Attractions

There are a number of tourist attractions within easy reach of Ein Bokek.

• Massada: Israel’s second most popular tourist site, a mountain top fortress which King Herod transformed in 35 BC into a 3-tired winter home. A site of heroic defiance, it is an eternal symbol of Jewish history and heritage. Massada offers fabulous views of the Dead Sea and Judean Desert and is easily accessible via a cable car ride or by hiking up the serpentine path. There is a spectacular Sound and Light Show which runs from March to October, where spectators sit in a natural amphitheatre on the west side of the mountain. Simulataneous translations are available to hire in English. Massada is located 18km north of the Ein Bokek area.

• Ein Gedi Nature Reserve, Oasis and Kibbutz: An oasis nestled between two streams with lush vegetation amidst the arid landscape of the Dead Sea, where David hid from King Saul and King Solomon composed the ‘song of Songs’. Close to the Kibbutz is the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve, where visitors have access to the adjacing nature reserve for viewing bird sanctuaries and wildlife of desert.

• Qumran National Park and Visitors Centre: Ancient caves and settlement on the northern shores of the Dead Sea where the famous Dead Sea Scrolls, the oldest biblical documents ever found, trace the history and daily lives of the mystical Essenes, a Jewish sect that fled Jerusalem 2000 years ago. The scrolls were initially discovered in caves in 1947 and prompted excavations which revealed the complexity of Essene life. An audiovisual show illustrates the story of Qumran.

• Mt Sodom: A 12km geological ridge of pure salt in the southern part of the Dead Sea, believed to be the infamous biblical city that perished together with Gomorra. Features include unique salt pillars dubbed Lot’s Wife, whom biblical legend says became a pillar of salt when she looked back on the destruction of Sodom and Gomorra.

• Jeep rides into the desert are available, bookable through your hotel.