Bethlehem: A Visitor's Guide to the Birthplace City

Six miles south of Jerusalem, past the eight-meter concrete wall, lies Bethlehem - the city where, according to the Gospels, Jesus was born. For two thousand years pilgrims have made this short journey, and it remains one of the most moving half-days you can spend in the Holy Land.

The heart of the visit is the Church of the Nativity, the oldest church still in daily use in the world. The first church was consecrated here in 339 CE; Emperor Justinian rebuilt it in the sixth century, and that building, with its row of tall columns, survives inside today's complex. To enter, you stoop through the Door of Humility, a tiny opening created so that even emperors must bow to enter.

Inside, steps beside the chancel lead down to the Grotto of the Nativity, the cave where tradition places the manger. A fourteen-point silver star set in the marble floor marks the spot, inscribed "Here Jesus Christ was born to the Virgin Mary". Expect to queue, sometimes for an hour in high season - the passage through the grotto is thirty seconds, but for most pilgrims it is the thirty most important seconds of their trip. The church became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2012, the first in Palestine.

Give time to the rest of the square and the city. The Milk Grotto, a few minutes' walk away, is where tradition says the Holy Family hid on the flight to Egypt. In Beit Sahour, the eastern suburb, the Shepherd's Fields churches mark where the angels announced the birth - a peaceful, green contrast to the busy Manger Square. Bethlehem's olive wood and mother-of-pearl carving workshops have produced Christian art since Ottoman times; buying directly from a workshop supports the local Christian families who keep the tradition alive.

Practical tips: Bethlehem is in the Palestinian Authority, so you cross a checkpoint by vehicle, and your passport is checked. Private guides licensed for both sides handle the crossing smoothly and can combine Bethlehem with Jerusalem in one full day. Note that Israeli rental cars are not permitted across, and some Palestinian sites have limited hours on Sundays and holidays. Christmas is celebrated three times here - Catholics on December 24th and 25th, and Orthodox and Armenian communities in January - and Manger Square on those nights is unforgettable.

Our Jerusalem & Bethlehem tour covers the Church of the Nativity, the Milk Grotto and Shepherd's Field with a licensed guide on both sides of the wall.