Palestinian Territories · Travel guide
How the West Bank divides, how to get in and around, and how to travel with care and context.
Photo: UAWC · CC BY-SA 4.0
The West Bank holds Bethlehem, Jericho and Hebron, among the oldest towns in the world, alongside terraced valleys, desert monasteries and cities with lively food scenes, together with a complex political reality. This guide covers how the territory works on the ground, how to choose between the ten destinations, how to move around, what to expect at checkpoints and how to travel responsibly.
The West Bank covers about 5,600 square kilometres, roughly 130 km from north to south and up to 60 km from east to west. It lies between the Jordan River and the 1949 armistice line, and has been under Israeli military control since 1967. It is home to about three million Palestinians and, in Israeli settlements, about half a million Israelis, which are considered illegal under international law by most of the world, though Israel disputes this.
Under the Oslo Accords, the territory was divided into Areas A, B and C. Palestinian cities, including Bethlehem, Ramallah, Nablus, Jericho and much of Hebron, are in Area A. The countryside, the Jordan Valley and the land around the settlements are largely in Area C. In practice, this means Israeli checkpoints and roads, restrictions on movement for Palestinians, and separate systems for settlers and residents.
For visitors, the result is a landscape of contrasts: welcoming towns and villages, roads with different rules for different drivers, checkpoints of varying strictness, and a separation barrier that runs along and through parts of the territory. Visitors with foreign passports have much more freedom than Palestinians, but conditions still vary from day to day.
It helps to travel with an open mind, accept that journeys are uncertain, and listen to people's own accounts of what they experience.
Worth knowing: Nothing in this guide is a substitute for your government's current advice, which is more up to date than any guidebook.
All entry to the West Bank is through Israeli-controlled crossings. Most visitors arrive from Jerusalem, through the Checkpoint 300 to Bethlehem or the Qalandiya checkpoint to Ramallah, and some come through the Allenby/King Hussein Bridge from Jordan. There is no airport, and there are no direct international connections.
Service taxis and buses. Palestinian shared vans and minibuses run between towns and are cheap. They do not run on a strict timetable, and drivers wait until they are full.
Private drivers. The most comfortable and flexible option, and often no more expensive than a hire car. A driver knows the checkpoints and can act as a guide.
Hire cars. Israeli rental companies generally forbid driving in Area A and their insurance will not cover you. Palestinian agencies offer rentals, but you need to check the rules and understand the road system.
Checkpoints. They range from a wave-through to hours of delay. Carry your passport, be polite, and allow extra time. Do not photograph the soldiers or the checkpoints.
Worth knowing: Do not drive at night in unfamiliar areas, and check the road conditions with your host or driver before setting out.
The hills of the West Bank have a Mediterranean climate, with a warm dry summer and a cool wet winter. Jericho and the Jordan Valley are in the desert and are far hotter.
March to May and September to November are the best months. The hills are green in spring, and the olive harvest in October and November is a memorable time to visit, when families pick and press olives together.
Summer is hot but manageable in the hills, and very hot in Jericho. Winter is cool and wet, and sometimes snowy, and Jericho is at its best. Christmas in Bethlehem draws pilgrims and celebrations, and is also the busiest and most expensive time to visit.
Check the calendar. Ramadan changes opening hours and the atmosphere, and the Eid holidays close offices and change transport. Israeli holidays can also close checkpoints and crossings.
Worth knowing: Political events and security operations can change access at any time, and the weather is only one factor in when to go.
Tourism is a significant part of the Palestinian economy, particularly in Bethlehem, and visitors are widely welcomed. Where you stay, eat and shop matters.
Stay in Palestinian-owned guesthouses and hotels, eat in local restaurants, and hire Palestinian guides and drivers. Buy crafts, olive oil and soap from cooperatives and workshops.
Listen to a range of perspectives. Palestinian, Israeli and international guides and organisations offer different accounts, and hearing more than one gives you a fuller picture.
Respect local customs, dress modestly and ask before photographing people. Be honest with border officials, and do not carry anything you would not want examined.
