Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate, central West Bank · Palestinian Territories
The administrative and cultural capital of the West Bank, a hill city of galleries, cafés and restaurants where the political and the everyday sit side by side.
Photo: Davide Mauro · CC BY-SA 4.0
Ramallah is about 15 km north of Jerusalem, on a ridge at 850 metres above sea level, and it is the de facto administrative centre of the Palestinian Authority. It was a small Christian village until the 20th century, and grew rapidly after 1948 as refugees arrived and after the Oslo Accords as the PA's offices and foreign missions settled here. Together with its twin city of al-Bireh it now has about 70,000 people.
It is not an old or a beautiful city, but it is a lively one. The centre has traffic, cafés and shops, and around it are museums, art galleries, a busy music and theatre scene, universities, NGOs and a bar and restaurant scene that is unusual in the West Bank. It is the most cosmopolitan Palestinian city and the easiest to visit, with a reputation, sometimes called 'the Ramallah bubble', as more liberal and comfortable than other towns.
For visitors, Ramallah works as a base for the central and northern West Bank, and as a place to meet people and learn about the politics and culture in a relaxed setting. It has also been affected by the wider conflict, with periods of tension and Israeli raids, and its access to Jerusalem is governed by the Qalandiya checkpoint. Check the situation before you go.
Why visit
Ramallah is a good place to see Palestinian life beyond the headlines.
The Palestinian Museum in Birzeit, the Mahmoud Darwish Museum and the Yasser Arafat Museum tell the story of Palestinian culture and politics.
Galleries, theatres, film festivals and concert venues make Ramallah the centre of Palestinian contemporary culture.
The city has some of the best restaurants, cafés and bars in the West Bank, from traditional Palestinian to international.
It is only 15 km from Jerusalem, with frequent buses and service taxis, and a good base for Nablus, Taybeh and Jericho.
Students, artists, journalists and activists are open to talking about their lives, and it is one of the best places to hear a range of Palestinian views.
Main attractions
Ramallah's sights are spread across the city, and a taxi is the easiest way to move between them.
The museum tells the story of the Palestinian national movement through the life of its most famous leader, in a modern building next to his tomb. Guards stand watch at the mausoleum.
Tip The museum is a good introduction to Palestinian history, told from a Palestinian perspective.
A museum dedicated to the poet Mahmoud Darwish, who is widely regarded as the national poet of Palestine, with his manuscripts, personal belongings and a garden where he is buried.
Tip Read a few of his poems before you go.
The busy central roundabout, with its stone lions and a clock tower, is the heart of the city. Streets around it are lined with cafés, shops and food stalls.
Tip Go in the evening, when it is at its liveliest.
A small area of old stone houses and a market with pastry shops, including the famous Rukab ice cream, made with mastic and salep.
Tip Try the ice cream and a coffee in the old town.
A restored Ottoman-era house that hosts exhibitions, concerts and events, and a place to meet the city's artists and writers.
Tip Check the programme before you go.
A striking modern museum in the village of Birzeit, 10 km north of Ramallah, with exhibitions on Palestinian culture and history, and a hillside garden.
Tip Check current exhibitions and opening hours.
The university town of Birzeit and villages such as Jifna and Taybeh have old stone houses, restaurants and a country feel.
Tip Go with a driver to combine several in a day.
Things to do
Ramallah is a place to spend time in, rather than to tick off, and its pleasures are cultural and social.
Two museums that together give you a view of the Palestinian story, political and poetic.
Tip Allow half a day.
Try modern Palestinian restaurants that revive old dishes, and traditional places that serve musakhan and maqluba.
Tip Ask your host or hotel for a recommendation.
Ramallah has bars, cafés and live music venues, with a relaxed, cosmopolitan crowd of students, artists and professionals.
Tip Ask locals about events and dress code.
The Sakakini Centre, Qattan Foundation and Zawyeh Gallery show contemporary Palestinian art.
Tip Check the programmes online.
Local guides run tours of the city, the refugee camps and the wall, discussing politics and history.
Tip Book through your hotel.
