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Palestine 🇵🇸

backpacking Asia Palestine 🇵🇸Old cities, olive-soap souqs and monasteries in the West Bank hills.

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Backpacking Palestine in 2027

A complete guide including when and where to go, costs, transport, itineraries, and practical travel advice.
The big picture before you go

Backpacking Palestine
By Johan Kruseman 🇳🇱 | Updated October 18, 2026

Palestine is not a desert. The West Bank is mostly limestone hills stepped with olive terraces, and Ramallah sits about 870 meters up, high enough to see the odd winter snowfall.

The reason to come is the old cities and the food. Nablus’s souq is a maze of vaulted lanes smelling of olive-oil soap. I still remember a plate of knafeh there, the white cheese pulling into hot strings as syrup ran off the fork. Hebron’s Old City shows the occupation at street level, with netting strung over the market to catch rubbish thrown from settler homes above. Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity earns an hour, but the souvenir strip around Manger Square does not. The hard parts are checkpoints, sudden closures, military raids in some cities and settler violence in rural areas. Gaza is closed to visitors.

Jordan has Petra and smoother logistics. Palestine is smaller, with far fewer foreigners and more conversation per hour. Come for context and people. Skip it if you need fixed plans or a beach.

👉 Get the 📖 Travel Guide of Palestine

Bethlehem and Hebron (Bethlehem, Beit Sahour, Hebron, Mar Saba)

Most first trips to Palestine start in Bethlehem, 30 to 40 minutes by Arab bus from Jerusalem. Skip the souvenir shops on Manger Square and walk the graffiti along the separation wall instead. A shared taxi reaches Hebron in about 45 minutes. Its old souq runs under netting that catches trash thrown from settler homes above. It is politically raw ground for travelers who want to understand the conflict, and you leave with Hebron glass and the Ibrahimi Mosque.

Ramallah (Ramallah, Al-Bireh, Birzeit, Taybeh)

Ramallah has almost no headline sights, so don’t come for them. Come for the cafés off Rukab Street, bars full of NGO staff and Birzeit University students, and an easy social pace. Buses from Jerusalem take 45 minutes to an hour depending on Qalandia checkpoint, and shared taxis leave the central station for every northern town. It suits travelers who want a base and long conversations, ending on a cold Taybeh beer brewed down the road.

Nablus and the North (Nablus, Sebastia, Mount Gerizim)

Nablus is the reason to push north. The Old City is a tight maze of olive-oil soap factories, Ottoman hammams and sweet shops pulling kanafeh from the oven in trays a meter wide. Shared taxis from Ramallah take 1 to 1.5 hours. Add Sebastia’s Roman columns among olive groves and the Samaritan village on Mount Gerizim. Strangers offer coffee within minutes, which suits curious, unhurried travelers.

Jericho and the Jordan Valley (Jericho, Wadi Qelt, Hisham’s Palace)

Jericho sits about 250 meters below sea level, flat and hot, its roads lined with date plantations. Shared taxis from Ramallah take 45 minutes to an hour. Skip the cable car to the Mount of Temptation and hike Wadi Qelt instead, ending at St. George’s Monastery pinned to the cliff. Hisham’s Palace holds the “Tree of Life” mosaic. It suits winter hikers; summer heat is brutal.
Safety warning

The current risk level for Palestine is high. Check the advice before going.
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Why go?What draws travelers here

People

Palestinians tend to approach travelers first: a shopkeeper waves you in for tea, a taxi driver asks … read more 👉
Palestinians tend to approach travelers first: a shopkeeper waves you in for tea, a taxi driver asks where you’re from and what you think. Humor is dry, and politics surfaces quickly, so let people tell their own story. Skip the hurried group tour. I’d spend an evening in a refugee camp guesthouse, where dinner turns into hours of talk.

Uniqueness

Few places put modern politics this close to your daily route. In Palestine you can walk a 2,000-year-old … read more 👉
Few places put modern politics this close to your daily route. In Palestine you can walk a 2,000-year-old pilgrimage site in the morning and stand at a separation wall covered in graffiti by lunch. Tourist crowds thin out fast beyond Bethlehem. Skip the quick Jerusalem day tour that only stops at the Nativity. Spend two nights and add Nablus.

