Located just a few miles north of Jericho's city center in the West Bank, Hisham’s Palace is the sprawling ruin of an 8th-century Umayyad winter resort. While the site contains the remains of a royal palace, a mosque, and an elaborate bathhouse complex, Western tourists are almost entirely driven here to see one specific thing: one of the largest and most intricately preserved ancient floor mosaics in the world.

• What Tourists Actually Search For (Tips & Hacks):

  • The "Is It Covered?" Confusion: For decades, the massive 827-square-meter main bathhouse mosaic was buried under layers of canvas and sand to protect it from the elements, only being uncovered for a few weeks a year. Tourists still heavily search forums to see if it will be visible during their trip. The great news is that a massive, multi-million-dollar protective shelter and suspended viewing walkway was recently completed, meaning the entire masterpiece is now permanently visible year-round.

  • Finding the "Tree of Life": The single most famous piece of art here is the "Tree of Life" mosaic, which depicts a lion attacking a gazelle beneath a sprawling fruit tree. Independent travelers often wander the massive main floor looking for it and get confused when they can't spot it. It is actually located in a separate, much smaller adjacent room called the diwan (the VIP guest reception room) tucked off to the side of the bathhouse.

  • The Jericho Heat Trap: Because the palace is located on the floor of the Jordan Valley (well below sea level), the midday heat is absolutely punishing. Outside of the new mosaic shelter, the ancient ruins offer zero shade. Travel forums strongly advise visiting this site first thing in the morning if you are doing a Jericho day trip, saving the air-conditioned cable car up the Mount of Temptation for the hotter afternoon hours.

  • The Area A Rental Car Ban: Just like Ancient Jericho (Tell es-Sultan), this site sits firmly within Area A of the Palestinian Territories. Independent tourists attempting to drive themselves constantly search for the rules, only to realize Israeli rental cars are strictly forbidden from entering. You must park at a nearby Israeli highway junction or border crossing and negotiate with a local Palestinian yellow taxi to drive you to the palace gates.