mahane yehuda market tour

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The Classic Machane Yehuda Tour

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Eat Jerusalem - A Tasting Tour through the Heart of the Machane Yehuda Market

• Bottled water
• Alcoholic Beverages
• Agripas St 82, Jerusalem, Israel Our Delicious Guide will be wearing a bright orange tote/side bag.
• Near public transportation
• Stroller accessible
• Wheelchair accessible
• Most travelers can participate
• This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
• This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
• This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travelers
• For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
• You'll start at Agripas St 82 Agripas St 82, Jerusalem, Israel Our Delicious Guide will be wearing a bright orange tote/side bag. See address & details
• 1 Mahane Yehuda Market Stop: 2 hours Jerusalem's most vibrant outdoor market Read more
• You'll return to the starting point

• tiffanyl117 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Fantastic food tour highly recommended My husband and I did tours with Delicious Israel in both Tel Aviv Carmel Market and Jerusalem. Both were incredible and we were so grateful to have had these essentially private tours. Our guide in Tel Aviv even told us we were his first tour back since he was serving in the reserves! Beyond the delicious food, the best part of the tours is the narrative and story, the history behind each spot and what makes it unique to Israel. Highly recommend doing this food tour - worth every penny and you'll finish it completely stuffed with amazing food! Read more Written April 4, 2024
• michelleX8928CE 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Wonderful food tour The tour was wonderful and I saw a whole new side of Tel Aviv. Our tour guide, Jordana, was knowledgable and knew all the people along the way - which made it hamish. This tour is a must if you like food and culture. It is worth every step and every bite. Read more Written April 1, 2024
• Klockner 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Shuk Hopping Wonderful experience We had an amazing experience with Delicious Israel. Our guide, Jordan’s, was amazing. We did the 4 hour Shuk Hopping tour and it flew by. We ate so much, and had so much fun. Jordana explained about the locations, the foods, the shop owners, everything. Truly an experience. We had been to Shuk Hacarmel many times but now appreciate it all the more so. And this was our first time to the other Shuk. Really great and highly recommend. Read more Written March 31, 2024
• mrchapell 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Best dive into the Israeli food culture Our guide, Alexa was amazing, knowledgable and funny. We ate and drink through Levinsky Market, got historical context for every food and ingredient. It helps a lot to learn about what is what, especially in countries where the alphabet is different and reading is not an option, but know I now where to find the best sabich and how should I use some sumak! Read more Written March 30, 2024
• 316arnoldl 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles great food tour! Our guide Mai was terrific. Enthusiastic and knowledgeable. Unique itinerary. Tried many foods. Had a great time. Fun and interesting. Read more Written March 28, 2024
• merryllp 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles The Best of the Best My Tel Aviv friend and I didn't know what to expect. Our guide, Jordana, was outstanding. She keyed into our love of history and paced the tour to our appetites checking at each step how much more we could eat. The foods were delectable and many were new to us like stuffed hibiscus flowers and others were old favorites like bourekas and shwarma but the best we'd ever experienced. We felt the uniqueness of Levinsky Market through its people, its food, and its history thanks to this tour. The market is a gem and so is Delicious Israel. We were scheduled for a tour in Oct. 2023 but they worked with me to put together a tour when I was able to finally get a ticket to Israel. Read more Written March 21, 2024
• michelleaR9088RE 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Great tour of Levinsky Market Alexa was a great guide at Levinsky Market. Her warm and friendly personality and passion for food and cooking made for a great tour. And the food- was insane!!! Wow Read more Written March 16, 2024
• 999giaf 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles The BEST Food tour we have ever experienced ❤️🇮🇱 Where do I start?!?! So, we were assigned a wonderful, knowledgeable guy, Jacob, who was so AMAZING! His energy and enthusiasm and passion were evident from the start of this tour!! He did a great job explaining the history behind the scenes, took us to some fantastic spots that for sure we would have NEVER known about going without a guide and the FOOD!!! OMG!!! We went away so full! Anytime we have friends come in from overseas to visit, we are making sure that this is one of the first things we all go to😍. Delicious Israel is the BEST!! Read more Written March 15, 2024
• Tere A 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Excellent experience!! It was an amazing tour with lots of good food and a great and unique experience around the shuk a Carmel Recommend !!!!!!! Read more Written March 7, 2024
• 526sherriz 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Great food tour of Levinsky Market Jordanna was a fabulous guide with so much knowledge about the history of Levinsky Market and the people who founded it...We went to so many delicious "eats". Super fun and highly reocmmend! Read more Written March 2, 2024
• E9703OWjodyc 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Come hungry and inquisitive! I've done 2 walking tours with Delicious Israel this month and both have been superb! We were blessed with Emma as our guides. She's very knowledgeable about the history and brought us to so many amazing out of the way eateries in Jaffa, the Carmel market, and Levinsky. Each taste was better than the one before. Come hungry and inquisitive! Read more Written February 22, 2024
• I9321QEnataliec 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Just WOW I’m not sure what I expected, but just WOW. Jordana took us back in time and painted a picture of the historic Levinsky Market from its beginnings to how it stands today. I enjoyed meeting the various shop owners, hearing their family stories and sampling their unique foods and spices. Meeting Benny and sipping his “gazoz” was the highlight for me!! I was most impressed by Jordana’s knowledge of, not only food, but of Jewish history and geography. Her care of my gluten allergy was helpful and appreciated. I actually retraced our tour the next day and bought a little more of everything we tried. I highly recommend visiting Israel and supporting small businesses, especially these “mom and pop” shops. Am Yisrael Chai!! Read more Written January 17, 2024
• andreasO3733ZB 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Wonderful hosts!! The nicest guides and wonderful, warm cooking instruction. It inspired me to buy cookbooks from that region, and while I mostly stare at the beautiful recipes, it reminds me of the amazing moments I had during my visit there. I will return some day. Read more Written October 15, 2023
• 359terryt 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Excellent tour with outstanding food On our current trip, we have taken the food tours in Rome, Florence, Barcelona, Madrid and Tel Aviv. The tour with Jacob was the best of them all! Read more Written October 3, 2023
• Stay07061614944 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Great activity ! This was a very fun activity. Started with a shuk tour where we tasted some stuff from vendors. Then we went to their beautiful kitchen where we cooked our lunch. The chef was funny and nice and a great teacher. We all really enjoyed the activity. Would definitely recommend ! Read more Written October 3, 2023

