A Jerusalem day from the Old City to Mahane Yehuda

Arrive before seven, before the tour groups and the mid-morning heat. Men and women separate to pray at the ancient retaining wall of the Second Temple. Cover shoulders and head; modest dress is enforced.

Walk the 14 Stations of the Cross through the Old City from the Antonia Fortress ruins to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Printed maps at the Lions' Gate entrance; the Franciscan procession goes every Friday at 15:00.

The traditional site of Golgotha and Jesus' tomb, shared by six Christian denominations. Calvary chapel on the right as you enter, the Aedicule in the rotunda. The queue for the tomb is often ninety minutes; the Armenian chapel in the basement is often empty.

Non-Muslims can visit the Temple Mount only at limited hours, and the Dome of the Rock itself is closed to non-Muslims. The best photograph is from the Mount of Olives viewpoint across the Kidron Valley. Fifteen-minute taxi.

The Old City's best hummus, smooth and warm, eaten with a folded piece of pita scooping from the outside in. Add foul and a plate of pickled vegetables. Cash, shared tables with locals who barely look up from their plates.

The Holocaust remembrance centre. The Hall of Remembrance is a six-metre cone carved into the mountainside with ashes from the camps. The children's memorial reflects a single candle a million times. Two hours, emotionally.

Israel's most revered modern restaurant, tucked in the market. Open kitchen, communal tables, a changing menu chalked onto the wall. The Jerusalem mixed grill on polenta is the signature. Book weeks ahead.