Day Tour:
Jerusalem in the Times of the First and Second Temple
Walk the streets of ancient Jerusalem and trace the footsteps of kings, prophets, priests, and everyday citizens who once filled the city during the height of its glory. From the earliest fortifications of King David’s city to the splendor of Herodian construction.
Tour Description
A Journey Through Ancient Jerusalem
Begin in the City of David, the original Jerusalem. This is where the Kingdom of Judah was born — and where the earliest fortifications, palatial buildings, and advanced water systems still echo the ingenuity of biblical Jerusalem..
Next, descend into the water system that kept the city alive during siege. You'll walk through Warren's Shaft and, optionally, Hezekiah's Tunnel — an astonishing engineering feat from the 8th century BCE. This subterranean passage, cut through solid rock, was designed to ensure access to water while under threat from the Assyrian army. You’ll emerge at the Pool of Siloam, the main public reservoir in the Second Temple period, used for both practical and ritual purposes.
From there, follow the pilgrimage road and step into the Roman-period sewage tunnel, which runs beneath the street. It served both practical infrastructure needs and — during the Roman siege of 70 CE — as a place of refuge for the city's inhabitants.
Your path continues into the Davidson Center and the Southern Excavations of the Temple Mount. This area reveals breathtaking remains of Herodian construction, including ritual baths (mikva’ot), original paving stones, monumental staircases, and ashlar blocks that once formed the retaining walls of the Second Temple compound.
You will then the Western Wall (Kotel) — the last remnant of the outer retaining wall that once surrounded the Temple. Then, go underground into the Western Wall Tunnels, an engineering and archaeological marvel. Walk beside the largest hewn stones in Jerusalem, visit ancient streets, and see sections of the wall hidden for centuries beneath the city.
You will finish your day in the Jewish Quarter. Explore places such as the Broad Wall, an 8th-century BCE fortification constructed during the reign of King Hezekiah, the Herodian Quarter, the Burnt House, and the Roman Cardo, the colonnaded street that once ran through Jerusalem under Roman rule.
Tour Highlights
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City of David – Ancient fortifications and the original heart of JerusalemCity of David – Ancient fortifications and the original heart of Jerusalem
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Hezekiah’s Tunnel & Water System – A remarkable 8th-century BCE engineering projectHezekiah’s Tunnel & Water System – A remarkable 8th-century BCE engineering project
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Pool of Siloam – Key site in Second Temple Jerusalem’s infrastructurePool of Siloam – Key site in Second Temple Jerusalem’s infrastructure
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Pilgrimage Road & Roman Sewage Tunnel – Walk beneath the city through historyPilgrimage Road & Roman Sewage Tunnel – Walk beneath the city through history
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Davidson Center & Southern Wall Excavations – Mikva’ot, stairways, and Herodian stonework
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Broad Wall – Hezekiah’s defense wall from the First Temple periodBroad Wall – Hezekiah’s defense wall from the First Temple period
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Roman Cardo – Jerusalem’s main street during the Roman periodRoman Cardo – Jerusalem’s main street during the Roman period
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The Jewish Quarter