Which one to choose in Palestine
Two ancient sites in Palestine. Herodium (Herodion) has no online ticket listed; Qumran has 2 tickets and tours to book. The table and the two notes below put them side by side; the full pages have what to see, the ticket and the timing for each.
Bethlehem, Palestine
Herodium is the fortified palace that Herod the Great built on a cone-shaped hill in the Judaean Desert, about 5 km south-east of Bethlehem. The summit palace, its cisterns and rebel tunnels, the lower palace and the tomb identified as Herod's in 2007 can all be seen on one walk, with views to Jerusalem and the Dead Sea.
Jericho, Palestine
Qumran is the ruined settlement on a desert plateau above the Dead Sea nearest to the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found between 1947 and 1956. Its cisterns, ritual baths, assembly hall and watchtower date from the 2nd century BC to AD 68, and from the end of the trail you look straight at Cave 4, which held most of the scroll fragments.
| Herodium (Herodion) | Qumran | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Palace, Villa & Baths | Ancient City |
| Civilisation | Near Eastern | Near Eastern |
| Founded | 23 BC | 100 BC |
| Entry | Fee at the gate; covered by Israel parks passes | Fee in shekels; reduced for children; parks passes valid |
| Hours | Roughly 8 am to 5 pm Apr–Sep and to 4 pm Oct–Mar, an hour earlier on Fridays; last entry an hour before closing | 8 am to 5 pm in summer, to 4 pm in winter; an hour earlier on Fridays and holiday eves |
| Time needed | 1.5 to 2 hours | 1 to 2 hours |
| Booking | Pay at the gate; check access conditions before you go | Pay at the gate; tours from Jerusalem and Tel Aviv need booking |
| Tickets and tours on GetYourGuide | none listed | 2 |