The 7 Best Things to Do at the Dead Sea (2026)

Updated July 2026 · 7 picks

The best things to do at the Dead Sea in 2026 are Masada, the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve and floating at Ein Bokek. The Dead Sea region packs a UNESCO desert fortress, a freshwater oasis and the lowest point on Earth into about forty kilometres of shoreline. Below are seven, with the practical detail the brochures leave out.

1. Masada National Park — Judean Desert, above the western shore

Herod's cliff-top fortress and the Roman siege ramp — Israel's most visited site.

₪₪ Mid-rangeBest for Families · Couples · Groups

Masada is a rock plateau above the western shore of the Dead Sea holding the remains of Herod's fortress-palace, later the site of the Roman siege of 73 CE, and it is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The northern palace stepping down the cliff face, the storerooms, the bathhouse and the Roman siege ramp still visible below are all remarkable, and the setting a thousand feet above the lowest point on Earth does much of the rest.

You can walk up the Snake Path or take the cable car. In summer the path closes in the middle of the day for safety, which tells you what you need to know about the heat.

Good to know: The Snake Path opens before dawn for the sunrise climb — it is the best hour of any Dead Sea trip.

Google Maps Website

2. Ein Gedi Nature Reserve — Western shore, north of Ein Bokek

Waterfalls, freshwater pools and ibex, in the middle of the desert.

₪₪ Mid-rangeBest for Families · Couples

Ein Gedi is a desert oasis on the western shore where spring-fed streams run through a canyon of palm and acacia, feeding a series of waterfalls and pools.

The contrast is the point: bone-dry desert on every side and a green canyon with running water in the middle of it. Nubian ibex and rock hyrax are regularly seen at close range and are entirely unbothered by visitors.

The lower walk to Nahal David's first waterfall is short and manageable for most people; the routes above it are longer and steeper.

Good to know: Do this in the morning and the Dead Sea float afterwards — the order matters in the heat.

Google Maps Website

3. Floating at Ein Bokek — Ein Bokek hotel strip

The float itself — and Ein Bokek is the right place to do it.

₪ BudgetBest for Families · Couples · Groups

Ein Bokek is the main hotel strip on the southern shore, and its public beaches are the best place to actually float: free access, lifeguards, fresh-water showers and shade, with the hotels immediately behind.

The southern basin here is fed by the evaporation ponds rather than the receding northern sea, which means the shoreline is stable and there are no sinkholes — a real safety consideration further north.

Twenty minutes in the water is plenty. The mud, which people apply from communal tubs on the beach, is part of the ritual.

Good to know: Rinse thoroughly in fresh water immediately afterwards — the salt is genuinely uncomfortable if you leave it on.

Google Maps Website

4. Qumran National Park — Northern shore

Where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found, and the settlement that hid them.

₪₪ Mid-rangeBest for Couples · Families

Qumran, on the northern shore, is where a Bedouin shepherd found the first of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947, and where the remains of the settlement associated with them sit on a terrace above the caves.

The site itself is modest — foundations, ritual baths, a scriptorium — and it needs context to come alive, which the visitor centre film provides. Cave 4, visible in the cliff face opposite, is the one in the photographs.

It works best combined with a visit to the Shrine of the Book at the Israel Museum, where the scrolls themselves are.

Good to know: See the scrolls at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem either before or after — one without the other is half the story.

Google Maps Website

5. Ein Gedi Botanical Garden — Kibbutz Ein Gedi

A living botanical garden on a working kibbutz, above the sea.

₪₪ Mid-rangeBest for Couples · Families

Kibbutz Ein Gedi is unusual in that the entire kibbutz is a registered botanical garden — around a thousand species from across the world's arid regions, planted through and around the residents' houses.

Baobabs, cacti, desert roses and other improbable things grow in what should be uninhabitable ground, and the setting on the slope above the Dead Sea is spectacular.

It is a genuinely unexpected thing to find in the Judean Desert and takes an hour or so to walk.

Good to know: The kibbutz is also a hotel, which makes it a much greener base than the Ein Bokek strip.

Google Maps Website

6. Nahal Arugot — Ein Gedi Nature Reserve

The quieter of Ein Gedi's two canyons — longer, wilder and far less crowded.

₪₪ Mid-rangeBest for Couples · Groups

Nahal Arugot is the second and larger canyon in the Ein Gedi reserve, running parallel to the more famous Nahal David, and it carries a fraction of the visitors.

The walk follows the stream up between high canyon walls to a series of pools, including the Hidden Waterfall, and it is a longer and more satisfying hike than the short Nahal David route.

It needs more time and more water. Check the closing time at the entrance — the reserve enforces last entry strictly.

Good to know: Take the Arugot canyon rather than David if you want the walk rather than the photograph.

Google Maps Website

7. Metzoke Dragot cliffs — Northern shore, above the sea

A clifftop viewpoint over the whole northern basin, and the base for desert activity.

₪ BudgetBest for Couples · Groups

Metzoke Dragot sits on the cliffs high above the northern Dead Sea, and the view from the edge takes in the whole basin, the Jordanian mountains opposite and the receding shoreline below.

It has long been a base for desert activity — rappelling, canyoning and jeep routes into the Judean Desert — and it is one of the best places to understand the geography of the rift valley you have been driving through.

The road up is steep and the site is exposed. Sunrise and late afternoon are the times to be there.

Good to know: Come at first or last light — the middle of the day here is both hot and visually flat.

Google Maps Website

Frequently asked questions

Is it safe to swim in the Dead Sea?

You float rather than swim, and there are real rules: never put your head under, do not shave beforehand, do not swallow the water, and rinse thoroughly in fresh water afterwards. Twenty minutes is plenty. Use a designated beach with showers and lifeguards rather than an unmanaged access point — sinkholes are a genuine hazard along parts of the shore.

How long do I need at the Dead Sea?

One full day covers Masada at sunrise, Ein Gedi mid-morning and a float in the afternoon, which is the classic circuit. Two nights lets you do it without rushing and adds Qumran or the Ein Gedi botanical garden. Many visitors do it as a long day trip from Jerusalem, which works but is tiring.

When is the best time to visit the Dead Sea?

Winter and the shoulder seasons. Summer temperatures regularly exceed 40°C and the heat at 430 metres below sea level is genuinely dangerous for hiking. From November to March it is warm, comfortable and the water is still perfectly usable.

What should I take to the Dead Sea?

Far more water than you think, a hat, high-factor sunscreen, water shoes for the salt-crusted shoreline, and a towel you do not mind ruining. Do not bring anything silver — it tarnishes instantly in the water — and leave good jewellery in the room.

Can I visit the Dead Sea from Jerusalem in a day?

Yes. It is about ninety minutes by road and a standard day trip, usually combining Masada, Ein Gedi and a float. Tour operators run it daily and it is the easiest way to do it without a car, though starting early enough for the Masada sunrise means a very early departure.

1. Masada National Park — Judean Desert, above the western shore

2. Ein Gedi Nature Reserve — Western shore, north of Ein Bokek

3. Floating at Ein Bokek — Ein Bokek hotel strip

4. Qumran National Park — Northern shore

5. Ein Gedi Botanical Garden — Kibbutz Ein Gedi

6. Nahal Arugot — Ein Gedi Nature Reserve

7. Metzoke Dragot cliffs — Northern shore, above the sea

Frequently asked questions

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