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Nikol Cohen
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Dead Sea & Masada

The clifftop fortress of Masada, the Ein Gedi oasis and healing water 25 minutes from Jerusalem.

Lie back on the water and — why not — read a book. Just twenty-five minutes from Jerusalem you can enjoy healing mud, sulphur baths and, above all, deep relaxation on the shores of the Dead Sea. The effect of its salts and minerals was known in Cleopatra's day and the cosmetics industry still relies on it.

The mystical landscape of the Judean Desert looks almost lifeless, but appearances deceive: this is where Jesus was baptised, where the Bible places the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, and where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. The nearby Ein Gedi nature reserve takes us to the place where the future King David hid from Saul. The beauty of the oasis — hidden waterfalls, freshwater pools and remarkably varied wildlife — still astonishes.

The most majestic site here is without question Masada. A vast rock fortress where a thousand Jewish fighters chose, together with their families, to take their own lives rather than fall into Roman slavery. Israeli soldiers are still sworn in on top of the two-thousand-year-old mesa, promising that "Masada shall not fall again". Masada has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001.

Suggested length
1 day
Difficulty
Moderate — Masada by cable car or on foot
When to go
October–April; over 40 °C in summer

What we will see

  • Masada — A clifftop fortress above the Dead Sea, UNESCO listed. Up by cable car or the Snake Path.
  • Ein Gedi — An oasis of waterfalls and pools where David hid from Saul.
  • Qumran — The caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found.
  • The Dead Sea — The lowest point on land. You cannot swim in it, but you can lie on it.
  • Mount Sodom — A salt massif where, according to the Bible, Lot's wife looked back.

Photos from the tour

Remains of Herod's palace on the northern terrace of MasadaThe Dead Sea and Masada — a photo from the tourThe Dead Sea and Masada — a photo from the tourThe Dead Sea and Masada — a photo from the tourThe Dead Sea and Masada — a photo from the tourThe Dead Sea and Masada — a photo from the tourThe Dead Sea and Masada — a photo from the tourThe Dead Sea and Masada — a photo from the tourThe Dead Sea and Masada — a photo from the tourThe Dead Sea and Masada — a photo from the tourThe Dead Sea and Masada — a photo from the tourThe Dead Sea and Masada — a photo from the tour
Contact

Tell me what draws you here

An approximate date and the number of people is enough to start. I reply within 24 hours with a suggested route and a price — with no obligation.

Phone+972 54 984 4824WhatsAppMessage on WhatsAppEmailnikol@nikolcohen.com

Or message me on WhatsApp — an Israeli number is awkward to dial from abroad.