Western Wall Tunnel

Western Wall Tunnel Review

The long tunnel beyond the men's side (north of the plaza) of the Western Wall is not a rediscovered ancient thoroughfare but was deliberately dug in recent years with the purpose of exposing a strip of the Western Wall along its entire length. One course of the massive wall revealed two building stones estimated to weigh an incredible 400 tons and 570 tons, respectively. Local guided tours are available and are recommended—you can visit the site only as part of an organized tour—but the times change from week to week (some include evening hours). The tour takes about 75 minutes; among the attractions are a kinetic model of the Western Wall and some of the incredible building stones. Tours end, during daylight hours, at the beginning of the Via Dolorosa, in the Muslim Quarter. After dark, that exit is closed, and the tour retraces its steps through the tunnel. The ticket office is under the arches at the northern end of the Western Wall plaza.