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Visiting Masada and hiking the Snake Path is a very popular attraction in Israel. So why is Masada so popular? Well, it is a UNESCO site that takes you to an ancient fortress from 2000 years ago. Found near the Dead Sea in Israel, it has a unique location, fascinating history, and incredible views. Masada is such a special place!
Steeped in history, Masada is absolutely worth the visit. Hiking up the snake path is one of the most popular ways to reach the top of Masada. Obviously, we needed to hike up this path and see everything Masada had to offer. Now, we want to share with you everything you need to know about Masada before going so you’ll have the best time!
A Complete Guide to Masada
The History of Masada
Atop this 1,400-foot-high mountain in the Judean Desert is this desert palace/fortress built for King Herod. It is truly an engineering marvel of its time. Up the snaking Masada path, you’ll find inventive designs, a palace complex, storehouses, and state-of-the-art water systems. Herod’s engineers built a dam in the valley so that water could be transported up to the fortress. This impressive fortress provided Herod with luxury accommodations and natural protection from his enemies.
After King Herod died, the Israeli Jews rebelled against Rome in 66 AD. By 72 AD, the last of the Jewish rebels sought refuge in Masada. This revolt had a tragic ending for the Jewish community atop this mountain fortress. Surrounded by Flavius Silva, the Jewish rebels, under the leadership of Elzar Ben-Yair, committed mass suicide rather than being taken captive by the Romans. When the Romans breached the walls of Masada after scaling the Snake Path, they found hundreds of corpses along with all their belongings, weaponry, and stashes of food burning. The remains of this revolution, the fortress, and the Jewish life are still found atop Masada at the end of the Snake Path.
Everything to Know About Masada
Where is Masada Located?
Masada is on Israel’s southwest side, near the Israeli border with Jordan, south of the West Bank. It is the top of a mountain plateau near the Dead Sea. Masada National Park is run by the Israeli National Park Service. There is a west and east entrance.
Masada West Entrance
You can only reach the Masada West Entrance from Arad. If you enter the site from this direction, you must climb the Roman Path. This path is shorter, more direct, and faster; however, there’s no way to avoid the climb (no cable car).
Masada East Entrance
The Masada East Entrance contains the Cable Car, Snake Path, museum, and visitor center. It is accessible from Route 90 and the Dead Sea area.
While both entrances are reasonable, we believe the eastern entrance is better for visitors. You have options for getting up and down the mountain, as well as many attractions at the bottom of the mountain. Now, you may be wondering, “Can you hike up one side and come down the other?” Yes, you can! But you’ll need to find a way back to your car (like via bus).
What to See and Do in Masada?
Visitor’s Center
Right after parking, the visitor’s center is one of the first stops heading up the mountain. Here is where you will purchase tickets for the cable car. Additionally, the visitor’s center has Masada brochures, which include a map and information about each stop. Usually, the entrance booth will also give you a map. There are 32 different stops to visit in Masada, so you’ll want to plan sufficient time to explore.
Museum
If you are doing the sunrise Snake Path hike, then the museum won’t be open when you arrive, but it is definitely a place to check out. There are plenty of objects on display, some noteworthy ones being pot shards with the names of Jewish men. The museum also has an audio guide available to make the most of your visit. Reminder: You can only visit the museum on the east side of the mountain.
Snake Path Trail
After spending a night near the Dead Sea, we woke up early before sunrise to hike up to Masada to see the sunrise. While the wake-up call at 4 am was not ideal, the views were absolutely worth it. Snake Path is a 3.5-mile hike with 700 steps. It is not an easy hike. Luckily, you can take it slowly, and plenty of spots exist to rest. The path is uneven and rocky. The steps on the stairs are also uneven. Luckily, there are handrails to hold onto.
While the path may not be very steep, it zig-zags a lot to avoid the steepness. It’s important to know that the trail is closed when it gets too hot, and you can only take the cable car. This is part of the reason why sunrise hikes are the best way to avoid the heat and actually get to hike up. Bring plenty of water as there are water fountains at the top but nowhere else along the way.
Interested in more amazing hikes or walks throughout Israel? Check out the 15 best hikes in Israel here!
Snake Path Gate
At the end of the Snake Path is the Snake Path Gate, which leads to the Masada complex. This is the entrance to all the cool and historical structures. Near here, you can refill your water bottle, check your map, and follow paths to different places. Towards the right, you’ll find the Northern Palace.
The gate on the eastern side is not as massive as the ones we saw in Caesarea or Acre (Akko), but it has its charm.
Many Impressive Structures
- Roman Ramp Path
- Bathhouse
- Northern Palace
- Synagogue
- Western Gate
- Western Palace
- Byzantine Church
- Viewpoints
Northern Palace
Northern Palace was our favorite place to visit at the top of Masada. We reached the northernmost tip of the palace constructed by Herod. The palace has three decks: an upper terrace, a middle terrace, and a lower terrace. The palace definitely has the best views. It is also incredibly maintained, with pillars and walls covered with stucco. There are bathrooms, storerooms, a quarry, and the commandant’s residence to explore. It’s a must-visit.
Synagogue
Towards the Western entrance, you’ll find the Synagogue. It was initially a stable during Herod’s reign, and then it was rebuilt into a Synagogue. There is not a lot left today, but archaeologists found some biblical scrolls under the floor in a room. They also found an inscription, making it a synagogue from the time of the Second Temple.
Western Palace
The Western Palace is the largest structure in Masada. Built during King Herod’s rule, it has everything from an open courtyard, reception rooms, and living quarters to guardrooms or bathing rooms. There is plenty to see in the remains of the palace.
