Jerusalem to the Dead Sea 2026: Bus, Car or Tour | Dead Sea Day Trip from Jerusalem

Booking choice: The Masada and Dead Sea tour, from $115 per person. Check dates Tour details

Jerusalem sits in the hills at about 750 metres. The Dead Sea lies about 439 metres below sea level, the lowest land on Earth, and the road between them falls more than a kilometre in under an hour. You pass a sign marking sea level halfway down, and the air gets hot and heavy as the desert opens up.

This guide covers the distances, the public bus, the drive, and the tours that do the whole thing for you. Most visitors take a tour, and the reason is simple: one ticket gets you down, back and onto a beach, often with Masada on the way.

The quick answer

The Dead Sea is about 40 km from Jerusalem, around 40 minutes to the northern beaches at Kalia and 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours to Ein Gedi, Masada and Ein Bokek. Egged line 486 runs from the Central Bus Station down the shore, but not on Shabbat. Driving takes Route 1 east, then Route 90 south. The easiest way is a day tour: the half-day float trip starts at $50, and the Masada and Dead Sea tour with hotel pickup starts at $115 with the park fees, cable car and beach included.

A white salt-crusted shore along turquoise water — The northern beaches are the closest part of the shore to Jerusalem.

How far is the Dead Sea from Jerusalem?

About 40 km to the northern shore, roughly 40 minutes by car. The sights further south take longer.

The Dead Sea is long and thin, and Jerusalem faces its northern end. That is why a quick float and a full day at Masada are two different trips. Times below are typical drive times without traffic; tours add stops.

From Jerusalem to	Distance or time	What is there
Kalia, Biankini, Neve Midbar	About 40 km, about 40 minutes	Paid beaches on the northern shore
Qumran	Just past the northern beaches	The caves of the Dead Sea Scrolls
Ein Gedi	About 1 hour 30 minutes	Nature reserve with waterfalls
Masada	1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours	Herod's fortress, cable car, Snake Path
Ein Bokek, Hamei Zohar	1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours	Hotel district with free public beaches

How do I get from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea?

By day tour, by Egged bus or by hire car. A tour is the simplest, because transport and usually the beach fee are in the price.

A day tour: transport from Jerusalem, a beach and often Masada and Ein Gedi, from $50 for a half day to about $115 to $123 for a guided day with fees included.
The Egged bus: cheap, slower, and it stops for Shabbat. Good for travelers heading to one place, like Ein Gedi.
A hire car: the most freedom, about 40 minutes to the nearest beach, but you pay each entry yourself.
A private tour: your own guide and car from your door, priced per group.

The tour prices look alike, but they cover different things. Some include the Masada fee, the cable car and the beach; others give you transport and a beach and leave the park fees to you. The Masada and Ein Gedi guide sets out the fees line by line.

Salt crystals on stones by turquoise water — Salt crusts the rocks along the shore.

Is there a bus from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea?

Yes. Egged line 486 leaves Jerusalem Central Bus Station and runs down Route 90 past Qumran, Ein Gedi and Masada to Ein Bokek and Neve Zohar.

The full route takes about 2 hours. Buses run Sunday to Thursday and on Friday morning; on Friday the last buses leave in the early afternoon, and nothing runs until Saturday evening. Check the timetable on the Egged site or the Moovit app the day before, and plan your return first, because the last bus back leaves earlier than you might expect.

The bus suits a single stop. Linking Masada, Ein Gedi and a beach in one day by bus is hard, and you wait at roadside stops in the heat. The Masada, Ein Gedi and Dead Sea bus trip solves that with its own vehicle from Abraham Hostel, rated 4.7 from 51 reviews, from $106.

Transport and the beach paid, with Masada and Ein Gedi at your own pace and free cancellation up to 24 hours before.

Check dates for the Masada and Ein Gedi bus trip

Can you drive from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea?

Yes, and it is an easy drive. Take Route 1 east out of the city, then turn south on Route 90 along the shore.

Route 1 descends through the Judean Desert past the sea level sign, and at the bottom Route 90 runs south between the cliffs and the water. Kalia and the other northern beaches come first, Qumran just after, then Ein Gedi and Masada. Allow 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours to reach Masada or Ein Bokek.

