The Dead Sea – Attractions, Water Hikes, and More

This guide will help you plan the perfect Dead Sea vacation. It lists nearby attractions and basic information.

National Parks by the Dead Sea

By the Dead Sea, you can find various attractions besides the sea. There are hikes, archeological sites, and other attractions. Here is a list of all National Parks by the sea (ordered from North to South):

• Qumran Park is an archeological site where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found.
• Enot Tsukim Nature Reserve, also known as the “Hidden Springs,” is loved by families with kids since you can enter the pools.
• Ein Gedi Nature Reserve is the largest Oasis in Israel. Thus, it has attracted people since ancient times. Moreover, it attracts wildlife as well. Therefore, the combination of history, archeology, wildlife, and nature makes Gedi Nature Reserve Park one of the most popular attractions in the Dead Sea area.
• Ein Gedi Antiquities National Park shows an ancient synagogue with beautiful mosaics.
• Masada National Park is one of the most significant sites in Israel. It offers excellent views, important archeological remains, and a great story.

There are also National Parks a little further from the Dead Sea, such as Tel Arad National Park, Mamshit National Park, and Good Samaritan Museum. For additional information, see Israel National Parks and Nature Reserves.

Hikes Near the Dead Sea

There are many good trails in this area. And due to the hot weather, water hikes are especially popular. Here are the most popular hikes (ordered from North to South):

Name and Description	Difficulty	Length (km)
Nahal Og offers several hiking trails (upper and lower) suitable for families (not for small kids). The trails have water pools and climbing ladders are required.	Medium	3 – 9
Nahal Darga is a difficult hike in the northern Dead Sea area. To complete it, you must bring a 30-meter climbing rope.	Hard	7
Ein Gedi Nature Reserve offers a variety of trails, including waterfalls, pools, and archeology.	Easy – Hard	1.5 – 7
Wadi Arugot (part of the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve) offers several water hikes.	Easy – Hard	1.7 – 7
Nahal Mishmar hike leads through pools in the footsteps of this stream. Depending on the season and rainfall, the pools can be full or almost empty.	Hard	9
Nahal Rahaf – Like other stream hikes mentioned in this section, follows the footsteps of a stream, and it is always better to check the water level beforehand.	Medium	3
Nahal Kina is a loop trail with an option of entering the water.	Hard	9
Wadi Bokek offers a short water trail by the Dead Sea. This easy hike offers water, greenery, and waterfalls. Perfect for hot days.	Easy	2
Nachal Zohar is a loop trail that is suitable for families.	Easy	4
Lower Nahal Peres offers several challenging trails with water pools.	Medium – Hard	5 – 6

Note: Flooding is a danger in winter, spring, and fall. Hence, check weather reports and do not hike in cloudy weather. This rule applies to hikes and all other attractions in this area. Moreover, some sections of road #90 can be closed due to flooding.

Other Attractions by the Dead Sea

You can also find several visitor centers and other attractions in this area. Here is the list (ordered from North to South):

• Gallery minus 430: You can find a group of abandoned buildings by Kalia Beach. Thirty-five artists from Israel and the world painted graffiti on these buildings to raise awareness of the dropping water level in the Dead Sea.
• Kalia Beach and Neve Midbar Beach are paid beaches by the northern Dead Sea (note 1).
• Ein Bokek Beach is a free Dead Sea beach by the Ein Bokek hotel area. If you are there, you can also visit the Dead Sea Mushrooms.
• Moshe Novomeisky Visitors Center offers tours of a worker’s campground from the previous century. The tours are suitable for adults and children older than ten.
• Ein Plotit, also called the spring of love, is a small hidden spring near Ein Tamar.
• The Farmer’s Farm by the Square (Medini Farm) offers tours and self-picking of fruits and vegetables.
• Camel Ride at Negev Camel Ranch (CameLand) near Mamshit offers different camel tours and lodging.
• Crocoloco Crocodile Farm is not an ordinary farm. It does not raise sheep or cows. Instead, it grows Nile crocodiles.
• Vidor Center – You can learn about agriculture in Arava in this visitor center.
• HaMakhtesh HaGadol is also called the Big Crater, and Makhtesh Yeruham is one of three craters in the Negev desert.

Notes:

1. If you look at the map in the next section, you will see that the Dead Sea is divided into two areas. The northern area, also called the Northern Dead Sea, is the actual sea. The southern area where you can find Ein Bokek is not the sea. The correct term would be evaporation pools. Therefore, here are the differences between the northern and southern areas:
   • While there are some waves on the Dead Sea, there are also no waves in the evaporation pools.
   • The water is more salty in the southern area.
   • In the northern area, mud can be found on the beach, but it is not present in the evaporation pools. People who want mud can purchase it in nearby stores.
2. Jerusalem is located not far from the Dead Sea. Here is a visitor guide dedicated to Jerusalem.

Map

Interactive map of the area:

After listing the attractions, let’s answer some common questions.

Can you still swim in the Dead Sea?

Swimming in the Dead Sea is possible, but most people only float there.

Due to the high salt concentration in the water, you should not immerse the head in the water. Thus, if you swim, the head must remain above the water at all times, and you must swim in a manner that does not create splashes. Moreover, if a splash of water gets into your eye, you must exit the water and wash the eye (many beaches have eye washing machines).

Here are safety instructions from one of the beaches:

As the sign shows, the recommended method is to sit in the water and recline back.

What to bring to the Dead Sea?

The Dead Sea is like any other sea, meaning you should bring all the usual things (sunscreen, hats, and water). Moreover, since the ground, in most cases, is made of hard salt formations (which are not only rigid but can also cause cuts), you need water shoes.

As you can see from the photos above, I usually prefer sandals with thick soles (vertical image). But during our last visit, after several visits to water, the glue holding the soles on the sandals did not hold up. Hence, I purchased simple water shoes for 30 NIS (horizontal photo).

Also, before entering the water, you should remove all jewelry and electronics (watches).

What not to do before going to the Dead Sea?

Due to the high salt concentration, even the most minor cuts can be felt. Hence, the standard recommendation is not to do anything that can cause skin cuts, like shaving.

If you have any questions or recommendations, leave a comment below.

That’s all for today, and I’ll see you in future travels!

Stay Tuned!

Additional Resources

Here are several resources that I created to help travelers:

• Trip Planner with Attractions and Itineraries is the page that will help you create your perfect travel route.
• What is the Best Time to visit Israel? To answer this question, we will consider the weather, prices, holidays, festivals, and more.
• Information and Tips for Tourists to Israel will answer the most common questions tourists have about Israel (including safety, passports, weather, currency, tipping, electricity, and much more).
• Israel National Parks and Nature Reserves include a complete list, top ten, map, tickets (Israel Pass, Matmon, combo), and campsites.
• If you are looking for things to do, here are the pages for Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Sea Of Galilee, Akko (Acre), Eilat, Nazareth, Safed (Tzfat), and Makhtesh Ramon.