Nablus, Sebastia, Taybeh, Jericho and Birzeit are all within an hour or two.
Tip Hire a driver, and check the conditions.
Local food
Ramallah is the best place in the West Bank to eat, with a mix of traditional and modern Palestinian cooking, and a good café culture.
The classic Palestinian dishes, served at both traditional restaurants and modern ones.
Where to try it Restaurants around Al-Manara and in the old town.
A stretchy, chewy ice cream made with mastic and salep, sold from a shop in the old town.
Where to try it The old-town Rukab shop.
Hot falafel and creamy hummus, served everywhere.
Where to try it Stalls and small restaurants.
The hot cheese pastry, sold from trays in the centre.
Where to try it Sweet shops near Al-Manara.
A local craft beer from a village 12 km away, served in bars and restaurants.
Where to try it Bars and restaurants in the centre.
Ramallah's café culture ranges from traditional Arabic coffee to specialty roasters.
Where to try it Cafés across the city.
Accommodation
Ramallah has the widest choice of hotels and guesthouses in the West Bank, from budget to upscale. Most are in the centre or the nearby neighbourhoods.
Transport
Ramallah is 15 km north of Jerusalem, and reached through the Qalandiya checkpoint.
Taxis are the easiest way to get around Ramallah. The city is hilly and spread out.
When to go
Ramallah's altitude gives it a milder climate than the coast or the Jordan Valley. It is pleasant for much of the year.
Warm, green and clear, with a lively cultural calendar.
Warm and dry, with cool evenings. Festivals and outdoor events.
Warm and clear, with the olive harvest in the surrounding villages.
Cool, wet and sometimes snowy. Museums and cafés are cosy.
Worth planning around: Days of unrest or clashes, when the checkpoint may close, and Ramadan afternoons if you want a restaurant lunch.
Itinerary
Museums and the old town on the first day, Birzeit and a long dinner on the second. Assumes a base in the centre.
History, poetry and the old town.
A slower day outside the city.
Travel tips
Ramallah is easy and relaxed, and a few tips help.
FAQ
Ramallah is generally regarded as one of the safer and easier places in the West Bank, and it is popular with foreign visitors and journalists. Conditions can change quickly, and there have been periods of tension. Check your government's advice.
It is the administrative centre of the Palestinian Authority and the cultural and economic hub of the West Bank. It also holds the tomb of Yasser Arafat.
By bus 218 or a service taxi from near Damascus Gate to the Qalandiya checkpoint, then a bus or taxi into the centre. It takes 30–60 minutes.
One day covers the museums and old town, and two lets you add Birzeit and an evening out.
More cosmopolitan, more liberal and much more lively at night than most Palestinian cities, though it is smaller and more modern than Jerusalem. It is sometimes called a bubble.
Some restaurants and bars serve alcohol, particularly in Christian areas and Ramallah's centre. Elsewhere in the West Bank it is less common, so ask before you order.
Keep exploring
Places that pair well with Ramallah, whether you have a few spare days or are building a longer route.
Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate, central West Bank, Palestinian Territories
A small hilltop village of stone houses and olive groves, 13 km from Ramallah, best known for the Taybeh Brewery, its Oktoberfest and its Christian heritage.
Don't miss A tasting at the Taybeh Brewery, followed by a walk through the old village to the ruins of the Byzantine church of St George.
Explore Destination — TaybehNablus Governorate, northern West Bank, Palestinian Territories
The commercial and cultural capital of the northern West Bank, with a well-preserved Ottoman old city, a famous soap-making tradition, the best knafeh in Palestine and Roman remains close by.
Don't miss The old city's souk at breakfast, with knafeh coming out of huge trays and the smell of olive-oil soap in the air.
Explore Destination — NablusNablus Governorate, northern West Bank, Palestinian Territories
A small village on a hill above Nablus, built over the ruins of biblical Samaria and Roman Sebaste, with two thousand years of layers and almost no visitors.
Don't miss The Roman forum and its colonnade on the summit, with the olive groves of Samaria stretching away on all sides.
Explore Destination — Sebastia (Ancient Samaria)Read next
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