Jericho: The Complete Travel Guide to the World's Oldest City
Jericho sits 258 meters (846 feet) below sea level in the West Bank's Jordan Valley, making it the lowest permanently inhabited city on Earth. Continuously settled since roughly 9000 BCE, its core mound, Tell es-Sultan, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2023. Most visitors see Tel es-Sultan, the Mount of Temptation by cable car, and Hisham's Palace in a single half-day trip from Jerusalem, about 45 minutes away.
10,000+ years of continuous settlement, layer by layer,23 occupation strata have been excavated at Tell es-Sultan
Jericho at a Glance
| Elevation | 258 m / 846 ft below sea level, the lowest city on Earth |
| First settled | 9000 BCE: 23 excavated occupation layers at Tell es-Sultan |
| UNESCO status | Ancient Jericho/Tell es-Sultan, inscribed 2023 (Ref. 1687) |
| Administered by | Palestinian Authority, Jericho Governorate |
| Population | 20,900 (2017 census) |
| Distance from Jerusalem | 40 km / 25 mi — about 45 min via Route 1 & 90 |
| Distance from the Dead Sea | 10 km / 6 mi northwest |
| Biblical nickname | "City of Palms" (Deuteronomy 34:3) |
Sources: UNESCO World Heritage Centre (Ref. 1687); Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics 2017 census.
A Brief History of Jericho
The World's Oldest City
Jericho's history begins at Tell es-Sultan, a 21-meter mound beside the perennial spring of Ein es-Sultan (traditionally called Elisha's Spring). Archaeologists have identified 23 layers of occupation reaching back to roughly 9000 BCE, including a massive stone tower and defensive wall among the oldest fortifications known anywhere. British archaeologist Kathleen Kenyon's excavations here in the 1950s remain foundational to the site's chronology; a joint Palestinian–Italian team from Sapienza University of Rome has continued digging since 1997.
Joshua and the Walls of Jericho
For most Western visitors, Jericho is first known through the Book of Joshua's account of the Israelites circling the city seven times until its walls collapsed. It's worth noting for context: excavations have not identified a destruction layer that clearly aligns with the traditional conquest date, a gap that biblical archaeologists continue to debate. The story's setting, however, is unmistakably this mound.
Herod's Winter Palace
By the 1st century BCE, Jericho's date and balsam groves made it valuable enough that Augustus granted the estate to Cleopatra, who leased it back to Herod the Great. Herod built an elaborate winter palace complex, Tulul Abu el-Alayiq, along Wadi Qelt — a bathhouse, reception hall, sunken garden, and a combined theater-and-hippodrome, linked
by a bridge across the wadi.
Jesus in Jericho
All three synoptic Gospels place Jesus passing through Jericho on the road from Galilee to Jerusalem. Luke gives the fullest account: Jesus heals a blind beggar at the city gate, then is hosted by Zacchaeus, a tax collector who climbs a sycamore fig tree for a better view. By local tradition, that tree still stands on Jericho's main street today.
Hisham's Palace and the Islamic Era
North of the old city, the Umayyad caliphate built Hisham's Palace (Khirbat al-Mafjar) around 724–743 CE as a winter retreat. Its bathhouse floor holds the famous "Tree of Life" mosaic — roughly 830 square meters (about 9,000 sq ft) of stonework depicting a lion attacking a gazelle beside two peaceful gazelles, one of the largest mosaic floors surviving from the ancient world. After a lengthy restoration, it reopened to visitors in 2021.
Top Things to Do in Jericho
| Site | Highlights | Hours | Entry Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tel es-Sultan |
Neolithic tower, 23 layers, UNESCO core zone |
Daily, 8:00–17:00 | 10–20 NIS |
| Jericho Cable Car & Mount of Temptation | 1,330 m ride to a Greek Orthodox monastery | Daily, monastery to 13:00 | 60 NIS |
| Hisham's Palace | Umayyad "Tree of Life" mosaic, 830 sq m | Daily, similar hours | separate fee |
| Ein es-Sultan (Elisha's Spring) | The spring that has watered Jericho since the Neolithic period | Adjacent to Tel el-Sultan | Included |
| Zacchaeus's Sycamore Tree | Traditional New Testament site on the main street | Always viewable (roadside) | Free |
| Nearby: Qasr al-Yahud, Qumran, St. George Monastery | Jordan River baptism site, Dead Sea Scroll caves, Byzantine cliff monastery | Varies by site | Varies |
Hours and prices change seasonally and by administration , confirm on-site or with your guide before visiting.
