Church of Nativity in Jerusalem

Must see!!! Very historical. To enter you’ll be forced to bow as the entry way is incredibly low down. This is intentional, humbling all visitors by forcing them to bow down as they enter the birthplace of Christ. The main reason to visit is to go underground to the grotto where the exact spot Jesus was born. It is marked by a silver star on the ground and inspires many people to kneel down, touch it and pray. As you’ll see in my photos only 2 people at a time can kneel / crouch to pray in front the star where Christ was born. The spot where Jesus’ manger was kept is also part of the tour. First off, a word of warning, there is at least a 2-4 hour wait to get to see the grotto. Both these sites are located underneath a basilica which is the oldest church in the Holy Land. The church itself is magnificent. Our tour group didn’t have the time to line up to see the grotto as we only had a half day tour and the wait was too long. I was able to take some great photos of the sites though. I got lucky and didn’t have to wait in line for 3 hours, as some gentlemen from the ministry of tourism took a liking to me, waved me over and offered to take me in through the exit. Two of them escorted me directly to Jesus’ birth star and manger. One of them even gave me a free candle, while another turned on the lights at one of the altars so my photos would have good lighting. They were truly a blessing. Hallelujah! I was in and out in 5-10 minutes. I had to leave my tour group behind for a bit though. I just joined them when I was done. It was truly memorable. 💕 This is hands down the holiest site in Christianity. You don’t have to be religious to enjoy a visit to Bethlehem, it’s an interesting city in its own right.Here you’ll find incredibly friendly and welcoming people, and a very likable city. Thank you again kind sirs. 💕

Amazing experience, the only problem are the people who works there, after waiting in line 45 minutes to see the Jesus birth place, few employees of the church rushed everyone out and we didnt get the chance to enjoy the full experience and see everything. I was very disappointed.

Church of nativity.The birth place of Jesus christ

Be prepared for a long wait and people who behave anything but Christian here. But a truly moving experience to be in the place of the birth of salvation and redemption. You feel it the moment you step into this holy place of antiquity of St Helena and the burning of holy nard and incense. Visited the Church before pandemic, there was work begun to restore the many years of burning oils and incense.The work was done through the pandemic and the result is stunning!! The gorgeous columns befitting a place to honor the King and Queen are once again restored to magnificence.

If youre a Christian are believe in Jesus this is a most do site to see in the holy land.

Great place to visit from the West Bank. Sorrounding not just the same (cleanlinessin Jerusalem.

Wonderful Church Experience as it is built according to the ancient Gothic Style.. Usually crowded with pilgrims as it houses the birthplace and the birthspot of JESUS.. a very narrow way reaches the exact birth spot, which is below the main altar.. This church is surrounded by souvenir shops where souvenirs can be purchased..

The Bible comes to life. You get to visit the stable and see the Manger where he Jesus laid. Beautiful church, with mosaic from the byzantine Era. A must visit for every Christian

One of the best church i visited in bethlehem where Jesus was born

It can a little tricky getting to the “manager” depending on the various services queued up (we missed our windowbut just experiences the over the top ornamental nature of the church is mind blowing. All year long the Christmas spirit rings true at this church nestled in the Bethlehem hillside.

Ive seen the crypt before, so didnt bother going down to it this time. An atmospheric church, enjoyed by all faiths. Worth a visit.

This place is so beautiful ! It is worth to visit bethelem and coming to this place! Learn more about the culture, talk to the locals and visit such a place with a lot of history and importance ❤️

Worth a visit. If you are coming from Jerusalem it’s a little complicated because Bethlehem is under Palestinian control.Sadly, Israeli citizens are not allowed to visit without special arrangements.This means your Israeli guide will have to hand you off to a Palestinian guide and wait to take you back. I’m my case both guides were old friends and everything went smoothly.I didn’t have to wait at all to see the birthplace but I was told that was a lucky circumstance.

