We suggest flying into Tel Aviv on a Thursday. Flights into Israel tend to land in the afternoon and, after catching a sheirut into Jerusalem, you’ll have just enough time to grab dinner (or groceries at a convenience store) and check into your apartment. Yes, we recommend renting an apartment rather than a hotel room for a longer stay (more than three days). We also recommend using the economical sheirut option traveling into Jerusalem from the airport, rather than getting a cab. Sheiruts are basically shuttles that carry multiple people at one time and make multiple stops – much less expensive than getting a cab all to yourself. Getting there on Thursday gives you the opportunity to use Friday and Saturday as softball recovery days while still experiencing one of the best things Jerusalem has to offer – Shabbat! You won’t feel like you’re wasting time if you don’t pack your schedule on these days; this is what you’re supposed to do!

EXPERIENCING ISRAEL:
CITY OF GOLD ITINERARY

- Hit the Machane Yehudah shuk early! This outdoor market is bustling with people and loud Israeli music. It offers every food you can think of, produce, a few tiny restaurants, meat and fish, as well as the piece de resistance – Aroma Coffee (best coffee in Israel!). Stop in for breakfast and grab a coffee to sip as you gather groceries for your stay, and especially Shabbat. Keep in mind that everything will start to close around noon or 1pm, and nothing will be open tomorrow, so get everything you need while the stores are open. Don’t forget challah bread (in Hebrew, challah is always referred to in the plural, because there are always two loaves: challot)!

- Drop everything off at your apartment and head back out.

- As mentioned before, things will start to close (or aren’t open at all) on Friday by around lunchtime, and they won’t reopen until Sunday. There’s not a lot to do in Jerusalem on a Friday except prepare for Shabbat. That’s ok! If you got an early enough start, try visiting the Temple Institute. Its Holy Temple Museum features items that have been created specifically to use in the future temple. They offer an audio tour that is 50 minutes long. Last entrance to start the tour is 11am.

- After the Temple Institute tour is over, find a place for a little lunch. There are a few small restaurants in the area, including Burger Bar and Holy Bagel, that offer quick and cheap lunches, or grab a Jerusalem bagel from a street vendor.

- You’re so close to the Kotel (Western Wall), you might as well pop in for minchah prayers. Remember that you will need to go through security, but they will let you bring in food and water. Just no weapons! If you slept in a little and didn’t make it to the Temple Institute, get your shopping done and then spend the rest of your time at the Kotel – it never closes!

- After praying, exit the Kotel area and return to your apartment to prepare for Shabbat.


- Shabbat shalom! Today, almost every store is closed. Most cars aren’t driving on the streets. The city is quiet and at rest. There is nothing like it! We recommend going back to the Kotel for prayers at some point during the day (bring a personal written prayer to add to the ones stuffed between the rocks!). If you’re interested in attending a synagogue, there are many options (of course)! The Jerusalem Great Synagogue on King George Street is a magnificent and iconic building modeled on the Temple and features a massive mezuzah collection in the lobby. The Hurva Synagogue in the Old City has hundreds of years’ worth of history of being torn down but has been rebuilt and is open and functioning today. The Belz Great Synagogue, in the Kiryat Belz neighborhood of Jerusalem, also features a beautiful building and, with a capacity of 10,000, is one of the largest synagogues in Israel. Obviously, where you go for services will depend largely on where you are staying – you will be walking to shul! Remember that almost all Shabbat services will be in Hebrew, although some synagogues do offer an English translation. If you pick one that is Hebrew only, enjoy the immersion in G-d’s language!

- For the remainder of the day, rest, recover from any jet lag you might have, and then grab your camera and take the opportunity to just walk around the city and absorb its magnificent history and beauty. Savor the quiet, which doesn’t exist in America.

- As the sun sets, gear up for the wild, post-Shabbat party that is Ben Yehuda Street! All the restaurants and vendors re-open and Israelis and tourists alike flock to this iconic street to celebrate the end of Shabbat, get some dinner or dessert, and even shop. There are a range of restaurants, from nicer sit-down options like Rimon to burgers, falafel, and ice cream shops with only enough room to stand and place your order. Plenty of seating is available in the street and you’ll be able to watch the street performers do their thing, whether that’s an Asian choir singing or someone streetdancing. Ben Yehuda after Shabbat is something you won’t want to miss!


- It’s Sunday, so let’s get this show on the road! Sunday is not a weekend day in Israel. It’s a regular workday. School is in session. It’s “Monday morning” in America.

- Grab a cup of coffee and breakfast at the nearest Aroma (or Hillel Café or Coffee Bean) – try the shakshuka! If your apartment is near Machane Yehuda shuk, you can also grab an Aroma coffee and a few pastries from one of the vendors for breakfast. Another option is buying some yogurts and fresh fruit from the shuk or a convenience store and having breakfast at home (instant coffee, anyone?). These three options will stay the same for the rest of your trip – choose your own adventure!

- After breakfast, visit the City of David archeological park. This fascinating place is digging up the original city where David lived so long ago.

