Rather than rush your experience at the Dead Sea, book a full-day tour to fully experience the iconic destination on your own time. This tour takes you directly from your hotel to the Dead Sea, where you can relax on the beach and float in the salty water. Your guide also points out important sites along the way, including the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered.
We journey southwards from Jerusalem and see the Inn of the Good Samaritan. As we descend further we arrive at a milestone which indicates that we are now going below sea level.
On our drive, we get a clear view of Jericho in the distance. Jericho is the city where Jesus is said to have cured the blind and where Joshua and his troops caused the great city walls to fall (Joshua 6).
At 400 meters below sea level, we reach the lowest point on Earth, the Dead Sea.
For thousands of years many people, including Cleopatra, have made use of therapeutic powers of this area and the lake itself. Being farther from the sun than any other point on Earth, The Dead Sea does not receive much of the harmful sun rays. This makes it a safe place for people with skin ailments to expose their skin and enjoy the more beneficial properties of the sun. The air here is dry and non-allergenic and the black mud is a natural face and body mask.
We take the opportunity to smother some of this mineral-rich mud onto our skin and benefit from its therapeutic qualities. We can also swim in the water. The high saline content does not allow marine life to flourish. This gave the lake its name, the “Dead” Sea. Minerals like magnesium are farmed from these waters and used in medicines and cosmetics around the world. We spend some time relaxing on the Dead Sea beach and floating in the water while surrounded by the most magnificent views of the cobalt blue water and the Moab Mountains in the distance.
On our return journey back to Jerusalem we pass the Qumran caves where the 2000-year-old Dead Sea Scrolls were found.
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