As the biggest city in Israel, with an incredibly rich history and diverse population, Jerusalem has some of the best markets in Israel. With high-quality, multicultural food options, beautiful antiques, and stunning artifacts, visiting a market in Jerusalem is certainly an experience not to be missed while visiting the holy city. Here are some of the best markets in Jerusalem, that will provide you with a great shopping and dining experience.
Machane Yehuda Market: the most popular market in Jerusalem
Machane Yehuda, Jerusalem’s central food market, also known as simply the Jerusalem Market, features a vibrant tapestry of colors, scents, and flavors. During your stroll here, you’ll find a plethora of high-quality goods, including bread, cheeses, oils, spices, fish, meat, fruits, and vegetables, alongside bakeries, falafel shops, and so much more. Despite the lively hustle and bustle of the market, the friendly shop owners will greet you with a smile and gladly share stories about the market, giving you a glimpse into the culture of Jerusalem.
The market opens six days a week, from the early morning when the aroma of freshly baked bread fills the air, until the late afternoon. The market’s busiest time is on Friday when the locals rush to do grocery shopping before the weekend. For a quieter visit with lower prices, it is more recommended to come here during the week.
Beyond the food stalls and shops, the market also hosts clothing stores, luxury boutiques, jewelry shops, souvenir stores, working-class restaurants, and even fancy upscale restaurants. The Machane Yehuda Market is also the best place to experience nightlife in Jerusalem, as you can find several bars and pubs here, which are especially busy (and joyful) on Thursday and Saturday nights.
The market in Jerusalem’s old city
The Old City market in Jerusalem is definitely one of the highlights of every visit to the old city. The market is a maze of narrow stone alleys that cross the old city and pass through the Christian, Muslim, and Armenian quarters which offer an incredible mix of smells, colors, sounds, and tastes. You can find a huge variety of shopping items n the alleys of the market, including clothes, furniture, toys, carpets, electronic products, and of course plenty of food – spices, falafel, pretzel rolls, hummus, Knaffeh, baklava, halva, and other sweets and delicacies.
Even if you have already arrived in the market with no room for food, you can continue walking around the market and discover the multitude of surprises it offers, and the most popular shops of all, which are the souvenir shops, as the old city market is the perfect place to stock up on gifts for loved one back home. With offerings such as jewelry, art objects, wooden statues, Armenian ceramic products, Dead Sea cosmetics, olive oil, and also holy water, there is an endless selection in the Old City market.
Bezalel Arts & Crafts Fair
A colorful fair, located in Nachlaot Neighborhood, featuring 120 artists presenting their works to the general public with lots of music and joy. The Bezalel Fair is a cultural and social art fair that allows creators, performance artists, and social organizations to present their works while establishing direct contact with the audience.
The fair, which has already become an official Jerusalem tradition, has developed its colorful character while maintaining the unique and non-commercialized concept according to which only handicrafts are presented and sold here. Among the creators, you can see textile artists, goldsmiths, photographers, and designers. The special atmosphere is complemented by local musicians and performance artists who perform at the venue and turn it into an artistic event that breathes life into the city’s alleys.
The fair operates on Fridays between nine in the morning and two in the afternoon.
Arts and Farmers Market in Jerusalem
The beautiful street of Emek Refaim wakes up every Friday to the wonderful aroma of organic vegetables and fruits picked in the morning, warm healthy bread, boutique cheeses, fresh spices, freshly brewed jams and dips, and freshly baked cookies. In the market, you can see a variety of works of art made of ceramics, mosaics, embroidery, and more.
Operating hours:
Friday: 09:00-15:00
Jerusalem Flea Market
A fair of antiques, collectibles, vintage, retro, and second-hand items that is held every Thursday and Friday in downtown Jerusalem.
Dozens of high-quality collectors with rare and impressive collections participate in the fair. Those collections include Crystal and porcelain vessels, coins, stamps, bills, silverware, lamps, wrist and wall clocks, lampshades, silver and gold jewelry, bags and accessories, second-hand clothes, records, copper vessels, postcards, tapestries, carpets, and much more.
Operating hours:
Thursday: Summer – 08:00 – 19:00
Winter – 08:00 – 18:00
Friday: Summer: 07:30 – 15:00
Winter: 07:30 – 14:00