- Afterward, do the Hezekiah’s Tunnel tour. If you have shoes that can get wet, we highly recommend doing the “wet” option! If not, there is a dry route that is not as dramatic.

- Optional: the Pool of Siloam (Shloach) is nearby, if you want to see where Yeshua healed the cripple.

- Grab lunch in the Old City or, if you are finished, exit the area and get a nicer, sit-down lunch at Rimon, in Mamilla Mall. Afterward, you can shop the Mall, which features higher-end wares like jewelry, home décor, and clothes. This is not Ben Yehuda, it’s pretty ritzy and has the price tags to go along with that. Everything is beautiful! Another option for lunch and shopping is the Cardo in the Old City. The stores are filled with nice stuff, not the cheap souvenirs you’ve probably seen at Ben Yehuda or the shuk. If you’re looking for a gift to bring home or something that might last you the rest of your life, this is the place to shop.

- While you’re still in the Jewish Quarter, we recommend visiting Moshe and Dov, twin brothers who run the Shorashim shop. They sell books and Judaica and will happily (and kindly) discuss beliefs and have religious debates with you as long as you want.

- If you have the time and energy, walk down to Montefiore Windmill for a photo op with this incongruous structure. Walk through the Bloomfield Garden to get there – this area (Yemen Moshe) is beautiful! Take your camera!

- On the way back, walk up King David Street and stop in at the famous King David Hotel for afternoon tea (must be scheduled in advance).

- Time to head back to the apartment for a dinner in. Another option is finding a pretty place to sit and enjoy the scenery before getting a late dinner out. There are many options and almost no bad food in Israel!


- Start with a great breakfast! Refer to Day 3 for breakfast ideas.

- Catch a cab to Yad VaShem. It’s a haul, so it’s easiest to take a cab ($$), but there is a bus that goes there, too. Figuring out which bus and where to get on is a little hairy, but you can do it to save the money! If you decide to get a cab, the Israeli way to hail one is to stand at the edge of the sidewalk, looking into oncoming traffic, and point to the street beside you. No handwaving or whistling here, please.

- Entrance is free, including guided tours, but reservations must be made in advance online. Important note: entrance is not permitted for children under the age of 10, including babies. Large bags and backpacks are not permitted, but they do have a storage room.

- Yad VaShem is large and deeply impactful. We recommend taking the day to fully absorb it and possibly enjoying some lunch in their cafeteria.

- Return home in a meditative state for dinner in your apartment or stopping at a restaurant on your way home. If you’ve already had the falafel at the local joint, try the shwarma! It’s unbeatable!


- Start with a great breakfast! Refer to Day 3 for breakfast ideas.

- Head back to the Western Wall area to the Davidson Center and do the Great Stone Route Temple Tunnel Tour. Wait, more tunnels? Is it worth it? Are they different enough? We say yes!

- Afterward, there are a few different activities you could choose from, all in this same area:



















- If you’re feeling adventurous and energetic, you could probably fit in most or all of these options today! Grab a bite to eat at one of the many eateries in the Jewish Quarter, or pack a halloumi sandwich in your backpack to eat on the walls of Jerusalem.

- At the end of the day, maybe stop in at the Western Wall and say a few prayers.

- Go back to your apartment for dinner, or try one of the Israeli pizza places! The pizzas feature regular toppings along with more unusual ones, like corn or tuna!


- Start with a great breakfast! Refer to Day 3 for breakfast ideas.

- Today is your “Flex Day”. If there were items from previous days (or following days) that you haven’t fit in or know you can’t in the future, we recommend using today to do those. Choose your own adventure, make your own itinerary. Maybe you wanted another chance to really explore the shuk and see everything it has to offer. Maybe you weren’t able to get to the Holy Temple Museum before everything closed for Shabbat. Maybe your apartment has a great balcony and you want to just put your feet up and relax while people-watching. Today is the perfect day to check some other things off your list.

- On the other hand, maybe you’re a fast-paced go-getter who had more than enough time to do everything we’ve suggested! In that case, get up at the crack of dawn, rent a car (car rental agencies have locations in the heart of Jerusalem), and drive up north to the Galilee or Tzfat or Haifa or even west to Tel Aviv. Israel is such a small country, even driving to the upper north will only take a few hours. The same is true driving to the south – grab your swimsuit and daytrip out to the Dead Sea or climb Masada!


- Start with a great breakfast! Refer to Day 3 for breakfast ideas.

- Today, we suggest visiting the Israel Museum. It’s on the outskirts of Jerusalem, so we would take a cab or bus. The museum opens at 10:00AM.

- How about getting lunch at the Israel Museum’s kosher meat restaurant, Modern, or at their other restaurant, Ofaimme Farm Café?

- While the Israel Museum is large and interesting, we know you probably don’t want to spend all day there. Here are some options to fill the rest of your day, all within walking distance of the museum:





















- Take a cab or bus back to your apartment for a dinner in or try another restaurant in Jerusalem. There’s even certified kosher sushi!

