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

Known as a place where people from all walks of life mingle, Jerusalem is a city of contrasts. A center of high-tech incubation, medical research, commerce, high culture, academia and international government, the city is also home to its share of working-class heroes and ascetics of nearly every imaginable ethnicity.

For tourists, the Holy City offers opportunities to encounter the wealth of color offered by this spectrum, if one knows where to look. And here at GoJerusalem.com, we have you covered. Jerusalem can be hospitable to travelers from all economic strata - from those seeking the peak of pampering, to those hunting for local hole-in-the-wall haunt authenticity. The city's landmarks, attractions and entertainment options range from the free to the VIP-only. And Jerusalem offers swanky hospitality options and gritty, backpacker-friendly accommodations in Old City alleyways as well.

So between the cheap street food and the super-classy hotels, Jerusalem has what to offer at any budget. We break down how to enjoy the city no matter how thin or fat your wallet is.

Cheap

Food: Being on a budget doesn't mean you have to miss out on the best of Jerusalem's street foods. The streets are paved with falafel and schawarma stands with whole meals ranging from 10 NIS to 30 NIS - depending on how hearty a meal you want. Look out for places with "hofshi" or free salad bars to stretch that shekel even further with sauces, pickled everything and fried pita slices or eggplant. Places like Moshiko, Al Nasser (pictured) or Mordoch are all solid working-class bets, and Big Apple Pizza offers decent per-slice rates.

Lodging: Less-expensive lodging in Jerusalem doesn't have to mean couch surfing (although that is certainly an option). A number of hostels operate in the city, including the Petra, catering to the large amount of students and backpackers who pass through the city each year. For those willing to spend a few extra shekels, the picturesque Beit Ben Yehuda, and Hashimi straddle the line between guest house and hotel with various amenities private or shared. You'll have to bring your own toothbrush, though.

Sites: If you're not lucky enough to catch free museum day (which happens every spring) or the discounted cultural offerings of Hamshushalayim (three weekends every fall), there are a number of other places you can visit around town that won't clean out your bank account. Many of the most sought-after Old City sites, like The Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Western Wall are free (though panhandlers may exact a price). The extremely affordable Sandemans Holy City Tour allows visitors to see many key sites with a guided group in one day. For the cost of flashing your passport, you can check out the Knesset, or get a tour of Israel's Supreme Court. Yad Vashem doesn't charge a thing and is a must-visit, and the recently renovated Jerusalem Bird Observatory (pictured) allows for some of the best urban birdwatching in the world.

Nightlife: There's nothing more economical than simply walking around, and Jerusalem has a few great spots where that seems to be the main thing going on. Both the Emek Refaim drag and the Ben Yehuda Midrachov (pedestrian mall) offer great opportunities for cruising aimlessly, and the less consumerist Talpiot Tayelet is a nicely kept "boardwalk" offering some of the city's best views. If you want to get your drink and dance on, but don't intend on ordering anything ending in -tini, a number of pe bars along Rivlin Street in Nachalat Shiva offer just that, including Egon and Stardust. A little more off the beaten path, Slow Moshe and Uganda both offer drinks, music and good times for considerably less than an arm and a leg.

Price: 100-200 NIS per day.

Moderate

Food: Jerusalem boasts a bevy of sit-down restaurants that are nice enough to go with family, but won't break the bank. At 15 NIS for a cup of joe and another 40-50 NIS for a sandwich or salad on average, the city's many cafes are a good moderately-priced bet. You can always go the tried-and-true true with chains like Hillel and Aroma, or opt for little-guy spots like the literary Tmol Shilshom (pictured) or people-watching paradise Caffit. If it's juicy pieces of meat you are after, Hamoshava 54, Joy Grill and Beer, Black Bar 'N' Burger, or the Old City's authentically local Azzahra grill are options with top-notch food but not top-shelf prices.

