Tower of David – Visitor Guide to Jerusalem Citadel
The medieval citadel, Tower of David, is a historic museum that tells the story of Jerusalem and hosts light shows.
Notes:
- I took the featured photo during the Jerusalem Festival of Light. If you visit on a regular day, there will be no light sphere (the one in the center of the picture).
- On June 1st, 2023, the Tower of David Jerusalem Museum reopened after renovation (new entrance pavilion, new galleries, and more).
Map
The Tower of David is located near Jaffa Gate. As you enter through Jaffa Gate to the Old City of Jerusalem, you continue walking along the Jerusalem Citadel wall till you see the entrance.
Note: In 2026, we entered through a new entrance located outside the Old City wall, south of Jaffa Gate.
Directions for drivers: Link to Waze and Link to Google Maps
Directions for public transport: Link to Moovit
Interactive map of the area:
You can find the following map in several places in the Old City of Jerusalem.
Note: You can click on the map to enlarge it.
The Tower of David is marked as #63 on the map above and is in square J4.
And here is a map of the museum.
Directions
Different alternatives (bus, light train, car) are available to reach the Old City. And you can find detailed info at the Old City of Jerusalem.
Opening Hours
Night experiences, or as many call them, light shows, occur in the evenings. You must purchase tickets in advance. You can buy them at the ticket office or the official website.
Here are the opening hours of the museum:
Sunday – Thursday: 09:00 – 16:00
Friday and Holiday Eve: 09:00 – 14:00
Saturday and Holidays: 09:00 – 16:00
Note: The Museum remains open one hour after closing time.
Entrance Fee
There are several types of tickets. Here is a table with all details:
| Museum-Only (NIS) | Night Experience (NIS) | Combined Ticket (Museum + Night Experience) (NIS) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult | 55 | 69 | 108 |
| Student | 44 | 64 | 95 |
| Child (3/5 – 18) | 35 | 59 | 83 |
Notes:
- Any child over the age of 3 must have a ticket for the night show. Any child over the age of 5 must also have an entrance ticket to the museum.
- If you are interested only in the lookout (and not the museum), from which you can see the panorama of the Old City of Jerusalem and surrounding neighborhoods, you can purchase a dedicated ticket. The entrance fee to the observation tower is 15 NIS. Also, see 14 Best Views of Jerusalem for a list of additional viewpoints in the city.
Discounted tickets are also available for seniors, people with disabilities, and soldiers. Additionally, there are VIP night tickets. You can find additional information on the official website.
Coupons
There are many offers for the Tower of David. Here are several examples:
- Max – 1+1
- Cal – 28 NIS per adult and 15 NIS per child.
- cuponofesh – 43 NIS per adult and 22 NIS per child.
- iTravelJerusalem – 45 NIS per adult and 23 NIS per child.
- Teachers` Organization – 30 NIS per adult and 16 NIS per child.
Guided Tours
Guided tours are available for individuals. These tours can take you through the permanent exhibition or nearby sites. You can find further details here.
The regular tour is included in the entrance fee, and here is the timetable:
| Regular Tour in Hebrew | Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday: 11:00 Friday: 9:30 |
| Regular Tour in English | Sunday – Friday: 10:00 |
Note: opening hours, ticket prices, and guided tour information were updated in July 2026. In any case, recheck the official website before visiting.
Audio Guide
You can download a free audio guide if you are not joining guided tours.
The Tower of David audio guide takes visitors on a journey through the Citadel and the permanent exhibition, highlighting the history of Jerusalem and the story of the museum. There are 35 different stations in this self-guided tour. The tour lasts between 60 to 90 minutes, and personal audio players can be rented at the Museum reception desk.
You can also download the Museum audio guide for free directly to your mp3 player (or desktop) to enjoy now and on your next visit to the museum. Once you have downloaded the tour, click on the number corresponding to the display marked in the museum, and enjoy.
Note: unless stated otherwise, all quotes were taken from the official site.
What is Another Name for the Tower of David?
Sometimes the Tower of David is also called Jerusalem Citadel. So if you see “Jerusalem Citadel” or, more commonly, “the citadel,” I mean the Tower of David.
Tower of David and King David
Before we start touring the museum, I want to address a common misconception.
Although we know this place today as the Tower of David, it has no connection to King David. It was an identification mistake.
Jerusalem’s Citadel, known as the” Tower of David,” is a historical and archaeological asset of international significance. The Citadel is a medieval fortress with architectural additions from later periods. It is located near the Jaffa Gate, the historical entrance to the city, and the point where the East meets the West. It bears cultural and architectural values and has been the symbol of the city of Jerusalem for generations.
The Origin of the Name: Despite being called the Tower of David, the Citadel has no connection to King David. The roots of this mistake date back to the Byzantine period, when early Church fathers misinterpreted Josephus Flavius’ writings and attributed a tower from the time of Herod (the Tower of Phasael) to King David. The Muslims also associated the Herodian tower with King David and called it mihrab Nabi Daud (the prayer niche of the prophet David). In the 19th century, when Westerners arrived in the city looking for physical evidence of the scriptures, the Turkish minaret added to the Mamluk mosque was mistakenly identified as the Tower of David. It was then that the misnomer for the Herodian Phasael Tower was transferred to the Turkish minaret, and it received the name the Tower of David.
If you are interested in King David, you can visit David’s tomb on Mount Zion and the City Of David near the Dung Gate.