Part of the road runs through the West Bank, so carry your passport. Fill up and buy water in Jerusalem, start early in summer, and leave time for the climb back up after a long day in the heat. Driving saves money for a group of three or four, but each entry is extra: 37 NIS for Masada, 54 NIS for the cable car, 31 NIS for Ein Gedi and about 45 NIS for a private beach.

Which part of the Dead Sea is best from Jerusalem?

The northern beaches for a short trip, the southern shore if you are adding Masada or staying the night.

The north is closest. Kalia, Biankini and Neve Midbar are paid, managed beaches with showers, lifeguards and food, about 40 minutes away. Most half-day trips go here. The south has the free public beaches at Ein Bokek and Hamei Zohar by the hotel district, close to Masada but much further from the city.

The shore in between has changed. As the water level falls, sinkholes have opened along the western shore, and the old beach at Ein Gedi is closed. The Dead Sea beaches guide compares them all.

A beach with umbrellas and a freshwater shower, small bathers in the water — Managed beaches have showers, shade and a lifeguard.

Which Dead Sea day trip from Jerusalem is easiest?

The half-day float trip if you only want the sea. The Masada and Dead Sea tour if you want the full day with nothing to pay on the spot.

Half-day float trip (from $50): about 5 hours from Abraham Hostel on HaNevi'im Street, with transport and entry to a private beach in the north. Guests say about three hours on the beach. Self-guided, with notes in an app.
Masada and Dead Sea tour (from $115): pickup in Jerusalem, a guide, the cable car up Masada and a float, with the Masada entry, the cable car and the beach paid. Rated 4.4 from 836 reviews.
Masada sunrise trip (from $106): the Snake Path in the dark, Ein Gedi and the beach. Transport and the beach are paid; Masada (37 NIS) and Ein Gedi (31 NIS) you pay on the day.

Masada and Dead Sea Day Tour with Pickup

Pickup, a guide, the cable car and the beach in one price, back in Jerusalem by evening. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before.

★ 4.4 · 10 hours · from $115

Explore the Masada and Dead Sea tour Tour details

Do you need a passport to go to the Dead Sea from Jerusalem?

Yes. Route 1 and Route 90 pass through the West Bank, and every tour on this site asks you to bring it.

The self-guided trips from Abraham Hostel accept a copy; the Bethlehem tour asks for a passport and a valid Israeli visa. Keep the passport on you or locked in a beach locker, not loose in a bag on the sand.

The UK Foreign Office excludes Jericho and all areas south of it from its West Bank warning, which covers the Dead Sea road. The safety guide has the current US and UK advice with dates.

A quiet coastal highway between cliffs and a blue sea at midday — Route 90 runs between the cliffs and the shore.

When should you leave Jerusalem for the Dead Sea?

Early. Most tours leave between dawn and mid-morning to beat the heat, and Shabbat changes the buses.

Summer highs at the south end pass 40 °C, so the morning is the time to climb Masada and the late morning to float. In winter the days are mild and short, and the parks close earlier. Friday afternoon to Saturday evening is Shabbat: buses stop, and some sites close early on Friday.

Book the day before you plan the rest of your week, since the popular trips fill. Every tour here cancels free up to 24 hours before.

About three hours on a Dead Sea beach and back in Jerusalem by early afternoon, from $50.

Check dates for the half-day Dead Sea float

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to get from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea?

About 40 minutes to the northern beaches at Kalia, and 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours to Ein Gedi, Masada and Ein Bokek.

Which bus goes from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea?

Egged line 486 runs from Jerusalem Central Bus Station to Ein Gedi, Masada, Ein Bokek and Neve Zohar. It does not run from Friday afternoon to Saturday evening.

Can you visit the Dead Sea from Jerusalem in half a day?

Yes. The half-day float trip takes about 5 hours and gives you about three hours on a beach in the north, from $50 with transport and entry.

Is a taxi from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea a good idea?

For a group it can work, but you pay each entry on top. A private tour gives you a car and a licensed guide for up to 10 people, from $1,059 per group.

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