MASADA, EIN GEDI, DEAD SEA AND MORE TOUR BY TOURISTISRAEL

A trip to Israel is usually associated to religious tourism, and not unfairly, but it is also a country of great interest both in terms of history and natural beautiness. For our excursion to the Judean desert, its nature and history and to the Dead Sea we chose the tour Masada, Ein Gedi, Dead Sea and More by Touristisrael. Our day trip started from Jerusalem, but there is also the option of boarding from Tel Aviv!

It is almost 7.45 in the morning, we are on time at the rendezvous point and we are already getting to know our fellow travelers and our tour guide, all  gathering together, full of excitement about the adventure that is about to begin. So, lets descend together through the Judean Desert below sea level to the lowest region on Earth…

Masada

First stop the Masada National Park! After we crossed the extraordinary landscape of Judean Desert having to our left the Dead Sea and on our right those wild mountains and rocks we arrived at the Museum of the National Park of Masada. The fun fact of the case is that in order to reach the fortress we had to get a cable car. Masada can be reached on the east via road 90 by cable car or the snake path, or on the west via Atad and the ramp path. We ascended Masada via the cable car and explored with our guide the ruins of King Herod’s palace and the fortified site which is a symbol of heroism in Jewish history and Israeli society.

It is very difficult to describe the incredible view that we got to see up there, it is something that one have to experience himself in order to feel the greatness of the place and imprint it in his mind. A multi-level fortress made for King Herod with many points of interest which we got to meet during the interesting guided tour. Find a few moments on your own to feel the breeze and the sun and enjoy a view beyond any imagination.

Make sure you have a hat with you because it has enough sun and the whole Masada is really huge to visit it al from side to side. Facing down rom the fortress you will see the snake trail the path that can lead you to the Masada but we left it for our next time there! You can try however the Masada Sunrise Ein Gedi and Dead Sea tour which arrives at Masada at sunrise so it is also ideal time for a hike (the descent takes about 30 minutes, the ascent exceeds one hour). The way down was again by getting the cable car offering us even more incredible views!

Ein Gedi

Second stop at the Oasis Nature Reserve Ein Gedi (Spring of the Kid (young goat) “). Leaving behind us the Masada we stop for a short hike to get to a real oasis! During the hike you will meet amazing little creatures and birds so keep an eye out! There are a lot of trails over there for the lovers of trekking (eg. Wadi David, the ancient synagogue rtc.)! After we passed two or maybe three small waterfalls we reached the point of Oasis Ein Gedi. Incomparable beauty and only the sound of water that falls so unique in the desert was heard… Sit on one of the rocks in order to enjoy the view and the momentum of the water, nourish yourself a bit and if you feel thirsty do not hesitate to drink some.

Dead Sea

Third Stop the Dead Sea! A sea with 24% more salt than the average sea water and you can understand that this is the main reason that it is very difficult for any organism to survive there. Its surface is located about 400 meters below the surface of the Mediterranean sea, which makes it the lowest point of surface on the mainland of the whole world! From the side of Israel you can see the mountains of Jordan, which is located on the other shore only a few miles away! Stopping on the banks of the Dead Sea includes two great adventures that you should definitely try! First one is to let yourself float in the salty water which because of salt won’t let you go easily down. The second one is the mud. It’s a lot of fun, grab some mud on your hands and spread it all over you! Be careful not to taste it though just float on the waters of the Dead Sea, and bathe in the muds.

On the way to the tour Masada, Ein Gedi, Dead Sea and More

On our way we had also the chance to see (time permitted):

• The Sea level instagrammable point
• The oldest and lowest city in the world, Jericho, and the mountain of Temptation
• The place where the Dead Sea manuscripts were found in Qumran

The itinerary in a few lines:

• 06:30 – Pickup from Tel Aviv
• 07:45 – Pickup from Jerusalem
• 09:30 – Arrival to Masada. Ascend via the cable car and explore the site with a guided tour
• 11:45 – Ein Gedi. Hike in this beautiful nature reserve, a desert oasis, with guide
• 14:00 – Dead Sea. Enjoy floating in the waters and immersing in muds of this uniques place, the lowest on Earth. Free time for lunch
• 16:30 – Depart from the Dead Sea
• 17:30 – Arrival back in Jerusalem
• 18:30 – Arrival back in Tel Aviv
  NB – all timings are approximate

This was our adventurous experience in the desert of Judea in the south of Israel offered by Touristisrael. For more information about the tour we joined or other tours that you can try in Israel and not only, you can definetely trust Touristisrael. Our experience was really beautiful and fantastic at the same time. We hope that we manage to travel you to Israel through our day trip excursion and we are looking forward to seeing your adventures in Israel soon!

Thank you Touristisrael for the unforgettable experience!