Dead Sea (Israel) & Masada

The Israeli side of the Dead Sea's western shore: float and unwind at the Ein Bokek hotel strip, climb Masada at sunrise and hike the Ein Gedi oasis.

The Israeli Dead Sea is the Israeli-controlled stretch of the Dead Sea's western shore, running about 75 km along Route 90 from Qumran and Kalia in the north to the Ein Bokek hotel strip and Mount Sodom in the south. The lake surface lies about 430 m below sea level, the lowest point on land on Earth. It faces the Jordanian Dead Sea across the water, but crossing between the two countries requires a land border crossing, so the sides are usually visited separately. The area divides into three sections. The northern section, closest to Jerusalem, has the Qumran site of the Dead Sea Scrolls, Kalia Beach and the Ein Feshkha spring nature reserve. The middle section is the Ein Gedi oasis, with canyon hikes along Nahal David and Nahal Arugot and the ruins of an ancient synagogue. The southern section has the Masada fortress (a World Heritage Site) and the Ein Bokek hotel strip, where hotels, free public beaches and Dead Sea spas are concentrated; farther south are the salt ridge of Mount Sodom and the salt pillar of Lot's Wife. The best season is Oct–Apr, with daytime temperatures of 20–30°C; summer days often top 40°C, so climb the Snake Path to Masada before sunrise and hike only in the early morning. Getting there: buses such as the 486 from Jerusalem reach Ein Gedi, Masada and Ein Bokek in about 1.5–2 hours, but services are infrequent, so driving yourself or joining a day tour is easier. Stay 1–2 nights at Ein Bokek: one day climb Masada before dawn and hike Ein Gedi in the afternoon; on another, float, take a mud bath and hike Nahal Bokek or Mount Sodom. Good to know: when floating, keep the water out of your eyes, never go face-down and limit each dip to 20 minutes; Qumran and Kalia in the north are in the West Bank and require passing through checkpoints, so check travel advisories before you go; on Shabbat (Friday afternoon to Saturday) buses stop running and sites close early; and there are sinkhole areas along the shore, so stick to marked paths.

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