Architecture

Palestine’s cities are built from pale local limestone, layered by Byzantine, Crusader, Mamluk and Ottoman … read more 👉
Palestine’s cities are built from pale local limestone, layered by Byzantine, Crusader, Mamluk and Ottoman builders. Nablus and Hebron keep vaulted old cities with caravanserais, hammams and covered markets still in use. Jericho’s Hisham’s Palace holds the Tree of Life mosaic. Skip modern Ramallah for architecture. Walk Nablus’s old city in the morning, when shutters open and light hits the arches.

Low cost

Backpacking Palestine typically averages ILS 130 to 230 (about US$40 to 70) a day, well below Israel … read more 👉
Backpacking Palestine typically averages ILS 130 to 230 (about US$40 to 70) a day, well below Israel or Jerusalem for the same comfort. Family guesthouses, falafel, hummus and shared taxis keep costs low. Prices are in Israeli shekels, and cash rules outside big hotels. Skip sleeping in Jerusalem for West Bank day trips. Base in Bethlehem and save on beds.

⭐ HighlightsUnmissable destinations

  • Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem: You stoop through the Door of Humility, barely 1.2 meters high, into a dim basilica where restored 12th-century Crusader-era wall mosaics glint gold. The queue for the Grotto can run an hour. Arrive at opening and incense is still the strongest smell in the room.
  • Nablus Old City: Vaulted alleys hide Ottoman-era hammams and soap factories where blocks of olive-oil soap dry in tall hollow stacks taller than you. Follow the crowd to a knafeh counter, where orange trays nearly a meter across are sliced and drenched while you watch.
  • Hebron Old City and Ibrahimi Mosque: Stalls sell blown glass and painted ceramics from local workshops, under wire mesh sagging with debris dropped from above. The shrine over the Tomb of the Patriarchs is split in two, with separate entrances. It is quiet and tense, and it stays with you.
  • Wadi Qelt and St George’s Monastery: The trail tracks an old aqueduct along the gorge until the monastery appears, pinned to the cliff face. Carry
… read more 👉
  • Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem: You stoop through the Door of Humility, barely 1.2 meters high, into a dim basilica where restored 12th-century Crusader-era wall mosaics glint gold. The queue for the Grotto can run an hour. Arrive at opening and incense is still the strongest smell in the room.
  • Nablus Old City: Vaulted alleys hide Ottoman-era hammams and soap factories where blocks of olive-oil soap dry in tall hollow stacks taller than you. Follow the crowd to a knafeh counter, where orange trays nearly a meter across are sliced and drenched while you watch.
  • Hebron Old City and Ibrahimi Mosque: Stalls sell blown glass and painted ceramics from local workshops, under wire mesh sagging with debris dropped from above. The shrine over the Tomb of the Patriarchs is split in two, with separate entrances. It is quiet and tense, and it stays with you.
  • Wadi Qelt and St George’s Monastery: The trail tracks an old aqueduct along the gorge until the monastery appears, pinned to the cliff face. Carry at least two liters of water, because the rock throws heat straight back at you.
  • Mar Saba Monastery: Blue domes stacked into the Kidron Valley cliffs east of Bethlehem, home to monks since the 5th century. Only men may enter. Women get the better view from the opposite ridge, where the only sounds are bells and wind.
Off the map, Battir’s terraces, the Roman ruins at Sebastia and the brewery village of Taybeh each deserve a day, and I’d pick Battir first for its ancient spring-fed channels still watering vegetable plots.
Spotted a mistake or missing a highlight? Contact us.
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🧭 RoutesHow to structure a trip

The 2-Day Holy Cities Route


Two days, two cities and a walk on foot through the checkpoint between them, with mornings timed around the most restricted and most visited sacred sites in Palestine. It is quick, compact and built for a weekend.
  • The Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound and the Dome of the Rock at opening time
  • Stooping through the Door of Humility in Bethlehem
  • Banksy’s Walled Off Hotel and the separation wall
  • The quiet stone lanes of Beit Sahour

