Garden Tomb Tomb

Address: Near the Damascus Gate, Jerusalem; The Garden Tomb, Gordon’s Calvary

Website: https://www.gardentomb.com

Hours: Daily 8:30am-5:00pm (may vary seasonally)

Admission: Free (donations accepted); guided tours sometimes available

The Garden Tomb is a late 19th-century archaeological garden and Christian pilgrimage site in Jerusalem presented by some Protestant traditions as a possible location of Jesus’ burial and resurrection. It contains a rock-cut tomb and gardened grounds for reflection and worship.

Within the site visitors can walk the garden, view a distinctive rock formation described by some as a skull-shaped hill and enter the restored rock-cut tomb area. The site is used for guided visits and quiet devotional services rather than liturgical rituals associated with older ecclesiastical claims.

The Garden Tomb was identified and developed as a devotional site in the 19th century and has remained under the care of a trust that facilitates visitors and small services. It offers an alternative devotional focus to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre within the broader context of Jerusalem’s many holy sites.

The garden is located just outside the walls of Jerusalem’s Old City near the northern approaches, within the municipal area of Jerusalem and close to major visitor routes into the Old City.

• Use: The Garden Tomb was identified in the 19th century and is maintained as a quiet devotional space popular with Protestant and non-denominational visitors.

What to See#

• Skull Hill (Gordon’s Calvary): A rocky outcrop close to the garden that is presented as a possible site of the crucifixion and is sometimes called ‘Gordon’s Calvary’ by visitors.
• The tomb: The rock-cut tomb inside the garden is accessible to visitors and is presented as a first-century burial cave consistent with the era of the New Testament.

The Garden Tomb is just outside the Old City’s Damascus Gate (northern wall). It is roughly a 15-25 minute walk from the Damascus Gate or a 20-30 minute walk from the Jaffa Gate, depending on the route. Several tour operators include it on Protestant/Anglican itineraries; taxis and local buses also serve nearby neighborhoods.

• Enter via the well-trodden path near the British Protestant cemetery to avoid the busiest tour groups.
• Attend the quiet morning prayers or a short guided talk to appreciate the site's different Christian and archaeological claims.
• Combine a visit with the nearby Garden Tomb Museum to see artefacts and historical context.