Jerusalem (Israel) > Reviews > Exciting, Beautiful, Historic City

Author's product rating:   

Value for Money
Shopping
Nightlife
Ease of getting around
Family Friendly

Advantages:	Beautiful City, plenty to do, lots of history .
Disadvantages:	Watch out for dodgy dealers .  A lot of 'friction' in Israel .

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

I was in Jerusalem for three weeks in July whilst teaching English to children as a volunteer. I didn't really know what to expect although I made sure I read some of the history before I went.
The city is basically split into two parts, the Old City and the New City. In the Old City are most of the famous religious buildings, such as the Wailing Wall, The Dome of the Rock, The Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Via Delarosa. It takes a good day to look round, and during this day you will be hassled by thousands of market traders who all sell exactly the same things (barter with them though and you get some pretty cheap gifts). Don't let this put you off though, the sites there are pretty amazing and very interesting. But watch out for pickpockets and also dodgy guys who walk around changing travellers cheques etc. and generally might rip you off.
The New City is pretty much like any other modern European City, with shops, bars, cafes and night clubs (mostly centred around Zion Square).
Jerusalem has plenty of places to stay from nice hotels to the dirtiest cheapest hostels you can imagine. For a truly outstanding experience you can sleep on the roof of a hostel in the Old City for about 1 pound 50. Most decent hostel rooms are around 3-4 pounds.
There are many other things to see in the area, Yad Vashem the holocaust museum is good but left me feeling a bit depressed, the Knessett (parliament building) is close by with tours but is a little boring unless you are into politics. There are many other religious sites in Jerusalem such as the Mount of Olives and numerous churches/synagogues/mosques (the Old City is actually split into four quarters each with it's own people, history and style).
Jersulaem is also a good base for exploring the rest of Israel, with good bus links to just about everywhere in the country, even the snorkeler's paradise Eilat on the far South coast is reachable in five and a half hours. If you can't handle heat though, I'd stay a way from Jerusalem in the summer, everyday we were there it was over 40 degrees C.
I would definitely recommend anyone to visit Jerusalem, it is a very special place unlike any other. If you do go, A Lonely Planet guide would be very helpful in finding accomodation etc.