The church is beautiful.The beggars dont let you walk in peace.The walking is hard and the temperature for me was an inconvenient.I highly recommend not going on a excursion group so you can view at your own peace; otherwise your going to be rushed and end up frustrated.

Be aware that when you want to go into the grotto it can take a long time queuing. Especially since folks who hire a guide in the church get priority (they can enter from the other side.

The nativity church reminds me of the old days when everything were simpler . Also the people there got a smile on their faces ,they are also so generous ,loving, nice and mostly an amazing experience with in the place and the people there

Very beautiful church. It is worth to go also to the side ways, to the little garden on the left especially.From there, there is also a more convenient entrance, as the one used as main entrance now is very very small.

A very beautiful church and a must visit for Christians and non-Christians alike. The interior was being fixed when I visited in 2017 but one could discern the beautiful artwork. The basement is where Christinas can view the site where Christ was born. Many faithful people congregate there to touch a piece of Christinaity. Be patient as there is a long line go to the basement. Also be mindful of the people praying.

Great experience from a religious point of view. Very crowded and requires patience amid tourists who want to push in rather than wait their turn. But still a must do! It helps a lot to go with a guide.

Amazing experience. We felt a warm feeling being inside the church. There was no crowds due to COVID-19 so we didn’t have to wait at all to get inside.

We were there early. Our wait was 2 hours! This is located in Pakistan! Arm guards are in the church! We were not able to go to other shops in area. They drove us to a shop to get Souvenirs most of their things and there were higher than what they are in Jerusalem. Their explanation for this was that this was a Christian shop that was denied business because they were surrounded by muslims.

A beautiful and historic monument. A must visit for any Christian or history lover

The birth place of Jesus is preserved because it was covered in an effort to destroy it. By covering it, all they did was mark the birth place of Jesus.The Church of the Nativity was built over the site to mark and preserve the birth place of Jesus.

A truly beautiful and amazing place to visit.The architecture is spectacular and entry is free.

Had a great time learning the history of the biblical times. Place is very organized and employees make there’s steady flow of people in and out the establishment. Must try when in Israel

Beautiful place part of out historyHighly recommend to visit early day to avoid the crowds

This is the place where Jesus was born. This church is marvelous where you can see details from 4th century. It is also active since building till our day

Incredible to see the birth place of the Great King!

Very well preserved religious place that accommodates visitors while also functioning like any other church.

We got the local bus there from Jerusalem (very easyand the walk down to the church was very pleasant.When we entered the church a friendly guide offered to take us down to the site of Jesuss birth for 80 shekels for the 3 of us.There was a very long line.. about 2 hours he said and we said wed think about it after walking around.. so we did.. at which point I asked a guard at the exit point of the birth site and she let us in... so these so-called tour guides do the same thing and ask the security guards sitting by the exit... so dont get tricked by them please. Terrible behaviour at such a historic site.The site was very busy and you dont see much as theres so many people desperate for a sneek..

This a place that everyone needs to visit. Not only for its atmosphere, but for the architectural monument that it represents. I dont know if you need to book it in advance, we just entered the church and waited (a long timein line to see the manger. Outside, youll find a lot of taxis to get back to the checkpoint.

It was definitely worth the visit, but by the time you get to the spot where Mary laid her head and Jesus was born, the crowds kept funneling in and it made the experience a bit more assembly line than I would have liked.

