Jerusalem Old City TourJaffa Gate: Jerusalem's Western Entrance to the Old City
Jaffa Gate is the main western entrance to Jerusalem's Old City and the meeting point for several Jerusalem Old City tours. The Ottoman gate dates from 1538, and a wide breach beside it, cut in 1898, is the only confirmed route for vehicles into the walled city from the west. This page covers the gate's history, how to arrive by light rail or car, where to park, the tourist information centre and its hours, and what stands a few steps inside. It also lists the guided walks that start here, from a $47 Shabbat walk to a $500 private tour priced per group. For the other six gates, see the guide to the gates of the Old City.
The city wall beside Jaffa Gate and the buildings of Omar ibn al-Khattab Square. Photo: ישראל פרקר Israel Preker, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
Quick answer Jaffa Gate in brief
Jaffa Gate is the main western entrance to Jerusalem's Old City. Its Ottoman tower was built in 1538, and the wide breach beside it was cut in 1898. The vehicle checkpoint runs Sunday to Thursday 9:00 to 18:00 and Friday and holiday eves 9:00 to 13:00.
Key takeaways
- The guided Old City walking tour from Jaffa Gate costs $57 per person and lasts 4 hours.
- Check the vehicle checkpoint hours, parking at Mamilla or Karta, and the information centre hours before you set out.
- Inside the gate you find the Tower of David museum, the Christian Quarter on the left and the Armenian Quarter on the right.
- The Shabbat walking tour also meets at Jaffa Gate, reaches the Western Wall as the sun prepares to set and returns to the gate.
The Gate and Its History
Jaffa Gate carries three names and two construction stories, both well documented.
Names and Dates
The gate is Bab al-Khalil in Arabic and Sha'ar Yafo in Hebrew. The Ottoman gate itself dates from 1538, built as part of the walls that Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent raised around the city. The Old City article dates those walls to 1535 to 1542, while the gates article gives 1533 to 1540. The walls run about 4.5 km, stand 5 to 15 m high and carry 35 towers.
In 1898 a wide breach was cut in the wall beside the gate so that Kaiser Wilhelm II's party could ride in on horses and in carriages rather than squeeze through the original opening. That breach is now the main route for vehicles into the Old City from the west.
A Bent Entrance Built for Defence
Jaffa Gate has a 90-degree bent entrance. Anyone charging in had to slow and turn, which gave defenders time to respond. Overhead sits a fighting cell called a mishikuli. The gate's tower was built in 1538.
The gate is one of seven in use today. Suleiman's walls originally had six gates and the New Gate was added in 1887. The Golden Gate and several southern gates are sealed. The guide to the gates of Jerusalem Old City covers all of them.
Sources: Wikipedia, Jaffa Gate and itraveljerusalem
Arriving at Jaffa Gate
You can reach Jaffa Gate by light rail or by car through the 1898 breach under checkpoint rules. The table gathers the confirmed figures.
Light Rail, Car and Parking
The Jerusalem Light Rail Red Line has stops named Jaffa Center, City Hall and Damascus Gate around the Old City. The Foundation gives City Hall stop to Jaffa Gate as 5 to 7 minutes on foot. Wikipedia gives Sunday to Thursday 5:30 to 23:30 for the trains, while the Christian Information Center gives 5:00 to midnight. There is no daytime Shabbat service, so check the operator before you travel.
Drivers use the 1898 breach, which is the main western vehicle route into the walled city. The checkpoint admits approved vehicles such as shuttles up to 24 seats and wheelchair users with disability permits. Paid parking near the gate is at the Mamilla Boulevard or Karta car parks. Once you arrive, the tourist information centre at 1 Omer Ben el-Hatab St hands out free maps and brochures, and the Franciscan Pilgrims' Office at the gate is open Monday to Friday 9:00 to 13:00.
