includes five daily tours, all transportation, expert guides, graffiti workshop, one night home stay accommodation with a Palestinian family, meals in the home stay
Three dates to chose from
- See the best graffiti in Israel and Palestine
- Expert guides, small groups and meeting local people
- Tours with the Middle East’s only cooperative tour company committed to peace
- Art workshops with Arab and Jewish artists and hear their stories
- Spray the most famous walls in the country
- Home stay with a Palestinian family
- Visit a Palestinian refugee camp and see its unique political graffiti
- Also visit important cultural, historic and religious sites
Politics have always stimulated controversial art and culture, and here in the Middle East we have an abundance of both! Some of the world’s most impressive and important graffiti can be seen in Israel and Palestine, and we have built a totally unique, five-day adventure to show you the best urban art on both sides of the Green Line.
This package will allow you to meet artists, learn about both their lives and their techniques, as well as leave your own mark on the most famous graffiti spots in the region.
Green Olive is the industry leader and one of the only tour operators able to seamlessly bring you to both Israeli and Palestinian areas. We are a unique collective committed to human rights and democratic values, and believe in the power of art to highlight important issues and ultimately bring people together.
Tel Aviv is well deserving of its place among the most famous cities in the world for graffiti and street art. It is a young, vibrant place and is the focal point for all urban Israeli artists. We’ll focus today on two parts of town – Florentin and Jaffa.
Jaffa is the oldest port in the world, and although originally it dominated Tel Aviv, today it is the other way around. In 2019 two street art festivals were held in Jaffa. Along the port works by many international artists including Pimax (Fr) and Cranio (Br) are still impressively displayed. The flea market hosts junk shops, restaurants and bars, as well as a who’s who of local graffiti artists, and some international stars like Miss Van (Fr), Konair (Sp) and Sara Erenthal (US).
On a guided walking tour of the old city of Jaffa you’ll see best urban art going as well as the most important historic and cultural sites. You’ll learn about the thousands of years of conquest by dozens of armies, the Zionist dream, and the Palestinian nakba (catastrophe). These important stories have all shaped the story of Jaffa, and indeed Tel Aviv.
Tel Aviv is often called ‘the bubble’, and nowhere better encapsulates this than the neighbourhood of Florentin. A working class area founded in the 1930s, today the locals also rub shoulders with artisanal breweries, vegan cafes and even a automated, walk-in, pet food vending machine! It is also a graffiti Mecca. You can see works by Israeli stars like Kis-Lev, and you’ll also have the chance to paint your own wall in the famous graffiti ‘playground’. Gentrification is changing this neighbourhood fast, so join us to see it while you can!
We’ll end the day with a workshop in a local graffiti studio, led by a local artist so you can put into practice all that you’ve learnt. You’ll also be able to talk about life as an artist here and how politics inspires or suppresses creative energy in the Middle East.
They say that if Tel Aviv plays and Jerusalem prays, Haifa pays. Israel’s third largest city is a hard working place but is also the best example of Arab-Jewish coexistence, and has a burgeoning graffiti scene. The stars of the show in this fun little city are undoubtedly the Broken Fingaz Crew. In 2019 alone they have exhibited in the Saatchi Gallery in London, the Urban Spree expo in Berlin and the Beyond the Streets expo in Brooklyn, NY. But their hometown of Haifa is still host to their best and most interesting work. Their mural style, inspired by socialist-realism and propaganda posters, combines their aesthetic talents with often powerful political messages.
Haifa is also known for its mixture of religions – with Christians, Muslims, Jews, Druze and Baha’i all living here. We can visit the impressive Ottoman-era Great Mosque as well as the stunning Baha’i Gardens which run the length of the Carmel Mountains in the middle of the city. On a tour here you’ll learn about this fascinating young religion, and may be inspired by the possibilities for a positive vision of a shared future for Israelis and Palestinians. After a day exploring Haifa, we’ll return to Tel Aviv for your overnight stay in accommodation of your choice. We recommend the Margosa Hotel (please contact us to make a reservation).
This morning we’ll make the short drive to Jerusalem. This city could scarcely be more different from Haifa and Tel Aviv, and the religion, politics and history are immediately striking. This morning you will enjoy a walking tour of the old city. Visiting all four quarters with an expert guide will highlight the symbolic importance of this area to billions of people around the world. You will also see the most important religious sites like the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Western Wall, the Via Dolorosa, the Dome of the Rock and Al Aqsa Mosque.
