Jerusalem Old City TourPrivate Tour Jerusalem Old City: AroundTour's Holy City Walk
This private tour Jerusalem Old City listing from operator AroundTour on GetYourGuide puts a licensed local guide at the door of your central Jerusalem hotel for a walk of 3 to 5 hours at $190 per person. The route is customizable and the sample itinerary covers all four quarters, the Cardo, the Western Wall, the Via Dolorosa and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, ending near Jaffa Gate. It carries a 4.9 rating from 37 reviews and runs in 14 languages. This page sets out what the price covers, what you pay extra, the stop-by-stop day and who should book a different walk. Compare it with the other Old City Jerusalem tours.
About This Tour
AroundTour runs this private walking tour with a licensed local guide who meets you at your hotel in central Jerusalem. The listing prints $190 per person even though the group is private, so a party of three pays $570 in total. Check the final total for your party size at checkout before you commit.
The sample route runs through the Armenian, Jewish, Christian and Muslim quarters, with stops at the Cardo, the Western Wall, the Via Dolorosa and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. It ends near Jaffa Gate. The route is customizable, so tell the guide your interests in advance.
$190 per person, quoted for a private group. Entry fees are not included, so budget for any paid sites you add.
3-5 hours in total. Individual stops run 15 minutes to 100 minutes.
Hotel meet-up in central Jerusalem, with the pickup location shown at booking. No hotel pickup outside the center is stated.
Private group with a private licensed local guide. The tour is offered in 14 languages including English, Hebrew, Arabic, Spanish, French, German and Russian.
The Cardo, the Western Wall, the Via Dolorosa and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Entry fees are not included, though entry to the Holy Sepulchre is generally free.
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure for a full refund. Reserve now and pay later is available.
Check Dates and Availability
Starting times and the exact pickup point are shown when you pick a date. Mobile tickets are issued immediately after booking.
Quick answer Price, duration and route in brief
This private tour of Jerusalem's Old City costs $190 per person, lasts 3-5 hours and starts with hotel pickup in central Jerusalem.
Key takeaways
- A licensed private guide builds a customizable route through all four quarters, ending near Jaffa Gate. See what the price covers.
- Entry fees, food and drinks and tips are not included. Compare with the four quarters private tour at $500 per group.
- The listing shows conflicting wheelchair information, so ask before booking. Details in who this tour rules out.
- Browse all Jerusalem Old City tours on one page before you decide.
What the Price Actually Covers
AroundTour's listing is explicit about what sits inside the $190 and what does not. Here is the line-by-line picture.
In the Price
You get a private licensed local guide, a fully customizable walking itinerary and a hotel meet-up in central Jerusalem. The guide waits for you rather than the other way round, and the route is shaped around your interests if you tell them in advance. The guide stays with you through the four quarters from the pickup to the finish near Jaffa Gate.
| Line | In the price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Private licensed guide | Yes | Private group, your guide only |
| Hotel meet-up in central Jerusalem | Yes | Pickup location shown at booking |
| Customizable walking itinerary | Yes | Tell the guide your interests in advance |
| Entry fees to attractions | No | You pay these yourself |
| Food and drinks | No | The guide can recommend stops |
| Transportation during the tour | No | Unless specified when booking |
| Tips | No | Optional but appreciated |
What You May Pay on the Day
Entry fees are not included, so any site that charges is an extra. Lunch is not included and the guide can recommend somewhere to eat. Drinks are not included, and the listing suggests bringing water.
Tips for the guide are optional. The honest note here is the price structure: $190 is charged per person for a private group. For a party of 3 that is $570, which is more than the $500 per group charged by the Private Old City Four Quarters Tour, a 5-hour private alternative.
For 2 people the AroundTour price of $380 is lower.
Sources: Western Wall Heritage Foundation, Christian Information Center opening hours, Jerusalem tourism office
The Old City rooftops and the Dome of the Rock seen from the Austrian Hospice terrace. Photo: Berthold Werner, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
What the Day Is Really Like
The listing gives no fixed clock times, only stop durations for a 3-5 hour window. Here is the stop-by-stop shape of the sample route.
Pickup and the First Steps
Your guide meets you at your hotel in central Jerusalem. The exact pickup point appears at booking, so check it the day before. From there you walk into the Old City, a walled area of 0.9 square kilometres (0.35 sq mi), through its four quarters.
