By The Visit Israel Editorial Team · Last updated
Guided coach tour to the Dead Sea shore — hotel pickup, an hour or two floating and mineral-mud time at Ein Bokek. Many tours combine a Masada visit in the same day.
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The most popular format: Masada in the morning (cable car or snake path) followed by a float at the Dead Sea in the afternoon. Pickup from Jerusalem or Tel Aviv.
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Stay the night and experience the Dead Sea at sunrise or in the evening when day-trippers have left. Ein Bokek resort hotels include private beach access and mineral-spa facilities.
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The Dead Sea is Israel’s most iconic natural experience — floating in water ten times saltier than the ocean, effortlessly, at the lowest point on earth. But the tour formats on offer are genuinely different products. Here is an honest comparison of each format, what it costs and how to choose.
| Format | Duration | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Dead Sea only (guided) | 4–6 hrs | Relaxed float; returning visitors who skipped Masada |
| Dead Sea + Masada (guided combo) | 9–14 hrs | First-timers wanting both headline sights in one day |
| Dead Sea only (self-drive) | 3–5 hrs | Car renters wanting flexibility over timing |
| Dead Sea + Masada (self-drive) | 7–10 hrs | Independent travellers; budget-conscious visitors |
| Private guide + driver | 6–12 hrs | Families; custom itinerary with stops at Qumran or Ein Gedi |
Prices vary with operator, group size and season, and rise sharply during Passover, Sukkot, Hanukkah and school holidays. Check the live price when booking — listed prices change frequently.
The straightforward format: hotel pickup, a 90-minute drive from Jerusalem or Tel Aviv, two to three hours at Ein Bokek and a return drive. These tours are often a half-day (leaving mid-morning, returning mid-afternoon) or a full-day with time for lunch at the resort strip.
The advantage over a Masada combo is more time at the water. Most Masada combos allow only around one hour for the Dead Sea float before the coach needs to leave. A Dead Sea only tour gives you a properly unhurried experience — time to apply the mineral mud, float, rinse and sit on the shore — without the 12-to-14-hour commitment of a sunrise Masada combo.
Choose this format if: you want a relaxed wellness day, you have already visited Masada, or you find the full combo too long.
The bestselling format for first-time visitors. A coach picks you up from Jerusalem or Tel Aviv, visits Masada (cable car or snake path) in the morning, then drives the 20 km south to Ein Bokek for an afternoon float. Most combo tours allow around one hour at the Dead Sea before returning.
The sunrise version adds the snake-path ascent in darkness with a 3–4 am pickup, reaching the Masada summit as the sun rises over Jordan. It is dramatic and worth the early start if you are physically comfortable with the climb. The daytime cable-car version leaves around 7–8 am and covers the same sights without the predawn alarm.
For a deeper breakdown of the Masada formats, see our Masada tours compared guide.
Choose this format if: this is your first visit to the region and you want Masada and the Dead Sea covered efficiently in a single day.
Ein Bokek is genuinely easy to reach by car: Route 1 east from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea junction, then Route 90 south. The drive takes around 90 minutes from Jerusalem, 100 minutes from Tel Aviv. Park at the Ein Bokek public beach (free) or pay the day rate at a resort hotel for better facilities, a private beach and a pool.
Self-driving gives you total flexibility: arrive when you want, leave when you want, and combine with a stop at Qumran (the Dead Sea Scrolls site, 30 minutes north on Route 90) or hike the Ein Gedi nature reserve canyon trails before your float — neither is accessible on a standard group tour.
The Israel National Parks Pass is valid at Qumran and Ein Gedi nature reserve (for hiking). Note: Ein Gedi public beach is permanently closed due to sinkholes — see the FAQ below.
For driving logistics, see our driving in Israel guide and car rental guide.
Choose this format if: you have a rental car and value flexibility over tour structure.
A licensed private guide turns the day into a fully tailored experience: choose your start time and the combination of stops — Qumran, Ein Gedi canyon, Masada, the float, an afternoon at a resort spa. A private day typically costs $300–450 for the guide and vehicle (split among your group), and is particularly good value for families or small groups.
For how to find a licensed Israeli Ministry of Tourism guide, see our private tours guide.
Ein Bokek is the Dead Sea’s main resort strip — a 2 km promenade of four- and five-star hotels, each with a private beach section. Day visitors use the free public beach at the north end of the strip, which has the same water, basic changing facilities and outdoor showers.
Resort hotels allow day visitors to buy beach-and-pool passes (prices vary by hotel; advance booking recommended in peak season) — these give access to sun loungers, private mud stations, proper showers and sometimes pools. If you plan to spend a full day at the Dead Sea rather than a combined tour stop, a resort day pass is worth considering.
For specific hotel picks and overnight stays, see our Dead Sea hotels guide.
For the full logistics of getting to the Dead Sea, what to pack, the Ein Gedi beach closure and seasonal advice, see our Dead Sea guide. See also the Masada and Dead Sea day trip guide for the detailed combined itinerary, and compare the broader picture in our best tours in Israel guide.
For visitors without a car, a guided tour is the only practical option — there is no useful public transport to Ein Bokek. For anyone with a rental car, self-driving is genuinely easy: Ein Bokek is 90 minutes from Jerusalem on Routes 1 and 90. The main advantage of a guided tour is the included transport and guide context at any combined Masada visit; the main advantage of self-drive is flexibility over timing and a longer float if you want it.
A "Dead Sea only" tour gives you more time at the water — two to three hours instead of the typical one hour in a Masada combo. Choose the Dead Sea only format if you want a relaxed wellness day, you have already visited Masada, or you find the 12-plus-hour Masada sunrise combo too long. Choose the Masada combo if this is your first visit to the region and you want both headline sights in a single efficient day.
Ein Bokek is where virtually all day tours go. It has hotel beach facilities, paid mud stations, sun loungers and showers — the complete infrastructure for a day-trip float. Ein Gedi public beach was permanently closed by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority due to sinkhole danger; the Ein Gedi nature reserve (for canyon hiking) remains open 2 km north but the beach itself is fenced off. Do not rely on older guides or tour brochures recommending Ein Gedi Beach.
October to April is ideal: temperatures at Ein Bokek (−430 m below sea level) are 20–28°C, comfortable for floating and walking. July and August are brutal — 38–42°C with no shade at the shoreline. Summer tours still operate (the water itself is cool relative to the air) but the experience is harder; go very early if you must visit in summer. December through February is the sweet spot for combining the Dead Sea with Jerusalem sightseeing — fewer crowds, lower prices.
Yes, the Dead Sea is still well worth visiting. The water level drops roughly 1 metre per year due to water diversion from the Jordan River, and the southern basin (where Ein Bokek sits) is now a partially managed evaporation pool rather than naturally flowing sea. This does not affect the floating experience or the mineral concentration; it does mean the shoreline has receded from older photographs and some infrastructure has been relocated. Visit sooner rather than later.
Most group tours from Jerusalem or Tel Aviv include hotel pickup, transport and access to the tour operator's designated beach area. Entry fees to the Ein Bokek public beach area are generally included; private resort beach access (with better facilities) costs extra and varies by hotel. Masada cable-car fees and national park entry are typically included in Masada-combo tours — verify when booking.
By The Visit Israel Editorial Team · Last updated