Travel to the Dead Sea
The Dead Sea is a popular destination for many tourists visiting Israel. It offers magnificent views, interesting historic sites, luxurious hotels and spas, and its waters and mud are known for their healing properties. If you’ve made up your mind to go there, and now you’re just looking for information on how to get to the Dead Sea, you’ve come to the right place.
Traveling to the Dead Sea – basic information
Since it is not located near any major city, it can be tricky to travel to the Dead Sea by public transport; however, it is possible if you plan in advance. Before we go into the different options of traveling to the Dead Sea, here are some basic facts you should know.
The three major tourist areas of the Dead Sea region are Ein Bokek (the hotel area), Ein Gedi (where the Ein Gedi spa and Ein Gedi nature reserve are located), and Masada (the famous historic site). Most buses to the area make stops in all these areas. Taxis are only available upon special request and travel from the major cities around the Dead Sea in order to provide service thus making the ride expensive. The fastest and most convenient way to travel to the Dead Sea is by car. There are several car rental companies located in every major city in Israel, as well as in Ben Gurion Airport.
Distances to the Dead Sea from central locations in Israel:
- Tel Aviv – Dead Sea: 170km
- Jerusalem – Dead Sea: 100km
- Ben Gurion Airport – Dead Sea: 160km
- Arad – Dead Sea: 30km (Arad is the nearest city to the Dead Sea)
- Beer Sheva – Dead Sea: 75km
- Eilat – Dead Sea: 210km
By bus
The least expensive Dead Sea transportation is by bus, and there are several ways you can travel to the Dead Sea by bus. You first have to determine which city you will be traveling to the Dead Sea from.
To travel from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea, you can take Egged buses 486 or 444. Both leave from the Jerusalem Central Bus Station and stop at Ein Gedi, Masada and Ein Bokek and several other stops in the area. Excluding the weekend, the frequency of these buses is 7 times a day, from the morning till the afternoon.
To travel from Tel Aviv to Dead Sea, you can take Egged bus 421 which leaves 2-3 times a day from the Arlozorov Bus Station. This bus also stops at Ein Bokek, Masada, and Ein Gedi.
If you are traveling to the Dead Sea from the south of Israel, Egged bus 384 reaches the Dead Sea from Beer Sheva, and Egged bus 444 reaches the Dead Sea from Eilat.
By taxi
Since the Dead Sea is in a remote area and a long drive away from any major city in Israel, taxi rides there must be arranged in advance. Many private taxi companies offer rides to the Dead Sea in large shared taxis equipped with AC and comfortable seats. For extra comfort find a taxi that will take you directly from where you’re staying to your hotel in the Dead Sea, but a less expensive option is to take a taxi from a central point in a major city like Tel Aviv or Jerusalem.
By car
You can rent a car in Ben Gurion Airport or any major city in Israel. Roads from Tel Aviv and Jerusalem to the Dead Sea are well maintained and a large part of the drive is on highways. It is advised to leave early in the morning to avoid traffic.
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