Solo travel · Jerusalem · Israel
Solo travel in Jerusalem
How to enjoy Jerusalem at your own pace.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Berthold Werner, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Jerusalem is a rewarding city for solo travellers: holy sites and museums are good alone, hostels in the city centre and Old City are social, and walking tours make it easy to meet others. Many solo travellers base themselves in City Centre.
Key facts
- Base
- City Centre
- Getting around
- Walking
- Emergency number
- 100 police, 101 ambulance, 102 fire
- Language
- Hebrew, Arabic and English
Solo travel tips
- Join a free or tip-based Old City walking tour on your first day to understand the four quarters.
- Hostels around Jaffa Road and inside Jaffa Gate have communal kitchens and Shabbat dinners.
- Carry a scarf and long trousers in your day bag so you can enter any holy site.
- Keep valuables zipped away in crowded souq lanes and at the Holy Sepulchre.
- Plan for Shabbat: buy food on Friday morning and check which areas stay open.
Where to stay
$$ · Best for first-timers, budget, solo travellers and shopping
City Centre
The triangle of Jaffa Road, King George Street and the pedestrian Ben Yehuda Street is the commercial heart of West Jerusalem, with mid-range hotels, cafés, Judaica shops and the light rail running down Jaffa Road. The Old City is a 15-minute walk away and Mahane Yehuda about 10.
- Good
- Central with light rail access; Wide choice of hotels and hostels; Restaurants open late on weekdays
- Watch out
- Much of it closes on Shabbat; Busy and noisy in the evenings
- Nearby
- Ben Yehuda Street, Zion Square, Mahane Yehuda Market, Russian Compound
Great on your own
Religious site · Old City
Western Wall
Visit on a Friday around sunset to see Shabbat being welcomed with song, but do not take photos at the plaza once Shabbat has begun.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- History
- After dark
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Religious site · Christian Quarter
Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Arrive early in the morning to see the Aedicule with a short queue, and dress with shoulders and knees covered.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- History
- Architecture
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Religious site · Old City
Temple Mount / Haram al-Sharif and the Dome of the Rock
Visiting hours are short and can change or be cancelled at short notice, so check locally the day before and arrive early; dress modestly and leave religious items behind.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- History
- Architecture
Street · Muslim Quarter
Via Dolorosa
Walk it early in the morning, before shops open and the lanes fill with tour groups.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Iconic
Museum · Givat Ram
Israel Museum
Start with the Shrine of the Book and the city model before the galleries fill, then pick one wing.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Art
- Rainy day
Historic site · Old City
Western Wall Tunnels
Tours are not suitable for anyone uncomfortable in narrow passages; wear shoes with grip.
- Time needed
- 75 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Meeting people
- Mahane Yehuda grazing — Taste your way through the market's halva stalls, bakeries and delis at lunchtime, then return on a Thursday evening when the lanes become a street of bars.
- Friday Shabbat shopping — Friday morning before Shabbat is the busiest time at Mahane Yehuda, with locals buying challah, flowers and prepared dishes before everything closes in the afternoon.
- Mahane Yehuda — Market stalls turn into bars and small restaurants after dark, with music in the lanes on Thursday nights.
- Shlomtzion HaMalka and Nahalat Shiva — Pubs, wine bars and late restaurants in the streets around Jaffa Road and Zion Square.
Sensible precautions
Check your own government's travel advice before and during your trip, as the security situation in the region can change, and follow instructions from local authorities; expect security checks at holy sites. Day to day, watch for pickpockets in crowded Old City lanes and for slippery polished limestone.
- Emergency number
- 100 police, 101 ambulance, 102 fire
- Staying connected
- Local SIM cards and eSIMs work well; hotels and many cafés offer free Wi-Fi.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Jerusalem good for solo travellers?
Jerusalem is a rewarding city for solo travellers: holy sites and museums are good alone, hostels in the city centre and Old City are social, and walking tours make it easy to meet others.
+Where should solo travellers stay in Jerusalem?
City Centre: Ben Yehuda and Jaffa Road cafés, the light rail and mid-range hotels.