One of my favorite things to do when I'm in Israel is to go for walks in the Old City of Jerusalem. I think it's the best way to get to know the city and its history, and I've found that it's also a good way to find new places to eat or sights I might have otherwise missed. Jerusalem's Old City has many ethnic neighborhoods, and their distinct character can be really interesting if you know about them ahead of time.

The first couple of times I went on walks around here, I went with a tour guide. You'll be able to find many different tours and tour guides to take you around for pretty reasonable prices, but I took advantage of free tours that the city itself provides. To me, a 'free tour' means more money for food, and a little more falafel never hurt anyone. I recommend one of these free tours for your first visit, but it's really up to you.

Here's what I did on my most recent walk through the Old City of Jerusalem. I entered through Jaffa Gate and accessed the Ramparts Walk, which lets you walk along a couple sections of the Old City wall. Ramparts Walk access costs around $5, but I hadn't done it before and it's a pretty cool experience. I then descended into the Jewish Quarter of the city when I reached the Dung Gate. (Yes, it is named after that dung. No, you will not find any here now. This name is as ancient as the city.) The Jewish Quarter has a much more modern feel than the rest of Jerusalem's Old City, and I really appreciated the juxtaposition of the new buildings against the otherwise ancient setting. I walked straight through the Western Wall Plaza to the Muslim Quarter. I once spent an entire day at the Western Wall, but on this day I was hungry, and I had shawarma on the mind. I think the best walks have to include a meal, because I don't think there's a better way to experience culture than street foods eaten on the street. I headed straight to the El Wad Street area, where I headed to Nasr Restaurant, my favorite hole in the wall shawarma place. I then headed back through the Muslim and Christian Quarters to Jaffa Gate.

I like to keep my walks through the Old City of Jerusalem simple – see some sites, take my time, and eat some food. It doesn't get much better than that, and I hope you take the time to find your own favorite paths in the Old City too.

This is one great walk in Jerusalem, but the city has plenty of other attractions to explore as well.