It is easy to get there. Bethlehem is a small village, yet easy to get lost in. Google maps can navigate you properly. Beware though, that withing the main city walls, signal is hard to find.The church is built upon Christs birth place, the cave that was later excavated by the romans to be easier accessible. The "crib" was removed, but the spot remains.It is indeed a holy place. Try to feel the energy on your feet, like a grounding exercise.On the side of that church, is the massive tomb for all the children Herod killed, in his attempt to get to baby Jesus. Judging from the size of their skulls, it is safe to say the Herods math was not so good, as most skulls indicate ages far greater than 1-3 years old.Their toilets are horrible, unclean and smelly.The church sells everything, including flyers. And they only accept shekels. 1€ = 3.5 ILSIf you are Greek, they let you in the cave (fatnifrom the exit, to avoid the long lines of visitors.There is police and army everywhere. Most hold guns too!It was funny how on our way out Bethlehem and back to Jerusalem, the bus was stopped at a toll station and two Palestinian kids holding guns entered to check our IDs.There is a bus from Jerusalem to Bethlehem and back. DO NOT take a taxi!!Bus charges 7.5ils (israeli shekelsper route, and leaves you at a 15 walking distance from the temple. There is absolutely no reason to pay 400-500ils for a taxi.I hope this helps. Big Love fellow travellers!

We went when it was less crowded, but there were lots of people there. Thanks t is a very special site commemorating the birth of Christ. Prepare to be there for at least 1 hour, maybe more. A nice priest let us go into a less visited spot where we were able to see some of the bones of people killed by Herod the Great.

Originally a cave where Jesus was born. Built over an older church of the 4th century (some mosaic remains), ruined by Samaritans riots. The oldest part of the existing venue dates as early as the 6th century (the pillars with the recently recovered ancient paintings, and the wooden bulk connecting them at the ceiling). Recently renovated with donations from various Christianity branches churches and private enthusiasts. A nice market nearby and a cozy cafe with indoor and outdoor veranda. definitely worth a visit

Beautiful church, I didnt get the chance to go inside, but perhaps one day.

I truly enjoyed the visit, it was not the first one, but l would gladly revisit again

Beautiful place!It was an amazing experience to be at the place where Jesus was born. My mind translated in time to those days. A very highly recommended experience.

Very buissy. Almost a must for christians. Compact. Very steep stairs (no wheelchair accommodations). Plan on 2-3 hours to get closer (touchthan 3 feet from sights.

Basilica built on the grotto where Jesus was born. There is a star above this place, you can admire.

Amazing. So much history.Had to wait about 20 minutes. Pre covid the wait was 3 hours. Go early

Very ancient design and well maintained, looks and feels antique

Beautiful, moving, and a wonderful experience. It was quiet and serene. There was a prayer service happening at the time that we were able to be witness to.So much history, beauty, and magnificence all in one place.Masks are worn at all times.Of course its a must-visit.

It was beautiful and felt special to visit the Church of the Nativity, currently owned by three church authorities: the Greek Orthodox, the Armenian Apostolic, and the Roman Catholic. Interesting to know is that this Church was built over the cave that is believed to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ and is the oldest continuously used site as a place of worship in Christianity. This made the visit really special to me even though Christianity is not my faith.

I started from Tel Aviv. In late 2019, they built an inter-city high speed train service between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. And once in Jerusalem, I boarded a tour bus with a Palestinian plate and operated by a Palestinian tour company to be transported to Bethlehem.have seen many versions of St George and the Dragon and at this point I just feel bad for the Dragon.

It is pretty much what you come to see.The police told me I could not go in because my knees were showing, I asked them who decided that, they said the priest would make a problem, I asked for them or me, they said me and I asked if the priest speaks English, he does not and I was allowed in.

The Church of the Nativity, or Basilica of the Nativity, is a basilica located in Bethlehem in the West Bank. The grotto it contains holds a prominent religious significance to Christians of various denominations as the birthplace of Jesus.

The church is so beautiful and you will be amazed after seeing the old sculptures and how brilliantly the church is made. It is very neat and clear and encapsulate the history in it.

A truly holy place. Still undergoing restoration. A moving place to visit. You will enjoy it more if you visit it as a pilgrimage group with an official guide. The queues are long(2 hours minimum). But you should visit it at least once in your lifetime

So many people crowded in the church. A building full of history. Just met the Christmas Eve of Greek Orthodox Church in the square in front of the Nativity Church. It’s a great experience.