How the Listings Compare
The figures below come from the city tourism portal and the Christian Information Center's hours list.
| How | Detail |
|---|---|
| Light rail | Red Line, City Hall stop is 5 to 7 minutes on foot to Jaffa Gate. Sources differ on hours (Wikipedia 5:30 to 23:30, Christian Information Center 5:00 to midnight). No daytime Shabbat service |
| Vehicle checkpoint | Sunday to Thursday 9:00 to 18:00, Friday and holiday eves 9:00 to 13:00. Approved vehicles such as shuttles up to 24 seats and wheelchair users with disability permits |
| Parking | Paid parking at the Mamilla Boulevard or Karta car parks |
| Tourist information centre | 1 Omer Ben el-Hatab St, free maps and brochures. Open Sunday to Thursday and Saturday 8:30 to 17:00, Friday and holiday eves 8:30 to 13:30. Phone +972-2-627-1422 |
Just Inside the Gate
A plaza inside Jaffa Gate points you to three of the four quarters within a few steps.
The Quarters and the Citadel
From the inner plaza the Christian Quarter lies on the left, the Muslim Quarter ahead and the Armenian Quarter on the right beside the Tower of David. The citadel's standing walls date mainly from the Mamluk rebuild of 1310 and Ottoman work of 1537 to 1541, and its museum opened in 1989. Today admission costs ₪55 for adults, ₪35 for children and ₪44 for students, and the ticket includes the Phasael Tower viewpoint, the moat, the courtyard and guided tours by advance registration. The Tower of David guide covers the museum in detail.
Opposite the citadel stands Christ Church, consecrated on 21 January 1849 and the oldest Protestant church building in the Middle East. It is open Wednesday to Friday and Sunday 9:00 to 15:00, closed Monday, Tuesday and Saturday. Nearby, St James Cathedral in the Armenian Quarter is open Monday to Friday and Sunday 6:30 to 7:30, Saturday 6:30 to 10:00 and daily 15:00 to 15:30, and the Armenian Museum opens Tuesday to Saturday 9:00 to 16:00. The Christian Information Center, facing the Tower of David, is open 9:00 to 16:00, Friday to 15:30, closed Saturday, and gives mass times and pilgrimage guidance on +972-2-627-2692.
Omar ibn al-Khattab Square inside Jaffa Gate, with the tourist information centre. Photo: User:Mattes, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Tours That Meet at Jaffa Gate
Four of the bookable walks on this site start at or just outside Jaffa Gate. Prices come from each operator's listing and none of these four includes lunch, hotel pickup or entry fees unless stated.
Meeting Points and Prices
The Old City walking tour has the most reviews of the four, 414 at 4.8, and starts and ends at the gate. The dual narrative tour meets on the plaza just outside, where a representative holds a sign, and caps groups at 20. The Shabbat experience tour runs 2.5 hours, reaches the Western Wall as the sun prepares to set and returns to the gate. The four quarters private tour is priced at $500 per group for 5 hours, and the guide waits outside the gate with your name printed on a sign. One note of honesty: a tips-based free tour by Sandemans has also run from Jaffa Gate, but its page currently shows the tour as temporarily suspended.
Tours that meet elsewhere, such as the City of David day tour at the David Citadel Hotel on King David St 7, are listed on the homepage comparison of Jerusalem Old City tours.
| Tour | Price | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Jerusalem Old City Walking Tour | $57 per person | 4 hours, starts and ends at Jaffa Gate |
| Jerusalem Dual Narrative Tour | $65 per person | 4.5 hours, meets on the plaza just outside Jaffa Gate |
| Jerusalem Old City Shabbat Tour | $47 per person | 2.5 hours, meets and ends at Jaffa Gate, with the Western Wall at sunset |
| Private Old City Four Quarters Tour | $500 per group | 5 hours, guide waits just outside Jaffa Gate with a name sign |
Tower of David Tickets and Hours
The citadel beside Jaffa Gate is a museum with its own price list, and a few minutes of planning saves you a wasted walk to the ticket desk.
What a Ticket Costs
The museum's own price list gives ₪55 for adults, ₪35 for children, ₪44 for students and ₪28 for Israeli seniors. The Night Spectacular light show costs ₪69 on the same list. Your ticket covers the Phasael Tower viewpoint, the moat, the courtyard and guided tours if you register in advance. The ticket office closes one hour before the museum does, so arrive early. If you would rather see the citadel with a guide, the Private Old City Four Quarters Tour passes right by it and costs $500 per group.
