Tourist’s guide to Ein Bokek in Israel, city by the Dead Sea

Ein Bokek (Israel) is a resort city on the western shore of the Dead Sea. Although, the city is not an exact name in this case. After all, Ein Bokek is just 11 hotels, 1 medical clinic, SPA salons, 3 shopping centers, restaurants and cafes. The city has actually one street on which several hotels are located, and most of them and SPA centers are located on the other side of the highway at number 90.

Ein Bokek, Israel

There are not even permanent residents here – only tourists and staff coming from the nearest settlements of Israel.

Interesting fact! Of all the cities on Earth, Ein Bokek is located below all: it stands 404 m below sea level. And this is only 18 m above the lowest point on the planet.

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Dead Sea Treatment

Ein Bokek is one of the largest and most popular health centers in Israel. The first thing that tourists come here for is treatment.

Interesting fact! The Dead Sea has formed unique climatic conditions that are useful in themselves. The air here is much denser than in any other place on Earth, in addition, it is characterized by an increased oxygen content – 15% more than usual.

Dead Sea Treatment

Mineral mud of the Dead Sea deserves special attention – it is also present in Ein Bokek. This mud, which is extracted from the seabed, has long been known for its healing properties:

  • accelerates metabolism and cleanses the body of toxins;
  • promotes vasodilation and improves blood circulation;
  • It has a bactericidal and anti-inflammatory effect;
  • It helps to improve the condition of the skin and creates a rejuvenating effect.

All Ein Bokek hotels have SPA complexes and wellness centers with qualified medical staff. Guests are offered therapeutic baths, massages, inhalations, a variety of cosmetic procedures with mineral mud.

Mineral mud beauty treatments

In Ein Bokek, they treat diseases of the nervous system, respiratory and gastrointestinal tract, musculoskeletal system, and cardiovascular system. There is also a specialized IPTC Dead Sea clinic that deals with psoriasis.

Not far from Ein Bokek is another marine health resort Neve Zohar. Detailed information about him is presented on this page .

Beach vacation

Along the entire coast of the resort town of Ein Bokek, there are beaches – one public and about seven private, hotel-owned.

Beach vacation

It is interesting! The Dead Sea in Israel is actually a lake, and the most salty on our planet!

The beaches are half sandy, half salt coating, in some places there are areas with healing mud. The bottom of the lake is completely covered with salt crumbs, in some places on the shore, huge salt stones lie near the water itself. Many of Ein Bokek’s promotional photos create a sense of presence in the Caribbean, and salt deposits resemble coral reefs.

The water here is very beautiful in color! And also it is so saturated with minerals and salts that in its consistency it is more like vegetable oil (by the way, after bathing, the skin even seems oily to the touch). Due to the high volume of salt in the water, swimming here is very difficult.

Water of a very beautiful color

It is important! It is imperative to ensure that water does not get into the eyes, as it can lead to severe retinal burns. It is best to swim on your back, without making sudden movements that can upset the balance. One has only to be on his stomach, as the water begins to push his legs to the surface, while the head goes down. If you get confused, you can not only injure your eyes, but also drown.

Absolutely all the beaches in the city are very clean, well maintained and well equipped. Everywhere there are walking paths, benches, sports and playgrounds. Free showers, changing cabins (with hangers and mini-benches), fountains with drinking water are installed everywhere. Toilets are also there, and many, but in the reviews of tourists you can often find complaints that they are all closed.

Fresh water shower

Entrance to the Ein Bokek public beach is free. Entry into the water is convenient, there are handrails. Large tents are installed on the territory, you need to pay only for a deck chair (15 shekels) or a high chair (5 shekels). There are special fenced solariums (female and male), they are designed for those who are shy about skin problems or just want to sunbathe naked.

Private beaches at the hotels are more comfortable; for guests, rental of sunbeds and umbrellas is included in the price. As a rule, the territory is fenced, and outsiders cannot go there.

Comfortable hotel beach

It is interesting! Near the Ein Bokek Beach, there is a salt processing plant. Due to the fact that salt is constantly taken from the lake for processing, its size decreases: every year the water drops by 1 m. Moreover, the water becomes not so useful.

What to do in Ein Bokek

With entertainment in Ein Bokek tight – they come there mainly in order to improve their health or just to see the Dead Sea. However, there is something to do in Ein Bokek. You can sit in the Taj Mahal, where they show belly dancing and offer a smoke hookah. There is even a place in the city where you can sit until late – this is Olive’s night pub, open until 2:00.

Among the attractions located in the vicinity of Ein Bokek, the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve, Qumran Archaeological Park, the ancient Masada Fortress , and the legendary Sodom Mountain deserve attention .

Ancient Masada Fortress
Masada Fortress

One of the most interesting places is the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve in the Judean Desert, 33 km from the resort town. The reserve includes the valleys of two freshwater springs (David and Arugot), which are full-flowing at any time of the year. Ein Gedi is a real oasis in the desert , with islets of lush greenery, waterfalls, salt caves, ruins of ancient buildings. The park is open for visits at such times:

  • in April – September – from 8:00 to 17:00;
  • in October – March – from 8:00 to 16:00.
Ein Gedi Nature Reserve
Ein gedi

Interesting to know! In the vicinity of the reserve there is an enterprise engaged in the bottling of mineral water. Since the springs starting under the rocks pass over 1 km in height, the water in them is very clean, mineral and quite suitable for consumption.

Another interesting place nearby is Qumran Park, where you can look at the remains of an ancient water conduit, a pottery workshop, and stoves for firing ceramic products.

