Jerusalem to the Dead Sea: Bus, Car and Tour Compared

The table below lines up the three realistic ways to cover the route, cheapest and most independent first. Times and costs come from the transport notes and the tour listings gathered for this route, with shekel fees converted at 1 US dollar = 3.10 NIS.

Options compared on journey time, cost per person and who each one suits.

Our own pick for a first visit is the Masada and the Dead Sea day trip, because the $111 price already carries the Masada entry, the cable car and the beach, and hotel pickup removes the timetable question completely. Pure bus travellers can still beat it on cost, but they juggle two or three separate fees and a fixed schedule to do so.

The Dead Sea shore lies east and below Jerusalem, down through the Judean Desert to the western side of the lake. Its surface sits 439.78 m (1,443 ft) below sea level, the lowest land on Earth, against Jerusalem at roughly 750 m of elevation, so the road descends more than a kilometre over the drive. The distance by road takes about 1 hour 20 minutes to cover, stretching to 2 hours at busy times, and the route drops steeply and winds through the Judean Hills.

About 25 minutes out from Jerusalem a sign at the roadside marks sea level, a standard photo stop, and you keep falling after it. On the way you pass the turn-offs for the Good Samaritan Inn, the Qumran caves above the lake, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found, and Ein Gedi, an oasis reserve with springs, waterfalls and ibex on the shore. Jericho, one of the oldest cities in the world and itself about 258 m (846 ft) below sea level, sits a short detour north, and you can read more in our guide to Qasr al-Yahud and the Jordan River.

Bus 486 is the workhorse of this route. It starts from the Jerusalem Central Bus Station and runs down to the Dead Sea beaches, Ein Gedi and Masada. You board at the Central Bus Station itself, ride about an hour to the first public beach, or stay on about 1 hour 30 minutes for Ein Gedi.

• Board at the Jerusalem Central Bus Station, no transfer needed, it is a direct line.
• About 1 hour to the first Dead Sea public beach, about 1 hour 30 minutes to Ein Gedi, and the line continues to Masada.
• You buy the park entry, the Masada cable car and the beach access yourself on arrival, they are not in the bus fare.
• No buses run on Shabbat, from Friday afternoon until Saturday evening.
• Timetables change, so check the schedule the day before you travel and again for your return leg.

Two timing problems shape this route. The first is Shabbat: bus 486 does not run from Friday afternoon until Saturday evening, so a weekend visitor without a car has exactly two realistic choices, a guided tour or a private driver. The second is the heat.

Jerusalem averages about 30°C (86°F) in July while the Dead Sea shore averages about 38.3°C (101°F), and even in January the shore averages 19.3°C (66.6°F) against 12.7°C (54.9°F) in the city. A midday float in July is hard work.

The tours also solve the return-trip problem that bus travellers face. The listings here run about 9 hours door to door and drop you back where you started, while the bus obliges you to track the return departure from the beach and be on it. If your day at the shore runs long, your fallback is waiting for the next coach, so confirm the last departure before you settle onto the sand.

Independent readers who want a shorter desert option instead of a full beach day can look at the Judean Desert jeep tour, a 4-hour 4x4 run to a summit and a viewpoint over the Mar Saba monastery, with no entry fees on the route.

Driving is the fastest and most flexible way down. The trip takes about 1 hour 20 minutes from Jerusalem, up to 2 hours at busy times, on a road that drops steeply and winds through the desert. About 25 minutes out you pass the sea-level sign, a popular quick stop with the roadside.

A car lets you split the day between the beach, the Qumran caves viewpoint and Ein Gedi on your own schedule.

Parking and the desert road

Israeli rental agreements restrict taking the car into Palestinian-administered areas, so if Jericho or Bethlehem interests you, read our guide to getting from Jerusalem to Bethlehem and consider a guided West Bank day instead.

Some Jerusalem day trips fold the Dead Sea into a fuller itinerary, and for many visitors the tour beats the DIY arithmetic. The listings gathered for this route fall into two shapes. Both run about 9 hours, both include transport from Jerusalem, and they differ mainly in what the price carries and whether Ein Gedi is walked or seen from the road.

Masada and the Dead Sea, fees in the price

The Masada and the Dead Sea day trip from Jerusalem costs $111 per person and includes the Masada national park entry, the cable car and the beach. Pickup comes from a list of central Jerusalem hotels, the operator emails the final point, and you ride an air-conditioned vehicle through the Judean Hills past the Good Samaritan Inn. You get 75 minutes up on Masada, an hour in the remains of Herod's three-tiered palace, and 90 minutes floating and trying the mud at the Dead Sea, with views toward Ein Gedi and the Qumran caves from the road.

Groups run up to 40, a valid passport is essential, and free cancellation applies up to 24 hours before the start. It is rated 4.3 from 788 reviews.

The Ein Gedi version, fees on the day

The Masada, Ein Gedi and Dead Sea tour from Jerusalem is the cheapest Masada ticket at $99 and the only listing here that walks into the Ein Gedi reserve, 2 hours among the springs and waterfalls. It departs from the David Citadel Hotel at King David St 7, runs a coach of up to 30 with a live English guide, and gives you 1.5 hours on Masada and 2.5 hours at a private beach. The trade is that the entries are not in the price: Masada at $11.94 (37 NIS), the cable car at $17.43 (54 NIS), Ein Gedi at $10.01 (31 NIS) and the beach at $14.53 (45 NIS), 167 NIS in total or $53.91, paid in cash on the day.

Bring comfortable shoes, swimwear, a towel, water shoes, sunscreen and that cash.

This is the section where the DIY and tour arithmetic meet, comparing the bus day and the car day against the guided listings. The figures come from the fare notes and the entry fees quoted by the listings, converted at 1 US dollar = 3.10 NIS.

Costs compared per person for a Dead Sea day, entry fees counted where you pay them yourself.

The Dead Sea is a salt lake about 34% salt, 9.6 times as salty as the ocean, with a density of 1.24 kg per litre. That density is why swimming here feels like floating: you lie back and the water holds you up, no technique required. The mud on the shore is part of the ritual for most visitors.

Two things worth knowing. The lake has shrunk badly, its surface down to 605 km2 (234 sq mi) from 1,050 km2 (410 sq mi) in 1930. And keep the water out of your eyes, at that salinity it stings fiercely.

• Swimsuit, worn under your clothes if you want to maximise beach time
• A towel
• Water shoes
• Sun protection: hat, sunscreen and sunglasses
• Cash for entry fees if you travel independently or on the Ein Gedi listing
• A valid passport on the guided Masada day, the listing calls it essential
• Drinking water, more than you think

The shore climate is a desert one, 6 to 8°C (11 to 15°F) hotter than Jerusalem in every month. January at the shore averages 19.3°C (66.7°F) against 12.7°C (54.9°F) in the city, April averages 29.3°C (84.7°F), and the peak lands in July at 38.3°C (101°F) against 30°C (86°F) in Jerusalem, with August close behind at 38.1°C (100.6°F). Rain is effectively absent in summer at both places.

The practical read is that October to April gives you comfortable floating weather, and even May at 33.4°C (92.1°F) is workable if you go early. In June through September, plan the beach for morning or late afternoon and treat midday as Masada, shade or hotel time.