The entrance pavilion sits to the right of the courtyard at the exit of Mamilla Road, marked by three red flags. The renewal project cost $50 million and added two glass lifts, so the galleries are accessible. The Phasael Tower viewing deck is not lift-served.
Opening Hours
From April to December the museum opens Sunday at 12:00 to 17:00, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday 9:00 to 17:00, Tuesday 9:00 to 20:00 and Friday and Saturday 9:00 to 15:00. From January to March it closes Sunday at 17:00, runs Monday to Thursday 9:00 to 17:00 and Friday 9:00 to 15:00. The museum opened in 1989 and reopened on 1 June 2023 after its renewal, with a new permanent exhibition across 10 galleries.
The Ottoman minaret on the citadel was built between 1635 and 1655, and the standing walls date mainly from the Mamluk rebuild of 1310 and Ottoman work of 1537 to 1541.
Visitor Services Around Jaffa Gate
Three offices and a small land train sit within a few minutes of the gate, and each keeps different hours.
Information Desks
The Jaffa Gate tourist information centre is at 1 Omer Ben el-Hatab St and hands out free maps and brochures. It opens Sunday to Thursday and Saturday 8:30 to 17:00, and Friday and holiday eves 8:30 to 13:30. The phone number is +972-2-627-1422.
The Christian Information Center faces the Tower of David Museum and opens 9:00 to 16:00, closing at 15:30 on Friday and shut on Saturday. It publishes mass times and pilgrimage guidance and answers on +972-2-627-2692. The Franciscan Pilgrims' Office at Jaffa Gate is open Monday to Friday 9:00 to 13:00.
Christ Church and the Vehicle Checkpoint
Christ Church stands just inside the gate opposite the citadel. It was consecrated on 21 January 1849 and is the oldest Protestant church building in the Middle East. It is closed Monday, Tuesday and Saturday and opens Wednesday to Friday and Sunday 9:00 to 15:00.
The vehicle checkpoint at the gate runs Sunday to Thursday 9:00 to 18:00 and Friday and holiday eves 9:00 to 13:00, admitting approved vehicles such as shuttles up to 24 seats and wheelchair users with disability permits. In summer the Old City Train by Jaffa Gate runs Tuesday 10:00 to 16:00, Wednesday and Thursday 10:00 to 17:00 and Friday 10:00 to 15:00.
Jaffa Gate Questions
What is the Jaffa Gate?
It is the main western gate of Jerusalem's Old City, known as Bab al-Khalil in Arabic and Sha'ar Yafo in Hebrew. The Ottoman gate was built in 1538 and the breach beside it was cut in 1898 for Kaiser Wilhelm II. See the full history in the section on the gate and its history.
Can cars drive through Jaffa Gate?
Approved vehicles can, through the 1898 breach, which is the main vehicle route into the Old City from the west. The checkpoint runs Sunday to Thursday 9:00 to 18:00 and Friday and holiday eves 9:00 to 13:00. Details are in the arriving at Jaffa Gate table.
Where do I park near Jaffa Gate?
Paid parking is at the Mamilla Boulevard or Karta car parks near the gate. If you would rather not drive, the Red Line light rail and the routes in the guide to Tel Aviv to Jerusalem are alternatives.
Where can I get a free map at Jaffa Gate?
The tourist information centre at 1 Omer Ben el-Hatab St gives free maps and brochures. It is open Sunday to Thursday and Saturday 8:30 to 17:00, and Friday and holiday eves 8:30 to 13:30. Pair it with the Jerusalem Old City map.
Which tours start at Jaffa Gate?
Four bookable tours meet at or just outside the gate, from a $47 Shabbat walk to a $500 private tour per group. Compare them in the tours that meet at Jaffa Gate section.
What is inside Jaffa Gate?
A plaza leads to the Christian Quarter on the left, the Muslim Quarter ahead and the Armenian Quarter on the right by the Tower of David. Admission to the citadel museum costs ₪55 for adults. The guide to the four quarters of Jerusalem explains what each contains.