👉 explore this 2-day route

The 3-Day Southern Hills Route


One base in Bethlehem and three very different days: a pilgrim town, a terraced farming village you cross on foot, and Hebron’s divided old city. The pace is unhurried, with a clear view of how daily life works in the southern West Bank.
  • The UNESCO-listed terraces and Roman-era spring of Battir
  • A half-day hike uphill to Beit Jala
  • The Ibrahimi Mosque / Cave of the Patriarchs
  • Hebron glass furnaces and the last keffiyeh mill

👉 explore this 3-day route

The 5-Day Desert to Hill Country Route


A journey from … read more 👉

The 2-Day Holy Cities Route


Two days, two cities and a walk on foot through the checkpoint between them, with mornings timed around the most restricted and most visited sacred sites in Palestine. It is quick, compact and built for a weekend.
  • The Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound and the Dome of the Rock at opening time
  • Stooping through the Door of Humility in Bethlehem
  • Banksy’s Walled Off Hotel and the separation wall
  • The quiet stone lanes of Beit Sahour

👉 explore this 2-day route

The 3-Day Southern Hills Route


One base in Bethlehem and three very different days: a pilgrim town, a terraced farming village you cross on foot, and Hebron’s divided old city. The pace is unhurried, with a clear view of how daily life works in the southern West Bank.
  • The UNESCO-listed terraces and Roman-era spring of Battir
  • A half-day hike uphill to Beit Jala
  • The Ibrahimi Mosque / Cave of the Patriarchs
  • Hebron glass furnaces and the last keffiyeh mill

👉 explore this 3-day route

The 5-Day Desert to Hill Country Route


A journey from Jerusalem down to the desert floor at Jericho and back up into the hills of the north, with a new overnight stop almost every day. Expect monasteries on cliff faces, Umayyad mosaics, a brewery village and Roman ruins among the olive trees.
  • A dawn hike through Wadi Qelt to the Monastery of St. George
  • Hisham’s Palace and the cable car above Tell es-Sultan
  • A brewery tour in Taybeh and a night in Ramallah
  • The Roman ruins of Sebastia and kunafa in Nablus

👉 explore this 5-day route

🌤️ When to go?Choosing the right months to travel

The best time for backpacking Palestine is October to November and March to May, when the West Bank hills sit around 18 to 26°C, terraces fill with olive pickers or wildflowers, and guesthouses charge normal rates. Elevation splits the country: Ramallah, Bethlehem and Nablus sit 700 to 900 meters up and stay mild, while Jericho, about 250 meters below sea level, is pleasant in winter and punishing in summer.
  • Spring (March to May): warm days, green hills and prime hiking, with Easter crowds and higher prices in Bethlehem.
  • Summer (June to September): dry, 30°C in the hills and 40°C in Jericho; few visitors and cheaper rooms.
  • Autumn (October to November): olive harvest, cooler air, first rains, light crowds.
  • Winter (December to February): cold rain, occasional snow, Christmas price spikes; Jericho at its best.
The overlooked risk: the Allenby Bridge from Jordan runs shorter hours on Fridays and Saturdays and shuts on Jewish holidays such as Yom Kippur, and it can close for days or longer with little warning after security incidents. I’d pack a warm fleece even in April, since stone guesthouses rarely have central heating.

source: climatestotravel.comJANJanuary: good for travelingFEBFebruary: good for travelingMARMarch: highly recommended for travelingAPRApril: highly recommended for travelingMAYMay: highly recommended for travelingJUNJune: fair for travelingJULJuly: below average for travelingAUGAugust: below average for travelingSEPSeptember: fair for travelingOCTOctober: highly recommended for travelingNOVNovember: excellent for travelingDECDecember: good for traveling
!2016-10-25 15.04.10