More to explore in Jerusalem

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Eat Jerusalem - A Tasting Tour through the Heart of the Machane Yehuda Market provided by Delicious Israel - Private Culinary Walking Tours

A'round 

  EAT  | LOVE

Discover | jerusalem.

A'Round About JLM is a new and vibrant venture founded by a young woman and foodie who lives in Jerusalem. Our goal is to help you experience the market and all that it has to offer through all five senses. 

Come join us on a colorful and fasc

Come join us on a colorful and fascinating journey through the beautiful alleyways of Jerusalem in Mahane Yehuda Market, one of the most recognizable icons of the city. In a unique scene that takes place only here, one can see the city's elders drink strong black coffee and play backgammon as they walk alongside the colorful vegetable stands and tourists who come to the market from all over the world.

The Expert’s

Guide to the, mahane yehuda.

Our guide Tair Ben Moshe:

I was born and raised in Jerusalem, and today I  live in the Mahane Yehuda neighborhood, right next to the market.

Over the past few years I have guided many groups of tourists from all over the world. 

Join me on a fascinating tour on my back yard of my house, in the vibrant scene of Mahaneh Yehuda Market!

Culinary Tours

Apart from the classic tour, you can also book a night tour through Mahane Yehuda's great big bar which is through the night, a bar / bat mitzvah tour that connects the food of the market with its Jewish heritage, and tours of customized food by culinary preferences

Dozens of happy customers

“Thank you for the great tour!! so testy and interesting.”

