The spectacular St George’s Monastery is a must-see in Wadi Qelt, built into the cliff face in the 5th century. The paintings inside the main chapel are worth the walk, and parts of the original mosaic floors are visible below perspex screens. Up another flight of stairs there is a beautiful cave chapel.
From the car park, it is a gruelling 10-minute hike to the monastery – expect to be hassled by donkey-taxi vendors the entire way.
Drinking water is available at the monastery. You’ll see signposts along the way for the three main springs (Ein Qelt, Ein Farah and Ein Fawwar).
The only way to visit the monastery, like many other sites in and around Jericho, is by taxi (usually arranged in Bethlehem) or ideally with your own car. It is an easy drive from Jerusalem.
