Find places in State of Palestine

Must-Haves

• Church of the Nativity (Manger Square)
  One of the oldest working churches in the world, built over the grotto where Christians mark the birth of Jesus.
• Separation Wall murals (Hebron Road)
  Graffiti and street art, including several Banksy works, cover the concrete wall near the northern entrance to town.

Off the Beaten Path

• Milk Grotto (Milk Grotto Street)
  A quiet chapel of soft white rock a short walk from Manger Square, visited by women hoping for children.

Fun for Everyone

• Shepherds' Field (Beit Sahour)
  Gardens, caves and a small tent shaped chapel where the Christmas story says the shepherds heard the news.
• Banksy Flower Thrower mural (Beit Sahour)
  The famous masked man hurling a bouquet is painted on a garage wall on the road into Beit Sahour.

Great for Date Night

• Jacir Palace Hotel (Hebron Road)
  A grand stone mansion from the early twentieth century, now a hotel with a pool and a calm garden.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Star Street (Old City)
  The pilgrim route into Manger Square, lined with old stone houses, workshops and small shops.
• Bethlehem Old Market (Old City)
  The souq just above Manger Square sells spices, olive oil, vegetables and fresh bread to locals every morning.

Must-Haves

• Olive wood workshops (Beit Sahour)
  Families have carved nativity sets and rosaries from local olive wood for generations, and many welcome visitors.

Great for Date Night

• Cremisan Monastery wine shop (Beit Jala)
  Salesian monks have made wine here since the late nineteenth century, sold from the monastery shop.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Afteem Restaurant (Manger Square)
  A family run favourite for falafel, hummus and musabaha just steps from the Church of the Nativity.

Off the Beaten Path

• Mar Saba Monastery (Kidron Valley)
  A Greek Orthodox monastery clinging to a desert cliff, one of the oldest inhabited monasteries anywhere; only men may enter.
• Solomon's Pools (Artas)
  Three huge stone reservoirs among pine trees that once fed water to Jerusalem.
• Artas Valley (Artas)
  A green valley of orchards and a convent, lovely for an easy walk south of town.

Must-Haves

• Battir terraced landscape (Battir)
  Ancient stone terraces and a Roman era irrigation system, listed by UNESCO and perfect for a village hike.

Off the Beaten Path

• Beit Jala old town (Beit Jala)
  Steep lanes of stone houses, churches and apricot trees above Bethlehem, with far fewer visitors.

Fun for Everyone

• Rachel's Tomb area wall walk (Hebron Road)
  Walking the wall from Aida to Hebron Road shows the murals, the watchtowers and the stories painted on the concrete.

Must-Haves

• Christmas Eve in Manger Square (Manger Square)
  Processions, scout bands and midnight Mass make Bethlehem the most famous place on Earth to spend Christmas.

Off the Beaten Path

• Orthodox Christmas procession (Manger Square)
  In early January the Orthodox patriarch's procession brings a second, more local Christmas to the square.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Manger Square coffee stalls (Manger Square)
  Cardamom coffee from the small vendors around the square is the cheapest way to sit and watch the town.

Must-Haves

• Mahmoud Darwish Museum (Al-Tireh)
  A garden museum and tomb for Palestine's national poet, with his manuscripts, belongings and a hilltop amphitheatre.
• Yasser Arafat Museum and Mausoleum (Al-Muqata'a)
  A modern museum telling the story of Arafat's life alongside his tomb in the presidential compound.
• The Palestinian Museum (Birzeit)
  A striking hillside museum with terraced gardens and thoughtful exhibitions on Palestinian history and culture.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Khalil Sakakini Cultural Centre (Al-Masyoun)
  An old mansion turned cultural centre with exhibitions, talks and readings.

Off the Beaten Path

• A.M. Qattan Foundation (Al-Tireh)
  A modern cultural centre with a gallery, library and a lively programme of art and education.

Fun for Everyone

• Al-Manara Square (City centre)
  The busy heart of the city, with its stone lions, street sellers and shops in every direction.