Masada Sound and Light Show
Every Tuesday and Thursday after sunset, Masada turns into a giant screen. There is an open-air theater to watch the retelling of the history of this mountain. The show is in Hebrew, but there are audio guides in different languages for rent. Really, the show is about the audio-visual effects; understanding the language isn’t necessary. The tickets cost 41NIS per adult.
Important Things to Know
Entrance Fee—The fee to Masada is 31NIS per adult. If you have a valid Israel Pass, you can save money here.
Ultimately, with an Israel Pass, it is only worth it if you go to many places. We have been here long term, but in our 10-day road trip, we went to 9 National Parks, which made the Israel Pass worthwhile.
Hours– Masada is open every day from 8am-5pm in Summer (Friday and Holiday eves its 8am-4pm). In Winter it is 8am-4pm (Friday and Holiday eves 8am-3pm). Masada is open on Saturdays (Shabbat). As with most Israeli national parks, the last entry is one hour before closing (similarly, the last cable car runs one hour before closing). For the sunrise hike, you must reserve a spot; the park is open 1 hour before sunrise.
As Shabbat can make traveling around Israel difficult at times, visiting national parks that remain open is one of the best things you can do during this day. Visiting the Dead Sea area on Shabbat might be an excellent idea.
How Much Time Do You Need for Masada?
This is a surprisingly complicated question. We originally planned about 2 hours at Masada, but we ended up staying 4 hours. Granted a good part of time time was the hike up the Snake Path. The hike up via Snake Path should take between 40 minutes to one hour, and you’ll probably be a bit faster on the way down.
The important things to consider when determining how long to stay are how you’ll get to the top, which side of the mountain you’ll be climbing, and how many structures you want to visit. The cable car will clearly get you up there the fastest. But the hike up the snake path to Masada is also worthwhile. We spent about 2 hours exploring the top of Masada. We could have also enjoyed more time at the museum with some additional hours. So I’d say about 5 hours if you’re hiking up and down the snake path.
Ways to Reach Masada
Hike
As mentioned above, we hiked up the Snake Path to the summit of Masada. But from the western side, you can try the shorter Roman Ramp Path. Getting to the top of the Snake Path is a spiritual and physical accomplishment. The Roman Ramp Path takes about 15 minutes compared to the hour it took to hike up the Snake Path.
Cable Car
A Cable Car ticket is not included in the entrance fee. It will need to be purchased separately. The cable car is 77 NIS per adult or 59 NIS for a one-way ride. So you can hike up and take the cable car down. The cable cars open at 8 am and stop 1 hour before the park closes. If the Snake Path is closed, you may be forced to go down the cable car.
How to Get There
Car
When traveling from Jerusalem or Tel Aviv, you need to be cautious when driving through the West Bank. Remember that when renting a car in Israel, you may not be able to go into the West Bank. Routes 1 and 90 go through Zone C, which is under Israeli control.
Due to our car insurance, we avoided driving through the West Bank. Luckily, coming from Eilat through the Dead Sea made it easy to avoid. From Tel Aviv or Jerusalem, you’ll want to drive south toward Be’er Sheva and then turn west toward the Dead Sea.
Bus
Getting to Masada from Jerusalem is very easy but not timely. It takes about 2 hours to get there. Take the 486 (Egged) and get off at Masada. It also stops at Ein Gedi and Ein Bokek. From Tel Aviv, you can take the bus to Jerusalem and then get on 486, which will take about 3 hours.
Masada Day Tours
There are many tours from Tel Aviv and Jerusalem that can help you explore Masada. As one of the top-rated places to visit in Israel, there are many incredible tours to bring you here, especially if you’re short on time. Most Masada Tours include the Dead Sea area in their itinerary. Make sure to reserve the tour that includes all the places of interest.
Masada Day Tour from Tel Aviv– This tour allows you to visit the Dead Sea area. There are several pickups in Tel Aviv.
Masada Day Tour from Jerusalem– This tour goes to Masada and includes the Dead Sea area and has a pick-up in Jerusalem.
When to Go?
I do not recommend going to Masada in the summer. It is very, very hot! The Masada Snake Path is closed when the temperatures get too high. So, if you want to hike in the summer, you must go before or at sunrise.
Winter is the time to go! It is the best time because it is cool enough to comfortably hike without getting cold. In winter, the snake path is less likely to be closed. The main caveat is that January and most of February is rainy season in Israel. That makes it flood season in the Judean Desert.
We went at the end of February and the beginning of March. The end of Fall would also be an excellent time to hike up the Snake Path since it is cooling off and not rainy. As with visiting the Dead Sea, avoid Jewish holidays, as Masada will be busy then.
What to Pack?
WATER! WATER! As mentioned, we went to Masada in winter, but even on a cooler, windy day, you need water. In the summer, when it gets above a certain temperature, the snake path is closed. This is really the bare minimum. Luckily, there is a visitor’s center with water and other things to purchase if needed. Additionally, there are several water fountains.
After water, I recommend that you pack comfortable hiking shoes or sneakers. The terrain is rocky, with uneven steps. Of course, with all this hiking, I recommend comfortable workout clothing. In winter, there is a lot of wind, so I recommend bringing a windbreaker. We packed a small backpack with water, our windbreakers, and snack bars.
Is Masada Worth Visiting?
Absolutely! We completely enjoyed the hike up the Masada Snake Path to the top of the Masada Plateau. While the hike is challenging, it is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime hike. If you’re not up for hiking or it’s too hot and closed, the cable car will give you a great way to experience Masada’s fortress. It is so impressive to see the remaining buildings from the historical fortress from King Herod’s time. If you’re up for it, we highly recommend the sunrise hike (even if it is a 4 am wake-up call); the sun rising over the mountains and Dead Sea is incredible.