Armenian and Jewish Quarters
The first two stops run 30 minutes each. The Armenian Quarter is the smallest of the four, about 14% of the Old City, and the listing promises its hidden symbols. The Jewish Quarter stop takes another 30 minutes.
Post-1967 digs in the quarter found the Burnt House, the Broad Wall and the Byzantine Cardo.
The Cardo and the Western Wall
The Cardo gets a short 15-minute stop. It was laid out around 120 to 130 CE and extended in the 6th century, and the Madaba Map shows it. Then 30 minutes at the Western Wall, a wall 488 m long in total.
Prayer areas are separated by gender under Orthodox rules.
The Long Christian Quarter Block
The Christian Quarter is listed at 100 minutes, the longest entry. The Via Dolorosa runs about 600 m from the Muslim Quarter to the Holy Sepulchre and carries 14 Stations of the Cross, nine in the streets and five inside the church. The listing gives it 45 minutes.
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Finish
The church is listed at 1 hour. Entry is generally free. Constantine built the first church here between 326 and 335 CE, and six Christian denominations share it today under the Status Quo agreement.
After a final 20 minutes in the Christian Quarter and 20 minutes in the Muslim Quarter, the tour ends near Jaffa Gate, where the Ottoman gate dates from 1538. There is no stated return to your hotel, so plan the walk back.
Who This Tour Rules Out
The listing states several limits clearly. Match them against your party before booking.
Children and Mobility
The listing says the tour is not suitable for children under 6. It is walking-intensive, with stairs and uneven surfaces in the Old City. People with mobility impairments are also listed as not suited to it.
If you need a group tour with a fixed short route instead, the Jerusalem Half Day Tour includes hotel pickup and entrance fees.
The Wheelchair Conflict
The listing contradicts itself. It displays a Wheelchair accessible badge and, in the same page, lists wheelchair users among the people the tour is not suitable for. With stairs and uneven stone surfaces across the quarters, treat the pessimistic reading as the safer one and ask the operator before booking.
Nothing on the listing promises step-free access.
Dress, Luggage and Holy Site Rules
Modest clothing is needed for the holy sites, with shoulders and knees covered. Comfortable shoes, long pants and water are on the bring list, and a hat and sunscreen for hot days. Oversize luggage and pets are not allowed, though assistance dogs are.
The tour does not include the Temple Mount, so its restricted visiting days do not affect the route.
Budget Travellers and Big Groups
At $190 per person this is one of the dearer ways to see the Old City. Solo travellers and couples get real value from the private format, but larger parties should price the $500 per group Private Old City Four Quarters Tour first. If you are happy in a group, the $57 Jerusalem Old City Walking Tour covers similar ground from Jaffa Gate in 4 hours.
Compare all Old City Jerusalem tours.
The restored Roman columns of the Cardo in the Jewish Quarter. Photo: Dan Lundberg, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Getting There and What to Add
If you are staying outside central Jerusalem, or want to fill the hours before or after the walk, here is what works.
Reaching Your Hotel Meet-up
The guide meets you in central Jerusalem, so any hotel near the city center works. Jerusalem Yitzhak Navon station sits on the Red Line of the light rail, and the train from Tel Aviv takes about 30 minutes. Bus 480 to Tel Aviv's Arlozorov station takes about 50 minutes and runs roughly every 20 minutes.
Buses do not run on Shabbat, from Friday afternoon to Saturday evening, and the light rail does not run on Shabbat either. For the Jaffa Gate end point, the vehicle breach beside Jaffa Gate is the main way for cars into the Old City. The gates of Jerusalem Old City guide maps them all.
Adding Sites the Tour Skips
The tour does not enter the Tower of David or the city walls, both beside Jaffa Gate, where the tour ends. A Ramparts Walk ticket costs ₪25 for adults and ₪12 for students, retirees, children and soldiers, and both promenades start at Jaffa Gate. The Tower of David museum costs ₪55 for adults, ₪35 for children and ₪44 for students on its price list, with the Night Spectacular at ₪69.
The Western Wall Tunnels are booked separately through the Western Wall Heritage Foundation and hours differ by route, so reserve ahead. Read the Western Wall Tunnels tour guide and the Tower of David Museum guide before you go.
Itinerary Step by Step
The listing states durations per stop but no clock times. Starting times appear at booking.
-
Start
Hotel pickup in central Jerusalem
Your licensed guide meets you at your hotel. The pickup location is shown at booking.
-
First stops
Armenian Quarter and Jewish Quarter
Two 30-minute guided walks. The Armenian Quarter is the smallest of the four, and the Jewish Quarter follows.
