Jerusalem Mount of Olives Tour: Cemetery, Gethsemane & Mary’s Tomb

Summary

Guided Walk Through Jerusalem’s Sacred Sites

You’ll walk through living history on this Mount of Olives tour—ancient gardens, holy shrines, and stories that still echo today. If you want to see Jerusalem through local eyes and understand why these places matter so much to so many people, this is it.

What’s the experience like?

You know you’re somewhere different as soon as you step out near the Mount of Olives. The air feels a bit drier up here, and there’s this faint scent of wild thyme if you catch it in spring. Our guide, Yael, met us by the main road—she grew up nearby and seemed to know every shortcut and story. First stop: the Garden of Gethsemane. It’s smaller than I expected, but those ancient olive trees look like they’ve seen everything. You can actually hear birds over the city noise for a moment while standing among them. Yael pointed out the spot where, according to tradition, Jesus prayed before his arrest. There were a few pilgrims quietly reading from little prayer books under the trees.

We made our way up toward the Church of the Ascension next. The building itself is simple but layered—first Christian, then later used as a mosque. There’s a stone inside that locals say holds Jesus’ last footprint on earth. It gets busy around midday, so we went early and had it mostly to ourselves except for an older man sweeping leaves outside who nodded hello.

The Tomb of the Virgin Mary sits down in the Kidron Valley at the foot of the mount—a cool, dim place with steps leading underground. Candles flicker everywhere and it smells faintly of incense mixed with old stone. People leave flowers or photos along the railings; it feels personal somehow, not just historic.

Last was the Jewish Cemetery—sprawling across the hillside with rows upon rows of pale stones. Yael explained how some graves date back centuries; she even pointed out one belonging to a famous rabbi from her childhood stories. The view back toward Jerusalem’s Old City is something else—you get why people wanted to be buried here.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Mount of Olives Highlights

• Visit Garden of Gethsemane
• Explore Church of the Ascension
• See Tomb of the Virgin Mary
• Tour Mount of Olives Cemetery

Top questions

Is this tour suitable for someone who isn’t religious?

Absolutely—it’s about history and culture as much as faith. Our guide shared stories from all backgrounds.

How much walking is involved?

There are some hills and steps but we took breaks often; most people manage fine regardless of fitness level.

Can I get there by public transport?

Yes! Buses run nearby and our guide gave clear directions for meeting points if you’re coming from central Jerusalem.

What’s included

This guided tour includes an expert local guide (ours was fantastic), comfortable air-conditioned transport between sites, plus plenty of time at each stop for photos or quiet moments if you want them.