Kidron Valley Valley

Address: Kidron Valley, east of the Old City of Jerusalem

Hours: Open 24/7

Admission: Free (public valley)

The Kidron Valley is the ravine that runs on the eastern side of Jerusalem’s Old City between the Temple Mount and the Mount of Olives, carrying seasonal watercourses and lined with ancient burial monuments. It contains several visible rock-cut tombs and funerary monuments dating to antiquity.

Well-preserved stone mausolea and carved tomb facades, including monuments long identified as the Tomb of Absalom and the Tomb of Zechariah, are among the valley’s most visited features. The valley has layered significance in Jewish, Christian and Islamic traditions and appears in biblical and later texts.

Over many centuries the valley served funerary, agricultural and drainage functions and has been modified by road construction and urban expansion. Archaeological remains attest to use from the Iron Age through the Roman and Byzantine periods.

The Kidron Valley lies immediately east of Jerusalem’s Old City walls in the West Bank/East Jerusalem area, descending southeast from the Temple Mount toward the Judean Desert and ultimately toward the Dead Sea.

• Best viewpoints: Mount of Olives viewpoints on the eastern ridge provide clear views down the length of the valley and overlook Old City walls and many tomb monuments at sunrise.

What to See#

• Tomb of Absalom: Tomb of Absalom (Yad Avshalom) - a prominent rock-cut funerary monument on the slopes of the valley historically associated with the Second Temple period.
• Tomb of Zechariah and Benei Hezir: Tomb of Zechariah and the Benei Hezir tombs - ancient rock-cut burial monuments located close together on the valley slope and notable for their preserved stone facades.

The Kidron Valley runs along the eastern side of Jerusalem’s Old City between the Temple Mount and the Mount of Olives. The valley is best accessed on foot from the Old City - enter through Dung Gate or Lions’ Gate and walk east into the valley, or approach from the Mount of Olives / Garden of Gethsemane on the eastern ridge.

By vehicle it is a very short drive from central Jerusalem; follow local roads down from the Mount of Olives or from the Old City entrances and park at nearby viewpoints or on-street parking, then continue on foot into the archaeological areas.

• Best time to visit is early morning or late afternoon for cooler light and quieter paths between the Mount of Olives and the Old City; these hours also give the best views down into the valley from the eastern slopes.
• Approach the valley on foot from the Mount of Olives or the Garden of Gethsemane side to access the sequence of tombs and tomb markers (including the Tomb of Absalom and the Tomb of Zechariah) in a single loop rather than trying to reach them by car.
• Many visitors focus on the Old City - take time to follow the valley floor and lower slopes where archaeologically important burial caves, ancient terraces and sections of old aqueducts are located; these features are easy to miss from higher viewpoints.
• To avoid tourist groups, skip midday and Sundays (when pilgrimage groups peak) and instead plan a weekday visit; stick to the quieter eastern paths and viewpoints rather than the main gates of the Old City.