1 day

Full Day

Instant confirmation

About this activity

Leave your central Jerusalem hotel in an air-conditioned coach and drive into the Judean Desert. Enjoy the scenery and pass the Inn of the Good Samaritan, a site that symbolizes the Bible parable.

Pause at the signpost marking sea level and descend past Jericho, the world’s oldest continuously populated city, in the distance. Before long, arrive at Qumran, an archaeological site near the Dead Sea.

See the exterior of the caves where the famous Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered by a goatherd in 1947. Protected by 2,000 years of arid desert conditions, the ancient texts were found rolled up in dusty clay jars and included early manuscripts of the First Testament and other precious religious writings.

Transfer to a 4x4 with an expert driver to explore the surrounding desert. Recharge with tea, coffee and local Bedouin snacks, and then rumble up steep slopes and through rocky ravines and plateaus to the famous Dragot Cliffs.

Here, enjoy spectacular views over the Dragot River bed and gaze at the cliff-face Murbaat Caves, known for their square-cut entrances. Listen as your guide explains the treasures found in them in the 1950s including Bronze Age artifacts and 2nd-century documents that charted the second Jewish Revolt of 132-135 AD.

After your desert explorations, hop onto your coach and head for the Dead Sea. On arrival, maybe enjoy lunch (own expense) at the cafe before relaxing on the beach. Then, enter the cool, salt-rich waters to experience the unique floating sensation and perhaps also give yourself a mud bath in the therapeutic black mud.

Later, return to Jerusalem where your tour ends with a hotel drop-off.

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Included

Hotel pickup and drop-off
Professional guide
Air-conditioned vehicle
4x4 safari
Tea, coffee and light snacks
Entry/Admission - Dead Sea

Not included

Food and drinks, unless specified
Gratuities

Additional

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Please bring sun hat, bathing suit and comfortable shoes
The order of activities as described in What You Can Expect is subject to change on the day of your tour
Please note this tour is not suitable for children under the age of 4
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund

Features

Tourism

90%

Original

65%

Adrenaline

65%

Reviews

4.3

4

r

rockon_em01

5 | 2017-10-16

I would recommend this tour to anyone who wants to do something unique and fun. To get to trek through the Negev Desert in an open-air jeep is something you must experience. They provided water and some treats. The tour guide told us a lot about animal tracks and the plant life in the Negev and how the Bedouin people utilized all of them. The tour guide, Ali, was very knowledgable and full of jokes and good humor. I felt like if I were ever lost in the Negev with him, that everything would be okay. This safari was probably more fun than it even was in my mind before I took it. It was not a short ride that ended too soon. It lasted plenty long for the money paid. After the jeep safari, the excursion still included the trip to the Dead Sea. I would take this trip again, and I would recommend it to others.

M

Maryann N

5 | 2017-03-04

This tour is highly recommended, especially the Desert Safari. Our guide Ali was full of information, entertaining and an amazing driver. We went off-road in his jeep where we were the only people around. The Judean desert scenery is out of this world!! This tour exceeded my expectations. We enjoyed the Dead Sea as well but wished they will allow more time for the group to swim and linger in the place. 1-1/2 hour is just not enough, including getting changed, showered and getting snacks. That's probably the only improvement this tour could make.

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