According to itypetravel, Palestine (Arabic: فلسطين, al-Filastīn) is a semi-autonomous country within the land borders of Israel (Asia). Palestine consists of the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem. A number of major cities in Palestine are: Gaza, Ramallah, Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Hebron, Rafah and Jabalia.
Palestine has been the scene of violence for years, which has claimed the lives of thousands of people. This is largely due to land claimed by both states. Palestine is often characterized by strict borders, settlements, refugee camps and the abundance of soldiers. The West Bank is hilly and lies on the Dead Sea, which is known for its high salt content. This keeps you afloat. The Gaza Strip is located on the Mediterranean Sea. It has a long stretch of coastline with sandy beaches. East Jerusalem is known as the oldest part of the city of Jerusalem. Here you will find the Temple Mount, the Dome of the Rock and the Wailing Wall (Western Wall). See barblejewelry for travel in the Middle East.
Where is Palestine?
Travel information of Palestine
Official name: State of Palestine
Continent: Asia
Area: 6,020 km²
Capital: Ramallah (unofficial), East Jerusalem (claimed)
Country code: PS, PSE
Population: 4,818,255 inhabitants (2020)
Form of government: Semi-autonomous state organization / republic
Highest point: 1,016 m (Tall Asur)
Distance (Amsterdam – Palestine): 3,349 km
Travel advice
Current status: All travel to Gaza is discouraged. There are security risks for the West Bank.
Current color code: Yellow and red. Due to this status, a partially negative travel advice
is in effect for Palestine.
Corona
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), (temporary) measures may apply in Palestine that you as a tourist may have to deal with. For the most up-to-date corona travel advice, please refer to our special coronavirus travel advice page. For the number of current corona infections, number of deaths and various corona-related graphs of Palestine, please visit Countryaah.
Travel offer
On our travel offer page you will find an overview of reliable travel organizations that offer complete trips and holidays to Palestine. In addition, you will find an overview of separate travel components (hotels and airline tickets) with which you can compile your ideal trip yourself.
Travel guides and maps
Are you looking for a travel guide, map, walking map, cycling map, book or DVD about Palestine?
Excursions, activities and day trips
With the help of Countryaah you can reserve an excursion, activity, guided tour, entrance ticket and/or day trip for your stay in Palestine at a discount. This way you are assured of a place, in some cases you can skip the queue and you can already plan your travel program.
Weather and climate
Palestine has both a desert climate and a Mediterranean climate. In the summer months the temperatures are around 25 to 40 degrees. In the winter months the temperatures are around 10 to 20 degrees. In the mountains the temperatures are lower and it can snow in winter.
The current weather (weather forecast) and a weather forecast for Palestine can be found on our extensive weather page.
Extensive information about the climate of Palestine can be found at Climate info.
Best time
May, June, July, August, September and October are the best months to travel to Palestine. This avoids the months with relatively high rainfall and low temperatures.
Language
Arabic is the official language in Palestine.
Would you like to translate from or into Arabic for free? Use the Google translator for this.
Travel documents
You must have a valid passport that is valid for at least 6 months upon departure from Palestine.
A visa is not necessary.
Embassies and consulates
Below is an overview of relevant diplomatic representations, including addresses and contact details.
Netherlands Embassy in Palestine: netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Consulate of Palestine in the Netherlands: rijksoverheid.nl.
For urgent assistance, you can contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24/7 on +31247247247.
Vaccination (inoculation)
You do not need any vaccinations for a visit to Palestine.
Money and Currency
In Palestine, people pay with the Jordanian dinar (JOD), US dollar (USD), Egyptian pound (EGP) and the Israeli shekel (ILS).
The current state of these currencies (currency, currency) can be found on our exchange rate page.
An overview of all ATMs in Palestine can be found on our ATMs page.
Price level
Prices in Palestine are much lower than in the Netherlands. The price difference with the Netherlands is -25% on average. Some examples are: restaurants (54% cheaper), food (9% cheaper), imported beer in catering (13% cheaper), cigarettes (1% more expensive) and public transport (73% cheaper). Please note that the price difference in tourist areas, especially during high season, may vary.
Tipping
In Palestine it is customary to tip. If this has not already been included in the bill, it is customary to tip approximately 5-10%.
Time difference
In Palestine it is 1 hour later than in the Netherlands.
Summer time in Palestine differs from that in the Netherlands.
The local times, dates, time zones and exceptions for Palestine can be found on our time difference page.
Traffic and route
In Palestine you must drive on the right.
With the Google route planner you can compile a route description from, to or within Palestine.
Electricity
In Palestine you may need a travel plug in some cases.
More information about common plugs and sockets in Palestine can be found on our electricity page (look under Israel).
Emergency services
If you need help from the police, fire brigade and/or ambulance in an emergency, you can use the emergency numbers below.
– Police: Local numbers
– Fire: Local numbers
– Ambulance: Local numbers
Tap water
It is not recommended to drink water from the tap.
If you are unable to buy bottled water, use a water purifier to purify the water or boil the water for 5 minutes. After this you can safely use it as drinking water and for things like brushing teeth, cleaning lenses and washing vegetables and / or fruit. More information about drinking water and/or the purchase of water purification products can be found on our drinking water page.
News and newspapers
The latest news related to Palestine can be found on Google news.
An overview of the newspapers from Palestine can be found on Abyznewslinks.
Internet
Websites from Palestine end in.ps.
Official website of Palestine: visitpalestine.ps.
Telephone
The country code (international access code) to call someone in Palestine is 00972 or +972 (from an Arab country 00970 or +970).
Do you want to call the Netherlands from Palestine? Then use the Dutch country code 0031 or +31.
(If using a country code, omit the leading 0 of the number to be called.)
Company details can be found in the Yellow Pages of the Palestinian Territories.
Photos and videos
On Flickr you will find a nice collection of photos of Palestine.
On Youtube you will find a nice collection of videos from Palestine.
Reviews and travel experiences
On Zoover and TripAdvisor you will find reviews from travelers about accommodations (eg hotel), restaurants and destinations in Palestine, supplemented with photos, videos and places of interest.
Travel reports
Are you looking for a travel report about Palestine?
Here you will find travel reports and experiences of travelers who have previously visited Palestine. It is also possible to keep a free diary of your trip for family and/or friends.
Nature and World Heritage
An overview of the protected nature areas (including national parks, reserves and wildlife parks) in Palestine can be found on Protected Planet.
An overview of the world heritage sites in Palestine can be found on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Entrepreneurship and doing business
If you intend to do business in or do business with Palestine, it is wise to prepare well. The Netherlands Enterprise Agency can help you with this. On PaulSourcing.com you will find a large amount of information about Palestine, including: opportunities, import and export regulations, trade figures, do’s and don’ts, business partners and subsidies.
Relevant legislation
Below you will find relevant legislation and regulations that you may encounter during your visit to Palestine.
– Alcohol: Buying and/or drinking from the age of 16.
– Alcohol and traffic: The maximum permitted alcohol content is 0.5.
– Tobacco: Unknown
– Smoking ban: In public places.
– Homosexuality: Not allowed for men in Gaza (imprisonment more than 10 years), allowed for men and women in the West Bank.
Did you know that…
…Palestine is recognized by 135 of the 193 members of the United Nations?
…Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, is located in the West Bank?
