Western Wall Tunnels

The Western Wall Tunnels let visitors follow the Western Wall of the Second Temple compound below street level, tracing its length beyond the open prayer plaza in Jerusalem's Old City, Israel. The guided route begins at the northern end of the Western Wall Plaza and runs through vaulted passages, a Hasmonean-era aqueduct and rooms built on Herodian foundations. Along the way the guide points out the careful stonework of the lower courses, where each ashlar has a smooth framed edge, and explains how Roman, Umayyad, Mamluk and Ottoman builders added to the area. The best-known stop is the Master Builder's Course, a block roughly thirteen metres long and weighing an estimated several hundred tons, but the guided account of the so-called Western Stone, a huge ashlar, is a highlight. Visitors also pass Warren's Gate, a sealed entrance that is now used as a small prayer space, and see model reconstructions of the Temple Mount. The tour lasts about seventy-five minutes and finishes on the Via Dolorosa side of the Muslim Quarter, so visitors need to plan the onward walk through the market streets. Tours run in set time slots in English and other languages, and they have to be booked in advance through the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, as walk-up places are rare, especially in spring and autumn. The tunnels are cool in summer but narrow and slightly damp, with low lighting in places, so the route is not suited to claustrophobic visitors. Photography is allowed in most sections for personal use, but guides may ask visitors to stop in prayer areas and the tour does not run on Shabbat. Crowds are lightest on morning slots early in the week, and groups are kept small enough that the guide can be heard throughout. Modest clothing and comfortable closed shoes are advised, and larger bags may need to be left outside. Tickets are inexpensive compared with other archaeological tours in Jerusalem and include security screening at the entrance.