How to Get to Jericho
- Drive Route 1, then Route 90. From Jerusalem, it's about 40 km (25 miles), roughly a 45-minute direct drive down into the Jordan Valley.
- Join a guided day tour. Most operators pair Jericho with the Dead Sea, Qumran, or Bethlehem, and bring a licensed guide who tracks current checkpoint conditions.
- Or book a licensed driver-guide. If you're not on a set tour, a local driver-guide cleared to enter Area A is more reliable than a self-drive rental — most Israeli rental-car agreements exclude Palestinian Authority areas.
- Start by mid-morning. Sites close by late afternoon (the monastery earlier still), so arrive early to fit Tel es-Sultan, the cable car, and Hisham's Palace into one visit.
Best Time to Visit Jericho
Its low elevation makes Jericho one of the hottest inhabited places in the region. Summer (June–September) highs regularly pass 40°C (104°F). The most comfortable months are November through March, with daytime temperatures closer to 20–25°C (68–77°F). Visiting in summer, plan the cable car and outdoor sites for early morning, and carry more water than you think you'll need.
Is Jericho Safe to Visit?
Jericho sits within the West Bank, an area covered by government travel advisories that shift with the regional security situation. As of early 2026, the U.S. State Department's advisory for Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza recommends travelers reconsider travel due to terrorism and civil unrest. Separately, UK and Canadian guidance notes that Jericho, along with Bethlehem and Ramallah, continues to see regular tourist and pilgrim traffic, generally without reports of serious incidents involving foreign visitors.
Before booking: check your own government's current advisory, travel with a licensed guide, avoid road travel after dark, and keep an eye on local news during your trip.
Where to Stay
Most travelers treat Jericho as a half- or full-day trip from Jerusalem, Bethlehem, or the Dead Sea resorts rather than an overnight stop. A handful of small guesthouses operate in Jericho itself for those who'd rather overnight in the Jordan Valley oasis and start early the next morning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Jericho really the oldest city in the world?
Jericho is often called the world's oldest city because Tell es-Sultan shows continuous settlement from roughly 9000 BCE across 23 excavated occupation layers. UNESCO inscribed the site as a World Heritage property in 2023 largely on this basis. Older individual structures exist elsewhere, such as Göbekli Tepe in Turkey, but without the same unbroken settlement record.
How far is Jericho from Jerusalem, and how do I get there?
Jericho is about 40 km (25 miles) east of Jerusalem, roughly a 45-minute drive via Route 1 and Route 90 through the Jordan Valley. Most visitors join an organized day tour or hire a licensed driver-guide, since standard Israeli rental-car contracts typically exclude Palestinian Authority Area A, which includes Jericho.
What does it cost to visit Tel es-Sultan and the cable car?
Entry to Tel es-Sultan runs about 10–20 NIS ($3–5), and a round-trip cable car ticket to the Mount of Temptation costs roughly 60 NIS (about $16) as of 2026. Hisham's Palace charges a separate small entry fee. Prices are set locally, so confirm current rates at each ticket booth.
Do I need a visa or special permit to enter Jericho?
Most foreign passport holders don't need a separate permit for a day trip to Jericho; standard entry is through Israel with a regular tourist stamp. Because access rules for the West Bank can change quickly, check your government's current travel advisory before booking and consider traveling with a licensed guide.
Why is Jericho below sea level?
Jericho sits 258 meters (846 feet) below sea level in the Jordan Rift Valley, a tectonic depression shared with the Dead Sea and Jordan River. That makes it the lowest permanently inhabited city on Earth, though the nearby Dead Sea shoreline itself sits at an even lower elevation.
What is the Zacchaeus tree, and can I still see it?
By local Christian tradition, a large sycamore fig on Jericho's main street marks where the tax collector Zacchaeus climbed to see Jesus, an episode recorded in the Gospel of Luke. Considered one of the oldest sycamores in the region, the tree remains a stop on most Jericho itineraries today.
Plan Your Private Jericho Tour
Jericho pairs naturally with a Dead Sea day trip, a combined Bethlehem-and-Jericho itinerary, or a full Jerusalem-to-Jordan-Valley route. Tell us your dates and we'll build a private, licensed-guide day trip around Tel es-Sultan, Hisham's Palace, and the Mount of Temptation cable car.
