Overview
** Jerusalem, Israel **
Read travel tips for Jerusalem from our amazing community of BLACK AND BROWN TRAVELERS that will help you find some of the best places to visit in Jerusalem.Our variety of travel tips will definitely help you plan your next trip. Our tips range from best places to visit in Jerusalem, affordability, nightlife, local food, where to stay and even what it is like Traveling While Black. Lastly, we are working diligently to create a comprehensive city guide for Jerusalem. Stay tuned! But in the meantime, scroll down to read tips below!
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I thoroughly enjoyed Jerusalem. There were more things to do than we had time for. You can explore on your own or book guided tours. We did some of each. We stayed at Arthur Hotel, my first time at a boutique hotel and it was great. Breakfast was delicious and every evening they had happy hour which consisted of one light dish like a pasta or rice along with fruit, cookies, cakes, tea, coffee, and wine. It was nice to come back to after exploring during the day. We were within walking distance of a lot of places including Old Jerusalem, the Wailing Wall, the Dome of the Rock. We also went on two guided tours. One was Masada and the Dead Sea which was definitely worthwhile. The other was a bit overwhelming and we were exhausted (Galilee, Jordan River and a couple of other stops). If you are going for spiritual reasons, be prepared. Everything is very commercialized which can be disappointing but I understand tourism is a huge business. Be patient – you may have to ask 3 or 4 people before you find one who speaks English, but overall, they were pleasant and helpful. The atmosphere was peaceful and we even walked back to our hotel from a show at night.
I have been to Jerusalem twice and spent a lot of time there for work. I have found that they are some of the most hospitable people I have ever met. They are always welcoming, giving, and will feed the hell out of you. They believe in eating well and making sure you eat well too. The city is packed with history on every corner but also has its modern elements too. If you plan to visit any of the many historic churches in the city, make sure females bring something to cover their arms and a head covering. Otherwise, you may not be allowed to enter the church.
Jerusalem, of Gold! This city is possibly of one the most historically rich places I have ever been to. Just imagine Christianity, Islam and Judaism coming alive at once!
I visited the nation of Israel as a solo traveller and I was sure to make Jerusalem my last stop. As i have had a Christian upbringing, I found it ever important to make the effort to visit the holy sites. Each and every stop of my city tour was better than the last. As you enter the gates of Jerusalem’s old city, it’s as if you enter into a different portal or history and culture. Each quarter was different than the last. When making my way through each alley it became noticeable how important the city was to each religion that was housed within these walls.
Notable sights I’d recommend seeing are the Western Wall, Temple Mount, The Holy Church of Sepulchre, Mount of Olives and Mount Zion.
In respect to food and affordability, Jerusalem is slightly cheaper than Tel Aviv, and even with it being just a couple hours away, the spices vary and I’d recommend immersing ones self in the culinary tastes of the city.
It must be noted however, that travelling while black does have its up and downs but it did not affect my trip.
I Have visited Jerusalem old town (last April), it is simply beautiful and spiritually elevating.
It is also extremely safe, police and army are everywhere this can be is a little disturbing sometimes. You have to show your passport all the time, they control every single person entering the old town even inside. Be careful you can spend 3H hours at the border control. travelling while black is safe but not that welcoming so be ready to be the center of attention (if you travel a lot you already know that feeling).
Still worthy to go for the history and beautiful temples.
Must visit:
Mt Nebo
Church if Nativity
Mt Olives
Tel Aviv-Jaffa is a city located on the Mediterranean coast in the heart of the Gush Dan metropolis in Israel
Jerusalem, meanwhile, is a city in the Middle East that holds a central place in the Jewish, Christian and Muslim religions
Arrival by Ben Gurion airport, there is the choice between Taxis, Tel Aviv Airport Shuttles Transfer to Tel Aviv for 65 NIS, The 485 to go to Jerusalem every day except Shabbat for 16 NIS.
It’s simple, efficient and economical because it takes you to the city center.
I only stayed one day in Tel Aviv, so I only visited the beach edge, the harbor and the neighborhood.
I stayed mainly in Jerusalem!
The strategy was to go around the neighborhood while heading to the tourist office to take information to know where to focus our visit!
The first day was a blind walk in the old town based on the map provided
On the second day, we took part in a 2-hour guided tour of the old town offered by New Europe Tours.
We loved it because we discovered the city by learning about it. I highly recommend it!
In the evening we participated in the sound and light show 45 minutes on the walls of the Citadel of the Tower of David. Very nice!
Where to eat:
Abu Shukri, Jerusalem
Located in the heart of the Souk of Jerusalem. The standard dish includes a bowl of rich and unctuous hummus topped with chickpeas tahina (sesame seed paste), fuul (chopped beans) or pine nuts, big crunchy gherkins and a basket of pita bread and falafel.
The restaurant was closing but we could still be served. Simple, no frills and good value for money.
Delicious !!!!!
Tala, Jerusalem
Excellent little restaurant located next to the Jaffa Gate. I had some hummus / chicken, falafel and salad. I recommend the glass of homemade lemonade. Reasonable prices
Where to sleep:
Center City Jerusalem Apartments, well located 200m from the city center and 10 minutes walk from the old town
Be careful at the airport if your are muslim or if you visited muslims countries before.
