Sherry's Take
Stay at Ein Bokek — every Israeli Dead Sea hotel is here, walking distance to the beach. Avoid hotels north of Mitzpe Shalem (closed for security) and on the Jordanian side unless you specifically want Jordan.
Best For
SpaWellnessCouplesTherapeuticFamily
Go in
FebruaryMarchAprilOctoberNovemberDecember
Avoid if possible
JulyAugust
Where to Stay
Ein Bokek
All hotels, beach access, restaurants, the heart of Dead Sea tourism
Ein Gedi
Kibbutz + nature reserve, waterfall hike, beach, far quieter
Neve Zohar
Apartment rentals, residential, 5 min south of Ein Bokek
Money-Saving Tips
- 1Hotels include private beach + spa access; day-pass for non-guests is ₪150–280 if you sleep elsewhere.
- 2Half-board is almost always the right choice — there are only 5 restaurants in Ein Bokek and prices are tourist-tier.
- 3Mud and salt scrubs at hotel spas are typically 2–3x the price of the same product at the Ahava factory shop (15 min away).
Getting Around
- 1Egged 444 / 421 from Jerusalem to Ein Bokek (~1h 45m, ₪50). 384 from Tel Aviv (3h, ₪60). Plan around the Friday afternoon shutdown.
- 2No buses Shabbat (Fri sundown → Sat sundown). If your stay spans Shabbat, you need a rental car or a Friday-morning arrival.
- 3Within Ein Bokek itself, everything is walkable — the entire hotel strip is 1.5 km along the beach.
Most Common Mistake
Floating with cuts or shaved skin — the salt burns hard. Save shaving for AFTER your stay.
Ideal Stay
1–3 nights
Combine with
- • Masada (20 min)
- • Ein Gedi waterfall hike (15 min)
- • Mitzpe Ramon crater (1h 45m)
- • Jerusalem (1h 30m)
