Dead Sea Israel Travel Guide

This travel guide is full of tips on how to plan your visit at the Dead Sea in Israel. This amazing place is known for being the natural wonder of the Middle East, the first health resort in the world and home to the historic sites such as Masada, Ein Gedi, and Qumran. Located in the desert and surrounded by breathtaking mountains, it’s also the lowest point on Earth.

What attracts the tourists the most are the healing mineral muds and salty formations. They are just great for the skin and treat the symptoms of asthma, psoriasis, eczema and allergies, plus have a positive effect on rheumatism. Above all, the Dead Sea is where you come to read your newspaper while floating in the water. That’s also where you find the hidden oasis with hot springs and the air so rich in oxygen it protects from the sunburn.

What to Visit at the Dead Sea

The truth is, the Dead Sea is an amazing natural wonder of the world located in the Middle East. It lies in the Jordan Rift Valley, within the Judean Desert and between the high cliffs and the mountains (Judaean Mountains and the Moab Plateau). The Dead Sea shares its borders with three countries, Israel and Palestine (West Bank) on the west side and Jordan to the east. The water surface area is about 605 square km and the sea itself (the North Basin) is 50 km long, 15 km wide and around 304 m deep.

The Dead Sea, which is not actually the sea, but the salt lake, is also the lowest place on the planet. Its surface and shores are about 430 metres below sea level and constantly dropping every year. The lake is fed by the River Jordan, which is the major water source and the primary inflow, but it has no outlet streams. The Dead Sea is one of the world’s saltiest bodies of water (after Antarctica and Canada) with the salt concentration of 26%, which is 10 times more than ocean waters. This phenomenon makes floating easier than swimming, but impossible to support any life except for some bacteria and fungi. Interestingly, the air around the Dead Sea area is so rich in oxygen (also due to its low location and thick ozone layer), it protects your skin from getting burned by the sun.

Don’t leave the Dead Sea without seeing:

1. Ein Bokek City
2. The Beaches
3. Dead Sea Tree of Life
4. Round Islands
5. The Balloon
6. Salty Catwalk
7. Salty Beach
8. Ein Gedi Nature Reserve
9. Ein Feshka (Einot Tzukim)
10. Qumran National Park
11. Masada National Park
12. Masada Fortress
13. Nahal Zohar Fortress
14. Neve Zohar Village
15. Wadi Perazim Canyon
16. Mount Sodom
17. Flour Salt Cave
18. Lot’s wife (Eshet Lot)
19. Colonel Cave
20. Malham Cave

Daily Excursions around the Dead Sea

• Ein Gedi Nature Reserve
• Ein Feshka
• Qumran National Park
• Masada National Park
• Nachal Zohar
• Masada National Park
• Wadi Perazim Canyon

Hiking at the Dead Sea

If you want to experience the best views of the Dead Sea, you definitely have to go out and about. The best hiking trails include the walks along the beaches, Mount Sodom, Ein Gedi Nature Reserve (David Waterfall, Arugot Stream, Oasis Trail, Ein Gedi Spring, Dudim Cave, Dry Canyon, En Gedi Ascent, Tel Goren), Ein Feshka (Einot Tzukim), Qumran National Park (the oldest Biblical manuscripts known as the Dead Sea Scrolls were found there), Masada National Park (cable car to the Masada fortress overlooking the sea), the valley of Zohar (Nachal Zohar) and the Wadi Perazim Canyon (where Mount Sodom and other rocky formations are located).

Dead Sea Beaches

Generally, the Dead Sea is formed of two basins, the North and the South, which have a different salinity (saltiness) level. The North Basin is less salty due to the River Jordan flowing in and bringing the fresh water into the sea. On the other hand, the South Basin is designed to evaporate the water what increases the salt concentration and eventually extracts the salt.

