Tour of Old Acre – historical sites, the Templer Tunnel, the Turkish bath, and more
Technical details
Tour times
By arrangement.
Price
Tour structure:
The walls of Acre and Napoleon's cannons
One of the most enjoyable things to do in Acre is to take a walk on and inside the walls of the Old City.
During the tour, you will encounter many cannons known as Napoleon cannons, even though they are actually from a later period.
Land Gate
The Land Gate or Ottoman Gate in the Old City of Acre remains intact. Many stories have been told about it, one of which is that the beam in its center was used to hang anyone who did not respect the city's laws.
Old Acre Bay
In the ancient bay, more than 2,000 years old, the Tower of Flies, named after Baal Zebub, appears before us.
The Crusaders were confused, and when they arrived in Acre 1,000 years ago, they recognized it as Akron and decided to name this tower after the god of Akron.
Street art in Acre by Kashash
Walid Kashash, born in Acre, has managed to decorate most of the Old City and beyond with his art, which he creates entirely from items discarded on the street. Kashash has a gallery with a well dating back to the Turkish era, from which another well descends. Next to his gallery is an alley filled with examples of his work.
Kashash has been painting and sculpting since the age of 18. He is now over 60, and his son Jassan is following in his footsteps and taking photographs. Kashash's gallery also displays his son's photographs.
The Knights' Halls
The Knights' Halls are a complex of halls built by the Hospitallers. In Crusader Acre 1,000 years ago, many people lived there, including the Hospitaller Order. For about 40 years, excavations, restoration, and preservation work were carried out until the site was opened to visitors.
Today, you can visit the various rooms, look at history, the various items that have been discovered, tunnels, jewelry, meaningful wall carvings, and try to see the full picture—what Acre looked like 1,000 years ago. You can wander around the Knights' Halls for hours and never really see everything.
Every year during Sukkot, the Acre Festival is celebrated here, which is a beautiful festival with alternative theaters and a variety of performances.
The Templar Tunnel
Whenever someone complains about a drainage problem in Acre, there is always an interesting story behind it. That's how it is when you have a 400-year-old city built on the ruins of an even older city – one that is 1,000 years old.
And so it was a decade ago: a man complained about a blockage in his home, and when they came to check the source of the problem, they discovered an opening leading to a huge space. When they began digging, they discovered this tunnel.
The Templer Tunnel was opened to visitors just a few years ago, allowing you to walk from the center of the Old City to the sea! I've ruined the surprise for you, but there's nothing more beautiful and surprising than emerging from the darkness and depths of the earth to the beautiful sea, the waves, the seagulls, and the sun.
What was the tunnel used for? And why did it not appear on ancient maps? Some believe that the tunnel was kept secret in order to transport goods through it without paying customs duties and without passing through city officials.
It is not without reason that it was named the Templar Tunnel. The Templars were the wealthiest of the Crusader orders, and their physical location in the Old City of Acre was indeed where the tunnel originated. This certainly explains a few things about the Templars' wealth and the tunnel's location.
The Turkish Bath in Acre
The Turkish bath in Acre tells the story of a grandfather and son, each of whom, in his own time, was responsible for managing and maintaining a classic Turkish bath in the Old City. Through their story, you can learn about the entire history of Acre, from the Crusaders, through the Mamluks, Dahir al-Umar, Al-Jazzar, Napoleon, and more, up to the present day.
During the tour, visitors walk through the rooms of the hammam and learn about the function of each room during the Ottoman period, when there were many hammams like this one.
The story can be heard in many different languages, and the most beautiful thing is to see how they managed to take an old, inactive hammam and turn it into a lively place full of history and stories, visited by many people every day.
View from the rooftops of the Old City
On every rooftop in the Old City, we can see the unique buildings of this city, which is home to large and famous mosques. The most famous of these is the Al-Jazzar Mosque.
Between the rounded roofs of the mosques, you can see the tall towers of ancient churches, which also tell a special story about this unique city.
The Bahá'í Gardens of Acre
There is so much more to see and taste in the Old City, but it is important to remember that there are the Bahá'í Gardens at the northern entrance to the city.
The Bahá'í Gardens in Acre are the most important and sacred site for all Bahá'ís around the world. The gardens in Haifa come second to those in Acre. Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the religion and the actual author of the Bahá'í religious texts, was exiled to Acre. One of his places of detention was here in the Bahá'í Gardens, so when he passed away, it was decided that a garden would be established in his memory here, in the house where he lived, with his tomb, of course.
The Bahá'í religion was founded in 1844 in Persia by Ali Muhammad Shirazi, who called himself the Báb, the gateway to a new and better world. The principles of this monotheistic religion are that everyone is one and everyone is different, and that there is equality among all peoples and all species.
Guide details:
Gili Dror
I have always loved traveling. Short tours and long trips, far and near, what could be more fun than breathing fresh air and gazing at the horizon? After a first career working with computers, in 2015 I finally became a tour guide who loves the country, especially Haifa and the Galilee!
Today, I invite you to discover our country and open your hearts to the sights, people, hidden corners, and strong flavors. I believe that there is nothing like an experience that combines our senses to connect us to this place.
Additional information and frequently asked questions
Acre Market Hours
Friday and Saturday are usually the busiest days at the market.
Fewer businesses are open on Sundays, but most are.
The market likes to nap, but it also likes to take lunch breaks. I recommend starting your tour no earlier than 9:30 a.m. and no later than 2:30 p.m., so that most of the stalls and people will be there to tell you about and sell you their wonderful wares.
A trip to Acre with the kids
Acre is the perfect city for a trip with children, from the Knights' Halls, which are great all year round (rain or shine), to a visit that includes a funny video at the Turkish bath, to the secret Templar tunnel that was discovered.
The port is full of banana boats, so be careful—there's a 99 percent chance you'll fall in during the ride. There's also a boat ride from Haifa Port to Acre Port, which is where we can start our tour.
In addition to all this, you can walk along the walls and tower above the sea, climb magical rooftops in the city, and there is also a game to save the lily in the knights' halls, which is highly recommended for all ages!
Parking
Hof HaSusim parking lot, you can almost always find parking there because it's a large parking lot.
Public transportation
You can get there by bus or train.
If you arrive by train, you should get off at the Acre station and from there take a bus or walk to the Old City.
What not to miss in Acre?
The food and the knights' halls.
I recommend joining me on a culinary tour so you can sample a variety of places rather than just sitting in one restaurant.
If you choose to dine out, I can recommend excellent restaurants such as Turquoise, Al Mersa, Hummus Abu Abed Al Hamid, Uri Buri, and Dunya, which offer perfect views of the sea.
