From Jerusalem · Israel
The lowest place on Earth, about 40 minutes from Jerusalem, where the water is so salty you float. Climb Masada at dawn, walk to the waterfalls of Ein Gedi, then lie back in the sea and watch the sky.
Tours
In the centre, the classic day: a guide, hotel pickup, the cable car up Masada and the beach, with every fee paid. On the left, the cheapest way to float, back by early afternoon; on the right, Masada at sunrise for early risers. Every card opens a full page.
Best value
★ 4.65 hoursFree cancellationLeave Jerusalem before the heat and spend about three hours on a beach at the north end of the Dead Sea. Float, try the black mud and be back in the city by early afternoon.
Top pick
★ 4.410 hoursFree cancellationA guide, a coach from your Jerusalem hotel and the cable car up to Herod's fortress at Masada. Then a long float at a Dead Sea beach, with the entry fees already paid.
Sunrise
★ 4.510 hoursFree cancellationClimb the Snake Path to Masada in the dark and watch the sun rise over the mountains of Jordan. Then the springs of Ein Gedi and a long float, with park fees paid on the day.
Live guide
★ 4.4Full day
Fees included
★ 4.37 to 10 hours
Top rated
★ 4.710 hours
Holy sites
★ 4.710 hours
Jordan River
★ 4.710 hours
Spa day
★ 4.510 hours
Private
★ 5.010 hoursCompare
The prices look close, the days do not. Some tours pay the Masada fee, the cable car and the beach for you; the cheaper self-guided trips cover the bus and the beach, and you pay the parks on the day.
| Tour | Where | What the price covers | Best for | Length | From | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masada and Dead Sea Day Tour with Pickup | Pickup in Jerusalem | Guide, Masada, cable car, beach | A first visit with no extras to pay | 10 hours | $115 | Book |
| Dead Sea Float: Half-Day Trip | Abraham Hostel, HaNevi'im St | Transport and beach entry | Just the float, on a budget | 5 hours | $50 | Book |
| Masada Sunrise, Ein Gedi and Dead Sea | Abraham Hostel, HaNevi'im St | Transport and beach; park fees extra | Fit early risers | 10 hours | $106 | Book |
| Masada, Ein Gedi and Dead Sea Guided Tour | David Citadel Hotel, King David St | Guide and transport; all fees extra | Ein Gedi with a live guide | Full day | $99 | Book |
| Masada and Dead Sea, Entrance Fees Included | Hotel pickup in Jerusalem | Guide, pickup, entrance fees | Hotel pickup, all fees paid | 7 to 10 hours | $123 | Book |
| Masada, Ein Gedi and Dead Sea by Bus | Abraham Hostel, HaNevi'im St | Transport and beach; park fees extra | Your own pace, top rated | 10 hours | $106 | Book |
| Bethlehem and Dead Sea Day Tour | David Citadel Hotel, King David St | Guide in Bethlehem; beach 45 NIS extra | Holy sites and a float | 10 hours | $105 | Book |
| Jericho, Jordan River and Dead Sea | Hotel pickup in Jerusalem | Guide, pickup, entrance fees | The Jordan River | 10 hours | $116 | Book |
| Dead Sea Spa and Sightseeing Day | Hotel pickup in Jerusalem | Guide, pickup, beach; treatments extra | A slow day by the water | 10 hours | $85 | Book |
| Masada and Dead Sea Private Tour | Pickup at your address | Private car and guide; fees extra | Families and small groups | 10 hours | $1,059 | Book |
Park fees in 2026: Masada 37 NIS, the Masada cable car 54 NIS return, Ein Gedi 31 NIS, and a private Dead Sea beach about 45 NIS. Every tour here cancels free up to 24 hours before.
The lowest place on Earth
The Dead Sea sits in the Jordan Rift Valley, its surface about 439 metres below sea level. Rivers flow in and nothing flows out, so the sun boils the water down to a brine about ten times saltier than the ocean. No fish live in it, which is where the name comes from, and the shore is crusted white with salt.
Above the western shore rises Masada, the cliff-top fortress King Herod built and Jewish rebels held against Rome until 73 or 74 CE. A day from Jerusalem usually puts the two together, with the springs of Ein Gedi in between.
Below sea level at the surface, and the level falls every year.
The northern shore is 40 minutes from Jerusalem; Masada is nearer 2 hours.