They will keep you for a long time, asking a looooot of question questions.
I had a great time here. Again, adding to what others have said. I went to all 4 quarters. There is a lot to see and you will likely be overwhelmed by history and everything that is happening there. Lol Aside from the major sites, I went to the Tower of David Light Show. This was only $16, and a great way to spend the evening. During the day, I sought out the Ethiopian Episcopal Church, Western Wall, Dome of The Rock, and the Holy Sepulcher. These are the major must-sees. I suggest you start early! As the lines are incredibly long. They are all free, but just a long wait. Go to the Mountain of Olives, or at least catch a glimpse of it cause it is beautiful. The best thing to do to though, chat with the locals. Many are so sweet amd will give you all the deets about the country. If you want to have a good time and see booming nightlife, head to the area near Rimon Cafe. I did not get the name of this area, but it’s outside the old city, and booming at night.
If there ever was a reason to travel to Jerusalem, Israel it would have to be because of it’s historical significance. For some it’s the religious significance, however anyone that has ever been to Jerusalem will know that this city is just dripping in history. From the old city walls that transport you back in time to the mountainous landscapes that overwhelm you, Jerusalem is not a city to be missed if you love history.
There are free city tours that take place in the old city and other parts of Jerusalem. A tip is invited at the end of the tour, but you certainly leave with a wealth of knowledge that even Wikipedia couldn’t share with you. The tour guides have a lot of local knowledge they share very interesting facts about seemingly insignificant objects. There’s a ladder outside the Holy Sepulchre church for example with a very interesting story behind it. I won’t spoil the surprise for anyone who wants to experience this themselves, but its just one example of things that you learn whilst taking part in the city tours.
Jerusalem has history in every quarter and whether you are religious or not there is so much to learn about, so much to see and also lots of activities to get involved with. Just strolling through the Mahane Yehuda market takes you into another world. You see Chasidic Jewish men shopping for the Sabbath and Muslim women on their way to say their Friday prayers at their local Mosque. And there’s also the Ethiopian community who have their own quarters in the city going about their daily lives. It really is a melting pot of cultures which makes the city so beautiful.
The Holocaust Museum, known locally as the Yad Vashem is free to enter and is an absolutely wonderful tribute to the victims of the Holocaust. The city tram takes you right there and then there is a free shuttle that takes visitors to the front of the museum. You’d probably need a whole day to take it all in as there is so much to engage with, but it is certainly worth the trip.
Jerusalem is not the most affordable city as it is quite expensive. However, there is something quite magical about the city and despite the horror stories you might hear on the news about the Middle East, I have always felt safe whilst in the city.
The only thing to warn travellers about is hospitality and manners in Israel. On first glance Israelis may come across as rude and a bit abrupt. However, once you get to know their demeanour and way of life you realise it’s just how they are and more so than being rude they are just very direct. One of the most interesting experiences of being in Israel is sitting in a “sherut” a sort of shuttle bus and having 12 strangers strike up a conversation. I find Israelis to be quite friendly, but it took a while to acclimatise to their way of relating. So don’t be put off when you arrive at Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv and their security look at you with suspicion and as though you’re nothing more than an inconvenient irritant (I kid you not).
Israel is my favorite country now, and Palestine is my second home! I laughed, I prayed and I ate! I had amazing food, made great friends, smoked some good weed, and had unforgettable experiences!
First and foremost I must big up the mass transit system! I took a train to a bus to get to my hostel in Tel Aviv. I hitchhiked into Bethlehem by mistake. Took a 2busses and a tram back to Tel Aviv on my own safely! And lastly none of the taxis I took overcharged me!
The Hospitality is AMAZING ! After every 2steps I took someone was there welcoming me & offering Tea, Turkish Coffee, juice, water, food anything I wanted for FREE whether or not I purchased from their shop. Security stopped me by the western wall because they noticed I was alone and they were wondering how I was so fearless, so they pulled up a chair for me, made me sit and talk over tea. The guards loved me so much they snuck me into an archeological site for free (tons of ppl walked passed and paid $20 to get in), they gave me a free tour, and took great pics of me! When I offered a tip as I was leaving they declined and said if I keep in contact that would be more valuable than any monetary gain, that made me feel so special !!
So here comes the hitch-hiking story ! The guards pointed me in the direction of the public bus I would need to take from Jerusalem to Bethlehem only a 30min bus ride. Well I could not find that damn bus! I walked up and down a hill 4x times looking for it (people kept giving me wrong directions). Finally this tour bus operator stops me and asks me what I’m looking for. I told him and he offered me a ride to the bus stop I was looking for. I nicely declined because it was a really nice bus & I didn’t want to pay him. He could sense that so he reassured me that it would be free, so I agreed. He enjoyed my company so much he decided instead of to the bus stop he’d take me straight to the Palestinian border so I can cross on foot into Bethlehem. He told me from there I need to take a Palestinian taxi to the nativity church and told me not to pay over $10 and that’s already including tip. So I did just that! Now the arab driver I hired was anazing! He took me where I wanted to go and more! I told him I was hungry and he took me eat some POPPIN ass lamb in Ramallah (another Palestinian territory). He charged me $30 for everything including food and drove me back to the public bus I needed! It felt like a $100 value between the bus and cab!