Jaffa Gate & Ramparts Walk
שער יפו
The busiest gate of the Old City and the main entrance to the Ramparts Walk, where you can look down on the rooftops of the four quarters from the top of the walls.
Jaffa Gate is one of the gates built when Suleiman the Magnificent rebuilt the walls in 1538. The gap beside the gate was widened in 1898 for the visit of Kaiser Wilhelm II, and vehicles can now pass through it. Inside the gate are the visitor centre and the Tower of David, and outside the gate is the pedestrian street of Mamilla. The Ramparts Walk has a northern section, from Jaffa Gate to Lions' Gate, and a southern section, from Jaffa Gate past Zion Gate to Dung Gate. Each takes about 1 to 1.5 hours. Admission is about 20 to 30 shekels. The walk is closed on Friday afternoons and during parts of the Sabbath.
Opening hours
City gates open all day; wall walk approx. 9:00 am–4:00 pm (check official sources)
Nearby sights
- Tower of David Museum
- Armenian Quarter & Cathedral of St. James
- Abbey of the Dormition
- Jewish Quarter & Cardo
- Cenacle & King David's Tomb
- Via Dolorosa
- Damascus Gate
- Yemin Moshe & Montefiore Windmill