Tips about day trips in Jerusalem
Going to Masada, Ein Gedi, and The Dead Sea can be done in one full-day trip. We wanted a guide for this, mostly so someone else would drive, and that was a good move. However, we didn’t feel we got much out of the actual guide. We have heard this from many folks, that the official guides don’t offer much more than what one can read on the signs at each site. So here are our insights for making your trip a good one.
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We also decided to do the tour on Saturday because it is something available during Shabbat. However, be warned that tour companies expect you to meet the bus at some hotel–so ask which one first– because if you are staying elsewhere you will have to WALK to the hotel early in the morning. There is no public transportation working on Shabbat in Jerusalem.
1
When you arrive at the Dead Sea, there are 2 entry prices. Our guide gave us an explanation of why and then said pay the full fee. The full fee gives you access to towels, showers, lockers and toilets situated at the top of the area. The problem for us was we arrived at lunch and rushed down to the only restaurant to order ahead of everyone else on the other 2 busses that had just arrived. After eating, it didn’t occur to us to climb back up to the changing area when a modest changing room was 10 feet away, closer to the water, and we had our own towels already.
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Bring food provisions in case there is a long line at the restaurant. A long line will mean you will spend all your time waiting for food and have no time to enjoy the water.
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Bring water socks with grippy soles. There are rocks at the entry to the Dead Sea and the shoes help.
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Bring a towel.
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Bring a small container if you want to take mud home as a souvenir. You could also buy it in any gift shop for big $$.
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Bring a backpack to keep your change of clothes and wallet and phone. There are beach chairs provided.
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Enter the Dead Sea backward, seated. The mud is slippery. Crouch-walk backwards a bit, then you can float out. When you get your bearings, stand up and slather yourself with mud, take some pictures, then rinse and change for the bus ride home.
2
This site has many stairs, but enough to see if you can’t do stairs. The views are impressive. When you are on a tour, they use the tram going both up and down. The hike is formidable.
3
We only got to see a small portion because there was a flood warning in effect (some light rain the day we went in February). It is an easy, mostly level walk on the part we did. There is an oasis, which is pretty neat because after travel in the actual desert it really does seem marvelous to see a little waterfall and pool.
4
Because Ein Gedi gave us less access than the tour promised, the guide added a stop at the Jordan River where Jesus was baptized. If you want to be baptized, you can be, and there are changing rooms. It was neat to see Jordan right there, across the river.
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