• Pick olives
• Help Palestinian farmers
• Tour the bustling old city of Nablus
• Sample traditional Palestinian food
• Learn olive pressing techniques
• Visit a spice shop, a traditional soap factory still in operation and a former Ottoman bath house
• See settlements, checkpoints and the West Bank barrier
Tour details
Saturday 19 October | |
Length of Tour: | 10 hours |
Tel Aviv Departure: | 6.30am - HaYarkon 48 Hostel (map) |
Jerusalem Departure | 8.30am - YMCA King David Street (map) |
Return | 6.30pm to Jerusalem • 8.00pm to Tel Aviv |
Cost: | From Jerusalem 540 NIS/Shekels From Tel Aviv 665 NIS/Shekels |
Includes traditional Palestinian lunch • Passports needed | |
Make a reservation
We also have a Nablus-only tour offered twice every week. Read the Guardian article about this tour.
Detailed description
Detailed description

En-route to the Nablus area from Jerusalem you'll see a large swath of the Central West Bank, passing numerous Palestinian villages, Jewish settlements, and groves of ancient olive trees. Your destination is the small village of Asira and most of the day you will spend picking olives here. Your hosts will teach their families' ancient techniques and share stories of how this task has changed under Occupation.
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Direct from the tree to the press - to the freshly baked pita bread! |
After lunch you will enter the old city of Nablus where you will tour the beautiful labyrinth of buildings dating back to the Ottoman period. You'll visit an ancient olive oil soap factory, a spice shop, and you'll also have an opportunity to sample knafe, a delicious local sweet.
During the short tour you will learn about ancient and modern times, combined with information about the city’s current status as an enclave of the Palestinian Authority surrounded by Israeli controlled territory.
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An Nasr Mosque, Nablus |
Nablus has the West Bank's largest refugee camp and until recently the entire city was closed off by military checkpoints and cars were not allowed into or out of the city without special permits. However, the Palestinian Authority’s 2007 security push in Nablus has transformed it from a lawless city into one with a functioning municipality and police force. Nablus is a fascinating city with hospitable and friendly people.
Come and discover a beautiful Palestinian city too often overlooked by travellers. You have not seen the West Bank, or the reality of life under occupation without a visit to Nablus, and combining this with the chance to participate in the olive harvest makes it a once-in-a-year opportunity.