Bethlehem
A must-see on any journey through the Holy Land is Mar Saba Monastery, a bleak and beautiful 20km drive east of Bethlehem (beyond Beit Sahour).
Must-see attractions in Palestinian Territories
Ramallah
Next to the ornate tomb of the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat is a new museum that bears his name. Divided into two parts, the first half traces…
Jericho
A short drive north of Tel Al Sultan, this is a spot not to be missed. The sprawling winter hunting retreat of Caliph Hisham Ibn Abd al Malik must have…
West Bank
Set in Jenin's refugee camp, the Freedom Theatre has persevered in the face of unimaginable odds, including the assassination of its founder, Juliano Mar…
Bethlehem
For the millions of pilgrims who descend on the Holy Land every year, the Church of the Nativity is the main reason for visiting Bethlehem. The church,…
West Bank
The ancient site of the Samaritan Temple is a 10-minute walk uphill from the village, via a locked gate: ring the intercom and a guard will let you…
Ibrahimi Mosque/Tomb of the Patriarchs
West Bank
The focal point of Hebron for most visitors is the Tomb of the Patriarchs (Cave of Machpelah), known to Muslims as Ibrahimi Mosque (Ibrahim is the Muslim…
West Bank
Sebastia is a collection of ruins above a village of the same name that is believed to be one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the West Bank.
Jericho
At an isolated spot on the Jordan River, on the border between Jordan and the West Bank, stands the reputed spot of Jesus’s baptism by John, which began…
Tell Balata Archaelogical Park
West Bank
Tell Balata is the remains of what is believed to be the first settlement in Nablus, the Canaanite town of Shechem, dating from the first and second…
Mount of Temptation & Monastery of the Qurantul
Jericho
One of Jericho's – indeed, the entire West Bank's – most impressive sights is the Monastery of the Qurantul, built on the spot where the Bible says Jesus…
West Bank
Near the entrance to Balata, the largest refugee camp in the West Bank, is the spot where Christians believe a Samaritan woman offered Jesus a drink of…
Jericho
It is impossible not feel a sense of history strolling around the mounds and ruins at Tel Al Sultan, where remains of dwellings and fortifications dating…
Jericho
The spectacular St George’s Monastery is a must-see in Wadi Qelt, built into the cliff face in the 5th century. The paintings inside the main chapel are…
Ramallah
One of Ramallah's oldest buildings, Dar Zahran was restored and converted into a gallery-cum-museum in 1990, and plans are now underway for a coffee shop…
Jericho
Located just off the main road from Jerusalem to Jericho, this site is associated with the popular biblical story about the Good Samaritan who, according…
Museum of Palestinian Heritage
Bethlehem
This impressive museum in the new complex of buildings opposite Soloman's Pools is the personal collection of one man, Ishaq al Hroub, who gathered this…
Bethlehem
Al Rowwad is buried in the narrow streets of Aida refugee camp and is best visited as part of an organised tour. The centre is a wealth of information on…
West Bank
Located 2km beyond Buqi’in, this olive-oil factory practises fair-trade policy with its farmers. A tour of the factory includes a tasting, and if you want…
West Bank
Canaan, the son of Taybeh Brewery founder Nadim Khoury, began making wine in this modern facility below the Taybeh Golden Hotel in 2013 and now produces…
Bethlehem
King Herod’s spectacular fortress-palace, Herodium, built between 23 and 15 BCE, was known through the centuries to Arab inhabitants as the Mountain of…
Bethlehem
In a desolate corridor created by Israel’s separation wall and near the main checkpoint into town on the Israeli side, stands Rachel’s Tomb. Rachel is…
Russian Museum & Tree of Zacchaeus
Jericho
A short walk from the town centre, the Russian Museum traces the history of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Holy Land and has an interesting collection…
Hebron Glass and Ceramics Factory
West Bank
This factory on the outskirts of Hebron, on the main road into the city from the north, has been in the Natsheh family for 350 years. Visitors can observe…
Greek Orthodox Church of St George
West Bank
On the periphery of Burqi’in, the Greek Orthodox Church of St George is built on the site where Jesus is said to have healed 10 lepers. Believed to be one…
West Bank
One of a number of soap factories open to visitors in Nablus, Touqan opened in 1872, and the techniques of soap making here have not changed much since…
West Bank
Members of an ancient religion closely related to Judaism, the Samaritans believe that Mt Gerizim was not only the first piece of land ever created but…
Ramallah
It appears that a visit to Ramallah is no longer complete without a stop at this towering statue of the late Nelson Mandela for a selfie. Unveiled in 2016…
Jericho
About 10km north of the Dead Sea, Nabi Musa is where Muslims believe Moses (Musa in Arabic, Moshe in Hebrew) was buried. A mosque was built on the site in…
Bethlehem
Has a range of fruit and vegetables, meat and fish, junk, shoes and some mighty tasty snacks. Known to locals as the Green Market, the souq was…
Bethlehem
During Roman times, a series of natural springs filled three mammoth rectangular reservoirs supplying water via aqueducts to Jerusalem and Herodium. King…
Bethlehem
Opposite the Church of the Nativity and named after the second Muslim caliph, Omar Ibn Al Khattab, this is the only mosque in Bethlehem’s Old City. It was…
Ramallah
Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish was buried on this hilltop in Al Masyoun after his death in 2008, and this recently completed complex in his honour is…
Bethlehem
Built in the 19th-century church, the Lutheran Christmas Church is linked to the International Center of Bethlehem and was inaugurated by Kaiser Wilhelm…
Bethlehem
Midnight Mass at this pink-toned church, next door to the Church of the Nativity, is broadcast across the world on Christmas Eve, but there’s nothing like…
Bethlehem
If you’ve always wondered where exactly ‘shepherds watched their flocks by night’, drop into Shepherds’ Field, a parklike area just outside Beit Sahour…
Bethlehem
The museum, housed in a typical 19th-century Palestinian home, is made up of three rooms recreated as a traditional Bethlehem family abode, with many…
West Bank
With its unmissable green roof, Masjid Jenin Al Kabir (Jenin Great Mosque), was built in 1566 on the orders of Fatima Khatun, then wife of the Governor of…
International Center of Bethlehem
Bethlehem
This Lutheran-run centre puts on concerts, plays, films, English-language documentaries, workshops and lectures. There’s also a coffee shop, guesthouse,…
West Bank
Al Kebir Mosque (Great Mosque) is built on the site of an earlier Crusader church and Byzantine and Roman basilicas. Bits and pieces of its earlier…
