View the city of Jerusalem from atop of the Old City walls via a Ramparts Walk.
The current walls surrounding the Old City of Jerusalem were built in the 16th century by Suleiman the Magnificent during the Ottoman Period.
For centuries soldiers walking along the walls’ ramparts, patrolling between the gates and guard towers.
However, in recent years, the path has been renovated and turned into a promenade offering a unique view of Jerusalem inside and outside the walls, including the City of David.
Plaques set up along the walks makes identification of landmarks and sites easy with explanations in Hebrew, English and Arabic.
Ramparts Walk is reasonably priced and makes a nice addition any exploration of the Old City.
The walk is divided into two parts, totally just under two miles long, each side taking about an hour and a half to complete.
There are several places along the way where you can descend but re-entry is only possible at the starts of both walks.
Both are included in the admission ticket and both have their differences.
The Northern Rampart’s Walk begins at Jaffa Gate and ends at New Gate and ends at Lions Gate.
Along this path you walk along the Christian and Muslim Quarters and across over the New Gate, Damascus Gate, Herod’s Gate, and finally Lions Gate.
The north side walk covers a lot of area so comfortable shoes should be worn since the rock wall-tops are uneven and can be difficult to walk on for some.
The walk ends close to the Dome of the Rock mosque and the Temple Mount. You can descend and explore here or turn back and descend at the Damascus Gate.
The Southern Ramparts Walk starts near the Tower of David and descends at close to the Western Wall. This is the shorter and easier of the two walks.
The walk covers the Armenian Quarter and ends at the Jewish Quarter.
This exit is between the Zion Gate and Dung Gate.
There is also a direct exit from the northern Ramparts Walk to the Roman Plaza and Zedekiah’s Cave.
If you don’t have a guide, download a free audio guide in the “Vocal Tours in Jerusalem” app for Android or iOS.