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When autumn rolls around in the Holy City, the mercury drops and spirits rise. A festive atmosphere takes hold as the city's Jews prepare for a month of vacation and holidays, and depending on the position of the Islamic calendar relative to the Gregorian, Jerusalem's Muslims are often in the midst of their own holiday season.

And truly, there's no better time to be outside in Jerusalem: warm and sunny days yield to deliciously cool evenings, perfect for al fresco dining, tours and casual strolls. Though the first rains usually fall during the Sukkot holiday, Jerusalem weather is reliably sunny through October. And with holiday fever gripping the town and many cultural venues and museums offering special fall programs, you'll never want for activity during a Jerusalem autumn. To truly experience all that Jerusalem has to offer this time of year, behold GoJerusalem.com's list of top things to do in Jerusalem this fall....

Annual Events and Festivals: 

Houses From Within Jerusalem – Read More

Between Heaven and Earth Festival - Read More

International Oud Festival - Read More

Open Restaurants Festival - Read More

International Dance Week - Read More

Fall Holidays, Customs and Rituals:

Slichot

Slichot, penitential prayers, reverberate through the city in the lead-up to Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. You can hear them spilling out of synagogues in the early morning, or enjoy guided tours, concerts and other mainstream cultural offerings themed around the slichot phenomenon.

Rosh Hashanah:

Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, falls out in September. Learn about its customs, and you can join in the fun. Apropos Rosh Hashanah, join in landlocked Jerusalem's curiously unique observations of Tashlich, a symbolic casting-off of the previous year's sins during the holiday.

Kaparot:

Kaparot, practiced mainly by ultra-Orthodox Jews, is one of the odder rituals of the High Holiday season. Leave your vegan friends at the hotel and witness a strange quasi-sacrificial chicken bazaar at Machane Yehuda.

Yom Kippur:

While the vibes feel more solemn than those of Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, also offers many unique experiences for Jerusalem visitors. Learn about the holiday here. Cyclers will also love Yom Kippur, because nobody drives all night and the following day - meaning packs of bike riders take to the car-less streets for a once-a-year extravaganza of roadway domination.

Sukkot:

Sukkot is one of Judaism's more easygoing holidays, and its decoration-centric trappings should seem somewhat familiar to non-Jewish Western visitors. Learn about the holiday, and make an effort to take part in Sukkot celebrations across town. Thousands of worshipers stream down to the Western Wall during Sukkot for a massive communal Birkat Kohanim (priestly blessing) by hundreds of Jewish priests (kohanim, pictured). It's a truly awe-inspiring sight.

Part of the Sukkot experience is the shuk arba minim ("Four Species Market") at the fringes of Machane Yehuda, where Jews from across the city gather to purchase sterling examples of the four ritual plants key to the observance of the holiday. It's worth a visit even if you don't plan to buy - there's nothing like it elsewhere.

The most readily apparent facet of Sukkot observance is the sukkah, a hut meant to remind Jews of their ancestors' wanderings in the desert and of man's materiel non-permanence. The traditional purist builds a sukkah on the evening following Yom Kippur, so take a stroll through Nachalot or Geulah to see the frantic sukkah construction in action. Try building your own miniature sukkah at Beit Avi Chai's annual concept art competition, or check out the exhibit of those that participated, usually displayed at the Israel Museum.

Kids activities over Sukkot:

Don't let having the kids at home over Sukkot drive you bonkers. All the top venues around the city and beyond offer special vacation programs for the kiddies - including the Bloomfield Science Museum, the Museum of Islamic Art, the Tower of David Museum, the Malcha Mall, the Museum of Italian Jewish Art, Ammunition Hill, the Incubator Theater, the City of David, and others.

Simchat Torah:

Dance the night away from synagogue to synagogue in honor of the Torah on Simchat Torah, one of Judaism's happiest holidays.

Muslim Holidays:

For the next few years, the Muslim holiday Eid al-Adha will be taking place in September-October. It's a great opportunity to participate in Jerusalem's vibrant Arab culture - and to stuff your face, too.

Attractions, Activities, Tours and hiking:

The Night Spectacular:

Fall is probably the best time to catch the trippy Night Spectular light show on the Old City's walls (pictured) - nights are cool, but not yet wet and rainy. And during September, you can follow the show with a slichot tour on a combined ticket.

Electronic bike and Segway tours:

Hop on a high-quality street bike or step onto a Segway for a green tour of the City of Gold. Click here to check out the variety of Segway tours offered in Jerusalem.

Click here to check out the tours offered by Sovoo electronic bike tours.

Culinary tours: 

Treat your senses with a culinary tour in the Machane Yehuda market. Two popular ones are theMachne Shuk Bites card tour and Pollychef.

Nightlife:

With the return of activity among Jerusalem's student population after the summer break, trendy clubs and bars get hopping again - making fall a great time to get to know Jerusalem's vital youth culture.

Free and cheap events and activities:

> The Jerusalem March, a community hike and parade through the Judean Hills and the center of the city, takes place every Sukkot – steak out a corner and watch the parade go by.

> Head to Ein Kerem for glorious Jerusalem Hills hikes in the lovely fall weather.

> Join a pickup game of ultimate Frisbee at Gan Sacher, or watch the skater kids do their thing Jerusalem’s brand new skate park.

> Walk the ramparts around the Old City before it gets too cold, and continue into the Old City to explore the Arab Market, the Jewish Quarter, and of course, the Western Wall.

> People watching: Grab a chair or a bench and watch the world (and the people of Jerusalem) go by (pictured) while enjoying an early evening breeze.

Playgrounds:

Spend a quality few hours with the youngsters at the extensive shaded kiddie playgrounds at Liberty Bell Park Independence Park. 

Picnic:

Enjoy a run, stroll, or picnic in Gan Sacher or on the recently renovated Train Tracks which run through the southern part of the city.

Food and Eating out:

In Israel, where fruits are generally available at reasonable prices only when they're in season, fall means one especially important thing: pomegranates (pictured). Pick up the best you've ever had in your life at the Machane Yehuda market.

To really get a feel for the sukkah experience (pictured), take a meal inside one at dozens of Sukkot-ready restaurants across the city.

With cooler weather, you can bear to think about hot food again - so acquaint yourself with the gourmet pizza revolution in Jerusalem and decide for yourself.

Why eat indoors when Jerusalem offers so many great al fresco opportunities? The perfect fall weather is a great time to enjoy a meal at one of Jerusalem’s many restaurants which boast outdoor balconies and holiday specials.