Ramallah
Ramallah is a city in the central West Bank, Palestine.
Ramallah is a city in the central West Bank, Palestine. It serves as the administrative capital of Palestine, as well as capital of the Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate. The city is situated on the Judaean Mountains, 10 km north of Jerusalem, at an average elevation of 872 meters (2,861 ft) above sea level, adjacent to al-Bireh.
Adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Worth seeing in and around Ramallah
8 places within 25 km that the world writes about, in the order of how widely: the ones a visitor has heard of first, then the ones only a local would name.
- 01Birzeit University
Birzeit University is a public university in the West Bank, Palestine, registered by the Palestinian Ministry of Social Affairs as a charitable organization. It is accredited by the Ministry of Higher Education and located in the outskirts of Birzeit, near Ramallah.
6.9 km · public university in the West Bank, State of Palestine · Wikipedia - 02Al-Quds Open University
Al-Quds Open University is an independent, distance education public university in Palestine. It was created by a decree issued by the Palestinian Liberation Organization in 1991.
1.6 km · open university with campuses across the Palestinian territories, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates · Wikipedia - 03Faisal Al-Husseini International Stadium
Faisal Al-Husseini International Stadium is an association football stadium on Dahiat al'Barid Street of Al-Ram in Jerusalem Governorate, Palestine. It is one of the home stadiums of the Palestine national football team.
6.3 km · football stadium in Al-Ram · Wikipedia - 04The Palestinian Museum
The Palestinian Museum is a museum in Birzeit, in the West Bank, Palestine, that was inaugurated on 18 May 2016. It is a flagship project of the Welfare Association, a non-profit organization for developing humanitarian projects in Palestine.
7.3 km · museum in Birzeit, West Bank, Palestine · Wikipedia - 05Jamal Abdel Nasser Mosque
Jamal Abdel Nasser Mosque is the largest mosque in al-Bireh, West Bank, Palestine. Located in the Downtown district of the city, the mosque is named after the late Egyptian president and Arab leader Gamal Abdel Nasser.
600 m · mosque in the city of Al-Bireh, Ramallah and Al-Bireh Governorate · Wikipedia - 06Tomb of Samuel
The Tomb of Samuel (Arabic: النبي صموئيل, translit. an-Nabi Samu'il or Nebi Samwil, Hebrew: קבר שמואל הנביא, translit.
7.8 km · ancient site in Judea, Palestine · Wikipedia - 07Beth Horon
Bethoron, also Beth-Horon, were two neighboring towns in ancient Israel, situated on the Gibeon–Aijalon road. They served as strategic points along the road, guarding the "ascent of Bethoron".
7.6 km · Biblical site and Jewish settlement until the Talmud period · Wikipedia - 08St. Cleophas Church
The St. Cleophas Church or St.
9.3 km · church in El Qubeibeh, Palestine · Wikipedia
Ranked by the number of language editions of Wikipedia with an article on each, from Wikidata; the sentences are the openings of those articles, CC BY-SA 4.0.
What Wikivoyage says to see
The city is one of the most vibrant ones in the West Bank. In Ramallah, a few historic and religious sites are present. However, the downtown streets are a must see during the day, as the city is often really congested. Hisbeh produce market, see below.
- 01Old City
While not resembling any 'Medina'-style old city, several churches and mosques can be found that may be of interest to visitors.
- 02The Friends Schools
One of the oldest schools in the region, are also a must visit as there is one near the old city, and another in the entrance of the downtown coming from Jerusalem.
- 03Dar Zahran Heritage Building
A protected and family-owned building and a Historical Museum.
- 04Jamal Abdel Nasser Mosque
- 05Church of Transfiguration
Greek Orthodox church dating back to 1852.
- 06Holy Family Church
From Wikivoyage: Ramallah, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Things to do
Tourism, in the traditional sense, is almost non-existent in Ramallah compared to other cities in the region. If you are visiting Ramallah, it is probable that you are doing so for political, business, and/or humanitarian reasons - expect to have lots of staring, curious (but always friendly) eyes looking at you as you walk through town.
- 01Ramallah Cultural Palace
The main venue for performances and concerts within the city.
From Wikivoyage: Ramallah, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Where to eat
Eating should be no problem in Ramallah, regardless of the budget of visitors. The bakery on Al-Quds street where the buses emerge from the bus station is one of the best in town. The staple is 'kmaaj' or pitta bread. A bakery in the Old City (Ramallah Tahta) produces brown kmaaj and sliced bread.
- 01Cheese Steak
- 02Chicago Cheese Steak
From Wikivoyage: Ramallah, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Getting to Ramallah
- Airports
- Ben Gurion (TLV), 32 km · Marka International (Amman Civil) (ADJ), 75 km · Queen Alia (AMM), 77 km
- Stations
- Jerusalem International Airport, 4.1 km
- Amman → Ramallah70 km · quickest by road, 2h 19m · JD4–6
- El Arish → Ramallah159 km · quickest by road, 4h 57m · E£380–510
- Damascus → Ramallah206 km · quickest by road, 4h 53m · $23–31
- Plan a tripFrom anywhereThe planner compares every way there from wherever you are.
Road and air are today’s quick answer; timetabled trains, buses and ferries load on the results page from the operators’ feeds.
No local-transport research exists yet for Ramallah
Our researched notes are written from a sourced entry: every shared taxi, boat and village bus with its operator, its rule, its fare and the year we saw it, and what could not be confirmed. Nobody has done that work for Ramallah. What is above is what we hold from open sources; nothing here pretends to be more.
- Get inFrom Bethlehem take a shared taxi (Sherut/serviis) from the Bethlehem bus station at Manger St.
- Get inFrom Jericho take a shared taxi (Sherut/serviis) from the central roundabout with the garden in the middle.
- Get aroundAs the city center is relatively small, it is not hard to walk to most destinations downtown (including the old city.) Service shuttles (shared taxis) are also available from downtown to most suburbs and to the outskirts of the city at relatively low prices (₪2.5 inside the city and up to ₪6 to nearby towns and villages).
From Wikivoyage: Ramallah, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us; that article was last edited 2026-09.
- 01177 km
- 02259 km
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- 04701 km
- 051,060 km
If you know how people move in Ramallah – the stand, the rule, the fare – tell us, and the note gets an entry.
Next door to Ramallah
Ramallah is 13 km from West Jerusalem, the nearest large city, whose note carries the wider picture.