Visit the Dead Sea in Israel: full guide

Are you traveling to Israel to discover its treasures? Don't miss visiting the Dead Sea and follow our full guide.

An ancestral land, Israel has many things to offer: breathtaking landscapes and an amazing culture. And among the unmissable tourist points of the destination, there is the Dead Sea. You must have seen photographs of people who are swimming on it, read the newspaper and float without effort. Curious isn’t it?

Apart from this saline peculiarity, visiting the Dead Sea will reveal its secrets and this is what we offer to discover today.

The Dead Sea in a few words

While its area has been reduced over the decades, the Dead Sea in Israel still attracts so many curious people. Known for its very strong salinity – 27.5 per cent against 2 to 4 per cent for sea water – the Dead Sea is an unusual pearl shared between three nations: Israel, the West Bank and the Jordan . She bears the name of Dead Sea but she has no appeal. Indeed, it is rather a lake, fed by the Jordan River.

If it is very salty and the vast majority of living species cannot live there, there are still halophile organisms (who love salt) that manage to find their account. Life always finds a way!

Over the years, virtues have been admitted to the water of the Dead Sea. Beyond its salts that are extracted for body scrubs and skin care, water could treat some forms of psoriasis or rheumatism.

Unfortunately, with human activity and global warming, the Dead Sea is in danger. In fifty years, it lost one third of its area and 28 per cent of its depth. It is therefore a place to which we must all pay particular attention and work for its preservation.

And why so much salt?

The salinity of the Dead Sea is explained in three points:

• The Jordan, a river that feeds it, brings it more than 850,000 tons of salt per year;
• Natural evaporation of the sea;
• Irrigation of neighbouring lands that diverts almost 90% of its water.

Combined, these three reasons result in a stretch of water with exceptional salinity, and you get the Dead Sea!

What to see and what to do at the Dead Sea in Israel?

Offer a thalasso

The water of the Dead Sea is recognized for its exceptional virtues. And the thalasso centers understood it fast enough to offer well-being benefits. Then enjoy the mineral mud and naturally powerful salts to relax and soothe your skin problems... but not that.

The thalassos are often present in hotels, for a full experience of exclusive services dedicated to well-being. For example, establishments like Isrotel Dead Sea Hotel or Oasis Dead Sea Hotel offer global services focused on the benefits of the Dead Sea.

Visit Qumrân National Park

Qumrân is, before being a national park, a renowned archaeological site. Indeed, it is in its many caves that the Manuscripts of the Dead Sea were found in the 19th century.

Intriguing and fascinating, the Qumrân National Park is located in the northwest of the Dead Sea and is closely linked to it, as we have just mentioned. A museum of the site preserves and exposes copies of the famous parchments and papyrus, while allowing to discover the caves where they were found.

Explore the Nature Reserve of Ein Gedi

On the edge of the Dead Sea, you can discover the Natural Reserve of Ein Gedi. On site, many surprises. In addition to discovering a very well-preserved part, a large part of Israeli nature, you can meet desert animals, typical of the region, see waterfalls and some real oasis.

Admission is not free, it is necessary to carry out 27 shekels (about 27 shekels). 8€ ) per person.

Hiking

Visiting the Dead Sea cannot be reduced to going to test the incredible flotation of its water. There are many other things around. Between natural reserves and national parks, you should be able to find your happiness... if you like hiking!

Indeed, many paths are designed and designed to allow tourists to survey them and to visit the land a little. You will see beautiful dry landscapes, with a superb view, most of the time, on the Dead Sea. Don’t be afraid to take a little height!

See the place of baptism of Jesus: Jericho

North of the Dead Sea, beyond the Qumrân National Park, is the city of Jericho. This is the place where the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River took place more than two millennia ago.

We invite you to come and discover this authentic little town. Also, for those who are interested in it, you will have to go there by car, because no bus will take you there from the vicinity of the Dead Sea.

Discover Jerusalem and Tel-Aviv

Jerusalem and Tel Aviv are the two most important cities in Israel. So it would be a shame to visit the Dead Sea without taking the time to discover them. At the heart of one and the other, vast places are to be discovered.

For example in Jerusalem, the “Holy City”, do not miss the Wall of Lamentations , emblem of a whole country, or Mont des Oliviers. More religious than Tel Aviv, Jerusalem still has a very strong character shared between the eastern and western influences. It is closest to the Dead Sea, located about 30 kilometers away.

On the Tel-Aviv side, it is the life that must be discovered, because it is called “the city without interruption”, and it is not for nothing. Always active and alive, its urban centre in Tel Aviv is a true international metropolis, combining culture, tradition and art of all ages.

Where to swim in the Dead Sea?

The spots

Always prefer bathing spots where it is authorized or even monitored. There are many places along the coast that allowed before swimming but more now. Find out!

