One of the most unique natural phenomena in Jordan is the Dead Sea on the border with Israel. The water is extremly salty and that’s how the lake gets its name: nothing survives in this sea. That high salt level is also the reason you can float in the water. And that is a unique experience on your trip in Jordan or Israel. We visited the Dead Sea in Jordan and collected the best tips for your visit!
Visiting the Dead Sea in Jordan: 15 practical tips
# 1 Do not shave shortly before and check if you have any wounds
The most important tip of all: make sure you have no wounds and do not shave shortly beforehand. The salty water will make you feel even the smallest scratch more than you would like.
# 2 Use the mineral mud
Most hotel beaches on the Dead Sea have buckets of mud from the salty lake for free use. Cover yourself with it, let the mud soak in and rinse it off in the Dead Sea. You will get such a soft skin! How it works? The water level of the Dead Sea is still falling. While the water evaporates, the many minerals remain. So the mud in the lake is full of minerals that will make your skin happy.
# 3 Slowly sink into the water
Because of the salt level of the water, you can float in, which is absolutely unique! But that also requires a different way to get into the water. You cannot take a dive and everytime you move, you will have to find your balance again and again. We therefore recommend that you walk into the water and then slowly lower your back into it, while finding your balance. Oh, and no: you cannot walk on the water.
# 4 Don’t let your hair get wet
Although the water is full of minerals, the salt is very bad for your hair. So do you want to prevent yourself from having your hair feel like robe for the next few weeks? Keep your hair out of the water.
# 5 And the same for your eyes
And while we’re talking about keeping body parts out of the water. You probably get what happens to your eyes if just a drip of saltwater comes in?
# 6 Swimwear can discolor or lose stretch
Also, keep in mind that the salt can have an effect on your bikini or swimsuit. It can discolor or lose stretch. If you have some old swimwear, this is the time to use it! My black and white bikini was not that white anymore after a dive in the Dead Sea.
# 7 Drink enough
It is advised not to spend too much time in the salty water and to drink a lot. You hardly notice that when you are bathing in the Dead Sea, the salt is slowly dehydrating you. So: drink, drink and drink!
# 8 Shower with fresh water
The salty water feels very uncomfortable after it has dried on your skin. You’ll hands and fingers stay super salty, so everything you touch becomes that too. Lucky for us, there are freshwater showers along the beaches. Use them and rinse of the saltwater after your swim.
# 9 Stay in a resort
The only hotels on the Dead Sea are luxury resorts with swimming pools, massages and buffets. Normally we would never opt for that when travelling, but at the Dead Sea you have little choice. Such a resort has a hefty price tag, but you will also get to use beautiful swimming pools, nice hotel rooms and a fine sandy beach on the Dead Sea. We actually quite liked it and it was a wonderful experience for this one time!
# 10 Book the budget-friendly Ramada Hotel or at Mujib Chalets
The super luxury Mövenpick is a top choice for your stay at the Dead Sea, but it might not be in your budget to stay here. We opted for two cheaper options: the delightful Ramada Resort Dead Sea and the less luxurious but breathtaking Mujib Chalets. You can read more about Mujib Chalets in this blog with our favourite overnight stays in Jordan.
# 11 Visit the Dead Sea during a day trip
An even cheaper option? Visit the Dead Sea during a day trip! It is not far at all from Madaba or even the airport or Amman. You can get day passes at most resorts, so you can use the swimming pools and the beach with all facilities during the day. There is also a public beach, but we have heard some bad stories about that and there are hardly any facilities (mud, showers).
# 12 Don’t go too late (and not around sunset)
Would you like to enjoy the sunset from the Dead Sea, after an afternoon at the swimming pool of your resort? We thought the same and were hoping for a magical sunset while floating in the Dead Sea. Unfortunately, that is not possible. As the Dead Sea is right on the border with Israel, the hotels are obliged to close their beaches before sunset. Absolutely nobody is allowed on the beach or in the sea when it gets dark. So make sure you go to the sea on time during the day and avoid this disappointment.
# 13 Drive a little farther south for a magical sunset
The resorts are all located on the northern side of the Dead Sea. If you go a little further south, you have opportunities to see the sunset. During our stay at Mujib Chalets, we were able to actually get into the salty lake during sunset in the Dead Sea, as long as we would be out before it got dark. That was such a unique experience!
A public place to watch the sunset? At this point, you can descend to the beach to see the sky slowly turn yellow.
# 14 Drive the Dead Sea Highway
The area around the Dead Sea is really breathtaking. The vast water and beautiful mountains are an impressive sight. If you want to optimally enjoy this sight, we recommend to drive the Dead Sea Highway along the lake. The road is top quality and leads you past beautiful viewpoints from the north to the south of the Dead Sea.
# 15 Combine the Dead Sea with a visit to Wadi Mujib
Along the Dead Sea Highway, you will pass the visitor center for Wadi Mujib. Wadi Mujib is the lowest-lying nature reserve in the world and has beautiful canyons and nature. The Wadi Mujib River ends in the Dead Sea at the site of the visitor center. The river runs through a canyon with the most beautiful and colourful stones. That makes the perfect spot for the adventurous traveller, because you can visit this canyon with its waterfalls, cliffs and rapids!
Tip: spend the night in the Wadi Mujib Chalets right across the visitor center for the most beautiful sunset over the Dead Sea. This also gives you the chance to be the first at the Wadi Mujib visitor center in the morning, so you still have the canyon trail to yourself before the crowds arrive.