Off the Beaten Path

• Ramallah Old City (Ramallah al-Tahta)
  The small historic quarter of old stone houses and courtyards, quieter than the modern centre.
• Birzeit Old Town (Birzeit)
  Restored stone lanes and courtyards near the university, with small cafés and a spring festival.
• Jifna village (Jifna)
  A Christian village of apricot orchards, a Roman era church ruin and a crusader era tower.

Fun for Everyone

• Rukab Ice Cream (Rukab Street)
  A Ramallah institution since the 1940s, famous for stretchy mastic ice cream.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Zamn Café (Al-Masyoun)
  A local coffee chain where students, professionals and families linger over coffee and cake.

Great for Date Night

• Darna Restaurant (Al-Sharafa)
  A long standing restaurant for refined Palestinian and Levantine dishes and a relaxed terrace.

Fun for Everyone

• Taybeh Brewing Company (Taybeh)
  The family brewery that made the first Palestinian beer, in a Christian hill village east of Ramallah.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Ramallah vegetable market (City centre)
  The hisbeh is a lively covered market of farm produce, olives, cheeses and herbs.

Must-Haves

• Mövenpick Hotel Ramallah (Al-Masyoun)
  A large international hotel with a pool, the usual base for business travellers.

Fun for Everyone

• Millennium Palestine Ramallah (Al-Masyoun)
  A modern hotel near the cultural quarter with spacious rooms and a good breakfast.

Off the Beaten Path

• Ein Qiniya valley (Ein Qiniya)
  Terraced hillsides and springs just west of the city, a local favourite for a day outdoors.

Must-Haves

• Tell es-Sultan (Ancient Jericho)
  The mound of ancient Jericho, among the oldest towns on Earth, with a stone tower more than ten thousand years old.
• Hisham's Palace (Khirbet al-Mafjar)
  An early Islamic palace with a huge protected floor mosaic and the famous Tree of Life panel.
• Monastery of the Temptation (Mount of Temptation)
  A Greek Orthodox monastery built into the cliff where Jesus is said to have fasted for forty days.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Sycamore Tree of Zacchaeus (City centre)
  An old sycamore in a small garden linked to the gospel story of the tax collector who climbed a tree.

Off the Beaten Path

• Nabi Musa (Judean Desert)
  A domed shrine and mosque in the desert hills, honoured as the tomb of Moses, with an old spring festival.

Fun for Everyone

• Jericho Cable Car (Tell es-Sultan)
  Cable cars float from the ancient mound up to the Mount of Temptation, with views over the oasis.

Must-Haves

• Wadi Qelt and St George's Monastery (Wadi Qelt)
  A dramatic gorge walk to a monastery hanging on the canyon wall, best in the cooler months.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Ein al-Sultan spring (Tell es-Sultan)
  The spring that has watered the oasis for thousands of years, known to pilgrims as Elisha's Spring.

Off the Beaten Path

• Ein Fawwar spring (Wadi Qelt)
  A spring in the upper gorge where locals cool off and hikers start the walk down.

Fun for Everyone

• Jordan Valley date palm farms (Jordan Valley)
  The valley grows some of the region's finest dates, and farm shops sell them by the box.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Jericho fruit and vegetable stalls (Jericho Road)
  Roadside stalls sell bananas, citrus, Medjool dates and fresh vegetables straight from the valley farms.

Fun for Everyone

• Sultan Tourist Center (Tell es-Sultan)
  A large restaurant and shop at the foot of the cable car, handy for lunch with a view of the mound.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Jericho market grills (City centre)
  Simple grill houses around the main square serve kebab and fresh salads under the palm trees.

Fun for Everyone

• Jericho Resort Village (Jericho)
  A family resort with chalets, pools and gardens, popular with local families at weekends.

Great for Date Night

• Jericho Intercontinental Hotel (Jericho)
  A large resort hotel with pools and palm gardens, quiet in summer and busy in winter.

Must-Haves

• Old City of Nablus (Old City)
  Ottoman lanes, mosques, soap factories, sweets shops and hammams packed into one of the oldest living casbahs in the Levant.

Fun for Everyone

• Hammam al-Shifa (Old City)
  A working Ottoman bathhouse with steam rooms, scrubs and tea under a domed ceiling.

