Masada Sunrise, Ein Gedi and Dead Sea Tour

Wake up before dawn and be met in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem to begin the Masada sunrise tour. Start by moving through the Judean hills and beyond the point where Jesus spoke his parable of the Good Samaritan. Then, head through the magical desert landscape that descends below sea level– an especially lovely experience in the chilly, silent hours before dawn.

Your first stop will be at Masada, a stone plateau bordered by steep cliffs that fall into the Judean desert below. You will move to the top of the plateau by following a path named for its many winding turns: The Snake Path. At the plateau summit, take a break and appreciate the sun as it rises above the desert, illuminates the Moab Mountains, and shines across the Dead Sea. From here, move on to observe the preserved remains of Herod’s palace fortress complex, a structure that has been maintained since as early as 31BC. You will have the opportunity to learn about key historical events that took place at Masada, such as when Jews took refuge at the plateau following the end of the first Jewish-Roman war while the Roman’s had laid siege. Rather than be enslaved by the Romans, the 960 Jewish rebels opted to commit mass suicide, deeming death a better alternative. Ever since that day, Masada has been held by Jews as a symbol of national pride and personal sacrifice, as well as inspiration to resist oppression against the Jewish people.

Upon leaving Masada, the tour will lead you to the desert oasis known as Ein Gedi Nature Reserve, where rich vegetation borders the paths of bubbling streams and breath-taking waterfalls, and is inhabited by local desert plants and wildlife. Seeing this lush landscape immediately followed by that of the dry desert is bound to leave you perplexed. Your final stop of the day will be at Dead Sea beach. Feel free to spend the rest of your day relaxing here, soaking in the oxygen-rich air and low-UV rays of the sun, thanks to the location’s geographical lowest point. Enjoy floating across the especially salty water, and make a natural skin mask out of the mineral-imbued mud of the Dead Sea. At last, finish the tour by returning to where you began the day in either Tel Aviv or Jerusalem.