MASADA FORTRESS AND THE DEAD SEA

In a nutshell

A visit to the imposing fortress of Masada and the benefits of the waters of the Dead Sea: a journey in search of culture and relaxation in a charming location.

Main stops

• Masada Fortress
• Dead Sea

The programme

• We will leave the port of Haifa and travel to Masada. The fortress there is sadly known for the Roman army's siege during the first Jewish-Roman war and its tragic conclusion in 73 AD.
• After a brief journey, we will reach the top of the mountain where we can see, right before our eyes, a view of the incomparable beauty of the surrounding rocky desert and the Dead Sea.
• Our guide will accompany us through the ruins of the ancient fortress built by Herod the Great in 42 BC as a potential refuge in the event of a Jewish revolt or unrest incited by Mark Antony and Cleopatra.
• After the fall of Jerusalem in 73 BC, over 960 Jews, some of them soldiers, women and children, barricaded themselves inside the fortress to protect themselves from attack by Roman soldiers. The sight which lay before the Romans when they finally reached the fortress to intrude with force, was terrible: the Jews, in fact, preferred mass suicide to slavery.
• Upon completion of this fascinating visit, we will leave the fortress and head in the direction of the Dead Sea, a salt water lake which was formed 2 million years ago in a valley about 400 metres below sea level.
• When we arrive, we will be welcomed into a modern, comfortable hotel where we can relax and delight our palates with a delicious, fresh buffet.
• After lunch, we can enjoy some free time relaxing on the beach or having a dip in the lake to take advantage of the beneficial properties of the salt water and experience the incredible feeling of floating effortlessly on the surface of the water.

Good to know

• Comfortable shoes or trekking boots are recommended.
• Don't forget to bring swimwear. Bath towels are provided at the hotel.
• The high temperature and high concentration of salt of the Dead Sea waters may cause swimwear to discolour.
• This excursion is not recommended for guests with limited mobility, low blood pressure or heart problems.
  
• The coach transfer takes approximately 3 hours and 30 minutes.