Things to do in Hebron: If you come to volunteer in Hebron, West Bank, you will have plenty of time to make your own plan in the evenings and in the weekend. Even though there is no actual nightlife in the city of Hebron, there are enough things to keep you entertained until at least the early hours of the night. Typically, when you arrive on your own in an unknown city, you may not know where to begin. Here we have created a guide for the best places to spend your spare time in Hebron.

Traveling

The most obvious way to spend your free time is to travel. Palestine is home to many historical, religious and cultural sites that are worth paying a visit. Use your time to visit Jerusalem, Nablus, Nazareth, Jenin, or Ramallah.

Palestine is a relatively small country so traveling from one corner to another does not take a lot of time nor is it expensive, and you can easily make it a one- or two-day trip. If you do not feel like making a long trip, you can go to Bethlehem. This takes about half an hour by taxi service. You can have lunch at Afteem restaurant, one of the best ones in the city. Or you can drink the beer that you have been missing, since there is no alcohol in Hebron, and you are not allowed to have alcohol at any time in Hebron while you are volunteering with the Excellence Center.

Cafés

If instead of traveling somewhere else, you wish to explore Hebron and get involved in its cultural and social life, here are some recommendations. On Ein Sarah Street, the principal avenue of Hebron’s new city, you will find numerous quaint and modern coffee shops. Down the block, there is Patchic, Hotel Plaza, 21 café and Hawana.

The first is a medium-size shop furbished with green furniture. Many visitors come here to smoke arghīleh, the Palestinian word for hookah or shisha, or just to have refreshments. The people who work there speaking English quite well. Plaza Hotel has a fancy rooftop. 21 café and Hawana are quite expensive compared to more traditional coffeeshops in the city, but they are calm, clean and the quality of the food and drinks is great.

Coffeeshops

If you are more the folkish coffee shops-type, we recommend you go to Antika, Fayrouz or Samā’ al-Khalīl. Antika is only 200 meters away from the center. It is located on the top of a small hill, and its retro interior is cozy and good for studying or hanging out. It is also fairly inexpensive, and it never gets crowded.

Close to Antika is Fayrouz, a new coffee shop furbished in an old-fashioned manner. The owners are young and easy-going: it is the right place if you want to practice your Arabic. Samā’ al-Khalīl (“Hebron’s Sky”), on the other hand, is another rooftop located near al-Haras Mosque (on Ein Sarah, halfway to Ras el-Jorah), but it is not as fancy nor as expensive as Hotel Plaza and has more local habitués.

Restaurants

Switching onto restaurants, the area with the best ones is Ras el-Jorah. There you can find the best places in Hebron, such as Zuwwar, Qasr al-Basha and Hakayet Bahr. Zuwwar and Qasr al-Basha are nice, big restaurants that serve local Palestinian food, while in Hakayet Bahr is famous for its fish dishes.

When you are done eating or drinking, you can burn some calories by walking around the city. If you feel like shopping, there are many clothing boutiques where the sellers treat you with all the patience in the world. When you get hungry again, you can eat knafah (a traditional Palestinian dessert) or falafel while walking.

Human Rights Program in the West Bank 
Levantine Colloquial Arabic

Gym or playroom

If you want to work out, there are a number of gyms in Hebron, of which Prestige Gym in Duwwār Ibn al-Rushd is closest to the center. Keep in mind that here in Palestine, we have time slots for women and men, as it is segregated.

Often women can go in the morning and early afternoon, whereas men can go in the later afternoon and late evening. If you want something less athletic, you can go to Ein Sarah’s “playroom”, where you can play many PlayStation games for a ridiculously low price. It is a great place to meet local people and to practice your language skills.

Nature

Last but not least, you can go to the nature near Hebron. The closest (about five kilometers from Hebron) and most beautiful area is Wadi el-Quff. Sometimes you do not realize you need something until you have it, so even if you love the city and the crowd, going to see the landscape of Palestine is always a good idea.

Wadi el-Quff reminds one of southern France, with a Mediterranean, hilly landscape. The colors of the sky in Hebron are always beautiful, and in Wadi el-Quff you get to see them in all their width. You can go here either with a taxi or with your local friends. All Palestinians know this area and if they can, they will take you on a Friday for a picknick.

Volunteer with Palestinian Refugees in the West Bank

Concluding thoughts

In conclusion, there are many fun things to do in Hebron. You can travel to other cities, go to cafés in Hebron to smoke shisha or drink coffee, eat the most delicious dishes of your life, you can walk around the old city with knafah in your hand, buy clothes on Ein Sarah street, go to the gym, go to the playroom to play video games with local youth, or you can find peace of mind in the nature reserve near Hebron.

The best suggestion is always the same: become friends with local guys and girls and have them show you around for a truly Palestinian experience.

Find us online

Whatsapp:+972599479880

Website: https://ecpalestine.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/excellence.center

The Excellence Center’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ExcellenceCenter

Excellence Center’s Facebook account: https://www.facebook.com/RafatECHebron

Watch us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsQSLdFZWZcBm6Uj0XMYuKg

Visit and Explore Palestine: https://www.facebook.com/ExplorePalestine