OrangeSmile Tours Best destinations around the world - Travel Guide

Sightseeing in Jericho - what to see. Complete travel guide

Tourists interested in visiting one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world should visit Jericho. This is a Palestinian city on the bank of the Jordan River. The area, where the city is situated, is a desert. As the Dead Sea is situated twelve kilometers from the settlement, the area has unusual climatic conditions. It is possible to see how summer heat miraculously co-exists with a refreshing sea breeze. Jericho is mentioned in the Bible a number of times. The holy book calls it “a city of palm trees”. There is one more interesting fact about Jericho that differs it from other settlements – the city is situated more than 250 meters below the sea level.
First settlers on the land of Palestinian Jericho came here more than ten thousand years ago. However, first mentions of this place date back to 15 BC. This is what we can learn from the Bible. No one clearly knows the exact translation or meaning of the name “Jericho”. There are three major versions – “fragrant”, “moon”, and “the city of palm trees”. The Holy Scripture uses the last variant. Joshua was the first leader who captured the city. In his book, he described the siege of the settlement by the Israeli army in detail. The city turned into ruins, and Hiel of Bethel could restore it only in 870 BC.
During the Roman period, Mark Antony gave Jericho to Cleopatra as a gift but Augustus returned it to Herod the Great. At that time, the first winter palace appeared in the city. It became the ruler’s residence. During the Jewish War, which happened in the 60s-70s, Jericho once again suffered great damage. Later, Emperor Hadrian ordered to restore the city. The Arabs captured the settlement in the 7th century. After this event, Jews started settling in this region because Muslims had expelled them from the Arabian Peninsula. Jericho once again suffered much damage in the battle between the Crusaders and Muslims. After this event, the half-destroyed city “hibernated” until the 19th century. Copyright www.orangesmile.com
Christian pilgrims from all over the world arrive in Jericho in order to visit Mount Quarantania or Mount of Temptation, the height of which is nearly four hundred meters. The ascension to the mountain starts from the main city ruins. Does the path look too complicated? No problem, there is a cable car that will take you to the top fast. The view from the top of the mount is truly mesmerizing and worth the effort. It is possible to see the ancient Palestinian city in detail. Walk a hundred meters on the mountain serpentine and you will reach an ancient monastery founded by Saint Chariton the Confessor in the 40s of the 4th century.
This monastery has an interesting design – all rooms in the building are carved in the rocks. There is an old chapel in one of the caves. The Bible tells that Jesus Christ was praying to God for forty days and nights in this cave. This area is recognized as the Holy Grotto of the Temptation of Christ nowadays. The monastery itself is not big but it looks so natural in the surrounding landscape that it creates an atmosphere of unity with the rest of the world. During a visit to the monastery, don’t forget to go to the “healing well”, water is which is believed to have healing properties. Finally, the Stone of Temptation is another popular attraction of the monastery.
The Monastery of the Temptation is not the only sacred place that is worth the attention of tourists. The Monastery of Gerasimus of the Jordan is also an interesting place to visit. This Christian shrine has managed to survive in many troubles and has retained its beauty. As it is not hard to guess, Saint Gerasimus of the Jordan was the founder of this monastery. Take a look at the paintings that decorate all walls inside the building. The mosaic floor of the inner yard is no less gorgeous.
If you take a look at the monastery from the side, it is easy to mistake it for a fortress or even a small castle. There is a small church on the low level of construction. This church is open in a cave where, according to the Bible, Mary with Josef and baby Jesus stayed when they had to escape to Egypt. This church still has an icon with presumably healing power – the icon of Nursing Madonna. Besides that, this part of the monastery has tombs of the saint martyrs killed by Persian warriors.
In addition to historic landmarks, Jericho is famous for its citrus gardens. When taking a walk in the city, it is easy to notice that citrus trees create small oases in the endless desert. As it was mentioned above, there is a theory that Jericho means “the city of palm trees”. It is not hard to see that this name describes the city precisely. Simply visit one of the citrus gardens where it is possible to see not only citrus trees such as the lemon, orange, and mandarin but also date and banana palm trees. There are such “mini jungles” near virtually every house or building.
As a rule, Arabian taxis bring tourists to Jericho. These taxis usually depart from the main bus station in East Jerusalem not far from Damascus or Shechem Gate. Fixed route buses will take you to the nearby settlement of al-Eizariya. Having reached this large village, get a taxi that will take you directly to Jericho. It is also possible to get on the bus to the Dead Sea. The bus stops at the crossroads that is the closest to Jericho. The distance to the city is roughly five kilometers.