Bernice Carmeli, Canada

“Tair were the best! we all had such a great day. it was meant to be, sharing our day and our forks with you"

Daniel Sullivan, Argentina.

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Mahane Yehuda Market

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About this place

Mahane Yehuda Market (also known as ‘the shuk’ in Hebrew) is one of Jerusalem’s most well-known and beloved landmarks.  Stretching from Jaffa Street to Agrippas Street, it has a unique appeal, fusing tradition with modernity. The market stocks everything from fruit and vegetables to meats and cheeses; from hardware to clothing and jewelry to Judaica.   Ideal both for strolling and shopping, it captures the essence of Jerusalem with its intoxicating sights, smells and sounds.

This history of Mahane Yehuda dates back to the Ottoman period when, at the end of the 19th century, local peasants came to sell their wares and turned it into an organized market.  It continued to develop under the British Mandate but attempts to transform its somewhat dilapidated, ramshackle appearance were generally unsuccessful. In the 1930s, a new market was built and a number of tradespeople applied for financial help from the Jerusalem municipality, in order to build permanent stores.

After the State of Israel was born, the market continued to develop but only in the last two decades has it transformed itself.  Historically, it was a place where people came, primarily, to buy produce but the project to revitalize it has been extremely successful.  Today, it hosts eclectic eateries (from hummus to fish and chips), independent coffee shops and bars that sell over 100 different kinds of craft Israeli beer.  

The open-air part of the market is predominantly for meat, fish and vegetables whilst the covered section caters more for ‘culinary tourists’ hunting out local spices, sweets, and teas.  Many of the stalls (‘bastas’ in Hebrew slang) are run by individuals whose families have been in the business for generations.

The revitalization of Mahane Yehuda also means that whilst by day, it’s packed with traders, by night it is transformed into space where visitors can eat, drink and listen to live music.  Popular both with locals and tourists, a good time to see it at its most frenetic is Friday lunchtime when most locals are preparing for the Shabbat and therefore stocking up their larders. The market closes only after the city’s famous siren has sounded and does not open again until Sunday morning.

The annual festival at Mahane Yehuda includes puppet shows, live performances and a variety of food-related events.  And even though the market is quiet on Shabbat (Saturday), its street art is easy to spot, since it is spray-painted on many of the stores’ metal shutters. This project is the brainchild of Solomon Souza and his colorful creations include Mahatma Gandhi, Albert Einstein, and Bob Marley. Since there are many shutters not yet painted, it seems that the project has no end in sight. 

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Explore israel with heiko sieger, your private tour guide, mahane yehuda market.

Mahane Yehuda market has long been a landmark in Jerusalem. Some even describe it as a “ national treasure “. One thing is certain – if you want to meet authentic people, you need to look no further. This picturesque marketplace lies outside the old city near the center of modern Jerusalem, between Jaffa road to the north and Agripas street to the south. It’s easily accessible by public transport, either bus or tram.

Hundreds of vendors sell a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, fish, nuts, meat, spices and other food. Want to taste the Levantine cuisine? You will find plenty of cafes, restaurants (including the famous Machneyuda gourmet restaurant), bars and pubs, turning the market into a culinary destination. One of them is the Que Pasa Tapas Bar which also sells a nice variety of local beer.

Mahane Yehuda market is not only visited by Jerusalem residents – religious or secular, Jewish or Arab, rich or poor – but also by a growing number of visitors from other parts of Israel as well as foreign tourists.

From Beit Yaakov market to Loan and Savings market

Mahane Yehuda or “ camp of Yehuda ” got its name from the nearby neighborhood by the same name, which was founded in 1887 by three business partners: Johannes Frutiger (a Swiss Protestant banker), Shalom Konstrum, and Joseph Navon. The neighborhood was named after Joseph Navon’s elder brother Yehuda. Originally the market was called the Beit Yaakov marketplace after another nearby neighborhood. There Arab merchants and fellaheen (farmers) from Lifta, Deir Yassin, and Sheikh Badr sold their produce to the predominantly Jewish residents of the new neighborhoods. By the 1920s the sanitary conditions deteriorated so much that the British mandate government had to order the vendors to vacate the place.