💰 Costs (as of 2026)What things cost day to day

Backpacking Palestine costs most budget travelers US$40 to 70 a day (roughly 130 to 230 NIS), and food and transport are cheap enough that your hostel bed takes the biggest share.
You pay in Israeli new shekels (NIS), at roughly 3.3 NIS to the US dollar. Cash rules outside Ramallah’s cafés, so keep small notes for buses and falafel stands.
CategoryBudget RangeLocal Reality
Dorm accommodationUS$20 to 35 (65 to 115 NIS)Ramallah dorms start around US$23 to 25, and the higher-rated hostels there run about US$35. Bethlehem beds near Manger Square cost about the same, US$20 to 30. Dorms here cost roughly half what you pay in Jerusalem, where beds often reach US$35 to 50, but more than in Amman, where US$10 to 20 is normal. To pay less, book directly with the hostel for multi-night stays, or take a family homestay in a village.
MealsUS$10 to 20 (35 to 65 NIS)A falafel sandwich costs 4 to 7 NIS, and a plate of hummus with bread and pickles costs 10 to 20 NIS. A slice of hot knafeh in Nablus’s old city costs 5 to 10 NIS. A sit-down plate of musakhan or maqluba runs 40 to 70 NIS. If you self-cater from a Ramallah supermarket, a bag of bread costs about 5 NIS and a tub of labneh 8 to 12 NIS. Street
… read more 👉
Backpacking Palestine costs most budget travelers US$40 to 70 a day (roughly 130 to 230 NIS), and food and transport are cheap enough that your hostel bed takes the biggest share.
You pay in Israeli new shekels (NIS), at roughly 3.3 NIS to the US dollar. Cash rules outside Ramallah’s cafés, so keep small notes for buses and falafel stands.
CategoryBudget RangeLocal Reality
Dorm accommodationUS$20 to 35 (65 to 115 NIS)Ramallah dorms start around US$23 to 25, and the higher-rated hostels there run about US$35. Bethlehem beds near Manger Square cost about the same, US$20 to 30. Dorms here cost roughly half what you pay in Jerusalem, where beds often reach US$35 to 50, but more than in Amman, where US$10 to 20 is normal. To pay less, book directly with the hostel for multi-night stays, or take a family homestay in a village.
MealsUS$10 to 20 (35 to 65 NIS)A falafel sandwich costs 4 to 7 NIS, and a plate of hummus with bread and pickles costs 10 to 20 NIS. A slice of hot knafeh in Nablus’s old city costs 5 to 10 NIS. A sit-down plate of musakhan or maqluba runs 40 to 70 NIS. If you self-cater from a Ramallah supermarket, a bag of bread costs about 5 NIS and a tub of labneh 8 to 12 NIS. Street food here costs a third to half of Tel Aviv prices.
Local transportUS$3 to 10 (10 to 35 NIS)Shared “service” minibuses are the cheapest option: Ramallah to Nablus costs about 15 to 20 NIS, and Bethlehem to Hebron 8 to 10 NIS. The Arab buses from East Jerusalem to Bethlehem (231) and Ramallah (218) cost about 7 to 9 NIS. City hops cost 3 to 5 NIS.
ActivitiesUS$0 to 30 (0 to 100 NIS)The Church of the Nativity is free. Hisham’s Palace in Jericho costs about 10 to 20 NIS, and the Jericho cable car up to the Mount of Temptation costs about 60 to 70 NIS return. Guided tours drive the costs up most: a Hebron political tour costs US$70 to 100. I’d spend on one good guided day in Hebron and save by walking Bethlehem and Nablus on my own.
MiscellaneousUS$3 to 8 a day (10 to 25 NIS)A Jawwal or Ooredoo SIM with a data pack costs 30 to 60 NIS. Arabic coffee from a street cart costs 3 to 5 NIS. If you leave via the Allenby Bridge into Jordan, budget about 200 NIS for the exit fee, which is one of the steepest border charges in the region.
Total Daily BudgetUS$40 to 70 (130 to 230 NIS)A dorm in Bethlehem, falafel and hummus meals, and one service ride come to about US$40. A night in Ramallah, a restaurant dinner and the Jericho cable car push you toward US$70. That is well below Israel, where US$80 to 120 is typical, and close to Jordan once you leave Petra’s entry fees out of the comparison.
⚠️ Prices can change and everyone travels differently, so take this as a rough guide. Hope it helps you plan your adventure!

