experience because you can receive "''shirayim''" of kugel directly from the Rebbe's hand. There is a tish most Friday nights.
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- 21:30-23:30
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Hutzot HaYotzer - International Arts and Crafts Festival
A large fair featuring hundreds of artists and artisans displaying and selling their works, as well as performances, concerts, and other events. Held for two weeks each August, in the Sultan's Pool just west of the Old City.
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Jerusalem Free Tour
A great (and free!) tour of the Old City, taking in all the main sites in all four quarters. Moki, the tour guide, is fun and knowledgable. If you enjoy the tour they encourage you to tip at the end. Lasts about three hours.
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- starts near Jaffa Gate
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Great Synagogue
Built in 1982, this synagogue seats 1400 people and was intended to function as Jerusalem's central synagogue. Prayers are held regularly here. Sabbath prayers here are often conducted with a professional choir.
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Toldos Aharon
On Meah Shearim St. just west of Shivtei Yisrael St. There is a tish almost every Friday night, as well as holidays, and Saturday afternoon around sunset. The tea in the coffee room is especially tasty.
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- 22:00-01:00
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[http://www.allnationscafe.org All Nations Cafe]
If you are interested in learning first hand about the delicate fabric of life in Jerusalem, this cafe offers a social, cultural and ecological experience for both locals and internationals.
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National Library
The world's largest collection of Jewish books and records. The place to go for in-depth research about Judaism or Israel. Located on the Hebrew University's Givat Ram campus.
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Jerusalem Segway Tours
Ride a Segway around Jerusalem's historic sites while receiving a guided tour of the city's history. No Segway experience necessary.
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Ein Yael
A living museum where farming and crafts techniques are demonstrated in a natural setting. Good for children, not adults.
Exploring Jerusalem: A Traveler's Guide to Activities
Jerusalem rewards curious travelers with an exceptional range of experiences. Whether you have a weekend or several weeks, the city's 20 documented activities cover the full spectrum — architectural landmarks and world-class museums at one end, local neighborhood festivals and underground cultural scenes at the other. The activities listed on this page come from Wikivoyage contributors who have personally explored Jerusalem and written detailed, practical descriptions to help you plan your visit.
The most rewarding way to experience Jerusalem's activities is with company. Solo travelers who arrive without plans often find that meeting a fellow traveler at a hostel, cafe, or through the Nomax app opens up entirely new itineraries — a museum visit becomes a half-day exploration, a street food crawl turns into an evening of discovery, a day trip to a nearby site becomes an adventure. Jerusalem has an active traveler community, and the city is designed to reward those who explore it with open curiosity.
When planning what to do in Jerusalem, consider mixing well-known attractions with neighborhood-level experiences. The city's most photographed sights are popular for good reason, but Jerusalem's character lives in its quieter corners too — the local markets, the parks where residents spend their weekends, the small performance venues where the next generation of artists and musicians are finding their voice. The 20 activities on this page include both categories, ordered by the richness of their traveler-written descriptions.
How to Get the Most from Jerusalem's Activities
Timing matters in Jerusalem. Many of the city's best attractions have shorter queues and better atmospheres on weekday mornings. Major cultural sites — museums, galleries, historic monuments — often run free admission windows on certain days or evenings; check before booking. Outdoor activities and walking tours are best enjoyed in the morning before the city heats up or fills with tour groups.
Budget-conscious travelers will find that Jerusalem has a strong free-to-access layer. Public parks, open-air markets, architectural walking routes, and many community events cost nothing. The price information included with activities on this page (where available) helps you plan a realistic daily budget. A mix of free and paid activities across a week in Jerusalem is entirely feasible for most traveler budgets.
For travelers who want to do more than just sightseeing, Jerusalem offers organized activities through local guides, tour companies, and traveler apps like Nomax. Group activities — cooking classes, cycling tours, kayaking excursions, photography walks — are a natural way to meet people while experiencing the city. Many travelers who use Nomax in Jerusalem coordinate these types of group experiences together, splitting costs and building memories that last beyond the trip itself.
Activities for Different Travel Styles
Not every traveler wants the same experience. History enthusiasts will gravitate toward Jerusalem's museums, heritage sites, and guided historical walks that reveal the layers of the city's past. Outdoor and adventure travelers will focus on the parks, cycling routes, climbing areas, and day trips to surrounding natural areas. Food travelers will treat Jerusalem's markets, restaurants, and food tours as the primary activities of each day. Culture seekers will fill evenings with concerts, theater, gallery openings, and street performances.
The 20 activities documented on this page span all these categories. Use the numbered list above to browse in order of description quality — longer descriptions generally mean more detailed, firsthand traveler knowledge. For each activity, the address and opening hours (where available) give you everything you need to plan your visit without needing to search elsewhere.
Connecting with Travelers in Jerusalem
One of the best things about traveling to Jerusalem is the community of international travelers already there. Backpackers, digital nomads, long-term expats, and short-trip tourists all share the same city at any given moment. Nomax makes it easy to find who is in Jerusalem right now, see what activities they are joining, and coordinate plans. Whether you want a hiking companion, someone to split museum entry with, or a group for an evening out — the app connects you to people with the same itinerary in minutes.
Download Nomax before your trip to Jerusalem to set your travel dates and start discovering who else will be there at the same time. The app is free, requires no subscription, and works across all the major traveler destinations worldwide — meaning the community you build in Jerusalem often extends to your next destination too.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best things to do in Jerusalem?
Jerusalem offers 20+ activities and experiences for travelers. Top highlights include Bike Jerusalem, Slonim, Toldos Avraham Yitzchak, and much more. This page lists every documented activity in order of description quality, so you can find both the major attractions and the hidden gems.
Are there free things to do in Jerusalem?
Yes — Jerusalem has a strong selection of free activities. Public parks, open-air markets, walking routes through historic neighborhoods, and many cultural institutions offer free admission on specific days. Scroll through the list above and look for activities marked with free or no price information — these are often the city's most authentic experiences.
How do I meet other travelers while exploring Jerusalem?
Download Nomax — a free travel companion app that shows you other solo travelers currently in Jerusalem. You can join group activities, chat with travelers at the same spots, and plan outings together. Many travelers in Jerusalem use Nomax to find companions for day trips, museum visits, and evening activities.
What activities can I do with travel companions I meet in Jerusalem?
Jerusalem has activities for every interest — guided tours, food experiences, outdoor adventures, cultural events, and nightlife. Use Nomax to coordinate with other travelers: join a group for a walking tour, split a day-trip cost, or simply explore the city together. The app makes spontaneous plans easy.
Explore Jerusalem with fellow travelers
Download Nomax — find travel companions, join group activities, and chat with solo travelers in Jerusalem right now. Free forever.
Travel tips by Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA 3.0). Content may have been updated since publication.