Off the Beaten Path

• Sebastia village and Nabi Yahya Mosque (Sebastia)
  A village built into a crusader cathedral where tradition places the tomb of John the Baptist.
• Burqin Church of St George (Burqin)
  One of the oldest churches in the world, built around a cave near Jenin.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Nablus clock tower (Old City)
  The Ottoman clock tower in the square by An-Nasr Mosque is a handy meeting point to start a walk.

Must-Haves

• Al-Aqsa Sweets (Old City)
  A small shop many call the home of the best kunafa in Palestine, baked fresh in big round trays.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Habibah Sweets (Old City)
  Another classic kunafa bakery where locals eat standing up with sweet tea.

Off the Beaten Path

• Samaritan village and Mount Gerizim (Kiryat Luza)
  One of the world's smallest religious communities lives on its holy mountain above the city.
• Samaritan Museum (Mount Gerizim)
  A small museum explaining Samaritan faith, scripture and the Passover sacrifice held on the mountain.
• Tell Balata archaeological park (Balata)
  The ruins of biblical Shechem, with city walls and a temple from the Bronze Age.

Must-Haves

• Jacob's Well (Balata)
  A Greek Orthodox church built over the well where the Gospel of John places Jesus and the Samaritan woman.
• Sebastia archaeological site (Sebastia)
  Roman columns, a theatre and the ruins of the ancient capital of Samaria, set among olive groves.

Must-Haves

• Khan al-Tujjar (Old City)
  The old merchants' market, a covered street of clothes, spices and household goods.

Fun for Everyone

• Nablus spice and coffee souq (Old City)
  Shops roast and grind coffee with cardamom and sell za'atar, sumac and dried fruit.

Must-Haves

• Al-Yasmeen Hotel (Old City)
  A comfortable hotel right at the edge of the old city, the classic base for visitors.

Fun for Everyone

• Wadi al-Badhan (Wadi al-Badhan)
  A green valley of springs, streams and picnic spots where Nablus families spend summer weekends.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Old City falafel and hummus stalls (Old City)
  Fresh falafel and hummus for breakfast is a Nablus ritual, and every lane has a favourite.

Must-Haves

• Ibrahimi Mosque (Old City)
  The great stone shrine over the Cave of the Patriarchs, holy to Muslims, Jews and Christians.
• Al-Shuhada Street area (Old City)
  Learning about the closed former main street is central to understanding Hebron today; go with a local guide.

Off the Beaten Path

• Hebron Rehabilitation Committee (Old City)
  The group restoring the old town's houses and souqs explains its work to visitors.
• Tel Rumeida (Tel Rumeida)
  The hill of ancient Hebron, with Bronze Age walls and wide views over the city.
• Oak of Mamre (Ein Sarah)
  A Russian Orthodox monastery garden around the ancient oak linked to Abraham's hospitality.

Must-Haves

• Hebron Old City souq (Old City)
  Vaulted Mamluk and Ottoman market streets with nets overhead, a moving and important walk with a local guide.
• Hebron Glass and Ceramics Factory (Ras al-Jora)
  Watch glass blown in furnaces as it has been for centuries, and pick blue painted ceramics from the shop.
• Hirbawi Textile Factory (Ras al-Jora)
  The last factory weaving the keffiyeh in Palestine, with looms running and a small shop.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Bab al-Zawiya market (Bab al-Zawiya)
  The busy modern market at the edge of the old city, packed with fruit, bakeries and clothes.

Fun for Everyone

• Hebron grape molasses and raisin shops (Halhul)
  Family shops sell dibs, malban grape sweets and raisins made from the hills' famous vines.

Off the Beaten Path

• Wadi al-Quff forest reserve (Beit Kahil)
  A pine and oak forest west of the city, the region's main spot for picnics and walks.

Fun for Everyone

• Hebron grape season (Halhul)
  Late summer brings mountains of grapes, raisins and grape molasses to markets around Hebron and Halhul.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Hebron qidreh restaurants (Old City)
  Hebron's famous qidreh, rice and lamb slow cooked in a clay pot in a bakery oven, is served at lunchtime around the old town.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Old City coffee shops (Old City)
  Small coffee sellers by the mosque serve strong cardamom coffee and warm conversation.