On the shores of the Dead Sea is a spa resort that draws travellers from around the globe seeking to improve their health with its waters and healing mud. In Hebrew the word Masada means 'rock fortress', a pretty apt description. Masada is a fortress built on an isolated mountain plateau, that rises to 1,440 feet above the western shore of the Dead Sea. Enlarged by Herod the Great around 36 BC, Masada became a Roman garrison after his death. Flavius Silva besieged Masada and eventually took the fortress in 73 AD, after the mass suicide of the Jewish population of Masada.
Visitors can ascend to the fortress on foot or by cable car.
A good compromise is to take the cable car up and then walk down. The views from the top of the hill, across the Dead Sea to Jordan are spectacular. Jerusalem is currently under Israeli jurisdiction but both Jordan and the Palestinians lay claim to parts of the city. For most visitors, the walled Old City is the main area of interest, and all our tours include a guided walking tour of the Old City, which takes in the most important locations. The newer part of the city has many good restaurants and night-clubs and your group leader will be able to recommend places to eat and places for evening entertainment.