Jerusalem hotels, restaurants, attractions, tours & events. Helping since 2008

Consider it: you're in the area for a business meeting or a family function. You don't have the luxury of a leisurely multi-day vacation. In fact, you've only got one day in Jerusalem - and you can't afford to waste a few researching an itinerary. You need the best, and you need it before tomorrow.

GoJerusalem.com can help. Of course, we may as well admit it right away. One day is hardly enough for the full Jerusalem experience. One could devote a solid week to hummus alone, to say nothing of the city's countless historical sites, landmarks, museums, restaurants, theaters and bars. But you've only got 24 hours to devote to the Holy City and all her myriad charms. Don't worry: it's doable.

GoJerusalem.com has prepared the perfect schedule, so even the shortest of visits will leave the most indelible of memories. Read on....

Israeli breakfast spreads

You'll need fuel for the fun to follow, and fortunately, Israelis are masters of breakfast - light enough to keep you feeling energized, but with the nutrition to keep you on your feet until lunch.

Seasons' breakfast buffet is classy and massive, but the best part is the view from the outdoor terrace (pictured): the whole of the Old City spread out before you. What better way to start a day in Jerusalem?

Alternatively, Caffit on Emek Refaim Street in the beautiful German Colony, makes probably the city's best version of the classic Israeli breakfast: two eggs prepared as you like, a rack full of mini-dishes of salads, cheeses and spreads, a small side green salad, fresh bread and butter, fresh juice, excellent coffee, and a bowl of fruit and granola. Only 44 NIS per person, or 74 NIS per couple.

See the main sights with a morning bus tour

For those pressed for time, there's no more convenient way to see the sights of Jerusalem than to hop aboard Egged Line 99, a double-decker bus that runs in a constant loop from landmark to landmark, with multi-lingual audio guides included. In one trip, you'll stop at Machane Yehuda, Ammunition Hill, Mount Scopus, the City of David, Mount Zion, Jaffa Gate; Safra Square, the Khan Theatre, the Haas Promenade, the Biblical Zoo, Yad Vashem, the Science Museum, the newly remodeled Israel Museum (pictured), the Knesset and more. Your ticket includes unlimited reboardings for the day, so you can hop off at a site that looks particularly interesting and simply catch the next 99 bus. And even better, you can book your ticket online right here at GoJerusalem.com.

See Jerusalem through the ages at the Time Elevator

Learning about the history of Jerusalem doesn't have to be like going back to school. At the Jerusalem Time Elevator, historical education meets cutting-edge multimedia technology and a theme park sensibility. Ensconced in theater-style seating offering force feedback and six axes of motion, you'll be treated to a sensory extravaganza as you relive the most thrilling moments in the city's history, from the days of Abraham and Isaac to the birth of the State of Israel (and everywhere in between).

A true Jerusalem lunch

In the Middle East, lunch is king. The main meal of the day, lunchtime is your best bet for tucking into the foods that fuel Jerusalem. While your choices are endless, GoJerusalem.com has a couple of suggestions - one for traditionalists, and one for visitors interested in the "new" Jerusalem.

For those who keep it old-school, there can be no better option than Ta'ami, both one of the best hummus joints and one of the best Middle Eastern lunch counters in Jerusalem. Popular for decades with the no-nonsense union lifers of the nearby Histadrut (national labor union), Ta'ami serves Middle Eastern lunch staples like kubeh soup, goulash and golden shnitzel. And their hummus is downright ethereal - so good, in fact, that you'll never be able to eat hummus outside of the Middle East again. Consider yourself warned.

At Restobar, you'll see a prime example of Jerusalem's evolving dining culture. Populated with the young, the chic and the professional, this Rechavia haunt brings in the well-appointed crowds with a beautiful terrace and one of the best "business lunch" (combo lunch deals) menus in the city. The nouveau-Mediterranean bistro fare ain't bad either.

An afternoon Segway jaunt

The Segway has arrived in Jerusalem. Although not, perhaps, the revolutionary personal transport it was once touted as, the Segway is a whole lot of fun to zoom around on. And with Segway tours of the breathtaking vistas on offer at the promenades of southern Jerusalem, not only can you zip around the Holy City on two gyroscopically-enhanced wheels, but you'll be privy to some of Jerusalem's most stunning views of the Old City, the Judean Hills, the desert and more.

An evening with the Tower of David's Night Spectacular

It's difficult to do justice to the trippy glory of the Night Spectacular in words - you simply have to see it with your own eyes. At its core, sure, it's only a movie about the history of Jerusalem - but it's projected onto the walls of the Old City, and uses sophisticated trompe l'oeil tech to incorporate that storied backdrop into every scene. There's hardly a thing like it anywhere in the world - and you can book it online here at GoJerusalem.com.

Unmissable dinner options

By now, after all that Segwaying and Night Spectacular mind-blowing, you've probably worked up quite a hunger, and it's time for a stylish Jerusalem dinner. Of course, you can dine on everything from sushi to steak, but if you'd rather be spared the research, it's hard to go wrong with either of the following options:

Luciana (pictured), an upscale Emek Refaim modern Italian/Mediterranean chef-driven concept, boasts a partly enclosed wooden terrace from which to enjoy Jerusalem's mild summer evenings - and some of the meanest pasta in town.

Or seek out the ultimate in local comfort food: authentic Kurdish-Jewish soul food at Ima ("Mom"), where it's just not a clever name. They've got genuine moms in the kitchen rolling kubbeh and making killer soups (find that in New York).

Unwinding with drinks on the town

Hey, now you're a quick-study expert on Jerusalem. Clearly this calls for a celebratory tipple. Head with your crew over to Barood (pictured) - a classy, understated, chill-friendly landmark of a Jerusalem bar that just so happens to be right in the heart of the buzzing nightlife district.

If after all that you can manage to pry yourself away from Jerusalem the next day, we'll be surprised - but not worried, because we know you'll be back.