v2.webp){kind=logo}
- Mount Gerizim & Kiryat Luza (Samaritan community) — The only place in the world where the small Samaritan community still lives and prays on its sacred mountain. You can walk the summit paths, see the reconstructed Samaritan synagogue and tiny museum, and talk to people who keep ancient liturgical traditions and cuisine alive — a cultural experience unique to this ridge.
- Sebastia Archaeological Park — Ruins layered across millennia: a Hellenistic/Herodian acropolis, Roman forum and columns, Crusader-era remains and Ottoman towers. It’s one of those places where you can stroll among massive stones and really feel how this spot dominated the Samarian hills for ancient kingdoms.
- Tell Balata (ancient Shechem) — A working archaeological tell with visible city walls, streets and a small on-site
- Mount Gerizim & Kiryat Luza (Samaritan community) — The only place in the world where the small Samaritan community still lives and prays on its sacred mountain. You can walk the summit paths, see the reconstructed Samaritan synagogue and tiny museum, and talk to people who keep ancient liturgical traditions and cuisine alive — a cultural experience unique to this ridge.
- Sebastia Archaeological Park — Ruins layered across millennia: a Hellenistic/Herodian acropolis, Roman forum and columns, Crusader-era remains and Ottoman towers. It’s one of those places where you can stroll among massive stones and really feel how this spot dominated the Samarian hills for ancient kingdoms.
- Tell Balata (ancient Shechem) — A working archaeological tell with visible city walls, streets and a small on-site display. It’s the landscape that makes it special: the tell sits above the valley between Gerizim and Ebal, so you get both the archaeology and the geographic context of the biblical city in one visit.
- Nablus Old City — souq, kunafa & Nabulsi soap workshops — Not a generic market: Nablus has its own food culture (the kunafa here is a must-try), centuries-old soap-making pits, narrow alleys and rooftop views. Hanging out in the souq, sampling street food and watching traditional craftsmen is an immersive slice of Samarian daily life.
- Wadi Qana Nature Reserve (hidden gem) — personal favorite — A surprisingly lush valley of springs, rock pools, terraced orchards and quiet picnic spots that most guidebooks skip. Local families swim and cook here; the geology, old mills and tiny villages make for easy day hikes and cooling dips in summer. Perfect for low-effort nature time that feels authentic to the hills.
- Mount Ebal archaeological site (hidden gem) — A stark, rugged ridge opposite Gerizim with an unusual Iron Age stone altar and scattered ruins. Fewer visitors come here, so you get sweeping views of the Samarian landscape and a chance to wander relatively undisturbed among ancient stones — great for contemplative walks and photography.
- Burqin Church (St. George) (hidden gem) — One of the oldest surviving church buildings in the region, tucked into a small Galilean/ northern-Samarian village setting. It’s modest but atmospheric: old fresco fragments, pilgrim graffiti and a quiet courtyard — a good detour from the busier religious circuit.
- Tell Dothan (Tel Dothan) — An archaeological mound with a long sequence of settlement layers and a classic “valley well” setting. It’s a good spot to combine a short hike, olive grove views and some straightforward on-site interpretation about the region’s Bronze-to-Iron Age continuity.
- Deir Istiya terraces & local olive-press visits (hidden gem) — The hills around Deir Istiya are full of old stone terraces and small family groves. In season you can watch or join olive picking, visit a village press and taste fresh-pressed oil — a hands-on rural experience that isn’t staged for tourists and really shows how the Samarian hills feed themselves.
- Jenin Old City & surrounding tells — Northern Samaria’s market rhythms, roadside Palestinian bakeries and the lesser-known tells around Jenin make for a different pace: more raw, more local, and often overlooked by casual visitors. Walk the lanes, try the local breads, and use one of the hilltop tells as a short hike for wide views over the northern valleys.
Spotted a mistake or missing something? Contact us.
Best seller! Jerusalem old city four quarters tour
Private Tour Jerusalem Old City
JERUSALEM private tour with ELAD VAZANA - Life in Israel & Palestine Then & Now
Morning Private Tour to Discover Jerusalem
Bethlehem Half Day Private Tour - Pick up from Jerusalem/Tel Aviv/Ashdod
Full-Day Private and Guided Tour of the Jerusalem's Old City
Biblical tours
Full Day Private Christian Tour in Jerusalem with Tour Guide
Magical Walking Tour in Old City of Jerusalem
Best Backpacking
.jpg)
Hi, I’m Johan (Netherlands 🇳🇱), the creator of TakeYourBackpack. Over the past decade, I’ve backpacked through 80+ countries across six continents, gaining extensive experience with independent travel, long-term trips, and overland routes.