If you have the time, we would highly recommend staying through the weekend and possibly leaving on Sunday to experience another Shabbat in Jerusalem. As previously mentioned, there really is nothing like it. If not, n’siah tovah! Have a great trip home!

EXPERIENCING ISRAEL:
CITY OF GOLD ITINERARY

We suggest flying into Tel Aviv on a Thursday. Flights into Israel tend to land in the afternoon and, after catching a sheirut into Jerusalem, you’ll have just enough time to grab dinner (or groceries at a convenience store) and check into your apartment. Yes, we recommend renting an apartment rather than a hotel room for a longer stay (more than three days). We also recommend using the economical sheirut option traveling into Jerusalem from the airport, rather than getting a cab. Sheiruts are basically shuttles that carry multiple people at one time and make multiple stops – much less expensive than getting a cab all to yourself. Getting there on Thursday gives you the opportunity to use Friday and Saturday as softball recovery days while still experiencing one of the best things Jerusalem has to offer – Shabbat! You won’t feel like you’re wasting time if you don’t pack your schedule on these days; this is what you’re supposed to do!

With that said, Day 1 of our itinerary assumes it is Friday. You can switch things around and make your own schedule if something else works better for you.



- Hit the Machane Yehudah shuk early! This outdoor market is bustling with people and loud Israeli music. It offers every food you can think of, produce, a few tiny restaurants, meat and fish, as well as the piece de resistance – Aroma Coffee (best coffee in Israel!). Stop in for breakfast and grab a coffee to sip as you gather groceries for your stay, and especially Shabbat. Keep in mind that everything will start to close around noon or 1pm, and nothing will be open tomorrow, so get everything you need while the stores are open. Don’t forget challah bread (in Hebrew, challah is always referred to in the plural, because there are always two loaves: challot)!

- Drop everything off at your apartment and head back out.

- As mentioned before, things will start to close (or aren’t open at all) on Friday by around lunchtime, and they won’t reopen until Sunday. There’s not a lot to do in Jerusalem on a Friday except prepare for Shabbat. That’s ok! If you got an early enough start, try visiting the Temple Institute. Its Holy Temple Museum features items that have been created specifically to use in the future temple. They offer an audio tour that is 50 minutes long. Last entrance to start the tour is 11am.

- After the Temple Institute tour is over, find a place for a little lunch. There are a few small restaurants in the area, including Burger Bar and Holy Bagel, that offer quick and cheap lunches, or grab a Jerusalem bagel from a street vendor.

- You’re so close to the Kotel (Western Wall), you might as well pop in for minchah prayers. Remember that you will need to go through security, but they will let you bring in food and water. Just no weapons! If you slept in a little and didn’t make it to the Temple Institute, get your shopping done and then spend the rest of your time at the Kotel – it never closes!

- After praying, exit the Kotel area and return to your apartment to prepare for Shabbat.

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DAY ONE:

With that said, Day 1 of our itinerary assumes it is Friday. You can switch things around and make your own schedule if something else works better for you.

DAY ONE:

DAY TWO:

DAY THREE:

DAY FOUR:

DAY FIVE:

+ Visit the Mount of Olives, either taking a cab to the top or walking up (it’s a hike!). The vista from the top is unreal, as the mountain is covered with white gravestones (Mount of Olives is a prime real estate for burial because many Jewish people believe that Messiah will return to that mountain and the dead there will rise first).

+ Tour the Temple Mount – an unforgettable experience! It requires modest dress and no religious objects, like prayer shawls or siddurim. You may also be asked to show your passport. Prayer on the Temple Mount is forbidden. Current hours listed are three hours in the morning and one right after lunch, and it is closed on Friday and Saturday for religious reasons, so do some research before you go.

+ Walk the Jerusalem Wall Ramparts Walk, which starts at Jaffa Gate. It’s long, but the views are great and it’s a really neat experience. Alternatively, you can access the walls yourself for free via the Armenian Quarter if you just want the photo.

DAY SIX:

DAY SEVEN:

+ Tour the Knesset! Knesset tours do need to be scheduled online in advance and are offered at 8:30AM and 2:00PM. They are free of charge and last about an hour-and-a-half. You will be asked to present your passport and modest, dignified clothing is required. No bags or backpacks. Visitors are asked to arrive 30 minutes prior to the start of their tour, so if getting there by 8:00AM sounds tricky, go for the 2:00PM tour instead.

+ The National Library of Israel has moved to a beautiful new building and offers guided and self-guided tours, both of which cost between 30-50 shekels. The library features stunning exhibits and rare artifacts, antiques, and books for every bibliophile to enjoy. And, of course, they have a beautiful bookshop!

+ The Bible Lands Museum Jerusalem is next to the Israel Museum and tells the story of humanity through a collection of artifacts from the lands of the ancient Near East – the “Bible Lands”. (Note: not necessarily from a biblical perspective – the name is confusing!) If you’re into ancient history, this may be the place for you! Advance reservations are not required, although the museum does charge admission. If you’re looking for a souvenir to bring home made by a local artist, check out their gift shop!