Last Updated on November 8, 2021
Places of interest, off the beaten track & fun things in Jerusalem for the whole family.
Hebrew: טיולים וסיורים בירושלים
The Soreq (Sorek) Cave
At the heart of the Avshalom Nature Reserve on the western slopes of the Judean Hills, the Soreq Cave, discovered only in 1968, contains an amazing variety of stalactites and stalagmites. Some formations are at least three hundred thousand years old. Scientists have been able to track climate changes over the millennia. A routine blast in the nearby Har-Tuv quarry tore away the rock face, revealing a subterranean wonderland.
Colored lights have been used to highlight the stones. The stalactites have been given nicknames like “macaroni,” “curtains,” and “sombreros.”
There are 150 steps down to the cave.
- Entry to the cave is only with a tour; entry without a tour is not possible and tours must be booked in advance via the KKL website.
Address: Route 3866, Avshalom Nature Reserve
Phone 02-991 1117
Entrance fee: 29 shekels
Hours:
April – Sept: Saturday – Thursday 08:00 – 17:00, Friday 08:00 – 16:00
October – March: Saturday – Thursday 08:00 -16:00, Friday 08:00 – 14:00
For the Disabled – Wheelchair Access
Lotem Integrated Nature Studies have developed a number of wheelchair accessible tours in Jerusalem and its environs.
A tour of the Jewish Quarter includes a visit to Mt. Zion, David’s Tomb, The Cardo, City Walls and the Western Wall. The tour can also be combined with a visit to various museums and the Herodian Quarter.
For more information on all the tours that Lotem have to offer contact Tammy at 054-6512653
The Herzl Museum
“We were in Jerusalem recently, with my family from abroad” writes Thelma. “They had not been to Israel before and I was given the responsibility of giving them a taste of our history, culture and religion in the few days we had together. With my limited knowledge, I decided it best to hire a tour guide and it was great fun to have him at our disposal. Anyway, typically, my teenage children get bored with anything that is not instantly accessible on a computer monitor, a tablet or mobile phone. So when our guide told us that he had arranged a visit to the Herzl Museum, the kids just grunted and groaned. I must say that the only thing I could think of was that it was going to be “boring, boring…”. We tried to talk the guide out of it, but he told us to “go with the flow” (liz’rom in Hebrew).
Davka, that week there was a heat-wave (a hamsin), three days of dust and intense heat with temperatures of 38ºC. We had been outside all morning and all we wanted was an ice-cream and some air-conditioned comfort. So, we agreed to the Herzl Museum visit and we bought the tickets.
| Adults | 25 NIS per person |
| Children to age 6 | Free when accompanied by an adult |
| Children from age 6 / soldiers students / senior citizens |
20 NIS per person |
| Youth and army groups (over 20 persons) | 15 NIS per person |
| Adult groups (over 20 persons) | 20 NIS per person |
We were very pleasantly surprised. The entire visit was interesting, well presented and very enjoyable. The audio-visual presentation, although an hour long, gave a thorough insight into Theodore (Ze’ev) Herzl’s life, his vision and his achievements.
The audio-visual presentations are screened in Hebrew, English, Russian, French, Spanish and German at different times of the day. You have to book in advance otherwise you might find yourself having to sit through the Spanish presentation instead.
After the presentation we walked through the gardens to Herzl’s grave in the National Cemetery. Prime Ministers Eshkol Levi, Golda Meier, Chaim Herzog and Yitzhak Shamir are buried there. Yitzhak & Leah Rabin as well as other notable public figures are also buried there. After a few hours, we left the Museum. It had turned into a fun visit, a wonderful outing and an experience we will remember always. It’s disabled friendly too, so it gets a 5/5 score from me and my family.
The Museum is located at the entrance to Mt. Herzl, on Herzl Blvd., Jerusalem.
Bus lines to the Museum: 14, 18, 20, 27, 33, 13, 21 and there are taxis driving up and down the boulevard all the time. Parking is available. The Jerusalem Light Rail also stops there.
For more info call 02-6321515 – they are extremely helpful and they speak English!”
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