The road crosses the West Bank, and every tour asks for it.
Water shoes, a towel, a hat, sunscreen and plenty of water.
Float on your back, never dive, rinse in the showers.
The day
Most full-day tours follow the same line down Route 90: Masada while it is cool, Ein Gedi for shade, the beach in the afternoon heat.
Pickup in the city, then the road drops through the Judean Desert to the sea.
MorningUp by cable car, or on foot by the Snake Path before sunrise, to Herod's palaces and the view.
Two to three hoursA short walk up a spring-fed gorge to pools and waterfalls, with ibex on the rocks.
On some toursA beach with showers, the black mud and a long float before the drive back.
AfternoonPlan your trip
What the price covers, getting there, what to pack and when to go: one tab each.
Where it is
Route 1 east, then Route 90 south along the shore
From Jerusalem the road falls more than a kilometre in under an hour, through the Judean Desert to the northern end of the sea. Ein Gedi and Masada are further south on the same coast road, and the hotel beaches of Ein Bokek are beyond Masada.
Around your trip
When to go, what guests wish they had known, what is nearby and the fine print.
The Dead Sea shore
Pick your tour, then check the dates.
Check availabilityGuest reviews
★★★★★The fortress is definitely worth a visit. The view is incredible, and its history is fascinating. And there's nothing like the Dead Sea to end the day peacefully. [...] the best part of this activity is that the price of the cable car and admission to the Dead Sea are included in the ticket.
★★★★★This was a great trip! Shmuel got us safely to all of the stops and answered any questions that we had. The sunrise hike on Masada was beautiful. Be prepared as it is a challenging climb up but worth it. We had plenty of time at each stop.
★★★★★A lovely trip. Three hours at the beach was just right. Pure relaxation. We think we got a lot for the money
★★★★★What a great tour. Our guide was so good, he contacted everyone the night before to make sure we knew what to bring and what to expect the next day. He was very detailed and his knowledge was amazing.
★★★★★Daniel was an excellent and very knowledgeable guide. He gave amazing explanations about the sites we saw and also a thorough overview of the Israeli history since before the war of independence.
★★★★★Had a great day, a fantastic driver/guide. A local guy, funny and knew an incredible amount about the area.
★★★★★A great tour. The driver was very passionate and knowledgeable about the Dead Sea. Would highly recommend this half day tour.
★★★★★Having been on many tours I can say Udi is a top notch guide! Depth of knowledge, clear communication and helpful. 10/10 Recommended!
★★★★★A wonderful experience with a friendly driver, and Slomi, the live guide, was absolutely fantastic! We couldn't have had a better guide.
Another day
The Dead Sea takes a full day; the Old City deserves one too. With a guide and pickup, the walls, the Western Wall and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre fit into one long day.
Save a second day for the city itself. A guide takes you from the Mount Scopus viewpoint through the Old City to the Western Wall and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, with pickup and entry fees included.
Old CityPickupFree cancellation
The guide
A fortress on a cliff, a spring in the desert and a sea that holds you up: one long day from Jerusalem.
The first time you lie back in the Dead Sea, your legs pop up on their own. It feels like a trick. The water is thick and oily, it tastes awful, and you can read a newspaper on it without trying. That one odd hour is the reason most people come, and the black mud on the beach is the second.
The setting does the rest. The sea lies at the bottom of a desert rift, with the pink mountains of Jordan on the far side and the cliffs of the Judean Desert behind you. Masada stands on top of one of them.
For a first visit, the Masada and Dead Sea tour is our pick: hotel pickup, a guide, the cable car up and the beach, with every fee in the price. Fit and up early? The sunrise trip climbs the Snake Path in the dark. Short on time or money, the half-day float gets you three hours on the beach for $50 and you are back for lunch.
Ein Gedi is the green surprise between Masada and the beaches: a spring-fed gorge with pools, waterfalls and ibex. The guided tour and the bus day both stop there. For history instead of hiking, the Bethlehem tour visits the Church of the Nativity before the float.
The Dead Sea is falling. Water taken from the Jordan River and the mineral works at the south end mean the shoreline moves out a little every year, leaving salt terraces and sinkholes behind. Beaches have had to move with it, which is why some showers now stand a long walk from the water.
Guides
In-depth guides to the Dead Sea and the questions people ask most before they go. See all guides.
