It is time for us to enter the Palestinian territories in order to visit the Temple of Nativity, to explore the City of Bethlehem and to witness ourselves the controversial wall between Israel and Palestine. We are Located in Jerusalem and in less than 15 minutes by car we found ourselves outside the walls separating Israel from Palestine, the so called Israeli West bank!
bethlehem palestine
How to get from Jerusalem to Palestine
What is usually said by both locals and travel blogs is that anyone wants to visit Palestine needs to join an organized group or get a tour guide who will leave them on the side of Israel, and then after crossing by yourselves the borders they will meet the Palestinian guide on the other side of the wall! Admission to Israeli people Is forbidden, as well as israeli rented cars!
The second option is to take a bus that starts from the Damascus gate costs little and passes you across the checkpointt 300 then you need to walk or take a taxi.
bethlehem palaistine
The third and best solution according to us is the one we followed and has the peculiarity that you have the time to witness this strange experience on your own without any time pressure and walk along the wall where you will see some very interesting graffiti with political and not only comments. So if you plan on making a car day trip, begin your trip by your car, reach the check Point 300 find some outdoor parking at the side street and leave there the car (Israeli security does not cover the car entrance to Palestine). Walk for around 500 feet and cross the borders. On the way back, you and your bags and your passport will pass security checks. Don’t forget to take your passport and visa with you!
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- bethlehem palestine
Bethlehem
We crossed the border on foot and we walked along the wall towards the city. We will avoid making any comments that have nothing to do with the purpose of our travel blog so we share some photos and you can make your own assumptions.
Outside the Temple of the Nativity you will see too many people waiting in line, we recommend that you take a guide just outside the church who will lead you faster within the temple, the price is negotiable. Most people speak Greek and not only so don’t be surprised listening to languages other than english! Visit The Nativity Temple!
Later cross the street and find yourself at the central square of Bethlehem, get a map from the Museum of Bethlehem and walk towards the alleys of the market amongst local people. Personally we always like to see the life of the city as the locals do to taste their country’s flavors and walk in their neighborhoods so that we can blend within their everyday life. Do it fearlessly but with respect, especially women do not forget that you are in Islamic neighborhoods. In the end grab a taxi, negotiate the price and get yourself to the borders finishing your experience in Bethlehem peacefully.
Our experience of the passage to Palestine, the city behind the wall, was unique for many reasons and we would not like to expand further on that, we simply suggest you to visit it., either alone or with a group. We have not encountered any problems whatsoever, neither in the city nor at the borders!
