Dead sea tour from Tel Aviv

Start your day trip with a pickup from your central Tel Aviv hotel. Settle into your air-conditioned coach and travel into the Judean desert, the rugged wilderness in the heart of Israel.

Enjoy the views of the desert, and pass the site of the Inn of the Good Samaritan. Then, get glimpses of the Dead Sea as you approach Masada

Masada’s mountain topped by a ruined fortress-palace built by King Herod more than 2,000 years ago. Ride the cable car to the mountaintop and take a guided tour of the fascinating archaeological ruins. Soak up the awesome views as you inspect the crumbled remnants and hear about the site’s history.

Descend the mountain and drive to the Dead Sea past the Ein Gedi oasis and ancient settlement of Qumran. Stop to enjoy views of the famous Qumran caves, where approximately 900 ancient parchments, many incorporating the earliest known manuscripts of the Bible were discovered – the fabled Dead Sea Scrolls.

Continue to the Dead Sea and enjoy roughly two hours to relax on a mineral beach. This salt-rich lake sits at around 1,312 feet (400 meters) below sea level — the Earth’s lowest point. Wade into the waters to experience the bizarre floating sensation, enjoy a therapeutic mud bath, and if you wish, take the opportunity to buy some rejuvenating Dead Sea skin products (own expense) at duty free prices.

Afterward, return to your coach and pass the ancient city of Jericho as you travel back to Tel Aviv, where your trip ends at your hotel.

MASADA

It is a symbol of the ancient kingdom of Israel, its violent destruction and the last stand of Jewish patriots in the face of the Roman army, in 73 A.D. It was built as a palace complex, in the classic style of the early Roman Empire, by Herod the Great, King of Judaea, (reigned 37 – 4 B.C.).

BRIEF HISTORY

Josephus Flavius, the commander of Galilee during the Great Revolt in the first century A.D., chronicled the known history of Masada; future excavation of the site has largely collaborated his accounts.

According to Flavius, the first fort at Masada was built by “Jonathan the High Priest,” thought to be Hasmonean King Alexander Janaeus (who ruled from 103 to 76 B.C.), although no definitive ruins have been discovered from that time.

Recognizing the defensive advantages of Masada, Herod built his complex there as a winter escape and haven from enemies, complete with castle, storerooms, cisterns and a foreboding wall.

After Herod’s death and the annexation of Judea, the Romans built a garrison at Masada. When the Great Revolt of the Jews against the Romans broke out in 66 A.D., a group of Jewish people known as the Sicarii, led by Menahem, took over the Masada complex.

DEAD SEA

The Dead Sea is considered the world’s most ancient spa, and modern science proves why: it is one of the saltiest bodies of water in the world, with 34% salinity – making it nearly 9 times saltier than regular ocean water.

The human history of the Dead Sea goes all the way back to remote antiquity. Just north of the Dead Sea is Jericho, the oldest continually occupied town in the world. The Greeks knew the Dead Sea as Lake Asphaltites, due to the naturally surfacing asphalt. Aristotle wrote about the remarkable waters. The Dead Sea is also the location of the Qumran community which produced the Dead Sea Scrolls. These ancient texts, preserved in sealed caves near the shore of the Dead Sea, provide remarkable insight on the religious and social beliefs of 1st-century Jews. King Herod the Great built and re-built several fortresses and palaces on the Western Bank of the Dead Sea. The most famous was Masada, where, in 66-70 AD, a small group of rebellious Jewish zealots held out against the might of the Roman Legion, and Machaerus where, it is believed John the Baptist had been imprisoned by Herod Antipas and met his death.

The water of the Dead Sea contains 21 minerals including magnesium, calcium, bromine and potassium. Twelve of these are found in no other area or ocean and some are recognized for imparting a relaxed feeling, nourishing the skin, activating the circulatory systems and for easing rheumatic discomfort and metabolic disorders. As an example, the Dead Sea contains 10 times more salts and minerals than the Mediterranean Sea. The high salt and mineral concentration enables everyone to float in its waters but doesn’t allow the proliferation of fish and other marine life. 

Black Mud is a signature element of the Dead Sea and is homogeneous mixture of Dead Sea minerals, important organic elements from the shoreline as well as earth. Indulging in a black mud body wrap has both cosmetic and therapeutic benefits that are known to cleanse and stimulate the skin, relieve muscle and emotional tensions, improve blood circulation, and ease rheumatic pain. The rich minerals and the mud tightening action promote circulation by increasing the supply of oxygen to and removing the toxins from the skin, thus toning and firming up skin tissues, leaving the skin glowing and youthful looking. Dead Sea Mineral Mud cleans, purifies, and restores the skin’s natural minerals.

As the name suggests, the Dead Sea is devoid of life due to an extremely high content of salts and minerals. It is these natural elements which gave the water its curative powers. Dead Sea Salt and Dead Sea Mud have been recognized by millions of people as a single source of health and beauty since the days of Herod the Great, more than 2,000 years ago. It is said that Queen Cleopatra obtained exclusive rights to build cosmetic and pharmaceutical factories in the area. The Dead Sea’s salinity and mineral composition improves cell metabolism and contributes to its restoration and regeneration. Dead Sea Salt also acts as a disinfectant and help in removing harmful substances from the skin.