✈️ The backpacker research shortcutPalestine Travel Guide

An offline-friendly backpacking guide with optimized travel routes, ranked highlights, transport advice, and the best areas to stay.
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The digital guide (246 pages) contains:
✅ 61 highlights, ranked by travel appeal
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✅ Month by month travel advice
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✅ Best areas to stay
✅ Transport systems explained simply
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🌍 Understand the country, not just visit it
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✅ 52 Essential phrases & customs
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✅ Traveler-friendly historical context
✅ Insights that make places more meaningful

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🛏️ Where to stay?Best areas to base yourself

Palestine has a small but growing network of hostels and family-run guesthouses, with dorm beds usually running ₪50 to 90 (about US$16 to 29) a night. Bethlehem has the most choice, mainly in and around the Old City near Star Street and Manger Square, which puts you within walking distance of the Church of the Nativity but gets quiet after dark. Ramallah suits you if you want cafés and bars, with beds clustered around Al-Manara downtown (central, noisy) and leafier Al-Masyoun (calmer, a short taxi ride from the action). Nablus offers atmospheric stays inside the Old City souq, ideal for food and … read more 👉
Palestine has a small but growing network of hostels and family-run guesthouses, with dorm beds usually running ₪50 to 90 (about US$16 to 29) a night. Bethlehem has the most choice, mainly in and around the Old City near Star Street and Manger Square, which puts you within walking distance of the Church of the Nativity but gets quiet after dark. Ramallah suits you if you want cafés and bars, with beds clustered around Al-Manara downtown (central, noisy) and leafier Al-Masyoun (calmer, a short taxi ride from the action). Nablus offers atmospheric stays inside the Old City souq, ideal for food and history but with almost no nightlife and a conservative feel.

If you enjoy meeting fellow travelers, consider choosing hostels with high ratings for atmosphere. On the other hand, if you prefer having your own space, a hotel might be a better option.

Best hostels in Palestine


Best quality hotels in Palestine

🚌 Getting aroundHow to travel within the country

Getting around Palestine comes down to one trade: a private taxi covers Ramallah to Nablus in about 50 minutes for roughly 150 to 250 ILS (US$40 to 70), while a shared minivan does the same road for 15 to 25 ILS (US$4 to 7) but leaves only when every seat is filled. Take the shared ride. Checkpoints slow a private car just as much as a van, so the extra money rarely buys back much time.
  • Shared taxis (servees): Yellow Ford Transit vans with 7 to 10 seats leave from each city’s central station. Typical
… read more 👉
Getting around Palestine comes down to one trade: a private taxi covers Ramallah to Nablus in about 50 minutes for roughly 150 to 250 ILS (US$40 to 70), while a shared minivan does the same road for 15 to 25 ILS (US$4 to 7) but leaves only when every seat is filled. Take the shared ride. Checkpoints slow a private car just as much as a van, so the extra money rarely buys back much time.
  • Shared taxis (servees): Yellow Ford Transit vans with 7 to 10 seats leave from each city’s central station. Typical runs are Ramallah to Nablus in about 1 hour for around 18 ILS, Ramallah to Bethlehem in 1 to 1.5 hours via the Wadi Nar road for 15 to 20 ILS, and Bethlehem to Hebron in 30 to 45 minutes for about 10 ILS. Pay the driver in cash and pass coins forward if you sit in the back. Passengers often swap seats so women aren’t squeezed beside unrelated men, so expect a shuffle before you leave. On the Wadi Nar descent you get bare hills dropping toward the Dead Sea.
  • East Jerusalem Arab buses: These buses leave from Nablus Road near Damascus Gate. Bus 218 runs to Ramallah via Qalandia for about 8 ILS and takes 40 to 90 minutes. Buses 231 and 234 go toward Bethlehem for 6 to 9 ILS. They are the cheapest way in from Jerusalem, so skip anything pricier for this leg.
  • Yellow city taxis: Short hops inside Ramallah or Bethlehem cost 15 to 30 ILS. Meters are rarely used, so agree on the fare before you get in. They make sense late at night, when servees stop running.
  • Walking: The old cities of Nablus, Hebron and Bethlehem are compact and full of steps, and cars can’t get through most of their lanes. On foot you reach the knafeh counters and soap factories that no vehicle can.
I’d travel before noon with my passport in a front pocket, since afternoon checkpoint queues build and servees thin out sharply on Fridays.
Ramallah has no working airport, so the realistic gateway for Palestine is Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV), about 50 km (31 miles) from central Ramallah, and the cheapest reliable route is the train to Jerusalem followed by Arab bus 218 from East Jerusalem.
  • Train + light rail + Bus 218 (1.5 to 2.5 hours, about ₪35 or US$11 in total): take the train from the airport station to Jerusalem Yitzhak Navon (around ₪20), the light rail to the Damascus Gate area, then bus 218 from the Sultan Suleiman Street station via the Qalandia checkpoint to Ramallah (about ₪8 to 10, paid in cash to the driver); Israeli trains and light rail stop from Friday afternoon until Saturday evening, while the 218 keeps running.
  • Nesher shared taxi + Bus 218 (1.5 to 2.5 hours, about ₪75 to 90 or US$24 to 29): the yellow shared minivans leave from outside the arrivals hall when full and drop you anywhere in Jerusalem, so ask for Damascus Gate and switch to the 218 there.
  • Private East Jerusalem taxi (1 to 1.5 hours, about ₪300 to 400 or US$100 to 130): pre-book a Palestinian driver with Israeli yellow plates, since regular airport taxis usually refuse to enter Ramallah; agree the fare beforehand and expect cash.
  • Gett or Uber to Jerusalem + Bus 218 (1.5 to 2 hours, about ₪200 to 260 or US$65 to 85): both apps book licensed Israeli taxis at the airport, which will take you to Damascus Gate but not across into Ramallah, so finish the trip on the 218.
If you land late at night, pre-arrange an East Jerusalem taxi straight to your Ramallah bed or sleep in Jerusalem and take the 218 in the morning, because the bus thins out after about 9 or 10 pm.
⚠️ Prices and routes can change, so take this as a rough guide and ask for local advice when you arrive.
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🔒 Safety (risk Level: high)Safety considerations for travelers