There are seven Dead Sea beaches you can visit during your trip to Israel. To be honest, they are probably the weirdest beach destinations you ever go to in your life. So, you can stay at the Kalia, Biankini, Neve Midbar, Ein Gedi, Ein Bokek, Zohar and the Segregated Beach. The first four are located on the north shores and the other three are in the south.

The beaches in the north are different from the ones in the south as they have murky waters with plenty of mud, higher waves and admission fees. All in all, they are the top notched resort facilities with plenty of mud around the shores that is rich with a unique combination of minerals like magnesium, sodium, and potassium.

On the other hand, the south Dead Sea beaches have the crystal clear waters of beautiful turquoise colour. That’s where you get to walk on the shore of salt, so there’s no mud. Those beaches are shallow, with hardly no waves and the no entrance fee.

Where to Stay at the Dead Sea

Generally, most people visit the Dead Sea on the daily trip from Jerusalem in Israel or from Egypt, while staying in the Sharm el Sheikh, Dahab or Taba seaside resorts. If you want to spend a few nights in the Dead Sea in Israel, you can either use the campsite or book the hotel. The fact is, the camping is the cheapest option (from £15 a night), but it’s often located outside the town. The hotels are more expensive (from £150 a night), but right on the beach. When you book your hotel, it’s best to choose the one with the meals included (ideally all inclusive).

The Dead Sea is divided into two lakes and there are seven beaches on the Israeli coastline you can stay around. So, you have the choice of the Kalia, Biankini, Neve Midbar, Ein Gedi, Ein Bokek, Zohar and the Segregated Beach to find your accommodation. The first four beaches are located on the north shores and the other three are in the south. The north side offers the mud treatments and that’s where you pay to enter the beaches, whereas the south side is more shallow with crystal clear waters, plenty of salt and the free beaches.

Overall, the best place to stay is the Ein Bokek beach on the southern side of the Dead Sea. That’s where most people choose to be as the area is full of the beautiful salty formations and nice hotels. If, however you want to go the north beaches, such as Ein Gedi and enjoy the mineral mud, you can easily drive there (70 km at the furthest).

Most recommended campsites/hotels in Dead Sea, Israel:

• Kfar Hanokdim Camping
• Kesem Hamidbar Campsite
• Masada Campsite West
• Shkedi Camp Lodge
• Camping Neot Campsite
• Metzoke Dragot Campsite
• Ein Gedi Youth Hostel
• SPNI Field School
• Masada Guest House
• David Dead Sea Resort & Spa
• Leonardo Club Hotel
• Royal Hotel Ein Bokek
• Prima Oasis Ein Bokek
• Crowne Plaza Dead Sea
• Ein Gedi Kibbutz Hotel

What to Eat in the Dead Sea

Once you find yourself staying at one of the Dead Sea resorts, you’re most likely to go for the all inclusive or half board options. Either way, it’s the most convenient way of dining as the restaurants are in short supply. The truth is, even the most visited Ein Bokek has very few places to eat. The most popular one is the Taj Mahal Restaurant, where the Middle Eastern grilled meat is served in the Bedouin style tent.

Other eatery recommendations include the restaurant at Kibbutz Ein Gedi and the Masada National Park Eastern Entrance, which are ideal to have your lunch. In summary, the city of Ein Bokek has two small shopping malls with a McDonald’s, falafel bars, a liquor store and a few other stores selling everyday items and the souvenirs. Moreover, every beach has the hotel restaurants where you can optionally dine in.

How to Get Around the Dead Sea

Well, the best way to get around the Dead Sea is driving your own wheels. It’s because the public transport is not developed and taxis are rare to find. You can rent a car in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv and drive there for a daily trip or longer (Jerusalem is about 110 km away). The average car rental starts from the $20 (£15) a day and you can visit the rental offices everyday, except during the Shabbat (Friday and Saturday) as they close.