The graffiti scene meanwhile is centered around the Mahane Yehuda market. After some free time in the afternoon, we’ll head here in the evening, when the stalls start to close, bars start to open, and the most graffiti is visible on the shutters. The undisputed king of the market is the British-Israeli artist Solomon Souza, whose portraits, often of historic and religious figures from Jewish history and sometimes of the stall owners, dominate the market. His free flowing style is captivating and striking.
Accommodation tonight is your choice, but we recommend the Jerusalem Hotel in East Jerusalem or the YMCA 3 Arches in West Jerusalem (please contact us to make a reservation).
This morning we cross the checkpoint into Bethlehem. This small city has managed to become an absolute highlight for any globe trotting graffiti lover. Using the trauma of occupation and the ever-present Israeli West Bank barrier, international and local artists alike have come here to paint and express themselves.
We’ll show you the infamous wall and walk a large section. You’ll see works by Lushsux (Aus) and Jorit (It) as well, of course, by the legendary Banksy himself. Banksy made several clandestine trips to Palestine to paint, and most of his works survive today. You will be able to see ‘ER, sorry’, ‘Angles of the Wall’, and ‘Armoured Dove’.
You will also visit his Walled Off Hotel, arguably his most brilliant, daring and challenging project to date. It is built as a mock colonial era hotel and is full of hidden touches. You will be able to explore the lounge, the museum and the gallery which showcases works by local Palestinian artists and discuss its impact with the staff there. There is usually also the incredible opportunity to actually spray your own message on the wall itself.
You’ll also meet some of the community leaders in the nearby Aida Refugee Camp. We’ll hear about the work they do and meet some of those living in the camp. Green Olive supports their work with a donation for the visit.
After lunch, you can visit Manager Square and the old town centre of Bethlehem. Here you can see the Mosque of Omar and the Church of the Nativity, built around the traditional site of the birthplace of Christ.
Our accommodation tonight is in the nearby suburb of Beit Sahour, in a comfortable Palestinian family home. This part of town is also home to the largest Banksy piece – ‘Flower Thrower’. Our hosts will serve us dinner and today is a great chance to really get to know people and begin forming your opinions of this land.
Day 5 – Ramallah and Nablus
After breakfast with the family in the homestay, we travel north, skirting Jerusalem not on the modern highway open to Jewish settlers, but on the winding, desert road which Palestinians must take. Your guide will bring this journey to life as you pass one of the largest Israeli settlements, Bedouin camps and the winding West Bank barrier.
A further drive up the centre of the northern West Bank will take you past many villages and hear several moving stories about life under Occupation. Eventually you arrive to Nablus – undeniably the friendliest place in Palestine. Balata Refugee Camp, the largest in the West Bank, is at the entrance of the city. Nearly 30000 people are crammed into this tiny space and you will be able to meet with community leaders here. A camp resident will give you a guided tours of the winding alleyways and show you the graffiti. Much of it is highly political and focuses on the camps ‘shahid’ – so called martyrs in the violent resistance against Israel.
However there is an increasing amount of positive art as well, and an international collective known as Barefoot Artists have been working with the camp’s children to bring colour to the drab walls. There is also a graffiti treasure hunt to follow designed by the camp’s Jaffa Centre.
Lunch today will be in the bustling Nablus souq. This old part of the city is teeming with life and curious locals will make you feel right at home. You’ll tour the ancient streets and while here must also try the famous local cheese desert ‘knafeh’.
The final stop of the tour is the de facto Palestinian capital, Ramallah. This is the most liberal and international Palestinian city, and also home to the tomb of Yasser Arafat, which you can visit.
At the infamous Qalandiya checkpoint which controls access back to Jerusalem you’ll see more large political murals, as well as the final Banksy piece ‘Balloon Girl’. From here it’s a short drive back into Jerusalem where the tour will end. We can provide onward transport to the airport, Tel Aviv, the Jordanian border or anywhere else you may need.
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| An original Banksy piece at the Walled Off Hotel, designed to ‘celebrate’ Christmas 2019 |
Itinerary subject to change. Minimum of 6 participants required for the tour to run. Final confirmation will be made 1 month prior.
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