Traveling and flying to the beautiful, historic country of Palestine is a trip that will last long in your memory, though one which can require a certain level of patience. As with many things in Palestine, getting there is not always simple, however, there are at least a few different travel routes you can take.
In this article, we will discuss the practicalities of reaching/flying to the West Bank, Palestine, including the time, cost, and procedures required, as well as the practices we recommend and discourage, and the benefits and drawbacks of each option.
Quick Guide to Accessing/Flying to Palestine (West Bank)
| How to fly to Hebron, West Bank? | Ben Gurion International Airport |
| The difficult way to get to Palestine | Fly to Amman’s Queen Alia International Airport |
| Visa to the West Bank | Upon arrival at Ben Gurion Airport, you must get a 3-month visa |
| Palestinian ID card-holders must use | Amman’s Queen Alia International Airport |
| Get to the West Bank from Tel Aviv airport | The Difficult Way to get to Palestine |
| Tel Aviv Airport pickups (Private Taxi) | Around an hour and a half (It costs$140) |
You will either fly to Israel or Jordan if you are flying into Palestine (there are no international airports in Palestine, therefore you must fly to one of these two options instead). In theory, landing in Israel will allow you to reach Hebron or any city in the West Bank quicker than taking the more scenic route through Jordan. However, it is common to be held up for several hours with either option, though we promise that Palestine is worth the wait.
How to Travel and Fly to Palestine?
International visitors often have many questions about how to reach the West Bank, Palestine, and our organization, Learn Arabic in Palestine, in Hebron.
Common questions include;
- Which airport do I fly to?
- What is the name and location of the airport?
- How far is the airport from Hebron?
- Is the airport in Gaza or the West Bank?
These are important questions you need the answers to before you can book your flight. Today’s article will look to provide all the information you need to make your travel arrangements well in advance, giving you time to plan and economize.
| Nearest Airports in Palestine | Tel Aviv Airport (Israel) Eilat airport Queen Alia Airport in Amman |
| Visa Duration | 90 Days |
| Israeli Stamp on Your Passport | No (separate pieces of paper) |
| Visa Type | Tourist visa |
| Visa Valid for | Palestine (The West Bank) and Israel |
Airports in Palestine
The Yasser Arafat International Airport in Gaza, located close to the Egyptian border, was opened on 24 November 1998 but lasted only two years until the 8th of October 2000, when the second Intifada (the Arabic word for the uprising in English) started. The Gaza International Airport, as it was named at that time, was destroyed by the Israeli forces.
Therefore, since 2000, Palestine has not possessed an operating airport in its territory. This unfortunately means that it is not possible to get a direct flight to the West Bank, Palestine. Even though the Yasser Arafat Airport was destroyed, three small Palestinian airlines still operate out of a local airport in Egypt.
No Civilian Airports Within the West Bank
There are no civilian airports within the West Bank, and the nearest major airport is Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion. From Ben Gurion Airport, it is possible to take a 50-minute taxi or shuttle ride to Jerusalem and from Jerusalem to continue to the major West Bank cities of Bethlehem, Hebron, Salfeet, Tubas, Nablus, Jenin, Tulkarem or Ramallah.
Note that all Palestinian ID cardholders cannot travel to Israel or the Palestinian Authority through Ben Gurion Airport. The Israeli government requires them to fly to Amman, Jordan, and enter via the Allenby Bridge border crossing located near Jericho in the West Bank.
How Do I Then Get to Palestine?
1. Flying to Ben-Gurion International Airport
In our opinion, flying to Ben Gurion (Tel Aviv) is the easiest option. From there you can travel to Jerusalem via a shared or private taxi which can take you to the Palestinian side upon request.
Alternatively, you can also catch a bus from within Jerusalem which will take you to the Arab central bus station in the Musara Area of Palestine. From there you can catch a connecting bus to any other major Palestinian city.
2. Fly to the Queen Alia International Airport in Amman, Jordan
This is the more complicated way of traveling to Hebron. From Queen Alia Airport in Amman, you can take a taxi directly to the Jordanian-Israeli border. This trip will cost you approximately 30-35 JD (Jordanian Dinar). This border crossing is known as the Allenby/King Hussein Bridge.
This border bridge is 57km away from Amman and is located in the scenic southern Jordan Valley. The border crossing is open from Sunday until Thursday (08:00 am – 08:00 pm) for arrivals and 8:00 am to 2:00 pm for departures. Be aware that on Friday and Saturday, it is only open for 5 hours from 08:00 am– 1:00 pm in observance of the Jewish holidays.
Traveling from Jordan to Palestine
From Jordan, the journey into Palestine is significantly longer, and it may well involve lengthy delays of possibly several hours at the Allenby/King Hussein Bridge due to the extensive checking. Once you are through the checkpoint, however, you can get a shared or private taxi that can take you directly to Jerusalem, Hebron, Ramallah, Nablus, or any other city.
Traveling to Palestine through the Allenby Bridge (Israeli)/King Hussein Bridge (Jordanian) is something you should prepare yourself for in advance of your arrival in Jordan and is not the option that we recommend.
It is unlikely there will be anyone who can communicate in English at any of the three border points you must go through to gain entry into Palestine.
The Journey from Queen Alia Airport in Amman to King Hussein Bridge
The journey from Amman International Airport (Queen Alia) in Jordan to the King Hussein/Allenby Bridge (Israeli) takes roughly an hour and should cost approximately 30 JDs (Jordanian Dinars).
The procedure upon arriving at the border is straightforward. However, please remember that if you carry a foreign passport you will have to ask for the foreign passport checkpoint.
In addition to this, of the two buses that will take you to the Israeli border, make sure you ask for and board the one for foreign passengers.
If you do not know where the bus for foreign passengers is located, you can ask any available airport administrator or information specialist. Once on the bus, it can take up to 40 minutes to get from the Jordanian checkpoint to the Israeli checkpoint.
Arriving at the Israeli border
Once you arrive at the Israeli border, collect your baggage and follow the crowd or ask where you can get your bag tagged for inspection. You will have to go through border control procedures and passport checking, where you may or may not be asked to wait for your details to be verified.
Additionally, your passport might be held for several reasons, and the staff at the Israeli border control will most likely not offer explanations as to why. We strongly advise you to not ask questions and simply be patient as you wait out this process, which can take hours.
Traveling from Allenby to the West Bank cities or Jerusalem
After you leave the Israeli border, you will find taxis waiting for you which will take you to Jerusalem. If you are going to other West Bank cities besides Jerusalem, such as Hebron, you may need to take a bus to the Palestinian border.
Once you reach the Palestinian border you will again find many taxis which will take you to whichever Palestinian city you ask for. A shared taxi from there will cost you approximately 35 shekels to Nablus, and 50 shekels to Hebron or Ramallah. We recommend to agree on a price before the start of the journey.
While this second option of traveling to Hebron via Jordan is certainly more complicated, it is a fascinating experience for foreigners as they see more of the land and get a taste of the locals’ daily reality. Just be ready for lengthy delays and some frustration!
Final Conclusion
So, what is the best way to fly to Palestine? Flying to Ben Gurion Airport – this comes highly recommended as it saves time and money. Most Americans and Europeans get a 3-month visa upon arrival once they clear customs.
You are also only a two to three-hour shared taxi (called sherut, Israeli; and service, Arabic) from the airport to Hebron, Ramallah, Bethlehem, or Nablus, and an hour and a half by a private tax. Enjoy your travels!
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Any questions?
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