JERUSALEM, ISRAEL | Jerusalem is heading into the fall tourism season with a rare combination of new archaeological access, contemporary Jewish art, expanding hospitality and international recognition, offering visitors new ways to experience one of the world’s oldest cities.
The Israeli capital was ranked seventh among the world’s best cities in Travel + Leisure’s 2026 World’s Best Awards and first among cities in Africa and the Middle East.
The ranking marked Jerusalem’s first appearance among the global top 10 in the annual awards. More than 207,000 Travel + Leisure readers participated in the broader survey, casting more than 661,000 votes across travel categories.
The recognition comes as Jerusalem adds new experiences alongside landmarks that have drawn Jewish, Christian and Muslim visitors for generations.
Among the most significant is the opening of the Pilgrimage Road at the City of David, an ancient route Jewish pilgrims used about 2,000 years ago as they made their way toward the Temple.
This fall will also bring the seventh Jerusalem Biennale, while new hotels and the continually evolving Machane Yehuda Market are expanding the city’s appeal beyond traditional religious and archaeological tourism.
Visitors Can Walk An Ancient Road To The Temple
Few of Jerusalem’s new tourism experiences connect the present to the city’s Jewish past as directly as the Pilgrimage Road.
The ancient street stretches from the Pool of Siloam toward the Temple Mount area and served as a principal thoroughfare during the Second Temple period.
After years of archaeological excavation, visitors can now walk on the original massive stone paving pilgrims used nearly two millennia ago.
The City of David said the road was fully uncovered and opened to the public for the first time in about 2,000 years.
For ancient Jewish pilgrims, the route was not simply a city street. It formed part of the journey toward the Temple, particularly during the pilgrimage festivals of Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot, when Jews traveled to Jerusalem.
Today, visitors can experience the route underground, walking along surviving sections of the Second Temple-era street.
The City of David offers both guided and independent visits. The route takes approximately two hours and includes stairs and enclosed underground passages.
The opening gives visitors an unusual opportunity to physically walk through a surviving part of ancient Jerusalem rather than view archaeological remains from a distance.
Jerusalem Biennale Returns With More Than 250 Artists
Jerusalem’s contemporary cultural scene will take center stage beginning Sept. 24 with the seventh edition of the Jerusalem Biennale.
Running through Nov. 12, the 2026 event is expected to feature more than 250 artists across 42 exhibitions in 21 locations in the city.
This year’s theme is “De Profundis,” Latin for “Out of the Depths.”
Organizers say the exhibitions will examine themes including the effects of the continuing war on Jewish communities in Israel and abroad, the collective subconscious and the role of prayer.
Venues include the Tower of David Museum, the U. Nahon Museum of Italian Jewish Art, the Bible Lands Museum, the Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, and galleries across Jerusalem.
The former home of Israel’s National Gallery will serve as one of the major spaces, hosting 14 exhibitions.
Participating exhibitions also include contributions connected with Jewish and artistic communities in Los Angeles, Boston, Portland, Omaha, Buenos Aires and Prague.
The Biennale has developed into an international platform for contemporary Jewish art, placing modern artistic expression within a city whose physical landscape spans thousands of years of Jewish history.
Machane Yehuda Continues Its Transformation
Another example of Jerusalem’s ability to blend tradition and contemporary culture is Machane Yehuda Market.
For generations, the shuk has been where Jerusalemites shop for vegetables, spices, baked goods, meat, fish, and household staples.
It has also become one of the city’s most recognizable culinary and nightlife districts.
During the day, traditional vendors operate alongside restaurants, bakeries, coffee shops and specialty food businesses. In the evenings, particularly on Thursday nights, sections of the market transform as restaurants and bars fill and music replaces much of the daytime commercial activity.
The combination has made Machane Yehuda both a working Israeli market and a destination for international visitors seeking an experience beyond Jerusalem’s religious and archaeological sites.
New Hotels Expand Jerusalem’s Hospitality Options
Jerusalem’s hotel sector is also adding new choices for travelers.
Hotel Nucha, an adults-only property near Mamilla Avenue, offers 86 rooms along with a rooftop pool, spa, restaurant and cocktail bar.
Its location puts visitors within walking distance of central Jerusalem and the Old City.
Prima Vera, meanwhile, has brought a new hotel concept to the former Jerusalem Tower property in the city center.
The 17-storey hotel has 120 redesigned rooms and is positioned within walking distance of many of Jerusalem’s historic, cultural, shopping and entertainment areas.
The new properties join a hotel market that received additional international recognition this summer.
The Waldorf Astoria Jerusalem was ranked the top hotel in Israel and third among hotels in the Middle East and North Africa in Travel + Leisure’s 2026 World’s Best Awards.
Jerusalem Ranks Seventh In The World
The international recognition of Jerusalem itself is particularly notable given the disruption Israel’s tourism sector has experienced since the Hamas-led terrorist attacks of Oct. 7, 2023, and the wars that followed.
Travel + Leisure readers placed Jerusalem seventh globally in 2026.
The city also finished first in the publication’s Africa and Middle East category, moving ahead of destinations that traditionally attract large international tourism markets.
The annual reader survey evaluates destinations on factors including attractions and landmarks, culture, cuisine, friendliness and shopping.
Jerusalem had placed third in the Africa and Middle East category in the magazine’s 2025 awards before rising to the top position this year.
The 2026 result therefore represents both a regional rise and Jerusalem’s first entry into the worldwide top 10.
Ancient History Meets A Changing Capital
Jerusalem’s appeal has always rested heavily on history.
The Western Wall, Old City, Mount of Olives, Church of the Holy Sepulcher, City of David, Israel Museum and Yad Vashem remain among the city’s defining destinations.
What is changing is the range of experiences surrounding them.
A visitor can now walk an ancient street traveled by Jewish pilgrims during the Second Temple period, encounter contemporary Jewish art in museums and historic buildings, spend an evening amid the restaurants and bars of Machane Yehuda and stay in a growing collection of modern hotels.
That contrast is increasingly central to how Jerusalem presents itself to international travelers.
For Jewish visitors in particular, the opening of the Pilgrimage Road offers something that few conventional tourism developments can provide: direct physical access to a route associated with Jewish pilgrimage to Jerusalem nearly 2,000 years ago.
For other travelers, the expanding cultural, culinary and hospitality offerings provide additional reasons to explore the city beyond its most familiar landmarks.
Jerusalem’s latest international ranking suggests travelers are responding.
As the city enters another fall season, its newest attractions are not replacing the ancient Jerusalem that has drawn visitors for centuries. They are adding another layer.
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