Stand on the terrace beside the Church of the Dormition on Mount Zion and the Old City walls fill the frame below you, the Dome of the Rock catching the light beyond the rooftops. This is the eastern half of Jerusalem, the part that fell under Jordanian control after the 1948 war and was occupied by Israel in 1967, and it holds the overwhelming bulk of the city's holy places.
East Jerusalem suits travellers who want to walk between layers of history rather than tick off single sights: the Old City, the City of David, Mount Zion and the Mount of Olives sit close enough together to be strung into a single day on foot. It also suits anyone willing to plan around opening hours, since several of the sites below keep limited times or are churches and cemeteries rather than museums.
This guide covers the sights named in the source material for East Jerusalem, with practical notes on how to combine them and when to go. It does not cover West Jerusalem.
Top things to do in East Jerusalem
1. City of David and Jerusalem water system
This is the oldest inhabited part of Jerusalem, south of the Temple Mount. When King David took the city from the Jebusites around 1000 BCE it was limited to this area, and the ruins include 13th-century BCE walls, fortifications and fragments of a palace attributed to David. The site also takes in Warren's Shaft, the underground water system named after its 19th-century discoverer, built by the Jebusites to keep a water supply during sieges.
You have two ways through the water system: Hezekiah's wet tunnel, which runs from the Gihon Spring to the Pool of Siloam and requires wading in thigh-deep water with a flashlight and proper shoes, taking about half an hour, or the shorter, narrower Canaanite dry tunnel. To get here, exit the Old City through Dung Gate by the Kotel, turn left, then take the first street on your right. In front of the ticket office a metal staircase leads down to the "Large Stone Structure", and from the terrace behind the building above it you get an excellent view of Silwan and the ancient rock-cut tombs.
2. Mount of Olives and Garden of Gethsemane
Explore the Mount of Olives from the top down, because the uphill climb is fairly steep. The best ways to reach the top are bus 84 from Ammunition Hill light rail station, getting off at the Seven Arches Hotel; a sherut from outside the Damascus Gate; or bus 275 or 255 from the bus station outside Herod's Gate, getting off at the Chapel of Ascension.
If you walk from the Old City, exit through Lions' Gate, go up the lane beside the Garden of Gethsemane (Church of All Nations) and turn right, then follow the tarmac road up past the Dominus Flevit church and the Tombs of Zachariah and Malachi to the short flight of stairs that brings you out at the viewing point over the Old City. Pickpockets are a real menace at that spot, so stow your valuables and stay aware of anyone coming close. When you have finished on the Mount, it is a short climb to the Old City's Lions' Gate.
3. Mount Zion
This hill sits next to the Old City, just south of the Armenian Quarter, and was the only part of ancient Jerusalem under Israeli control between 1948 and 1967. "Zion" is an old name for Jerusalem; the hill received the name "Mount Zion" in the Middle Ages, when it was thought the original city stood here, though the original location is now known to be the City of David. Zionism takes its name from this hill, where Jews made their stand against the Roman Empire before being conquered and exiled.
Several of the sights below sit on or beside this hill, so treat it as a single stop rather than separate trips. The walk down from the Zion Gate also brings you to the small Christian cemetery holding Schindler's Tomb.
4. Church of the Dormition
Adorned by a conical dome and a tall bell tower, this Mount Zion church is the traditional site of the Virgin Mary's death. Several churches have been built on the site; the present structure was built in the early 20th century for the visit of Kaiser Wilhelm II. The main part of the church contains a mosaic floor featuring the signs of the zodiac and the names of various saints and prophets, and a statue of the Virgin Mary rests in the crypt surrounded by images of women listed in the Old Testament. Entry is free.
Opening hours are Monday to Thursday 09:00–12:00 and 12:30–18:00, Friday 09:00–12:00 and 14:00–18:00, and Sunday 10:30–18:00. It adjoins King David's Tomb, so pair the two.
5. King David's Tomb
Adjoining the Church of the Dormition, on the lower floor of the Crusader building, is a small chamber venerated as King David's Tomb. The chamber is divided for separate viewing by men and women and contains a sarcophagus covered by a drape. From 1948 to 1967, when the Old City was under Jordanian control and there was no access to the Western Wall, Jews came here to pray, and the entrance hall is still used as a synagogue. Entry is free.
Summer hours are Saturday to Thursday 08:00–20:00 and Friday 08:00–14:00; in winter, Sunday to Thursday 08:00 until sunset and Friday 08:00–13:00. The Last Supper Room is in the same compound.
6. Last Supper Room (Cenacle)
A room in the David's Tomb Compound, traditionally held to be the site of the Last Supper. It is open daily 08:00–18:00 and entry is free, which makes it an easy addition to a Mount Zion visit rather than a separate outing.
7. St Peter in Gallicantu
Located east of Mount Zion and overlooking the Kidron Valley, this church commemorates the traditional site of St Peter's denial of Christ. In the crypt below are ancient caves, purported to be the place where Christ spent the night at the hand of Caiphas before being presented to Pontius Pilate. A large wooden model of an 18th-century Old City is on display in the courtyard, though it is smaller than the model at the Citadel in the Armenian Quarter.
