JERUSALEM OLD CITY TOUR WITH LATE DEPARTURE

The day tour of Jerusalem starts with a breathtaking panoramic overview of Jerusalem, the Temple Mount and the entire old city of Jerusalem. Where we can imagine the glorious Second Temple just before it was destroyed in 70 CE. The Second Temple was an important Jewish Holy place of worship and gathering between 516 BCE and 70 CE.  

Continue the tour driving along Kidron Valley viewing Mount Olives, an ancient Jewish burial site. The Garden of Gethsemane, a beautiful garden with some very old olive trees which got its name from Greek, a corruption of the Hebrew words “gath-shmanin” – oil press. The Church of All Nations, also known as the Church of the Agony.  Built in the 1920’s with donations from Christian communities all over the world, also known as the Church of All Nations.

We enter the Old City passing the Armenian Quarter, one of the four quarters of the old city of Jerusalem.  A large section of the Armenian Quarter is occupied by closed compound of the Armenian Monastery.

Heading to the Cardo, the main street of the old city 1500 years ago. It was destroyed over the decades, restored, and today the Cardo is a vibrant market place full with art galleries and unique goods.

Continuing through the Jewish Quarter, one of the quarters of the Old City of Jerusalem where you will see many holy and historical sites of the Jewish people. We proceed to the Western Wall, also known as the Wailing Wall or Kotel.

The kotel was part of a big renovation project initiated by King Herod in the year 37 BCE. It is the western support wall built during this widening of the Temple Mount Plaza. The Second Temple was destroyed in the year 70 CE.  The Western Wall was the remnant closest to the site of the Temple’s Holy of Holies that was accessible to Jews.  Therefore, it became a place of prayer and yearning for Jews around the world.   

Continue the tour we walk along the Via Dolorosa  the path that Jesus walked, carrying his cross, on the way to his crucifixion, follow the Stations of the Cross and ending at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, identified as the place both of the crucifixion and the tomb of Jesus of Nazareth. 

After a short walk through the market we exit the Old City