Judean desert safari from Jerusalem

In the morning, starting at 07:50 AM, you will be picked up at your hotel or nearest point and you will begin the Judean Desert Safari.

You will begin by driving through the Judean Desert south towards the Dead Sea, and you will drive south of Jerusalem descending through the Biblical wilderness. On the way, you will pass the Inn of the Good Samaritan, the site of the Biblical parable. You will continue the descent passing the point indicating that you are descending beneath "sea level".

From there you can see the Biblical city of Jericho in the distance. Jericho is one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world and is most known as the city conquered by Joshua when his troops circled the city walls causing them to fall.

As you reach Qumran you can see the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. The scrolls (which are now kept in the Shrine of the Book in Jerusalem) were kept in good condition for 2,000 years due to the lack of humidity in the Dead Sea region. The scrolls contain invaluable insights into the ancient Essenes sect and include the oldest copy of the First Testament.

At this point, you will transfer to a 4X4 jeep which is suitable for rough desert terrain. You will take an exciting ride through the desert up steep inclines, down ravines, and over sand and rock. With the adrenaline pumping you will reach the Cliffs of Dragot where you can look down on the Dragot River. This river only flows where there are winter flash floods. You will also see the Murbaat Caves with their fascinating square entrances.

The Murbaat Caves were explored in the 50s and artifacts from the Chalcolithic and Bronze eras were found. Also discovered in the caves were documents dating back to the 2nd century. One of the texts was penned by the revered Rabbi Shimon Bar Kochba who led the revolt against the Romans. One of the most important discoveries was a set of tefillin (phylactery).

This confirmed that the Jewish traditional tefillin prayer ritual dates back thousands of years. You will end your adventure by washing away the dust of the desert and cooling off in the Dead Sea. You will change into your bathing suits and float in the mineral-rich water which is 35% salt. You will also use nature's natural face mask, the Dead Sea black mud, and lather it on your faces and bodies to benefit from the mud's therapeutic qualities.

At the end of the tour, you will be transferred to your hotel in Jerusalem or the nearest pick-up point.

Greca Tip: Remember to use some skin protection and comfortable clothes.