Jerusalem to the Dead SeaDistances, the Egged bus, driving down Route 1 and which tour gets you there with the least fuss.
Masada, Ein Gedi and the Dead SeaThe classic day from Jerusalem: how it runs, the 2026 fees, the Snake Path or the cable car, and which tour pays what.
Floating in the Dead SeaWhy you float, how to get in and out, how long to stay, the mud and what to pack.
Dead Sea beachesKalia, Biankini, Neve Midbar and Ein Bokek: free or paid, what is there and which tours go where.
Is the Dead Sea worth it?What floating feels like, half day or full day, what guests say and who should plan it differently.
Is the Dead Sea safe?The US and UK advice with dates, the road from Jerusalem, water and heat safety, and what happens if plans change.From the blog
Winter floats, Masada sunrise times and the falling sea. All posts.
The Dead Sea in winter 2026-27Mild days, warm water, early sunsets, Hanukkah crowds and the odd flash flood: how to plan a winter day at the lowest place on Earth.
Masada sunrise times 2026-27Sunrise at Masada for the next twelve months, the Snake Path opening an hour before, the climb, and what time sunrise tours leave Jerusalem.
Why the Dead Sea is shrinkingThe falling level, the sinkholes, the closed beaches, and why the water is still close at Ein Bokek but further away in the north.FAQ
Straight answers to what people ask most about a Dead Sea day trip from Jerusalem.
About 40 km to the northern shore at Kalia, which is roughly 40 minutes by car down Route 1. Masada, Ein Gedi and the hotel beaches of Ein Bokek lie further south on Route 90, about 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours from the city. More in Jerusalem to the Dead Sea.
Most visitors take a day tour with transport, such as the half-day float trip or the Masada and Dead Sea tour. Egged buses also run from the Central Bus Station to Ein Gedi, Masada and Ein Bokek, and a hire car takes Route 1 east and Route 90 south. Carry your passport whichever way you go.
Some of it. The public beaches by the hotels at Ein Bokek and Hamei Zohar in the south are free. The beaches near Jerusalem in the north, such as Kalia, Biankini and Neve Midbar, charge admission; tour listings put it at 45 NIS. See the Dead Sea beaches.
Not really: you float. The water is about 34% salt, so you lie back as if in a chair and can hardly swim on your front. Keep your face out of the water, never dive or splash, and bathe only at a declared beach with a lifeguard. More in floating in the Dead Sea.
Keep each float short, then rinse off under the freshwater showers on the beach and drink water before going back in. The salt dries you out and stings any small cut, and the sun at this depth is strong even in winter.
They help. Salt crystals on the shore and the seabed are sharp, and some beaches are stony. Several tours list water shoes or flip-flops on their packing lists, along with a towel, a hat and sunscreen.
Check your own government's advice before you book. On 23 October 2026 the US State Department rated Israel Level 3, "Reconsider travel", with Level 4 areas in the north, near Gaza and along the Egyptian border; its alert did not mention the Dead Sea. The UK FCDO advice, updated on 22 July 2026, excludes Jericho and the areas south of it from its warning for the West Bank. Every tour here cancels free up to 24 hours before. More in is the Dead Sea safe.
Spring and autumn are the most comfortable, from March to May and from October to November. Summer highs at the south end pass 40 °C, so tours leave early, and winter is mild and sunny enough to float on most days. See the Dead Sea in winter.
Yes. That is the classic day trip from Jerusalem: about 10 hours, with Masada in the morning and the beach in the afternoon, often with Ein Gedi between them. Some tours include the 37 NIS Masada fee and the 54 NIS cable car, others leave them to you. More in Masada, Ein Gedi and the Dead Sea.
Because almost nothing lives in it. The water is about ten times saltier than the ocean, too salty for fish or plants; only microbes survive. The surface lies about 439 metres below sea level, the lowest land on Earth.
Yes. Route 1 and Route 90 pass through the West Bank on the way to the shore, and every tour on this site asks you to bring your passport; some accept a copy. Keep it with you, not in the bag on the beach.
For most people, yes. Floating in water you cannot sink in is a strange, happy hour, and Masada and Ein Gedi make the drive a full day. See is the Dead Sea worth it.
Ready to book
Dead Sea day trips from $50.
More: Masada at sunrise · the guided Ein Gedi tour · Bethlehem and the Dead Sea
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