- Temple Mount - After being picked up from your hotel you’ll be taken to the Mount of Olives where you can enjoy the spectacular views of Jerusalem’s steeples, domes and towers as well as the Old City walls and Temple Mount. Pass by many beautiful churches on the mount on route to Kidron Valley that lies between the Mount of Olives and Old City walls. In Kidron Valley see the magnificent Tomb of Absalom; Tomb of Benei Hezir and the Tomb of Zechariah all dating back to the 1st century.
Continue on to the 16th century Dung Gate where the tour enters the Old City and takes you to Temple Mount, a site held sacred by Christians, Muslims and Jews. It was here that Solomon built the First Temple which was destroyed in 587BC. The Second Temple stood on Temple Mount from 516BC to 70AD. The Temple held the Ark of the Covenant where the ten commandments were kept. Today the mount is home to the magnificent Dome of the Rock built in 687AD; the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site in Islam and the Dome of Chains. You can see these impressive structures and learn about Temple Mount’s incredible history. On occasion Temple Mount is closed to visitors, if so the tour will visit the Tower of David instead of Temple Mount.
Next, we visit the Davidson Center an archaeological site alongside Temple Mount. Here you can see excavated artifacts and architectural structures from various historic periods including the First and Second Temple Periods, Byzantine, Muslim and Crusader eras. Among the archeological finds at the Davidson Center are walls from the First Temple Period; steps leading up to Temple Mount; a Second Temple era street; ritual baths and more. The tour comes to an end when you are returned to your hotel.
- A fully qualified and licensed tour guide
- Transport by air-conditioned vehicle
- Pick-up and drop-off service
- Food and drinks
- Entrance fees
- Insurance
Embark on a journey to the Mount of Olives and Temple Mount with a Skilled Tour Guide.
The excursion commences from Tel Aviv and heads to the Mount of Olives to enjoy a remarkable panoramic vista of Jerusalem. We then descend the Mount of Olives into the Kidron Valley where we witness historic monumental Jewish tombs before arriving at the Old City. Here we enter through the Dung Gate and proceed to visit the Temple Mount, the site where the First and Second Temples once stand. Currently, the Temple Mount houses the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque. If Temple Mount is not open for visitors, we will explore the Tower of David instead. Following that, we move on to the Davidson Center, an archaeological park adjacent to the Temple Mount, where we observe excavated architectural fragments from the First and Second Temple periods as well as exhibits in the Davidson Center Museum.
- In the event that Temple Mount is closed to visitors we will tour the Tower of David instead.
- Entrance to Temple Mount is subject to strict security measures
- Security checks are conducted at the entrance to Temple Mount. Please note that no religious objects (including Bible book) or weapons of any kind are permitted on Temple Mount.
- The tour proceeds on foot through the Kidron Valley and Old City; a minimum level of physical fitness is required.
- Minimum starting age for the tour is 4 years old.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
