Check out my solo adventure to the West Bank in Palestine!

Upon my research of possible day trips in the Israel area, I came upon a tour of the West Bank of Palestine. Although I hadn’t really considered the possibility of visiting Palestine during my Middle East trip… I found it so accessible with this day trip, that I figured it would be a good adventure. And sure enough, it was.

Palestine, located in West Asia, claims the West Bank and the Gaza Strip as its territory. That said, it has been under Israeli occupation since 1967. The West Bank is divided into Palestinian enclaves under partial Palestinian National Authority rule, while the Gaza Strip is ruled by Hamas and has been under blockade since 2007.

My first time in Palestine

It was a really cool trip! It was guided by a local Palestinian who could tell us firsthand about the oppression faced on a daily basis in Palestine. We visited various cities, including Jericho (the oldest city in the world), Ramallah, Jesus’ original baptism site on the Jordan River, the Church of the Nazareth (where Jesus was born), Bethlehem, and the wall that divides Palestine from Israel.

Did you know? The earliest settlement in Jericho was located at Tell es-Sultan, which means “mound” in both Arabic and Hebrew. Over time, consecutive layers of habitation built up a mound, a common characteristic of ancient settlements in the Middle East and Anatolia.

Visiting the Church of the Nazareth

The Church of the Nazareth was incredible because you could feel the energy! Normally the line is about 2 hours long to be able to touch the exact spot where Jesus was born or to see the spot where the manger was where he was laid to rest after birth. But because we came on the day before Easter, there was no line at all. We got to take our time in that sacred place.

The Church of Nazareth, also known as the Church of the Annunciation or the Basilica of the Annunciation, is a Catholic church in Nazareth. It is one of two claimants to the site of the Annunciation – where the angel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary and announced the birth of Jesus. The other claimant is the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation.

West Bank in Palestine

The wall that divides Palestine from Israel was covered with art, which was very interesting to explore. Additionally, the guide also showed us the tear gas circles littering the streets. He also made sure to let us know not to accidentally kick or step on them. Why? Because it could activate tear gas again. A very eye-opening experience into the daily life in Palestine. For example, they aren’t even allowed to hang their own flag. Plus, it is extremely difficult for them to leave the country due to various measures.

Did you know that from 1517 until 1917, the area now known as the West Bank, was under Turkish rule as part of Ottoman Syria? After World War I, it became part of the British Mandate of Palestine, and later on, it was occupied by Jordan. After the Six-Day War, Israel captured the West Bank from Jordan.

Solo travel to Palestine

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