This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to experience Christmas at the site of Christ’s birth without the crowds! Nativity Square is the hub of activity with music, dancing and even bagpipe bands marching through the streets of the old city, a legacy of the British Mandate.
This year we are still waiting for final plans from the local Christian community, but usually on the 24th there are parades and the chance to see the Patriarch of Jerusalem enter the city, while on the 25th you can visit the site of the Manger exactly 2021 years since Christ is said to have been born there. Whichever day you choose and whatever festivities are able to go ahead this year, we will ensure that you get to see the best of the action, and have the staff on the ground to get the latest info if there are any last minute changes.
On the tour you’ll begin with a visit to Shepherds’ Field Church, where tradition holds the shepherds watched their flocks by night before following the star to the Manger. You will also have an opportunity to visit Aida Refugee Camp and you are encouraged to bring gifts for the children there. Aida camp was established in 1950 on an area of 66 dunums between the towns of Bethlehem and Beit Jala and you will learn more about it from a community leader.
From the Camp you will see the Separation Barrier, much of it covered in Banksy’s famous graffiti. The Barrier surrounds Bethlehem on three sides and has resulted in travel restrictions for Palestinians and confiscated land.
Bethlehem is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank, approximately 10 kilometers (6 mi) south of Jerusalem, with a population of 30,000 people. It is the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate of the Palestinian National Authority and a hub of Palestinian culture and tourism.
Please note: minor changes to the schedule may be made, to better match the timing of the festivities, or due to COVID. If the tour is cancelled because of COVID, you will be fully refunded.
