Judean desert jeep tour

Head away from hectic city life to the incredible landscape of the Judean desert, drive over hills and into valleys, discover awesome hidden monasteries built into the rocks, and swim in beautiful natural springs. This unique tour will take you to unforgettable parts of the country, and is sure to be the highlight of your travels. Including Mar Saba monastery, Ein Prat springs, Nabi Musa and the awesome desert expanses.

Leaving Jerusalem in the morning, you will drive out in jeeps towards the Dead Sea, leaving the city traffic behind in minutes, and entering the vast expanses of the Judean desert.

Your first stop is at Mount Azazel, the sacred hilltop where, according to tradition, every year a scapegoat carrying the sins of the people was cast off a cliff. Carefully, you’ll drive down into the wadi, entering off-road territory inhabited mainly by nomadic Bedouin tribes, and see their tents and animals.

You will also visit an ancient water hole, so important for desert farmers, and still in use today. Your next stop is the Mar Saba monastery, almost a secret for travelers in Israel because of the relative difficulty in arriving at the site. The huge monastery, founded over 1500 years ago, is one of the oldest inhabited monasteries, and definitely one of the most beautiful in the world. The awe-inspiring structure is inhabited by around twenty Greek Orthodox monks, who also meditate in the surrounding rock caves. Driving on through the incredible desert landscape, you’ll pass Nabi Musa, an ancient structure believed by the Muslims to be the tomb of Moses, and stop for lunch nearby.

The afternoon is dedicated to the beautiful and extraordinary springs at Ein Prat. The cold, clear water at the Ein Prat springs seep out of the rocks and form pools and streams, which are hard to resist at this point in the day. you’ll spend time swimming, relaxing, drinking coffee and eating snacks, before leaving the desert behind and returning to Jerusalem, happy and refreshed.