Where exactly they were from and how many there were is uncertain, tradition says there were three, based on the number gifts they brought with them.  All that is known about where they came from is that they came from the east.  No one knows for sure when they left, or how long their journey took

What we do know is they were astrologers, wise men.  When they saw the star appear, they knew immediately what it meant.  It meant that there was a new king born, and so they left their homes took their gifts and set out for Bethlehem.  When they arrived they found Him, they bowed down and worshipped the boy king.  Then they gave Him their gifts.

Gold – His gift of gold is believed to have financed the Holy Family's flight into Egypt. It represents the immortality, purity, divinity, and kingship of Jesus

Frankincense is a sweet smelling gum resin derived from certain Boswellia trees which, at the time of Christ, grew in Arabia, India, and Ethiopia. At that time this resin was considered as valuable as gems or precious metals. The Romans burned frankincense on their altars and at cremations.

Myrrh - Because myrrh was used in the embalming or anointing of the dead, it came to represent mortality, suffering, and sorrow. The Israelites used perfumed ointments of myrrh in their funeral preparations to postpone the decay and alleviate the odors of the deceased