What to see in State of Palestine: 10 must-sees
Discover what to see in State of Palestine: 10 must-see destinations, from Bethlehem (birthplace of Jesus) to Jerusalem. Predominantly city and religious; each entry includes the best time to visit and the link to its official source.
City(3)
Explore Hebron, the oldest city in Palestine, where the Cave of the Patriarchs gathers the tombs attributed to Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob and Leah beneath Herodian walls. Cross the old town among limestone, glassblowing and ceramics workshops, and covered souks selling spices, dates and keffiyehs. Climb the viewpoints to see how the city spreads between these hills and olive groves, and understand why this place remains the commercial and religious heart of the West Bank.
Climb into the hills of Nablus and walk its old town, where souks sell olive oil soap and fresh kanafeh sweets straight from street ovens. Pass limestone mosques and Ottoman houses that still keep their arches and inner courtyards. Walk narrow alleys where bakers and craftspeople keep century-old trades, and where tradition coexists with the everyday life of a university and commercial city in the northern West Bank.
Swim in the morning at the fishing port of Gaza, when the boats return and the Al-Zawiya souk opens its stalls of spices and fabrics. Walk Omar Mukhtar Street up to the Great Omari Mosque — raised over an old Crusader church — and enter the Al-Daraj quarter to see the house of the Baasha. At dusk, the Al-Rashid seafront promenade fills with families facing the Mediterranean.
Religious(2)
Walk the Basilica of the Nativity and descend to the cave where, according to Christian tradition, Jesus was born — a sanctuary venerated for 2,000 years. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2012, the church keeps Roman columns, 12th-century mosaics and the Door of Humility, so low you must bend down to enter. Beneath the altar, a fourteen-pointed silver star marks the exact spot of the birth, while pilgrims wait in silence to touch it.
Behold the third holiest mosque in Islam, where architecture, history and spirituality create a monument to faith. Third mosque, spirituality and the view. Visit the sacred temple where spirituality, architecture and history create a space of peace and reflection. Admire the architectural details and feel connected to the transcendent.
Archaeological Site(2)
Explore the site where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered — 2,000-year-old documents narrating the history of ancient Judaism. Qumran, the scrolls and history. Explore the archaeological site where ruins, artefacts and history tell of civilisations that flourished millennia ago. Walk among the stones, admire the remains and discover the past.
Discover Jericho — the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world, with 10,000 years of recorded history beside the Jordan Valley. Walk the archaeological tell of Tell es-Sultan, where layers of walls, Neolithic towers and artefacts show the civilisations that flourished here millennia ago. Walk among the excavated stones, observe the remains of the ancient dwellings and contemplate the view of the valley ringing the oasis. From Bethlehem you can reach it on a day trip and pair the site with the Mount of Temptation and the ancient sycomores downtown.
Natural(2)
Camp 430 meters below sea level, at the lowest point on Earth, beside the Palestinian shore of the Dead Sea near Bethlehem. Float effortlessly in water so heavy with salt you can barely sink, with the Judean Desert outlined in front. Walk the shores where salt draws white crusts over the rocks and watch birds crossing the rift between arid mountains. Bring footwear for the shore, plenty of water, and avoid shaving before the swim.
Stop in Beit Sahour, the eastern quarter of Bethlehem where tradition places the angels' announcement to the shepherds on the night of Jesus's birth. Walk the fields of olives and limestone that local flocks still graze, visit the Orthodox grotto carved into the rock and the Catholic sanctuary of the Custody of the Holy Land, with its church shaped like a shepherd's tent. From these hills the chieftains of Judea are visible, and nearby monasteries keep Byzantine remains documented from the 4th century.
UNESCO Heritage(1)
Explore Jerusalem's old town, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981, where Judaism, Christianity and Islam share a maze of cobbled alleys. Walk the Via Dolorosa, climb to the Temple Mount and approach the Western Wall in a single route. Its walls, churches and markets testify to a living cultural tradition that has inspired travelers and pilgrims for centuries.
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