Safety for solo travelers, including women and LGBTQ+ individuals
Day-to-day crime in Palestine is low, and solo travelers in Ramallah, Bethlehem, Nablus and Jericho tend to meet unusual warmth and hospitality. The real risks are political: military raids, clashes and settler violence flare up, especially around Jenin, Nablus refugee camps, Hebron’s H2 zone and rural areas near settlements, so check your government’s advisory and local news daily, and note that Gaza is off-limits. Women traveling alone are generally safe but may get stares or occasional verbal harassment, which modest dress and choosing seats next to other women in shared taxis help reduce. Same-sex relations are not criminalized in the West Bank, but they are deeply taboo socially, so LGBTQ+ travelers should stay discreet and avoid public displays of affection.


Full official government travel advisory (live updates)
View details 👉
safety image

source: www.gov.uk

✈️ VisaVisa requirements for Palestine

Palestine does not issue its own tourist visas, because Israel controls all entry to the West Bank, so you need whatever Israeli entry permission applies to your passport. Many nationalities, including citizens of the US, EU countries, the UK, Canada and Australia, enter visa-free for up to 90 days but must first get an online ETA-IL travel authorization through the official Israeli government portal before flying to Ben Gurion Airport or crossing at the Allenby Bridge from Jordan. If you arrive via the Allenby Bridge, you also need valid Jordanian entry and exit arrangements. Entry to Gaza is not possible for tourists.
⚠️ Visa requirements can change over time, so always check the latest visa requirements with the official embassy or government website before you travel.

🎒 What to pack?A practical packing list

Packing for Palestine means planning for two climates: the hill cities of Ramallah, Bethlehem and Hebron sit at roughly 750 to 1,000 meters and get chilly, wet winters (occasionally with snow), while Jericho, below sea level, can pass 40°C in summer. Bring layers year-round, because desert evenings cool off fast even after scorching afternoons. Modest clothing covering shoulders and knees will make you more comfortable in towns, mosques and churches, and women will want something to cover their hair for Al-Aqsa or the Ibrahimi Mosque. Old-city lanes are slick polished stone and hiking trails like Wadi Qelt are rocky, so pack footwear with real grip, and keep your passport and entry slip on you at all times for checkpoints.

Apart from this country specific advice, I have also crafted a general packing list that should help on any trip. authorOver the years, I've learned the importance of packing minimally. It's so much easier to jump on the back of a truck or squeeze yourself into the last spot of a minibus without that supersized backpack. If you're headed to a warm destination, leave your winter jacket at home; for colder regions, opt for thin thermal underlayers. Instead of packing your entire wardrobe, bring just three sets of clothes, as laundry facilities are available everywhere.

