Where to stay · Jerusalem · Israel
Where to stay in Jerusalem
7 neighbourhoods compared, with the trade-offs hotel listings don't tell you.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
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Quick answer
For a first visit, stay in Old City. Stone lanes, holy sites and pilgrim guesthouses inside the walls. Best alternatives — families: German Colony and Emek Refaim; nightlife: Nachlaot and Mahane Yehuda.
Key facts
- First visit
- Old City
- Families
- German Colony and Emek Refaim
- Budget
- Old City
- Nightlife
- Nachlaot and Mahane Yehuda
Best area for each kind of trip
| Trip type | Area | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First-timers | Old City | Stone lanes, holy sites and pilgrim guesthouses inside the walls |
| Families | German Colony and Emek Refaim | Templer stone houses, a leafy restaurant street and the First Station |
| Couples | Mamilla and Jaffa Gate | Luxury hotels and an open-air shopping avenue just outside the walls |
| Budget | Old City | Stone lanes, holy sites and pilgrim guesthouses inside the walls |
| Luxury | Mamilla and Jaffa Gate | Luxury hotels and an open-air shopping avenue just outside the walls |
| Nightlife | Nachlaot and Mahane Yehuda | Courtyard lanes, tiny synagogues and the city's liveliest market |
| Food lovers | Nachlaot and Mahane Yehuda | Courtyard lanes, tiny synagogues and the city's liveliest market |
| Solo travellers | City Centre | Ben Yehuda and Jaffa Road cafés, the light rail and mid-range hotels |
| Shopping | Mamilla and Jaffa Gate | Luxury hotels and an open-air shopping avenue just outside the walls |
| Quiet stays | German Colony and Emek Refaim | Templer stone houses, a leafy restaurant street and the First Station |
Jerusalem neighbourhoods in detail
$$ · Best for culture, budget and first-timers
Old City
Staying inside the walls, usually in the Christian or Armenian quarters near Jaffa Gate, puts the holy sites a few minutes away and lets you see the lanes before the day crowds arrive and after they leave. Accommodation is mostly in pilgrim hospices, guesthouses and a few small hotels in historic buildings. Cars cannot reach most of the Old City, so expect to carry luggage over steps and slippery limestone.
- Good
- Walk to every major holy site; Atmospheric early mornings and evenings; Good-value pilgrim guesthouses
- Watch out
- Steps and no car access; Rooms are often simple; Quiet and dark late at night
- Nearby
- Jaffa Gate, Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Tower of David, Western Wall
$$$$ · Best for luxury, couples, first-timers and shopping
Mamilla and Jaffa Gate
Mamilla Avenue, a pedestrian street of shops and cafés built with restored 19th-century facades, leads straight to Jaffa Gate. The area has several of the city's top hotels, including the historic King David Hotel nearby, with views of the walls from many rooms and terraces.
- Good
- Five-minute walk to the Old City; Polished hotels and restaurants; Views of the walls
- Watch out
- Expensive; Can feel like a shopping mall rather than a neighbourhood
- Nearby
- Jaffa Gate, Mamilla Avenue, Yemin Moshe, Tower of David
$$ · 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
$$ · Best for food lovers, nightlife, solo travellers and budget
Nachlaot and Mahane Yehuda
Nachlaot is a warren of late 19th- and early 20th-century courtyard neighbourhoods with small synagogues on almost every lane, next to the Mahane Yehuda market. Guesthouses and apartments here suit food lovers, and the market's stalls become bars and restaurants after dark, busiest on Thursday nights.
- Good
- Market and bars on the doorstep; Strong local character; Good-value apartments
- Watch out
- Few conventional hotels; About 25 minutes on foot to the Old City
- Nearby
- Mahane Yehuda Market, Agrippas Street, Sacher Park
$$$ · Best for families, quiet stays, couples and food lovers
German Colony and Emek Refaim
Founded by German Templers in the 1870s, the German Colony keeps its stone houses with German inscriptions along Emek Refaim Street, now lined with cafés and restaurants. The First Station, the restored Ottoman-era railway terminus, has shops and food stalls and opens onto the Railway Park walking and cycling trail.
- Good
- Calm and green; Good restaurants; Some places stay open on Shabbat around the First Station
- Watch out
- About 25 minutes on foot to the Old City; Few large hotels
- Nearby
- First Station, Railway Park, Emek Refaim Street, Liberty Bell Park
$$ · Best for culture, budget and couples
East Jerusalem near Damascus Gate
North of the Old City, Nablus Road and Salah ad-Din Street have long-established hotels in Ottoman-era stone villas, including the American Colony Hotel, plus shops and cafés open on Saturdays. Damascus Gate, the Garden Tomb and the Muslim Quarter's markets are a short walk away.
- Good
- Close to Damascus Gate and the Muslim Quarter; Shops and restaurants open on Saturdays; Historic hotels
- Watch out
- Fewer bars and restaurants serving alcohol; Busy roads around the gate
- Nearby
- Damascus Gate, Garden Tomb, Muslim Quarter, Rockefeller Museum
$$$ · Best for quiet stays and couples
Ein Karem
Ein Karem is a stone village in a green valley, revered by Christians as the birthplace of John the Baptist, with the Church of St John the Baptist and the Church of the Visitation on its slopes. Guesthouses, galleries and restaurants with terraces make it a calm base for travellers with a car or a taste for walking.
- Good
- Peaceful and green; Garden restaurants; Countryside walks
- Watch out
- About 30 minutes by bus or car to the Old City; Steep lanes
- Nearby
- Church of the Visitation, Church of St John the Baptist, Mary's Spring
Areas compared
| Area | Price | Nearby |
|---|---|---|
| Old City | $$ | Jaffa Gate, Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Tower of David, Western Wall |
| Mamilla and Jaffa Gate | $$$$ | Jaffa Gate, Mamilla Avenue, Yemin Moshe, Tower of David |
| City Centre | $$ | Ben Yehuda Street, Zion Square, Mahane Yehuda Market, Russian Compound |
| Nachlaot and Mahane Yehuda | $$ | Mahane Yehuda Market, Agrippas Street, Sacher Park |
| German Colony and Emek Refaim | $$$ | First Station, Railway Park, Emek Refaim Street, Liberty Bell Park |
| East Jerusalem near Damascus Gate | $$ | Damascus Gate, Garden Tomb, Muslim Quarter, Rockefeller Museum |
| Ein Karem | $$$ | Church of the Visitation, Church of St John the Baptist, Mary's Spring |
Getting to your hotel
Ben Gurion Airport is about 50 km west. Fast trains reach Jerusalem–Yitzhak Navon station in about 20–25 minutes, except on Shabbat; shared sherut minibuses and taxis run from the arrivals hall and take about 45–60 minutes depending on traffic.
Questions travellers ask
+What is the best area to stay in Jerusalem for first-time visitors?
Old City. Staying inside the walls, usually in the Christian or Armenian quarters near Jaffa Gate, puts the holy sites a few minutes away and lets you see the lanes before the day crowds arrive and after they leave.
+Where should families stay in Jerusalem?
German Colony and Emek Refaim: Calm and green.
+Which area of Jerusalem is best for a budget stay?
Old City ($$): Stone lanes, holy sites and pilgrim guesthouses inside the walls.