Explore Palestine: 4-Day Private Tour from Jerusalem

This tour will take you to both the de jure and de facto capital of Palestine - Jerusalem and Ramallah. It all starts with a trip to the Mount of Olives, which positions visitors to have the best view of the old city. This site sets the stage for a detailed understanding of the problems at the heart of the conflict. You will have an opportunity to enter the elegant Christian chapel of Dominus Flevit if you choose to. You will see many of the neighboring illegal Israeli settlements, as well as discover the Noble Sanctuary/Temple Mount area. There is likely no specific place in the world that is as contested as this, as it is a Christian, Jewish and Muslim holy site, and even the smallest suggestion of change to the current situation here has led to violence.

Next on the tour, you will be driven north to another contested holy site - the Tomb of the Prophet Samuel. It is situated on top of a hill with mesmerizing views and is an excellent place to observe the West Bank barrier, which surrounds Jerusalem. As we drive down from the lookout and cross the Aljib checkpoint, you will be able to explore four rarely visited Palestinian towns which are completely sealed off from the other parts of the West Bank by the barrier. You will learn about the highly-complex road system which permits Israeli-licensed vehicles access to modern highways while the tour enters Ramallah through tunnels and back roads reserved for Palestinian vehicles only.

Upon entering Ramallah, you will explore Arafat's Tomb and walk the streets of this lively city. You will have the chance to try typical food and converse with the friendly locals. The guide also arranges a meeting with people from Ramallah, which varies from week to week. On the way out of the city, you will pass by the neighborhood of Kufr Akab. The Separation Barrier divides the Kufr Akab from Jerusalem regardless of the fact that it is part of the municipality and the residents pay city taxes. You will go back via the notorious Qalandiya checkpoint, where only people with foreign passports, and Palestinians with permits or Israeli ID cards, are allowed to cross into Jerusalem. ADMISSION FEE: 10NIS At the end of the tour, you will be dropped off at your homestay in Bethlehem.

The second day of the tour starts off after you are picked up from your homestay in Bethlehem. From Bethlehem, the tour will travel to Hebron where you will have a chance to see the Israeli settlements en-route and learn about home demolitions and travel restrictions that were placed upon the Palestinians living in the area by the Israeli authorities. Inside Hebron, you will visit the Ibrahimi Mosque, also known as the Cave of the Patriarchs, and the city's market. You will walk though the market with time for shopping, then visit a local family owned glass factory, a common industry in Hebron.

Upon returning to Bethlehem, you will walk along the Separation Barrier, see the graffiti done by many local and foreign artists, including the English artist, Banksy. You will also visit Banksy’s Walled Off Hotel, developed to attract tourists to this once abandoned area in Bethlehem. Inside, visit the museum portraying the history of the occupation through art, as well as the Gallery, where local artists display their works. ADMISSION FEE: 20NIS

You will also go on a walking tour of Aida refugee camp with the opportunity to meet locals and hear their stories.

Spend time at Manger Square, visit the Church of the Nativity and walk through the Old City and Market.

The tour in Nablus begins with time spent at the beautiful church at Jacob's Well where Jesus once asked a Samaritan woman for a drink. Next, we will go across the street to the Women's Center of Balata Refugee Camp, where the ladies of the camp make gorgeous embroidery, organize empowerment programs and host activities for children and summer camp. As you walk along the narrow alleys of the refugee camp, you will learn about the deprivation of life there and the much-needed resolution to the refugee issue.

The tour will include the Old City with many of its magnificent buildings dating back to the Ottoman period. You'll visit an ancient olive oil soap factory, the well-known Old City spice shop, and one of the oldest Turkish Baths in the region.

Next, you will head to the Samaritan's hilltop village on Mount Gerizim where there is a small group of Samaritans still living. You'll visit their museum, converse with a priest and take a walk up to the site of their ancient temple. Throughout the tour, you will learn about ancient and modern times, combined with information about the current state of the city. ADMISSION FEE: 20NIS At the end of the tour, you will be dropped off at your homestay in Bethlehem.

The final day of the tour brings us to the fascinating sites of Jericho, the Dead Sea, and a Bedouin camp, and gives you a glimpse of East Jerusalem. While on the way to Jericho, you'll see checkpoints, certain parts of the Separation Barrier, and Ma'ale Adumim, one of the biggest settlements in the West Bank. The vast differences between the lives of Israelis in the settlement of Ma'ale Adumim and the nearby Palestinian town of Azariya will be quite evident. We’ll stop to visit the Jahalin Bedouins at Khan Al Ahmar - Bedouin Camp, discussing the difficulties they face. The Jahalin lost most of their land to Ma'ale Adumim and today live in 'unrecognized' villages constantly under threat of home demolitions and renewed evictions by the Israeli authorities. You'll see some of these unrecognized residences en-route to Jericho.

Then on to the ancient excavated city which we ascend via cable car or hike to the top of the mount. See the monastery on the Mount of Temptation with a gorgeous panoramic view of the Jordan Valley and city of Jericho. CABLE CAR 60NIS (OPTIONAL, HIKE UP OTHERWISE)

You'll have a chance to visit the important archaeological sites of Hisham's Palace to see the beautiful mosaic flooring and Tel Es Sultan - Ancient Jericho ADMISSION FEE TO HISHAM’S PALACE: 10NIS ADMISSION FEE TO TEL ES SULTAN: 10NIS

For your last part of the tour, you will head to the lowest point on earth - the Dead sea. You will have an opportunity to take a dip in the healing waters at one of the nearby beaches. ADMISSION TO THE DEAD SEA: 60NIS At the end of the tour, you will be dropped off at your homestay in Bethlehem. In the morning, your host family will see you out, as you continue on your journey to your next destination.