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🙋 FAQQuick answers to practical concerns

Trip Planning

Planning a backpacking route through Palestine can be tricky — you need to balance must-see places, travel times, budget, and how long to stay in each destination. Our free personalized Palestine itinerary planner creates a route based on your travel style, trip duration, and interests, so you can spend less time researching and more time exploring.



Personal tip: I normally search on good rating for atmosphere (for meeting people) and location (for easy exploring). Cleanliness as a bonus.


Travel Essentials

No vaccinations are required to enter Palestine, and there is no yellow fever certificate requirement. Make sure your routine vaccines are up to date, including MMR, tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis, polio and seasonal flu. Hepatitis A is recommended for most travelers because food and water exposure is common, and typhoid is worth considering if you plan to eat at street stalls and in villages. Hepatitis B and rabies are worth discussing with a travel clinic if you are staying long-term, volunteering or spending time around animals in rural areas.


vaccination requirements
When I first started traveling, I often spent part of my first day in a new country hunting for a local SIM card. While this can still be slightly cheaper, it also takes time and planning.

These days, it's much simpler to install an eSIM before leaving home. Once you arrive in Palestine, you can activate it immediately and have mobile data from the moment you land — which is especially useful for ordering transport or navigating away from busy airports.

There are many providers nowadays, and price differences are usually small. I personally go with Holafly, as it offers excellent network coverage throughout the country and strong global coverage, so you can manage multiple countries from a single app.


HolaFly eSim

Culture & Customs

Palestinian social life runs on hospitality, so accept the coffee or tea you are offered, at least for one cup, and expect to be pressed to eat more at any family meal. Dress modestly in towns, covering shoulders and knees, and remove your shoes and cover up fully in mosques. Use your right hand for eating, passing money and handing things over. During Ramadan, don’t eat, drink or smoke in public in daylight, especially in Nablus and Hebron. Always ask before photographing people, particularly women, and never photograph soldiers, checkpoints or military sites. Politics comes up constantly, so listen more than you lecture, and avoid showing Israeli souvenirs or Hebrew-stamped items in conversation. Public displays of affection are frowned upon for everyone. Women may be offered separate seating or a front seat away from men, which is meant as courtesy. LGBTQ+ travelers should keep their relationships private in public spaces.
Trying traditional food is always a great way to experience the culture. Here are some must-try dishes for Palestine.
  1. Musakhan: Roast chicken piled on taboon flatbread soaked in olive oil and topped with heaps of sumac-stained onions and toasted pine nuts. It is often called the national dish and is tied to the olive harvest, when the season’s fresh oil gets its first showcase.
  2. Maqluba: A pot of rice, fried eggplant or cauliflower and chicken or lamb that is flipped upside down onto a platter at the table. The name means “upside down,” and the flip is a family ritual, especially at Friday lunch.
  3. Knafeh Nabulsiyeh: Hot, stretchy white Nablus cheese under shredded or semolina pastry, soaked in syrup and dusted with pistachios. Nablus is the dish’s hometown, and people line up at old-city counters for slabs cut straight from huge round trays.
  4. Hummus and falafel: Breakfast food here, served with a lake of olive oil, raw onion, pickles and warm bread. They are cheap, fast and eaten across every class and city, which makes them a daily staple.
  5. Maftoul: Hand-rolled bulgur and flour pearls steamed over a broth of chicken, chickpeas and onions. It takes hours of rolling by hand, so it is a special-occasion dish that tells you a household is celebrating.
  6. Mansaf: Lamb cooked in jameed (fermented dried yogurt) and served over rice on flatbread. It is closely linked to Hebron and to weddings and reconciliations, where sharing the platter seals the occasion.
  7. Manakish with za’atar: Flatbread brushed with olive oil and a thyme, sumac and sesame mix, baked in a bakery oven. Palestinian za’atar is a point of pride and the default breakfast on the go.
Tap water in Palestine is not recommended for travelers, because supply is intermittent and water is often stored in rooftop tanks that aren’t always well maintained. Many locals filter it or buy large refill jugs rather than drinking straight from the tap, even though they cook with it. Stick to bottled water, which is sold everywhere for about 2 to 4 ILS per 1.5-liter bottle, or use a filter bottle to cut plastic waste.
The main language in Palestine is Arabic. Backpacking is way more rewarding if you know a bit of the local language, so I'd suggest brushing up on the basics just in case your Arabic skills have become a bit rusty.

