Journey to Bethlehem Coloring Page
Drawn for Childhood Bible Stories · Free for home & Sunday school use · Updated September 2026
Before the stable there was a long walk. This printable is the part of the Christmas story that usually gets skipped: Mary and Joseph on the road out of Nazareth, hills on both sides, and Bethlehem waiting up ahead as a cluster of small flat-roofed houses.
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The story behind this page
God becomes a baby in a manger in Bethlehem. Shepherds hear the news first, and wise men travel far to find Him.
Story 17 of 23 in our Bible stories in order plan. Up next: Jesus Feeds 5,000 People.
About this scene
Mary walks with both hands resting on her middle. Joseph is beside her with a staff and a bundle over his shoulder. The road they are on winds from the bottom corner of the page all the way to the town, which gives a child something to trace with a finger before they color anything.
Olive trees, grass tufts, round clouds, and a few birds fill the space between. The town itself is small on purpose. It sits at the top of the hill as the place they have not reached yet, which is what the whole page is for.
You will notice there is no donkey. Luke does not mention one, so we left the animal out of both the picture and the caption. If a child does ask, it is a useful chance to show the difference between the passage and the set of ornaments on the mantel.
“Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to David's city, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David; to enroll himself with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him as wife, being pregnant.”
Luke 2:4-5 (World English Bible)
Coloring ideas for this page
- Color the road last and in a single flat color. It pulls the eye up toward the town.
- Dusty greens and browns suit the hills. Save the brighter colors for the two travellers so they stand out.
- The town is made of small boxes. Coloring each house a slightly different shade is oddly satisfying and takes a while.
- Ask your child to count how many birds are in the sky before they start. It slows them down in a good way.
What this page teaches
Obedience often looks like a long, dull walk. Joseph went up from Nazareth to Bethlehem because a census said so, and because he was of the house and family of David (Luke 2:4-5). Luke gives the route and the reason and nothing else, and the walk itself takes up one sentence. A great deal of faithfulness looks like that.
Questions parents ask
Why is there no donkey on the page?
Luke never mentions one. The donkey comes from later tradition and from centuries of Christmas art. We kept the picture to what the passage actually says, and the walking is easier to draw honestly than a ride we cannot support.
How far did they travel?
Nazareth to Bethlehem is roughly ninety miles by the routes available then, which would have taken several days on foot. Scripture gives the two towns but not the timing, so that is a distance on a map rather than a detail from the text.
Where does this page fit in the Christmas set?
First. Print it before the nativity sheet and the story unfolds in order: the road, the stable, the shepherds, and much later the wise men.