Among those that allow swimming:

• There is the slender Kalia Beach, a popular and frequented place due to the wide beach, changing rooms, showers and dining area and fitted shops. It is located north of the Dead Sea;
• Another corner, Ein Gedi Beach. It is frequented because it is often here that tourist groups who have opted for a trip from Tel Aviv or Jerusalem. It is a place appreciated for the many surrounding hikes that allow you to visit the Dead Sea from another angle. Ein Gedi is in the centre, on the Israeli coastline;
• In conclusion, there is also Ein Bokek, which centralizes some hotels. Its advantage is the availability of showers and lockers for your business.

Also, depending on the location of your stay, you can have access to private beaches, which often belong to the hotels that border them.

How do you float in the Dead Sea?

To float as if you were sitting in the water and go back with your souvenir cliché, nothing simpler. But you have to take your time. If you rush, you risk slipping or diping, and that, you must avoid!

First, find yourself a place where water is not very deep. Then flex your legs until your posterior enters the water. Then turn back slowly. In two times three movements, you are floating on the water of the Dead Sea! The whole thing is of course not to make sudden movements and the tower is played.

Precautions to be taken before bathing in the Dead Sea

If you want to visit the Dead Sea and swim there, it is not a problem because it is not forbidden. Your skin will also benefit from the many benefits of mineral salts contained in water. On the other hand, you should pay attention to some small things:

• First, make sure to do not put the head under the water to avoid burning your eyes or nostrils.
• Then, do not drink this water, it is too salty for your body;
• Don’t stay there too long : the intake of mineral salts is intense and you should not create an imbalance in your body. A little ten minutes is enough to enjoy a maximum of the benefits of the Dead Sea. Beyond that, the concentration of mineral salts could damage your epidermis and leave you a very unpleasant burning sensation. Also, if you begin to feel thirst, go out, even if you’ve only been in water for two minutes. Be listening to your body;
• Once out, take a shower with clear waterotherwise, you will have the sticky skin and this unpleasant feeling of dirt all the rest of your day;
• Finally, plan on drinking water. Indeed, the mineral salts will result in you dehydrated, even if you were... in water. So to counteract side effects, i.e. constant thirst, drink much the rest of the day.

How long does it take to visit the Dead Sea in Israel?

It all depends, of course, on what you do! As you have read before, a swim will only take you very little time for security reasons. On the other hand, you can spend much more time on the edge of the Dead Sea. It is full of places to relax, for example, bars and restaurants.

So if you have to take all this into account to calculate your time on site, we advise you to plan at least half a day or even a whole day if you want to offer you a thalasso moment. Quitte à être sur place, tant que prendre jusqu’au bout.

You can also imagine staying two days, if you want to swim several times. It is important to know that at the level of the weather, it is very clemency with the region, given its 330 days of sunlight per year.

You can also plan wide on your schedule to go along the shore of the Dead Sea in several stages, and visit different locations (Qumrân National Park). We advise you then a duration of three to four days If you extend your visit to the Dead Sea.

How much is a ticket for a trip to the Dead Sea?

Rates to visit the Dead Sea vary a lot depending on where you leave. Indeed, if your trip starts in Tel Aviv, it will be more expensive than a trip beginning in Jerusalem because of the distance to travel.

To give you a more accurate idea, count between 60 € and 200 € depending on the chosen excursion. Also, rates fluctuate if the tour is guided or if it lasts a full day. There are for all tastes, from the simple private bathing to the visit of the Dead Sea and Jerusalem. We invite you to refine your search according to your preferences.

How to book an online ticket for a trip to the Dead Sea?

The websites of online activity comparisons are best placed to book a ticket to visit the Dead Sea. They allow you to see everything that is offered at a glance and to choose serenely. The website Dead Sea (site in English, Hebrew or Chinese) will also give you the opportunity to easily plan your trips and your stay.

Where to stay near the Dead Sea in Israel?

Visiting the Dead Sea is an almost automatic step when tourists visit Israel. It is a place so known that it attracts the crowds! If you choose to stay in the area, you will find everything you need. Indeed, that you prefer camping, hotel or rentals Airbnb You have a choice. This is the advantage of such a tourist area.

With regard to the cities to be promoted, there is obviously Jerusalem which is really not very far. Then you can imagine staying to Ein Bokek and Ein Gedi , where many hotels are installed. Finally, there are also good hotels in the extreme south of the Dead Sea, Ein Tamar . Some housing offers also exist throughout the coast or in more external cities: Tel-Aviv or Beer-Shava .

That said, attention to the salty note – without a play of words – because hotel accommodations near the Dead Sea do not necessarily practice small prices. Do research on one Compare hotels online before you decide.