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The Western Wall Tunnels

The Western Wall Tunnels

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4.6
based on 206 traveler reviews
photo of The Western Wall Tunnelsphoto by: The Western Wall Tunnels
Partially Accessible
English + Other Languages
Certified Tour Guide
phone02-627-1333
The Western Wall (The Kotel in Hebrew) is impressive on its own, but when you descend underground to the Western Wall Tunnels, you discover its true greatness.

The History and the Spectacular in the Underground World of the Western Wall Tunnels

The entrance to the tunnels is on the northern side of the Western Wall plaza, a few meters away from the Western Wall. Upon entering, visitors walk through a series of rooms moving eastward until they reach the Western Wall. The rooms encountered along the passageway are the remains of a Medieval church, a bridge, luxury rooms from the Second Temple era, residential homes, ancient cisterns, a quarry, a Hasmonean-era aqueduct,  and many more archeological discoveries. 

Visitors can participate in a fascinating tour that takes you through the tiers of the Western Wall that reveal their secrets in the thick depths of the earth and tell the story of ancient Jerusalem. The impressive Tunnels tour begins at the Western Wall plaza and is approximately 75 minutes long. Tours take place in English, too. The Western Wall Tunnels run along the 485-meter length of the Wall and offer a glimpse of the incredible engineering challenges faced by Herod the Great as he embarked on his undertaking to expand the Temple Mount. 

The Tunnels are, in fact, an underground system that constitutes a continuous chain of history, from the Hasmoneans until today. They were created through a large number of arches, which were built side by side and supported by staircases connecting the city with the Temple Mount. In ancient times, the Tyropoeon Valley ran along the western side of the Temple Mount, separating the Herodian Quarter and the Temple. The need for a bridge above the valley led to the building of the arches. Today, these passageways support the streets, and the tunnels pass directly beneath the Muslim Quarter. 

The tunnels were first discovered during a dig by British archeologists in the nineteenth century, however, the actual excavations took place after the Six-Day War under the auspices of the Israeli Ministry of Religion. Since the tunnels run along the Western side of the Temple Mount, the site of the Holy of Holies, they reach a point very close to the location of the drinking stone. There is a small synagogue at the site where religious Jews pray and read the Psalms.

The Western Wall plaza is buzzing in preparation for the arrival of crowds of worshippers for the priestly blessings over the days of the Passover festival. To meet the expectations of a large public coming from all over the country, there will be two traditional ceremonies for the priestly blessings in line with security guidelines and the holding capacity of the Western Wall plaza.
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google reviews

4.6
based on 206 traveler reviews
  • yael cohen
    yael cohen
    September 9, 2023

    The tour of the tunnels is a must see if you’re visiting the old city in Jerusalem. I recommend to buy the tickets in advance because they get sold out.

  • Akiva Brody
    Akiva Brody
    September 28, 2023

    Wow what an amazing tour. Our tour guide Liam was unbelievable! Charismatic, funny, interesting and personal! What an amazing experience. Any Hebrew or English speakers that have an hour, I totally recommend coming to the...

  • DJ H
    DJ H
    August 25, 2023

    I had a great time on the tour of the tunnels under the Western Wall. I learned a great deal more than I originally knew.

  • Devorah Zugman
    Devorah Zugman
    August 15, 2023

    The tour was a little over an hour. The tour is best for ages 7+ because it is mostly about history. Our tour guide was friendly and explained the history of the western wall tunnels as we went along. There are a couple o...

  • Rocky Brody
    Rocky Brody
    September 28, 2023

    Best tour!! About an hour and ten minutes. Liam was the most Amazing tour guide!!! He was so personable, informative, funny, engaging, all ages loved him. He answered all our questions and we not only saw such cool and im...

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