Palestine occupies territory west of the Jordan River between the Mediterranean Sea and the Dead Sea, divided into the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The West Bank covers approximately 5,655 square kilometers including East Jerusalem. Gaza Strip extends 365 square kilometers along the Mediterranean Coast. The Dead Sea shoreline sits 430 meters below sea level, the lowest land elevation on Earth. The Judaean Desert spreads east from Jerusalem toward the Jordan Valley. Mount Gerizim near Nablus rises 881 meters above sea level in the Samarian Highlands.
Travel to Palestine involves navigating complex territorial and political realities that directly affect visitor experience. Movement between cities requires passing through checkpoints controlled by Israeli military forces, with wait times ranging from minutes to hours depending on location and current security circumstances. The separation barrier, completed in sections between 2002 and 2013, runs through the West Bank and restricts certain routes. Visitors fly into Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport or cross from Jordan at the Allenby Bridge crossing near Jericho. No international airport operates in Palestinian territories. Gaza Strip remains largely inaccessible to tourists due to closure policies enacted by Israel and Egypt since 2007.
Bethlehem sits six kilometers south of Jerusalem in the West Bank. The Church of the Nativity, built in 339 CE over the traditional birthsite of Jesus, draws Christian pilgrims from every denomination. Constantine and Helena commissioned the original basilica. Justinian I reconstructed it in 565 CE after the Samaritan Revolt damaged the structure. The current floor preserves fourth-century mosaics beneath wooden panels. Fourteen lamps representing different Christian denominations hang in the Grotto of the Nativity where a fourteen-pointed silver star marks the exact spot Catholics, Orthodox, and Armenians agree represents the birth location. Manger Square fronts the church entrance. Beit Sahour, three kilometers east, contains Shepherds' Field where tradition places the angelic announcement to shepherds.
East Jerusalem includes the Old City, a walled one-square-kilometer area divided into Muslim, Christian, Jewish, and Armenian quarters. Haram al-Sharif, called the Noble Sanctuary, occupies the southeastern section. The Dome of the Rock sits at the center, completed in 691 CE under Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan. The octagonal structure measures 20.44 meters across with a gold-plated dome 20 meters in diameter. Al-Aqsa Mosque stands south of the Dome, built in 705 CE and rebuilt multiple times after earthquakes. The compound encompasses 144,000 square meters. Non-Muslims can visit during restricted hours but cannot enter the religious buildings. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Christian Quarter contains both Calvary where tradition places the crucifixion and the tomb where Christians believe Jesus was buried. Six denominations share custody under the Status Quo agreement formalized in 1852.
Hebron lies 30 kilometers south of Jerusalem with a population near 220,000. The Cave of the Patriarchs, called Ibrahimi Mosque by Muslims, functions as both mosque and synagogue under a partition arrangement established after Baruch Goldstein killed 29 Palestinian worshippers in 1994. The structure dates to the Herodian period with later Byzantine, Crusader, Mamluk, and Ottoman additions. Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebecca, Jacob, and Leah are traditionally believed buried here, making it sacred to both Muslims and Jews. Hebron Old City contains narrow stone streets and souqs where vendors sell hand-blown glass, a craft documented in Hebron since the 1300s. The H2 area of central Hebron remains under Israeli military control affecting approximately 30,000 Palestinian residents.
Ramallah serves as the administrative capital of the Palestinian Authority, ten kilometers north of Jerusalem at 880 meters elevation. The Muqata'a compound houses Palestinian government offices and contains the mausoleum of Yasser Arafat, who died in 2004. The city developed primarily during the twentieth century and shows more secular character than other Palestinian cities. Cafés operate openly, art galleries exhibit contemporary Palestinian work, and the Khalil Sakakini Cultural Centre hosts performances. Birzeit University, ten kilometers north, opened in 1924 and enrolled approximately 14,000 students as of 2019.
Nablus sits between Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal in a strategic pass through the Samarian Highlands. Roman Emperor Vespasian founded Flavia Neapolis here in 72 CE, from which the Arabic name Nablus derives. The old city preserves Ottoman-era architecture including hammams and soap factories that produced olive oil soap for centuries using local olive harvests. Knafeh Nabulsiyeh originates from Nablus, a dessert of shredded phyllo dough, white cheese, and sugar syrup soaked in orange blossom water. Bakeries along the old city streets prepare it fresh throughout the day. Approximately 800 Samaritans, a distinct ethno-religious group practicing a form of pre-Rabbinic Judaism, live on Mount Gerizim where they maintain their holiest site and celebrate Passover annually.