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

These aren't necessarily the "dog days," you know. Thanks to GoJerusalem.com's comprehensive list of indispensable ways to spend the summer in Jerusalem, you'll hopefully never run out of inspiration for enjoying high season in the Holy City. So get out there, and start having your way with Jerusalem.

 

Annual Events and Festivals

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The Light Festival
The annual Jerusalem light festival takes place every June in the Old City and is a celebration of light featuring huge, impressive light displays, sculptures and shows by local and international artists with video screenings, street performers and live performances. Entrance to the festival is free!

 

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Hebrew Book Week

National Hebrew Book Week takes place every year in June, with large outdoor book fairs, special Book Week sales at bookstores all around the country, and a variety of accompanying events such as music, performances, children's events, workshops, and storytelling. In Jerusalem, the main fair is held on the grass next to Liberty Bell Park.

 

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The Jerusalem Season of Culture

The festival runs throughout the summer months and features a variety of festivals, attractions and activities including Foodtrip-a traveling food truck, The In House Festival, Contact Point-a fun and fascinating evening at the Israel Museum, the Jerusalem Sacred Music Festival and more.

 

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Front Stage

The Front Stage is the Young City Authority (of the Jerusalem Municipality) line of summer events. Every Friday during July and August, downtown Jerusalem bursts with youngsters, students and passersby who come to enjoy the street parties and events of Front Stage, turning Jerusalem into the pilgrimage of young party lovers and the local hipster crowd.

 

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Woodstock

Jerusalem Woodstock Revival takes place in August at Kraft Stadium featuring musicians and Woodstock revelers of all ages in the Israeli capital especially for the hippyfest of love and classic music from the Woodstock era. The lineup includes local musicians playing the music legendary musicians such as Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Cat Stevens and Bob Dylan.

 

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Jerusalem Film Festival
The Jerusalem Film Festival, which has been taking place in the Capital for over 30 years, takes over the Cinematheque and other film screening spaces every year in July. The festival is ten days long, screening between 150-200 films in a number of programs.

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Wine Festival

The annual Wine Festival which takes place every summer in August is a celebration of wine tasting from the leading wineries in Israel, in the enchanted atmosphere of the Art Garden, to the sound of live music. 

 

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Beer Festival 

Join Jerusalem's party crowd for two nights of spudsy fun at the annual Jerusalem Beer Fetsival, with more brews than one could possibly taste, and a lineup of well-known live musical acts.

 

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Kite Festival

The Israel Museum’s annual Kite Festival is a day of kite flying fun with kite building workshops, a kite parade, huge kite flying demonstrations and various other kite-related activities.

 

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Chutzot Hayotzer

Israel's grandest summer festival, Chutzot Hayotzer has been delighting Jerusalemites for more than 30 years. An outstanding array of paintings, prints, ceramics, jewelry, textiles, Judaica, gadgets, woodworking, and more, all for sale, make the festival (whose name loosely translates to "The Creator's Fair") a pivotal event for local and international artists alike.

 

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Main stage concerts and perfromances

Over the summer many a-list performers give concerts at Sultan’s Pool, Binyanei Hauma, and Gan Sacher – keep updated on our Bimot ticket page for tickets to all the hottest upcoming concerts.

 

 

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Attractions, Activities, Tours and hiking

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The Night Spectacular at the Tower of David Museum
is one Jerusalem’s most popular attractions. Read more and book tickets online here.The Tower of David also often offers themed daytime concerts on Fridays, followed by walking tours of the Old City, in the warmer months – click here to see the current offerings. 

 

 

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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.
 

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Day trips from Jerusalem: 
While the Holy City itself can indefinitely entertain any visitor, there's plenty to do and see further afield - and centrally-located Jerusalem is an ideal base from which to take in all Israel has to offer. Click here to read more about the top five day trips from Jerusalem.
 

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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.

 

 

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Jerusalem City Tour: 
The Jerusalem City Tour is comprehensive tour of Jerusalem's top sites from atop a bright red double decker bus - great for families. Click here to book online instantly with GoJerusalem.com.

 

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Free and cheap activities

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

 

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Groove to some great music at Boogie’s Friday afternoon stage from 12:00 followed by a musical Kaballat Shabbat at 17:00 at the Old Train Station.

 

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Festivals

Some of the city’s big name festivals offer free entrance to some or all of their offerings. Entrance to the Light Festival is free and a full meal from the Season of Culture’s food truck is just 20 NIS. 

 

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Playgrounds

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

 

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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. 

 

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Teddy Park

Teddy Park, in memory of Jerusalem Mayor Teddy Kolek, opened last July and boasts a huge fountain with 256 jets which operate at various times throughout the day. A great way for kids to cool off and have fun! Check the park’s Facebook page https://he-il.facebook.com/teddyparkjerusalem for updated information on when the jets are on and the sound and light show which takes place after dark.

 

 

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Kids activities

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In addition to many of the kid-friendly activities listed above, a list of good summer activities for kids wouldn’t be complete without some indoor air conditioned options. The Bloomfield Museum of Science, The Tower of David Museum, and the Islamic Museum of Art all have special programs and activities for kids throughout the summer. 

 

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The Jerusalem Mall (Malcha) also offers free afternoon activities and performances. 

 

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Food:

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Cool off with a “barad,” Israel’s version of the slushee - read more about Israel's favorite frozen beverage here.

 

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Why eat indoors when Jerusalem offers so many great al fresco opportunities? When the sun goes down and the weather cools off, enjoy a meal at one of Jerusalem’s many restaurants which boast outdoor balconies and summer specials.