Cross at Checkpoint 300, visit the Church of the Nativity and the Milk Grotto, have lunch in the old town and return by mid-afternoon. It is the standard day trip and gives a taste of the territory.
Tip Carry your passport, and check conditions at the checkpoint before you go.
Reference
Every place named above has its own detailed guide — attractions, food, where to stay, how to get around and a suggested day-by-day plan.
Bethlehem Governorate, southern West Bank
A UNESCO-listed pilgrimage town ten kilometres south of Jerusalem, with the Church of the Nativity, an old town of stone lanes and olive-wood workshops, and warm hospitality.
Don't miss The Church of the Nativity, where you stoop through the Door of Humility and descend to the grotto marked by a silver star.
Explore Destination — BethlehemJericho Governorate, Jordan Valley
A palm-fringed oasis about 250 metres below sea level with Neolithic ruins, an Umayyad palace and mosaics, a Greek Orthodox monastery on a cliff and a cable car above it all.
Don't miss Tell es-Sultan, where a stone tower more than ten thousand years old is among the oldest monumental structures ever found.
Explore Destination — JerichoHebron Governorate, southern West Bank
A historic Palestinian commercial city and a pilgrimage site, with a Mamluk-era old city, glass and pottery workshops and a divided centre where visitors see the occupation at its most concentrated.
Don't miss The Ibrahimi Mosque (Cave of the Patriarchs), a Herodian-era enclosure over the traditional tombs of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and their wives.
Explore Destination — Hebron (Al-Khalil)Nablus Governorate, northern West Bank
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 — NablusRamallah and al-Bireh Governorate, central West Bank
A modern, lively city 15 km north of Jerusalem with museums, a thriving arts and music scene, a good restaurant and bar scene, and the mausoleum of Yasser Arafat.
Don't miss The Arafat Museum and the Mahmoud Darwish Museum, then a long dinner of Palestinian food in the evening.
Explore Destination — RamallahBethlehem Governorate, west of Bethlehem
A UNESCO-listed farming village near Bethlehem, known for its terraced valley, its shared irrigation and its small green aubergines, and a gentle place to walk.
Don't miss The valley floor walk along the ancient irrigation channels, with olive, fig and vegetable terraces on one side and the old railway on the other.
Explore Destination — BattirBethlehem Governorate, southeast of Bethlehem
A striking man-made hill with the remains of Herod's palace, bathhouse and tomb, about 12 km south of Jerusalem and a short drive from Bethlehem.
Don't miss The tunnels beneath the mountain, first dug by Jewish rebels against Rome, and the view from the rim across the Dead Sea to Jordan.
Explore Destination — HerodiumNablus Governorate, northern West Bank
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)Bethlehem Governorate, Judean Desert
One of the oldest inhabited monasteries in the world, with cliff-hugging chapels, a tomb of St John of Damascus and a strict rule that admits only men, in a spectacular desert gorge east of Bethlehem.
Don't miss The view of the monastery's terraces and domes stacked against a bare desert cliff, best seen from the roof of the Women's Tower across the gorge.
Explore Destination — Mar Saba MonasteryRamallah and al-Bireh Governorate, central West Bank
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 — TaybehFAQ
Yes, and most visitors do. Bus 231 and taxis run from near Damascus Gate to Bethlehem's Checkpoint 300, where foreign visitors are usually waved through. Staying a night gives you a much better sense of the town, and access can change at short notice.
Divisions created by the Oslo Accords in the 1990s. In Area A, the Palestinian Authority has civil and security control, and this covers the main cities. In Area B, the Palestinian Authority has civil control and Israel has security control. In Area C, about 60% of the West Bank, Israel has full control, and this includes most of the countryside and several archaeological sites.
Usually, yes. A local guide knows the roads and checkpoints, can arrange access, and can explain the history and politics on the ground. For Hebron in particular, a guide is strongly recommended, and there are guides from a range of perspectives.
It is a personal decision, and you should read your government's advice first. Many visitors travel without incident and describe the hospitality as extraordinary, but conditions have worsened since 2023 and advice is stricter for some areas than others.
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