One Day Tour to Masada

Others go further a field and tour the Galilee or the Dead Sea. However not all travelers are lucky enough to visit Masada, a unique and fascinating site in southern Israel. Touryourway, Israel day tours include visits to Masada which can be combined with stops at other attractions like the Dead Sea. Israel day tours are available for tourists staying in Tel Aviv, Herzliya, Nataniya and Jerusalem. There are pick-up points in these cities and the Israel day tours include transportation and a guide who stays with you for the entire day. The most popular of the Israel day tours to Masada includes time at the Dead Sea. The two attractions are conveniently located only about 15 minutes from each other.

Masada and the Dead Sea

When you visit Masada and the Dead Sea with one of the Israel day tours the trip begins with a descent through the mountains of the Judean Desert further and further below sea level. The drive takes you passed the Inn of the Good Samaritan where Jesus set his famous Biblical story. Arriving at Masada the tour takes you to the summit by cable car. Here your tour guide will tell you about Masada’s fascinating history and leads you through the surviving structures of Herod’s mountaintop palace fortress complex. When the Israel day tours leave Masada the next stop is at the Dead Sea where you will have free time to relax on the beach. Driving back to central Israel at the end of the day you will get a glimpse of the Qumran caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found and of the desert oasis of Ein Gedi.

Understanding Masada

Rising from the flat plains of the desert, Masada has steep cliff sides and a flat summit. This shape defines Masada as a “mesa.” Since ancient times Masada has been a natural retreat for those seeking isolation or refuge. Between 37BC and 31BC Herod the Great had a palace complex constructed on the mountain top. The complex was surrounded by fortified walls and included elaborate palaces, a bathhouse decorated with mosaics and frescoes, dovecotes, massive storage sites, cisterns, guardhouses, temples and more. The complex even had a swimming pool for the king.

At the end of the First Jewish-Roman War (73AD) a group of Jews took refuge on Masada and were held under siege by the Romans resulting in the mass suicide of the 960 Sicarii Jews who chose death over capture by the Romans. This historic event became a symbol for Jewish courage and self-sacrifice.

On one of the Israel day tours to Masada visitors will get an in-depth understanding of the history and heritage of the site and see a unique region of the country.