City tours, excursions and tickets in Jericho and surroundings

Reference information
Map of all castles
Survived castles around Jericho
♥   Castle 'Rabadh Castle' , 57.4 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   Castle 'Kerak' , 78.6 km from the center. On the map   Photo
Map of all parks
National and city parks around Jericho
♥   National Park 'Aqwa Bella' , 32.4 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   National Park 'Hare Yehuda' , 38.5 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   National Park 'Mazoleum Mazor' , 52.8 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   National Park 'Migdal Zedeq' , 53.7 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   National Park 'Bet Guvrin' , 60.8 km from the center. On the map   Photo
Map of all art museums
Art galleries in Jericho and around
♥   Art museum 'Rockefeller Museum' Jerusalem, 23 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   Art museum 'Jerusalem Artists House' Jerusalem, 25.1 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   Art museum 'L. A. Mayer Institute for Islamic Art' Jerusalem, 25.6 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   Art museum 'Israel Museum' Jerusalem, 26.3 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   Art museum 'Bible Lands Museum' Jerusalem, 26.3 km from the center. On the map   Photo

Sights around Jericho from our guide 'Extreme places on Earth'

Jerusalem

From the series “The Oldest Inhabited Cities on the Planet”
Jerusalem is interesting for travelers not only as the world's largest religious center, but also as the location of unique historical sites. Most of its priceless historical monuments are concentrated in the Old Town area, which is surrounded by unassailable walls. Many attractions hiding behind unwinnable walls are objects of global importance, including the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Wailing Wall and the Temple Mount. These facilities are annually visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists from around the world. … Read further

Church of the Resurrection of Christ

From the series “The Most Astonishing Orthodox Churches”
The Anointing Stone and a small cave with the Holy Sepulcher. Every year the Holy Saturday ceremony of the Holy Fire led by the Greek Orthodox Patriarch. Today the main Christian cathedral is a complex religious place that includes several chapels and monasteries. It is important to mention that the cathedral is oriented on three main religion confessions. That’s why its territory is strictly divided. … Read further

Church of Holy Sepulchre

From the series “ Survived Artifacts of Early Christian Civilization”
The temple features incredibly amazing design. There you can see old icons and artistic painting, which are hundreds of years old. The initiators of the construction of the first temple were the Emperor Constantine and Empress Helen. During more than 16 centuries, the temple has being totally destroyed and rebuilt again. Every year the church is visited by a huge number of pilgrims from around the world. They bow at the shrine and make one of the most important rituals in the Christian religion - climb to Calvary. The staircase leading to its top begins in the temple. … Read further

Sightseeing in Palestine: things to see

Jericho is one of the most marvelous cities in Palestine. It is interesting to visit it all year round. The territory of the city is almost completely covered with citrus gardens. Tourists will see large groves of banana trees, date palms, lemon, orange, and mandarin orange trees. Besides picturesque fruit oases, visitors can explore an old monastery that dates back to the 6th century. It is built on a high rock. In the outskirts of Jericho, there is one more notable architectural landmark - Hisham's Palace that is an excellent example of Islamic architecture of the 8th century. For more than a thousand years, this palace has been amazing generations of visitors with its gorgeous look. … Open
Car rental on OrangeSmile.com Rentals in Jericho

Expo 2020 in Dubai Was Visited by More Than 7 Million Visitors

If you haven’t visited this event yet, there is still time to book a hotel in Dubai because Expo 2020 Dubai runs until 31 March 2022. People who are unable to visit the emirate can make a virtual tour on the Expo 2020 website. By the way, the virtual visitation has already reached 31.6 million by the end of December. Read this

28.03.2024

Search touristic sites on the map of Jericho

Address/Sight name City/Region Country Within radius, km
 Types of touristic objects to search for
Hotels & Car rental
Carhire locations
0 star
1 star
2 stars
3 stars
4 stars
5 stars
Touristic places
Art galleries
Churches/Temples
Museums
Castles/Palaces
Monuments
Touristic areas
Sightseeings
Attractions
Attraction parks
Casino
Theaters/Cinema
Disco/Clubs
Parks
Zoo
Aqua parks
Transport
Airports
Train stations
Bus stations
Metro
Parkings
Fuel stations
Ports/Ferries
Open the list of object types
Health/Sport
Open the list of object types
Food/Money
Open the list of object types
Shopping
Open the list of object types
Beauty/Medicine
Open the list of object types
City services
Open the list of object types
Useful services

Sightseeing in regions nearby Jericho

All about Jericho, Palestine - sightseeings, attractions, touristic spots, architecture, history, culture and cuisine. Prepare your trip together with OrangeSmile.com - find out the 'must see' things in Jericho, which places to visit, which excursions to take, where the breathtaking views are waiting for you. Planning your trip with this travel guide will help your to get the most out of Jericho in few days.
OrangeSmile.com - online travel reservation expert providing reliable car rental and hotel booking services. We feature more than 25.000 destinations with 12.000 rental offices and 200.000 hotels worldwide.
Secure Server
Head office
Weegschaalstraat 3, Eindhoven
5632 CW, The Netherlands
+31 40 40 150 44


Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | About us
Copyright © 2002 - OrangeSmile Tours B.V. | OrangeSmile.com | Under the direction and management of IVRA Holding B.V. - Registered at Kamer van Koophandel (KvK), The Netherlands No. 17237018