Itinerary
Shavuos week in Jerusalem, paced for the all-night learn.
Shavuos in Jerusalem has a uniquely compressed rhythm — one intense yom tov night and day (in Israel), built around the all-night tikkun leil Shavuos and the vasikin at the Kotel at sunrise. The week's itinerary is engineered to get you there rested.
Seven days. Two front-loaded days of rest. One of the most powerful nights in the Jewish calendar.
If you are bringing your family to Jerusalem for Shavuos and want the itinerary built around your schedule, we are glad to help.
Start the conversationDay by Day
-
Day 1
Arrival — a Couple of Days Before Yom Tov
Shavuos is a compressed yom tov — essentially one day in Israel (two outside) — which means jet lag must be resolved before the all-night tikkun leil Shavuos. Land a couple of days before yom tov (adjust your arrival day to the year — Shavuos 5787 begins Thursday night, Jun 10 2027).
Light day of arrival; early dinner; early sleep. This step is non-optional if any male guest plans to stay up all night learning.
-
Day 2
Tuesday — Kotel + Neighborhood Orientation
Morning visit to the Kotel; walk back through the Old City and Jaffa Gate. Afternoon: neighborhood orientation around your hotel — shuls where you'll daven, mikveh locations, pre-yom-tov shopping routes for Machane Yehuda (if your wife or husband wants fresh flowers or produce).
Early dinner; another early night.
-
Day 3
Wednesday — Day Trip or Rest Day
Pick based on your family's energy; most Shavuos families choose Option A because the tikkun leil is coming Thursday night.
- Option A (light): Stay in Jerusalem, rest, spend time with family, light walks.
- Option B (moderate): Kever Rachel + Chevron day (2–3 hours, emotionally heavy).
- Option C (active): Tzfat day trip — Ari shul, mikveh, Tzfat artists.
-
Day 4
Thursday — Erev Shavuos
Morning: pre-yom-tov mikveh for men. Early afternoon: candle-lighting prep, yom tov meal preparation coordination with hotel kitchen — menus are set but we confirm allergens, simcha add-ons, and family-specific requests.
45-minute rest before Mincha and yom tov.
-
Day 5
Shavuos Night — Tikkun Leil Shavuos
Festive first meal after Maariv. After seudah: men walk to the Kotel for the mass tikkun-leil-Shavuos learning (tens of thousands), or stay at a hotel-adjacent bais medrash. Women often gather for shiurim at the hotel or at nearby programs.
Dawn: Kotel vasikin minyan — one of the most powerful tefillos in the Jewish year. Post-davening sleep until midday.
-
Day 6
Shavuos Day
Late wake; late brunch (hotel accommodates post-vasikin schedule); afternoon rest. Kriat HaTorah of the Aseres HaDibros is the kriah of the year — families often daven together at a hotel minyan for the special kriah.
Second meal in the afternoon, then early Mincha. Because Shavuos 5787 falls on Erev Shabbos, candle-lighting and Kabbalas Shabbos follow directly — yom tov flows straight into Shabbos, with no havdalah until Motzaei Shabbos.
-
Day 7
Post-Yom-Tov Days + Departure
With a Thursday-night Shavuos, yom tov runs straight into Shabbos — Shabbos at the hotel is a built-in recovery day for most families. Motzaei Shabbos through Sunday or Monday is the typical departure window.
Shavuos week's post-yom-tov days are among the quieter Jerusalem tourism windows — take advantage of less-crowded Old City walks and Mahane Yehuda without Shabbos-eve intensity.
Dairy meals on Shavuos
The minhag to eat a dairy meal on Shavuos is widespread, and yom-tov hotel programs in Jerusalem typically build a dairy seudah into the schedule. Families who keep Chalav Yisrael should confirm that the hotel's dairy service meets their standard before booking, as hashgacha details vary by property — confirm with JRM and, where your posek requires it, ask your rav.
We coordinate the dairy-meal and meat-meal split per family to keep the schedule clear and the interval between milchigs and fleishigs correct for your minhag.
What it costs
Room rates during Shavuos week fall in our published bands — roughly $200–$450 per room per night at the value and mid-tier hotels, and higher at the premium properties and across Shabbos and Yom Tov dates. Full Yom Tov board programs are quoted per family. See our pricing page for the hotel-by-hotel table.
Planning Shavuos in Jerusalem?
Tell us the year, your family, and whether you have anyone going to Kotel vasikin. We'll help you pick the hotel whose Kotel walk supports the plan, and we'll pre-build the itinerary around your family's energy.
Start the conversationKeep reading
Shavuos pacing companions
Front-load rest before tikkun leil
If anyone is staying up for tikkun and walking to vasikin, rest days come first. Hotel location should serve that plan.