7 km from Ein Bokek are the ruins of the ancient Masada fortress, built by King Herod the Great. This attraction rises among steep cliffs, and you can climb to it on foot along the Snake Trail (which is very tiring in the heat) or on the funicular.

Mount Sodom, Israel
Mount Sodom

The legendary Mount Sodom is interesting in that it consists entirely of rock salt. People believe that the mountain arose on the spot where the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah once stood, destroyed by fiery rain.

Hotels in Ein Bokek

In Ein Bokek concentrated most of all hotels available near the Dead Sea. But here there are only 11.

Almost all hotels in Ein Bokek on the Dead Sea are in the 4 * -5 * category. All of them have their own beaches, and the entrance and use of beach attributes are usually free for hotel guests. Each hotel has SPA-complexes, but their procedures are not included in the room rate. In more budget hotels, the service is also at a fairly high level: there is a swimming pool, SPA-complexes with a minimum number of procedures.

Hotel Isrotel Dead Sea Hotel
Isrotel Dead Sea Hotel

Important! Using the booking.com portal, you can quickly find and book accommodation in any city in Israel, the most suitable for the price and level of service.

Here are a few of the top rated Ein Bokek (Israel) hotels on Booking.com :

  • Stylish spa hotel Isrotel Dead Sea 5 * is located directly on the seashore. The hotel has an outdoor pool, gym, children’s playroom, restaurant. The SPA-center is equipped with a sulfur pool, sauna, bath, massage rooms. The hotel rating is 8.1 points, and the price of a double room per day starts from 600 shekels.
  • Room at Isrotel Ganim Hotel Dead Sea
    Isrotel Ganim Hotel Dead Sea
  • Hotel Isrotel Ganim Dead Sea 4 * Located 500 meters from the city center, within walking distance from the beach. There are two indoor saltwater pools, an outdoor freshwater pool. There are two hot tubs and a sauna in the hotel’s SPA salon. The hotel rating is 8.1 points, the cost of a night in a double room starts from 440 shekels.
  • The Crowne Plaza Dead Sea Hotel is located by the sea and has a large freshwater pool. The SPA center has a fitness room, hot tubs, saunas, a pool with heated sea water, beauty and massage rooms. Hotel rating is 8.0, a double room per night costs from 815 shekels.

On a note! You can save a lot if you settle in the town of Arad, which is located 25 from the Dead Sea. Detailed information about the village is collected in this article .

Find out RATES or book any accommodation using this form

When is it best to come to Ein Bokek

Air temperature in Ein Bokek

You can come to the Dead Sea, as well as to any place in Israel, throughout the whole year. However, there are “high” and “low” holiday season.

Winter in Ein Bokek is warm, the air warms up to an average of + 18 ° C, although cooling sometimes reaches + 10 ° C. And the water temperature in the sea below + 20 ° C never drops. Although it rains very rarely in this part of Israel, they all fall in the winter.

Sea temperature in Ein Bokek

In early summer, the air temperature is kept within + 36 ° С, in August it already rises to + 40 ° С. And you do not have to look for coolness in sea water, because its temperature is about 31 ° C.

In September it’s not so hot already – around + 28 ° С, in November it’s already +22 ° С, but the beach season is not over yet, because the sea is warm – at least + 23 ° С.

Tourists note! It is best to come to Ein Bokek from mid-March to mid-November, when the day and night temperatures do not differ too much, and it is not cold to leave the water for land. High season usually falls on March – April and September – November.

How to get to Ein Bokek from Tel Aviv

Ben Gurion Airport

Getting to the Dead Sea is easy enough from anywhere in Israel. But it will not be possible to get there directly from the CIS countries, the path will consist of several stages: by plane you need to fly to Tel Aviv-Ben Gurion International Airport, and from there get to the necessary city and hotel. From Ben Gurion Airport to the city of Ein Bokek, you can only go with a transfer, and it can be in different cities of Israel: Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Beer Sheva. It is most convenient to make a transfer in Tel Aviv, the distance from which to Ein Bokek is about 160 km.

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Stage One: Ben Gurion – Tel Aviv

At the airport, at the exit from Terminal No. 3, there is a railway station from where trains depart to modern Tel Aviv . You need to go to the station “Merkaz-Tsentralnaya”, in time the road takes up to 20 minutes.

Railway station at Ben Gurion Airport

Trains in this direction run from 5:35 to 23:35 with a frequency of 30-60 minutes.

The ticket can be bought at the box office of the railway station or at the ticket machine, its price is 13.5 shekels. The ticket must be kept until the end of the trip, it is necessary at the exit.

It’s important to know! The Israel Railways website www.rail.co.il has train schedules, current fares, and other useful information.

If your plans include exploring Tel Aviv, read what to see in Tel Aviv first .

Stage Two: Tel Aviv – Ein Bokek

Next, you need to decide how to get from Tel Aviv to Ein Bokek.

The bus ride "Tel Aviv Arlozorov - Ein Gedi"

In the city of Tel Aviv, from the Merkaz-Tsentralnaya railway station, you need to go to the Arlozorov bus station. It is located across the road – it is only 350 m.

From Tel Aviv to the resorts of the Dead Sea there is only one direct route: bus No. 421 Tel Aviv Arlozorov-Ein Gedi of the transport company Egged. It runs on such a schedule:

  • on weekdays twice a day – at 9:00 and at 12:00;
  • on Friday – only at 9:00;
  • there are no flights at all on Saturday.

The road to Ein Bokek (Israel) takes 2 hours 40 minutes. The fare is 42.5 shekels.

What and how to treat in the resort of Ein Bokek (Dead Sea), Israel



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