This is when the Halva’a ve-Hisahon (Loan and Saving) bank jumped in and provided low-interest loans to the vendors, but under one condition – that the market be named after the bank. There is still a sign left in an alley of the market that attests to this agreement. Recently the marketplace has undergone further renovations.

Friday is a particular busy day, when many locals go shopping for Shabbat. As the weekend approaches, people relax in the coffee shops and bars inside the market compound.

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Fun in Machane Yehuda – Day Market, Night Spot!

• Shatour Travel Blog
• August 15, 2023

During the day, it’s Jerusalem’s bustling food market, offering an international palette of fresh flavors. But after dark, Machane Yehuda becomes the hottest night spot, buzzing with street art, street food, live music, and alcoholic drinks.

Shuk Machane Yehuda, or just “The Shuk” as it is known in Jerusalem, is the city’s bustling commercial heart. The locals buy their fresh meat, fish, baked goods and fresh produce here. Whatever the season, you’ll find rainbow displays of fresh seasonal and locally-grown fruit and vegetables, mountains of scented spices, plus all the delicacies of the Middle East – sesame halva, pomegranate juice, and fresh pastries that melt in your mouth.

Known as bastas, the stallholders ply their wares in characteristic Israeli style. You are invited to haggle to get a better deal, but be warned that you’re dealing with professional salesmen here! Lunchtime is a good time to visit. You can take a foodie tour through Israel’s historic cuisine, from Turkish burekas through British fish & chips and Israeli chocolate rogelach, or enjoy a fusion of modern tastes such as fresh sushi, gourmet pralines and handmade ice cream.

Shatour offers culinary tours of the Jerusalem Shuk with local chefs , who will guide you through the process of selecting the fresh produce and preparing a sumptuous meal in their professional kitchen. Alternatively, you can wander the maze of alleyways with an audio guide and take the Shuk Bite Card tour, including 6 vouchers that enable you to sample recommended dishes and drinks.

As a visitor to the Shuk you can sample the flavors and aromas, and then take home Israel’s traditional herbs and spices to use in your own kitchen. If you are staying in Israel, you may be tempted to fill your shopping bags with freshly pickled vegetables, delicious cheeses, bags of colorful candy, and boxes of those irresistible pastries. If you are shopping for souvenirs, you can also find handmade Judaica items, natural cosmetics, designer jewelry and even kitchen supplies.

But when the stall-holders close their shutters, the Shuk changes its mood completely, from daytime bustle into hip night life. After closing time, the painted shutters represent many of Israel’s most famous faces, and some that you will scratch your head to recognize. This is the domain of Jerusalem’s student and artists community, with restaurants and bars serving Israeli wines, boutique beers and fresh cocktails.

Day or night, you may have to stand in line to enjoy the Shuk’s leading street food restaurants. A better option may be the Yalla Basta Nightly Bite Card , which offer you a guided tour of the trendy food and beverages in the market. This voucher-based tour will take you deep into the ambiance of the night-time market, allowing you to enjoy the vibes, the graffiti and the music on the different alleyways between the stalls. Stroll at your own pace and present your vouchers to enjoy the best of the food and alcohol on offer.

Jerusalem has always been known as a city of contrasts and contradictions. Visiting the Mahane Yehuda Market by day and by night, you will be astonished at how fast she changes her clothes and her mood!

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Bethlehem, Yad Vashem and Mahane Yehuda Market

This full-day tour offers a chance to visit a variety of attractions in one day with the benefit of private transport to ease logistics and relieve you from the burden of navigation, and a local guide to help you understand the significance of each site you visit. Leaving Jerusalem, you’ll need to cross into the West Bank, a process made simpler with a local guide who’ll also offer an insight into the political situation of these bitterly divided communities. You’ll visit Bethlehem , the birthplace of Jesus, then return to Jerusalem  to tour the poignant Holocaust Remembrance Center and the lively markets.