-
Next
The Cardo
A short 15-minute stop at the Byzantine main street, laid out around 120 to 130 CE and shown on the Madaba Map.
-
Then
The Western Wall
Thirty minutes at the wall, 488 m long in total. Prayer areas are separated by gender.
-
Middle of the tour
Christian Quarter and Via Dolorosa
A 100-minute block in the Christian Quarter including the 45-minute Via Dolorosa walk, about 600 m along the 14 Stations of the Cross.
-
One hour
Church of the Holy Sepulchre
The longest stop of the day at the site of crucifixion and resurrection, where entry is generally free.
-
Last stops
Final quarters and Jaffa Gate
Twenty minutes in the Christian Quarter and 20 in the Muslim Quarter, then the tour ends near Jaffa Gate.
Pros and Cons
The honest balance for this listing against the other private and group walks on the site.
What we genuinely like
- Hotel meet-up in central Jerusalem with a private guide
- Private guide in 14 languages, from Arabic and Hebrew to Chinese and Swedish
- Customizable 3-5 hour route, so the pace and the stops are yours
- 4.9 rating from 37 verified GetYourGuide bookings
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure and reserve now, pay later
The honest downsides
- $190 per person for a private group, so a party of 3 pays $570 against the $500 per group alternative
- Entry fees, food, drinks and tips all cost extra
- The wheelchair information on the listing contradicts itself, so you must ask before booking
- Ends near Jaffa Gate with no stated return to your hotel
- Not suitable for children under 6 or people with mobility impairments
- Only 37 reviews, against hundreds for several group tours
Who it's NOT for: Not for families with young children, wheelchair users, budget travellers or anyone who wants entry fees and a fixed price included.
Private Holy City Tour Questions
How much does this private tour Jerusalem Old City cost?
The listing prints $190 per person even though the group is private, so check the total for your party at checkout. For a per-group price, compare the Private Old City Four Quarters Tour at $500 per group.
Where does the tour start and end?
Your guide meets you at your hotel in central Jerusalem, with the pickup location shown at booking. The tour ends near Jaffa Gate, with no stated return trip.
Is the Western Wall included, and do I pay to enter?
Yes, the route includes a 30-minute stop at the Western Wall. Entry fees to attractions in general are not included in the tour price.
Is the tour wheelchair accessible?
The listing contradicts itself, showing a wheelchair accessible badge while also listing wheelchair users as not suitable. Given the stairs and uneven surfaces of the Old City, ask the operator directly before you book, or read the Church of the Holy Sepulchre guide for site access notes.
Can the route be changed to my interests?
Yes, the itinerary is described as fully customizable. Tell your guide your interests in advance and the licensed guide will shape the route. The four quarters of Jerusalem guide shows what each quarter can add.
What should I wear and bring?
Modest clothing with shoulders and knees covered is needed for the holy sites. Bring comfortable shoes, long pants, water and sun protection, because the tour is walking-intensive.
What happens if I need to cancel?
You can cancel up to 24 hours before departure for a full refund, and reserve now, pay later keeps plans flexible. If you would rather compare every option first, start with the Jerusalem Old City tours homepage.
What Travelers Said
Eti was a great guide, passionate and motivated. She showed us even more than the program included. She really did her best. We feel lucky and greatful.
The tour was very informative, Moshe the guide was very knowledgeable. There wasn't a question he couldn't answer with regards to history and geography of the places we covered. There were some places we liked to spend more time at and sometimes we came across places that weren't in our plan but we still wanted to entre. Moshe waited for us patiently and even when our time was over, we still had 1 or 2 places left from the plan, he didnt just leave because the time was up, he still stayed at his own expense and at the end let us taste the speciality (bread with zatar) of Jerusalem from his own pocket. The value for the price is the best. You feel like you got even more that what you paid for. 100% recommended.
Izzat went above and beyond for me. He brought his own car, for pure convenience, which was not part of the tour. He just wanted to be able to show me as much as possible, and he was insistent that he didn’t want any extra charges or anything similar - he just wanted to be an amazing tour guide, which he surpassed. He was the best tour guide of anything I have ever had. When he found out I was coming to live in Israel soon to make Aliyah, he told me so many useful things about settling down, best places to live, and other locations to tour before I leave Israel this time. The tour itself was sublime. Everything I wanted to be covered, plus more, was given to me. I cannot recommend Izzat enough. He has created a permanent amazing memory.
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