If you want to get from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea (Ein Bokek), you should take the bus number 444 or 486. The average journey takes 1.5 h and cost 36.5 Shekels (£8). The bus service is provided by Egged (egged.co.il) and that’s where you check the timetables and make the bookings. There’s a frequent service linking Jerusalem with the Dead Sea (Ein Bokek) with the exception of Friday evenings and Saturdays when buses stop running during the Shabbat. If you take the early one (usually at 7am), it’s possible to briefly hike the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve, bus to Masada, swim at the Ein Bokek beach and then return to Jerusalem, all during one day.

If you want to visit the Masada Fortress, where you can admire the views of the Dead Sea from above, you can either hike (40 min) or take the cable car (3 min). The Masada entrance fee and the return cable car ticket is 77 Shekels (£17) and 59 Shekels (£13) if you don’t mind trekking one way.

Dead Sea Travel Guide – Cost and Budget

If you book the daily trip to the Dead Sea (including Jerusalem and Bethlehem) from Jerusalem, it normally costs around $89 (£65). If, however, you book the same trip from Egypt (eg. while staying in Sharm, Taba or Dahab), you shouldn’t pay more than $150 – $200 (£110 – £150). Generally, the trips booked from Egypt include the transport, one meal (usually dinner), the guide and Israeli visa fee.

It’s no surprise, you have to spend more for staying a few nights independently. If you want to enter the north beaches, where you find the mineral muds, you have to pay the fees up to 85 Shekels (£18). When you plan to visit the local parks, such as the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve, the entrance fee is about 30 Shekels (£6). The price to use the cable car to reach the Masada fortress is 77 Shekels (£17) for the return trip.

If you choose all inclusive package from your hotel, which is the best option anyway, you avoid paying for your food. The typical restaurant meal in Ein Bokek is around £20 or more. All things considered, the backpackers shouldn’t pay more than £40, the mid – range travellers roughly £185 and those after some the luxury almost £300 a day.

	Accommodation	Food	Transport	Attractions	Avg Daily Cost
Backpacker	£15	£20	£0	£5	£40
Mid-range	£150	£0	£15	£20	£185
Luxury	£250	£0	£20	£20	£290

Dead Sea Travel Guide – Best Time to Visit

In short, the best time to go to the Dead Sea is either spring (March to May) or autumn (September to November). That’s when you enjoy the most pleasant temperatures (between 26°C and 35°C), good for swimming as well as hiking.

As can be noted, the winter in the Dead Sea is also warm, but rainy at times. Although it’s such a blessing to feel the rain, it often leads to flash floods disturbing your hiking. Swimming in winter is rather pleasant because the sea temperature is often higher than the air itself (around 22°C).

The summer (June to August) is definitely the season to avoid in the Dead Sea. The temperatures are brutally hot (up to 41°C) and it’s hard to stand the heat. When you travel to Israel, you should also consider the Shabbat (Friday and Saturday), the time when everything is closed.

Dead Sea Travel Guide – Average Monthly Temperatures

Basically, the Dead Sea is pretty warm every month of the year, although it’s the hottest in summer, from June to September. Those months bring brutally hot temperatures between 37°C and 41°C, with August being the hottest. In contrast, the Dead Sea is the coldest in winter, from December to February. That’s when the weather is still mild and the temperatures stay around 23°C, with January being the coolest.

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
High Temp (°C)	21	23	26	31	36	39	40	41	37	33	28	23
Low Temp (°C)	11	12	15	18	22	26	28	28	27	23	17	12
Sea Temp (°C)	21	20	20	23	27	31	32	33	32	30	27	23

Dead Sea Travel Guide – Average Monthly Precipitation

Generally, it hardly ever rains in the Dead Sea, although the area is the wettest in winter, between December and March. In fact, January is the month when it rains the most with only 9 mm and 3 days of showers. In contrast, the Dead Sea is the driest between April and November and that’s when you never see a drop of rain.

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Rainfall (mm)	9	8	8	4	0	0	0	0	0	1	4	8
Rainfall (days)	3	2	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0.5	1	2

Dead Sea Travel Guide – Practical Information