It is open Monday to Saturday 08:30–17:00. Tickets are ₪7 for adults and ₪5 for students, children under 13 are free, and parking is available for ₪10.
8. Chamber of the Holocaust
Directly opposite the Tomb of David on Mount Zion, this small museum is maintained by the Diaspora Yeshiva. The collection includes Holocaust artifacts, artwork inspired by the Holocaust, an exhibit of anti-Semitic publications throughout history, and memorials to individuals and communities that perished. It differs from Yad Vashem in placing the Holocaust in a more Jewish-religious context.
It is open Sunday to Thursday 08:00–17:00 and Friday 08:00–13:00, and entry is ₪12. Combine it with the other Mount Zion sites on the same morning.
9. Tomb of Absalom
An impressive burial monument, roughly 20 metres tall, mistakenly attributed to King David's rebellious son Absalom. It stands in the valley between the Old City and the Mount of Olives. Just to the south is the so-called Tomb of Zechariah, also impressive, and between the two is the Tomb of Bnei Hezir, a cave cut into the cliff rather than a free-standing monument. All date to the Hasmonean period, in the 2nd to 1st century BCE.
These sit in the valley you pass through on the walk between the Old City and the Mount of Olives, so work them into that route rather than making a dedicated trip.
10. Schindler's Tomb
Down the hill from the Zion Gate is a small Christian cemetery, and it is here that the grave of Oskar Schindler is located. Schindler, a German industrialist, saved 1,200 Jews from the Holocaust by hiring them as labourers in his factory, a story later told in the film Schindler's List.
Hours are not set and more often than not the gate to the cemetery is closed and locked. A phone number has been painted on the upper gate, and it can be called if you want to gain entrance.
11. Chapel of the Ascension
Sacred to Christians and Muslims, this medieval chapel, now part of a mosque, stands on the supposed site of Christ's ascension. The courtyard and chapel are open daily, and if they are closed you can ring the bell.
It sits at the top of the Mount of Olives, which makes it the natural first stop if you are following the recommended top-down route, and it is where buses 275 and 255 from outside Herod's Gate set you down.
If you only have one day
Morning. Start on Mount Zion, just south of the Armenian Quarter. Visit the Church of the Dormition, then King David's Tomb and the adjoining Last Supper Room in the same compound, and finish with the Chamber of the Holocaust directly opposite the tomb. Walk down the hill from the Zion Gate to the small Christian cemetery and look for Schindler's Tomb, bearing in mind the gate is often locked.
Afternoon. Continue to St Peter in Gallicantu, east of Mount Zion and overlooking the Kidron Valley, then head south to the City of David and Jerusalem water system, entering through Dung Gate by the Kotel, turning left and taking the first street on your right. Choose either Hezekiah's wet tunnel, with a flashlight and shoes you do not mind soaking, or the shorter Canaanite dry tunnel, and take in the view of Silwan and the rock-cut tombs from the terrace.
Evening. Cross the valley to the Mount of Olives, working from the top down as the climb is steep. Take in the Chapel of the Ascension at the top, then follow the road down past the Dominus Flevit church and the Tombs of Zachariah and Malachi to the viewing point over the Old City, watching your valuables at that spot. Finish at the Tomb of Absalom in the valley between the Old City and the Mount, and climb the short way back to the Old City's Lions' Gate.
Frequently asked questions
Which day works best for the Mount Zion churches?
The Church of the Dormition opens Monday to Thursday 09:00–12:00 and 12:30–18:00, Friday 09:00–12:00 and 14:00–18:00, and Sunday 10:30–18:00. King David's Tomb keeps longer summer hours, Saturday to Thursday 08:00–20:00 and Friday 08:00–14:00, with shorter winter hours, and St Peter in Gallicantu is open Monday to Saturday 08:30–17:00. Plan Mount Zion for a weekday morning to fit the most in.
Should I walk up the Mount of Olives or start at the top?
Explore it from the top down, because the uphill climb is fairly steep. You can reach the top by bus 84 from Ammunition Hill light rail station and get off at the Seven Arches Hotel, by sherut from outside the Damascus Gate, or by bus 275 or 255 from the bus station outside Herod's Gate and get off at the Chapel of Ascension.
What should I bring for the City of David water system?
If you take Hezekiah's wet tunnel you will wade in thigh-deep water, so bring a flashlight and proper shoes; the passage takes about half an hour and the ceiling is high in most places. The Canaanite tunnel is dry and quite narrow, and is the alternative if you would rather stay dry.
Can I visit Schindler's Tomb at any time?
Hours are not set, and more often than not the gate to the cemetery is closed and locked. A phone number has been painted on the upper gate and can be called if you want to be let in.
Check the opening hours for the day you plan to travel, decide whether you are wading through Hezekiah's tunnel or taking the dry route, and start mapping your walk between Mount Zion, the City of David and the Mount of Olives.