Lodging: The area around the Central Bus Station, convenient to those looking to get out of town for a bit and still only a few minutes' walk or bus ride away from the city center, has a slew of hotels with amenities and luxury that far outstrip their price tags. The Caesar Premier, Jerusalem Gold, Jerusalem Gate and Leonardo are just a few examples, where rooms hover around $100 a night. Also deeply discounted because of its location off the beaten path is the Dan Hotel at French Hill. If you absolutely must be at the center of it all, the Lev Yerushalayim and Jerusalem Tower hotel both hover right over the city center. And if boutique is the way you like to go, the Little House mini-chain of inns and the Harmony are priced reasonably.

Sites: The Israel Museum boasts one of the world's greatest collections of antiquities, including the Dead Sea Scrolls and other artifacts dating backing thousands upon thousands of years. The grounds also contain a first-rate sculpture garden and a massive model of Second Temple-era Jerusalem. Right inside the Old City's Jaffa Gate, the Tower of David Museum offers tours of one of the city's older and more interesting buildings for a reasonable fee, and lovers of art objects will want to check out the top-rated Museum for Islamic Art. We're including the Egged Bus 99 tour of Jerusalem because of it's overall price, but considering the amount of city the bus tour packs in, it amortizes out to be quite a deal. Check out the Old City's many landmarks with a guide via the Classic Old City Tour. You can also tour Jerusalem on two wheels, with the EcoBike tour of the city, or with two options for Segway tours (pictured).

Nightlife: There's a wide range of places that are nice enough to take a date without having to bust the ol' porcelain piggy. Beit Avi Chai offers some of the country's best concerts, with everything from rock to oud players reciting psalms, plus legitimate theater and other perormances. The Yellow Submarine is one of Israel's top rock venues, where you can catch up-and-coming acts. The area around the Old Train Station has a bevy of bars, clubs and performance spaces for the regular prole.

Price: 200-600 NIS per day.

Expensive

Eating: Jerusalem is a world-class city with world-class dining options, for those with the cash to flash. Any city bigger than Grand Forks has fancy restaurants, but as a melting pot of cultures, Jerusalem offers upscale restaurants that stray from the tired by-the-books French fare that dominates elsewhere (although that is also available in abundance). George'z offers a wide variety of home-style Georgian food (Caucasus, not peaches), including Georgian meatballs, lamb and other specialties. Morrocan concept restaurant Darna offers the best of what Morrocans do best, from tagines to mechoui, in a setting that looks like it came right out of Casablanca. Angelica (pictured) is a good bet for locavores seeking flare, and uber-trendy Canela is a place to see and be seen if you are into fusion fare.

Lodging: Similarly, for those with the euros or dollars burning holes in their pockets, Jerusalem now offers super-luxurious places to plop down your bags. The newest addition to the class is the lavish Mamilla Hotel, located over the luxe Mamilla shopping mall. With an ultra-contemporary design by noted architect Piero Lissoni, Mamilla is firmly in the five-star category. Across the street is Jerusalem's home away from home for visiting presidents, kings and secretaries general, the David Citadel Hotel. Both are within spitting distance of the Old city. Closer to the German Colony, in posh Talbieh, is the luxurious Inbal, while many swear by the historical institution that is the American Colony Hotel, closer to Damascus Gate.

Sites: Mini Israel packs the whole country (in miniature) into one area outside the city for just 79 NIS a ticket. There's nothing more expensive than shopping, and the decidedly up-market Mamilla Mall is the best and classiest place to throw down the shekels, though you can burn through quite a few window shopping for some of the world's Judaica and jewelry downtown or in the artists' colony outside the Old City. For guided city-wide experiences, there's the Luxury Private Car Jerusalem Tour, or the Jerusalem Experience Customized Tour, to suit a variety of interests. Food lovers can also enjoy L'Atelier Tali Friedman's encounters with market vendors, food prep, wine and multi-course tastings (pictured).

Nightlife: If you're a big international performance act and you're coming to Jerusalem, chances are you'll play the Sultans Pool, where tickets don't come cheap, or easy. If your idea of a night out involves drinks you don't know how to pronounce, than the Mamilla Hotel's Mirror Bar, among the city's swankiest joints, should be your destination, or if the weather is nice, you can head to the hotel's Rooftop bar. As the name implies, super-ambient Agua, off in pastoral Ein Karem, will have your date swooning.

Price: 600 NIS per day and up.