Want to understand locals better?
The complete Travel Guide for Palestine includes 52 essential words and phrases — greetings, thank-yous, ordering food, transport, numbers, and common local expressions you'll actually hear.

Get your local basic phrases 👉

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In Ramallah and Bethlehem, English is widely spoken in hotels, cafés, shops and at tour desks, and many Palestinians studied or work in English. Younger, university-educated people and hostel staff usually speak it well, while older shopkeepers and shared-taxi drivers may know only a few words. In villages and smaller towns around Nablus, Jenin and Hebron, English thins out quickly. Levantine Arabic helps far more than anything else, so learn shukran (thank you), min fadlak (please) and kam? (how much?), and download Arabic for offline use in Google Translate.

Money & Payments

The local currency of Palestine is NIS (₪).
Palestine uses the Israeli shekel (ILS) for everyday spending, and ATMs from Bank of Palestine, Arab Bank and Cairo Amman Bank are easy to find in Ramallah, Bethlehem, Nablus, Hebron and Jericho. Many ATMs can dispense US dollars and Jordanian dinars as well as shekels. Expect a local fee of roughly 10 to 25 ILS per withdrawal on top of your own bank’s charges, so withdraw larger amounts less often. Visa and Mastercard work at mid-range hotels, supermarkets and many restaurants in Ramallah and Bethlehem, but shared taxis, markets, falafel stands and village guesthouses are cash-only. US dollars are the most useful backup currency (euros are accepted by changers too) and are often quoted for hotel rates and tours. Exchange at licensed money changers in city centers such as around Al-Manara Square in Ramallah, which usually beat bank rates, and count your notes before you walk away.
Tipping in Palestine is appreciated but modest: around 10 percent is standard at sit-down restaurants in Ramallah and Bethlehem, unless a service charge already appears on the bill. Taxi drivers don’t expect tips, but rounding up to the nearest 5 ILS is common. For hotel porters, 5 to 10 ILS is fine, and a local guide typically gets 50 to 100 ILS (US$14 to 28) per day.

🧩 Nearby countriesOther countries to combine with Palestine

📸 PhotosScenes from around the country

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Photographed by: Johan Kruseman

Memorable moments from the road

Something else than your average holiday destination

Something else than your average holiday destination

Palestine | Palestine is something else than the average holiday destination. And I think I can say it’s the country which has made the most impact on me ever, even more than North Korea. In North Korea the situation may be worse but there they only show you what they want to show whereas in Palestina you are free to move around and explore. And the situation ...
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We 💚 feedbackIs Palestine worth visiting?

The mood swings fast in Palestine: a slow lunch in Bethlehem, then a checkpoint queue that eats your afternoon. The best surprise is how much ordinary life carries on, from wedding convoys to Friday picnics among the olive trees. If you fear being met with suspicion as a foreigner, you won’t be. Risks here come from circumstances like raids and road closures, not hostility toward visitors. I’d carry cash, keep a flexible day in the plan, and sleep in a family guesthouse at least once.

✈️ When did I visit Palestine?
I visited Palestine (West Bank) in October 2013 in the same trip as I backpacked through Israel. While my visit dates back, this guide is continuously refined using feedback from locals and current backpackers (last update: 18 October 2026)

✍️ Help improve this page!
The information on this page is based on my own backpacking experience in Palestine, supplemented with up-to-date research and feedback from other travelers. Travel details can change, so if you notice anything outdated or incomplete, feel free to let me know.



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👋 Meet the founderWho’s Behind Take Your Backpack?

Johan, backpacker and founder of TakeYourBackpackHi, I’m Johan (Netherlands 🇳🇱), the creator of TakeYourBackpack. Over the past 3 decades, I’ve backpacked through 90+ countries across six continents, gaining extensive experience with independent travel, long-term trips, and overland routes.

This site is built on a combination of firsthand travel experience and carefully curated insights from other backpackers. Many guides are based on places I’ve personally visited, while others bring together tips, observations, and practical advice shared by trusted travelers I’ve met along the way.

The goal is to provide realistic, experience-driven guidance — not generic itineraries — so you can explore destinations with better context, clearer expectations, and more confidence.

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