Have you ever imagined floating effortlessly in a body of water so salty you could nearly lie flat on top of it? Or covering your skin with some of the Earth’s richest mineral mud? Welcome to the enchanting world of the Dead Sea, nestled at Earth’s lowest point – an experience truly like no other!
The Dead Sea (Day Trip from Amman)
We decided to do a day trip to the Dead Sea to avoid staying at one of the many expensive 4 and 5 star hotels near the shore. Unfortunately there are currently not many budget options for staying there, but it is very much achievable to do a day trip there!
Travelling to Jordan? Read our other guide to Jordan or two-day guide to Petra!
How to get to the Dead Sea from Amman?
There is no direct minibus to the Dead Sea, however you are able to get a small minibus to Al Rama, then catch a taxi/hitchhike to the Dead Sea from there.
To catch the small minibus from Amman, head to the “bus stop” opposite the Al Muhajireen Police Station, here. The buses leave when they fill up, so it is advisable to get there early (before 9AM). We got there a bit after 9AM and had to wait over an hour for it to fill up. Make sure to tell the bus driver you want to go to the Dead Sea, he will drop you in Al Rama here. From here you should be able to catch a taxi (we got approached by a driver once we got off the bus) to the Dead Sea.
Don’t forget to grab the taxi’s WhatsApp number so he can pick you up when you want to leave!
To get back to Amman, you can catch a bus from the opposite side (south) of the road near a bus shelter. We got told by locals that the last bus comes around 4:30pm, so it is recommended you come an hour or so before. We actually hitchhiked with 2 other locals in a minivan instead of waiting for the minibus, then used a taxi to complete the journey back in Amman.
Where to swim in the Dead Sea?
Although you can technically swim anywhere in the Dead Sea, there can be quite a few unsafe locations due to the unstable banks. Additionally a lot of the shoreline has been built up and privatised. We would recommend using a day pass for one of the many hotels along the shore. That way you can use their shower facilities, pools, and eating areas. We found the cheapest option was the Dead Sea Spa Resort and absolutely loved our day here.
There is a “public beach” option further south which has some interesting reviews, and also costs 20 JOD. But why would you pay that much where you can enjoy a resort and it’s facilities for the same price!
Don’t forget that the Dead Sea is incredibly salty and can damage your clothes and impact your skin if you stay in too long. We’d recommend wearing an old pair of bathers and staying in there no longer 20 minutes!
Many of the hotels at the Dead Sea offer day passes with various inclusions or exclusions ranging from 20 JOD to 60 JOD per person. Although many of these day pass offers include a buffet style lunch, you can save some extra money by packing some snacks and lunch with you, or buy a cheaper meal such as Pizza or a sandwich (6-8 JOD) at the hotel like we did.
Some additional information…
When we were there, the JETT Bus website seems to indicate that there were no buses running to the Dead Sea, however we saw one drive past us on our return to Amman. If you feel more comfortable catching a tourist bus instead of the local/hitchhiking this may be an option for you. We would recommend just asking at the Jett Bus Station in Amman to confirm timing. Also note that when we did the research the bus stops at the public beach which is 2km south of the resort strip!
Another option for you may be to do a tour organised by your hostel, but we still found this to be more expensive (50 JOD vs 22 JOD).
Note if you have a car, visiting the Dead Sea can be a lot more flexible. You could also combine leaving from Amman to continue south to visit Wadi Mujeb on your way down to Wadi Rum. Although we didn’t rent a car, we met multiple people who did and said it was quite affordable. Something to consider for next time!
