What's on in Jericho, Palestine through the year

Peak crowds — Epiphany at the Jordan, Ramadan

• Festival

  Epiphany at the Jordan

  16–20 Jan · usuallyEaster & Holy WeekCrowded

  Orthodox pilgrims come down to the baptism site at Qasr al-Yahud for the blessing of the water. The site sits in a cleared minefield on the border, so access runs to the army's timetable, not yours. Source ↗

• Holiday

  Ramadan

  25 Jan – 25 Mar · usuallyClosures

  Nothing in town serves food in daylight and the cable car up to the Mount of Temptation runs to shorter hours. The square by the sycamore fills after sunset and stays busy. Source ↗

Still on: The winter escape (15 Nov – 15 Mar (usually))

Peak crowds — Ramadan, The winter escape

Nothing new starts in February.

Still on: Ramadan (25 Jan – 25 Mar (usually)), The winter escape (15 Nov – 15 Mar (usually))

Peak crowds — Ramadan, The winter escape

Nothing new starts in March.

Still on: Ramadan (25 Jan – 25 Mar (usually)), The winter escape (15 Nov – 15 Mar (usually))

Busy — school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, one of its best months for weather

Nothing new starts in April.

Shoulder season — school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

• Season

  The Jordan Valley summer

  20 May – 20 Sep · usuallyExtreme heat

  Valley heat with the hills trapping it in; the ruins at Tell es-Sultan and Hisham's Palace have no shade worth the name. Go at opening time or not at all.

Shoulder season — school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in June.

Still on: The Jordan Valley summer (20 May – 20 Sep (usually))

Quiet — school holidays in 5 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

Nothing new starts in July.

Still on: The Jordan Valley summer (20 May – 20 Sep (usually))

Quiet — school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

• Nature

  Medjool date harvest

  20 Aug – 15 Oct · usually

  The plantations either side of the road north are picked from ladders and the roadside stalls sell the soft ones by the box. It is the valley's main crop and the one thing to carry home.

Still on: The Jordan Valley summer (20 May – 20 Sep (usually))

Quiet — school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

Nothing new starts in September.

Still on: The Jordan Valley summer (20 May – 20 Sep (usually)), Medjool date harvest (20 Aug – 15 Oct (usually))

Shoulder season — school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in October.

Still on: Medjool date harvest (20 Aug – 15 Oct (usually))

Busy — The winter escape

• Season

  The winter escape

  15 Nov – 15 Mar · usuallyWinter-sun seasonCrowded

  This is the lowest town on earth and it is where Jerusalem and Ramallah come to sit outside in January. Weekends bring picnicking families out to the springs and the orange stalls on the road in.

Busy — The winter escape, school holidays in 5 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in December.

Still on: The winter escape (15 Nov – 15 Mar (usually))