Red hot at the heart of Jerusalem
(VIDEO) Wonderfiul way to experience Jerusalem's attractions
The tour takes two hours, and the bus is equipped with the stereo system, which allows passengers to listen to the explanations in 8 different languages: Hebrew, Arabic, English, French, German, Russian and more.
Video: Shai Rosenzweig
As we arrived at the start point in front of Jerusalem's Central Bus Station, we saw the tourists waiting to board the bus: "I'm from Belgium and I'm very excited about this tour," said Nathan who brought his family along for the ride. "We heard a lot of good things about it and decided to do a quick tour of all major sites and then decide which interests us the most."
We also met a number of Israeli families who felt the tour is the perfect way to re-acquaint themselves with the city's many attractions.
The ride began accompanied by fluent narrative from the bus' computerized audio system. The narrator explained where to look, using easily identifiable landmarks followed by a concise and fascinating explanation.
Many enjoyed it: "We get the gist of things without having to endure the obnoxious tourist who distracts the guide and group," Shlomi, an experienced traveler, explained. "The narration flows and everyone's paying attention. I like this a lot."
Indeed, this a great tour for the less-patient traveler. It is fast paced – no long pauses in the ride or the narration.
Bus driver Eli Agasi points out a sight people usually ignore on the bus' left side. An empty field covered with wild flora. "This priceless plot is patiently awaiting the foreign embassies, now located in Tel Aviv, to move to here once the last peace agreement will be signed. The embassies are now based in Tel Aviv because of ideology and the fear of an Arab boycott."
This is exactly the type of explanation the tourists receive – short and to the point, and different from the usual tour-guide texts.
It is impossible to cover Jerusalem's history in two hours, but the fact that many Jerusalemites join the ride indicates that they too learn a lot of new things about their city.
The route: The bus leaves from the Central Bus Station, goes through Mahane Yehuda Open Market, Hadassah Medical Center on Mount Scopus, Mount Scopus Observatory, Rocks Park, Jaffa Gate, King David, Biblical Zoo, Holyland, Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum, Israel Museum, The Parliament House, The Court and other attractions.
For more information and to schedule a ride: Egged website
The price of ticket is NIS 45 (about 10 USD) for adults and NIS 36 (about 8 USD) for children under 12.
