As volunteers, students and participants at the Excellence Center, you can travel freely around Palestine and Israel. All EC participants will get two days off each week, and you can usually plan trips with other internationals to neighboring cities like Ramallah, Jericho, Nablus, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Jaffa, Ako, and Bethlehem.

Sometimes when traveling with Palestinians, challenges arise because of the restrictions placed on them by Israelis. For example, it may be hard for you to go to Jerusalem with Palestinians because of their restrictions in movement and entry there.

You do not need to get two visas to travel around Palestine and Israel

When traveling to Israel, a lot of people from the Americas, Europe, and Australia don’t need to fill out any kind of form, and can simply receive a tourist visa when they arrive in Israel. The visa that internationals receive upon arrival to Israel is all they need to travel to or around Palestine as well.

Potential volunteers from other countries in Africa and Asia might have to fill out a tourist visa application for their time in Hebron. Volunteers might receive extra questions at customs about their intentions, but don’t worry. Be clear and honest about what you are doing at the Excellence Center and your entry will be granted.

Transportation System in Palestine

Traveling around the West Bank is surprisingly easy. One big reason is that distances in the region are quite short. For example, getting from Jerusalem to Hebron, the Southern West Bank takes around one hour. There are plenty of private transportation options and public transport runs regularly.

The most common way of traveling from one city to another is to use a service. The servees are shared taxis. There’s no need to book them in advance as they leave when they’re full. You can either take one at the bus station in Hebron or hail it on the street. Inter-city prices are quite low by European standards – a trip from Hebron to Bethlehem costs around only 9 shekels.

  • taxis-in-palestine

Traveling around Palestine is inexpensive

Traveling around Palestine is very inexpensive. Going as a group and taking a shared taxi or bus service is probably the easiest and least expensive experience. For example, a trip to Bethlehem for a day visit by a shared taxi will run around 50 shekels – about $13. Traveling within Hebron and buying food and gifts is relatively inexpensive as well. For visiting sites like the Old City and the Ibrahimi Mosque, make sure you get a local to tell you what the approximate prices should be.

Traveling to Jerusalem or Tel Aviv from Hebron

Traveling to Jerusalem or Tel Aviv from Hebron or the Excellence Center is also relatively easy, it takes around an hour to Jerusalem and two and a half hours to Tel Aviv. Many of our volunteers. students and participants spend their weekends in these cities.

Don’t be afraid to travel around Palestine and Israel

Don’t be afraid to travel by yourselves around Palestine and Israel, as in a group of international volunteers. The people in Palestine are always willing – often eager – to help visitors from other countries get to where they need to go.

Jennifer from the USA remarked “I get lost very easily, but I just ask a local to point me in the right direction or ask about how I would get to a certain area. Some people will go as far as inviting (or taking) you to their homes for a meal.”

Traveling as a woman to Palestine

“As for what comes to traveling as a woman I felt much safer than for example in Latin America. Hebron is a conservative city, which means there is a certain culture of respect towards women. Sure I have heard occasional whistles after me but that’s about it”

Maps on your Phone

Download maps to your phone from sites such as maps.me. When you arrive, it’s likely that you won’t have internet access except where you are lucky enough to find free Wi-Fi hotspots. If you take your SIM card with you from home, you may be able to connect to the internet, but only at high international roaming rates and the coverage may be spotty at best. If you research and download maps, you’ll be prepared to use the application when you’re offline in the West Bank.

Final remark

With people as friendly as Palestinians, prices which are super cheap, and the general freedom to move around as an international volunteer, traveling around Palestine and Israel is actually very easy.