A Visit to the Jerusalem Shopping Malls

In Israel a mall is referred to as a “canyon” pronounced the same way as the Grand “Canyon”. You will find many Israeli brands, international brand stores and a wide range of entertainment opportunities in the malls. Jerusalem in particular has a number of large and impressive malls.

Malcha Mall

Located in the affluent south west Jerusalem Malcha neighborhood this is the city’s largest shopping mall. The mall has more than 250 stores spread over three levels with a total of 37,000m² of commercial space. The stores include Zara, H&M, Office Depot, Mango, SuperPharm, Toys R Us and supermarkets. In addition to the stores there are service oriented businesses like banks, tailoring services, ATMs, opticians, money changers, hairdressers, florists, post office and spa treatment services. You can even find play areas here and a synagogue as well as cinemas. There is a huge food court which is completely kosher. There is parking for up to 3,000 cars, the first two hours are free and after that each hour costs 5ILS. Open hours are Sunday to Thursday 09:30 – 22:00 and Friday 09:30 – 15:00. The mall is closed from 15:00 on Friday until an hour after sundown on Saturday and until 23:00 on Saturday night.

Mamila Mall

Located next to Jaffa Gate of the Old City this is one of the most attractive malls in the city. The mall consists of a central promenade with boutique-style stores on either side. Following the mall promenade from the entrance on King David Street all the way to the end you will be able to walk right into the Old City. There are two levels to the mall which also connects to a luxury hotel. There are a number of cafes with outdoor seating; the café’s on the upper level have great views onto the Old City.  Mamila Mall is open from Sunday to Thursday 10:00 to 23:00; Friday 09:30 to 15:30 and on Saturdays from one hour after sundown until 23:00. The mall parking is free for the first hour, 12ILS for each consecutive hour (or 3ILS for each 15 minutes) and alternatively 48ILS for the whole day.

Center 1 Mall

Located at the Central Bus Station this is a very convenient mall to reach. The mall has two floors with about 70 stores spread over 15,000m² of commercial space. There is covered parking for a fee. The mall is geared towards the Orthodox Jewish community with all of the food outlets being Kosher Mehadrin (Glatt) and the lady’s only gym, Lady Giraffe Gym is located here. Perhaps the biggest plus point of this mall is that you can wait for your bus in the air conditioned mall! The mall is open Sunday to Thursday 10:00 to 21:00, Friday 10:00 to 15:00 and on Saturday from an hour after sundown until midnight.

Lev Talpiot Mall

This is a mall for those looking for plenty of activities as there are a number of great places of entertainment especially for the young and young at heart. The mall is located at 17 Haoman in the Talpiot neighborhood and has about 90 stores. The entertainment venues are concentrated on the roof top where there is mini-golf, trampoline bungee, water ball (where you are inside a giant ball rolling on the surface of the water) and a dance bar. The mall is across the street from a movie complex. The mall has a bowling alley, restaurants and cafes. The mall is open Sunday to Thursday 09:00 to 20:30; Friday from 09:00 to 14:30 and Saturday from half an hour after sundown until 23:00.