Your private driver-guide will pick you up from your Jerusalem hotel on the morning of your tour and take you directly out of the city to cross the West Bank border into the Palestinian Territories. Bethlehem, one of the most popular areas to visit in the West Bank, is located less than 10 km (6 miles) from Jerusalem and is best known as the birthplace of Jesus.

Manger Square, in the heart of the old city, is home to the Church of the Nativity. Built above a cave that’s said to be Jesus’ birthplace, there has been a church on this site since the 4th century making it dates from the 6th century and one of the oldest churches in the world. Here you can head down some cramped steps to the grotto beneath the altar, where a silver star marks the accepted site of Jesus’ birth. The newer adjoining Church of Saint Catherine is where the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem celebrates midnight mass on Christmas Eve.

From Bethlehem, you’ll return to Jerusalem to visit the Yad Vashem World Holocaust Remembrance Center. This is Israel’s official memorial to the victims of the Holocaust, and a visit is a moving experience. Yad Vashem features numerous galleries filled with original items, video testimonies, diaries, letters, and works of art, all telling the human stories of those murdered by the Nazis. The genocide is known in Israel as the Shoah, the Hebrew word for calamity. Other exhibits include the Hall of Names, a memorial to the six million Jews who died in the Holocaust, as well as the Garden of the Righteous Among the Nations, commemorating those who helped save Jewish lives.

After some time to absorb the somber exhibits and memorials, your guide will take you to Mahane Yehuda market where you’ll find yourself surrounded by the hustle and bustle of Jerusalem life. As you wander the labyrinthine alleys, your guide will recommend foods to try for lunch, take you to little-known curiosities in the market area, and will explain how Mahane Yehuda highlights Israel’s immigrant culture and fusion of influences from all over the world, particularly in its food, a symbol of Jerusalem’s many immigrant communities and their traditions.

Once you’ve had some time to walk around and explore the market, your driver-guide will take you back to your hotel.

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Photos of Bethlehem, Yad Vashem and Mahane Yehuda Market

Mahane Yehuda Market

Last updated on December 20, 2023.

Mahane Yehuda Market is a popular market between Jaffa Road and Agripas Street in Jerusalem . It’s also known as the Shuk.

Mahane Yehuda Market was founded in the late 19th century. There are over 250 vendors selling meats, cheeses, fresh fruits and vegetables, bread, spices, nuts, wine, fish, clothing, shoes, and more. There are also cafés, restaurants, juice bars, and fast food stands.

Two main streets run through Mahane Yehuda Market. Mahane Yehuda Street is an open-air market while Etz Hayyim Street is covered. Those streets are connected by a series of smaller streets named mostly for fruits and nuts.

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The market is open Sunday through Thursday from 8am to 7pm, and on Fridays from 8am to 3pm. Some restaurants remain open past those hours and on Saturdays, making the market a popular spot for nightlife. Mahane Yehuda Market attracts an estimated 200,000 people weekly.

Mahane Yehuda Market has been a hotspot for artwork since 2011. Many walls, concrete slabs, and shop shutters are decorated with colorful murals. If you visit at night, you’ll be able to see the shop shutters, which have been painted with the permission of the owners.

We visited the market on our own, once during the day to experience the actual market and once at night to find some dinner. To get a more complete experience, there are guided tours for different interests, including nightlife tours, graffiti tours, cooking classes, and more.

Self-guided tours through the Mahane Yehuda Bite Card allow visitors to explore the market at their own pace, sampling a variety of flavors on offer. They include six different items, including a traditional baked good, an authentic Jerusalem dish, meat patty or hummus, health drink, craft beer, and coffee or ice cream. The Bite Card also comes with a complimentary audio guide requiring your smart phone with data service and headphones. It costs ₪140 per person (as of May 2023).

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