Dead Sea or Dead Sea Scrolls

[Babs02]

We're torn between which trip to go on would appreciate information from anyone who has done either which is the must do of the two.

 

If we see the Dead Sea Scrolls what else will we see on the tour.

 

If we go to float in the Dead Sea what else is there to do there.

 

Pros and cons of both would be great.

 

We are spending the morning touring Jerasalem, followed by one of the above.

half the family want to do one the other half want to do the other. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks:)

 

Babs

[happy trailer]

Hi Babs!

 

Most tourists who go to the Dead Sea also visit Masada, which is the well known fortress (from Roman times) overlooking the Dead Sea.

 

Visitors to the area can also go to Ein Gedi, which is a nature preserve with lovely waterfalls and flora and fauna. You can also spend some time in one of the spas in the area.

 

I'm not sure what you mean by seeing the Dead Sea scrolls. On the way to the Dead Sea, you will pass the caves in Qumran where the scrolls were found, but the scrolls themselves are located in a special building called the 'Shrine of the Book' in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.

 

There is a national park in Qumran, which you could include in your visit to the Dead Sea. If you want to see the scrolls (which are very interesting to see), then you could include a visit to the Israel Museum in your tour of Jerusalem.

 

HTH!

 

Ruth

[paul929207]

We did both plus the Masada on a day tour from Jerusalem

[Babs02]

Hi Babs!

 

I'm not sure what you mean by seeing the Dead Sea scrolls. On the way to the Dead Sea, you will pass the caves in Qumran where the scrolls were found, but the scrolls themselves are located in a special building called the 'Shrine of the Book' in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.

 

If you want to see the scrolls (which are very interesting to see), then you could include a visit to the Israel Museum in your tour of Jerusalem.

 

HTH!

 

Ruth

 

Its the museum that the tour includes. What else is in the museum to see

other than the scrolls? I'm assuming we wouldn't have enough time to do both on a day tour, with Jerusalem.

 

Thanks Ruth

 

Babs

[Babs02]

We did both plus the Masada on a day tour from Jerusalem

 

did you do a shortened tour of Jerusalem first or just the museum and dead sea and Masada. As its our first visit to Jerusalem we definitely don't want to miss the main sights.

 

Did you do it as a day tour or overnight. We're only looking at day tours.

 

Thanks Babs

[happy trailer]

In addition to the Shrine of the Book, which houses the Dead Sea scrolls, the museum is known for its model of the Second Temple period. But, the museum is also a wonderful art museum.

 

One of my favorite parts of the museum is the Billy Rose sculpture garden, which is filled with modern sculptures- and great views of the city.

 

However, much of the museum is under reconstruction- a huge project that is scheduled to be completed this July. My understanding is that at the present time, the sculpture garden is closed. The Shrine of the Book and the Second Temple period have remained open during the construction, however, and there are rotating exhibits being temporarily housed in the Children's Wing of the museum.

 

The museum has a very informative website (in English), which is constantly updated to let visitors know what is currently being shown, and with updates on the status of the reconstruction, so you might want to check the site and see what is projected to be available during your visit. (You can easily find the museum's website via a google search.)

 

HTH!

 

Ruth

[paul929207]

did you do a shortened tour of Jerusalem first or just the museum and dead sea and Masada. As its our first visit to Jerusalem we definitely don't want to miss the main sights.

 

Did you do it as a day tour or overnight. We're only looking at day tours.

 

Thanks Babs

We werein Jerusalem for six nights.

[MercedMike]

A tour of Jerusalem often includes the Shrine of the Book, a museum where the actual Dead Sea Scrolls are located. Visiting it should only take an hour or two, depending on how much it interests you. It would easily fit in with a day in Jerusalem.

 

Trying to do Jerusalem and the Dead Sea itself in a single day would be problematical. Do you have a tour company that is offering that? Jerusalem really deserves a full day to itself, and the trip to the Dead Sea from there is an hour or more. Perhaps you could hit Jerusalem and visit one or two sites including the Western Wall and then jump off for the Dead Sea and have time to float there. But it would be a whirlwind trip! I really think that if you have only one day, you need to choose EITHER Jerusalem OR the Dead Sea.

 

Driving from the ship to Masada, then Ein Gedi, and then a leisurely lunch, float in the Dead Sea, and spa visit makes a great day. Check out our trip report and pictures at http://www.bully4.us/holyland2.html

 

Have a GREAT cruise!

[Babs02]

A tour of Jerusalem often includes the Shrine of the Book, a museum where the actual Dead Sea Scrolls are located. Visiting it should only take an hour or two, depending on how much it interests you. It would easily fit in with a day in Jerusalem.

 

Trying to do Jerusalem and the Dead Sea itself in a single day would be problematical. Do you have a tour company that is offering that? . But it would be a whirlwind trip! I really think that if you have only one day, you need to choose EITHER Jerusalem OR the Dead Sea.

 

D

Have a GREAT cruise!

 

Israelguidedtours are offering Jerusalem in the morning and the afternoon at the Dead Sea or the Israel museum to see the dead sea scrolls.

 

I am assuming therefore that Jerusalem may be just a tour of the highlights.

 

Being our first visit its hard to know what to do. But we definitely want to do Jerusalem.

 

Thanks for your input read your review a while back it was good, but we thought Avitours were a bit expensive.

 

Babs

[Babs02]

In addition to the Shrine of the Book, which houses the Dead Sea scrolls, the museum is known for its model of the Second Temple period. But, the museum is also a wonderful art museum.

 

The museum has a very informative website (in English), which is constantly updated to let visitors know what is currently being shown, and with updates on the status of the reconstruction, so you might want to check the site and see what is projected to be available during your visit. (You can easily find the museum's website via a google search.)

 

HTH!

 

Ruth

 

Thanks Ruth:) I've looked at the website which has given me more info on what to see, I'll get my dd to have a look at it, she's the one who wants to go there.

 

Babs

[Ontariotrekker]

Taking a 'float' in the Dead Sea is something quite special. Pack a pair of water shoes, the bottom is quite mucky and of course, be careful if you have any cuts or scratches.. the salty water finds them real quick!

[MercedMike]

Israelguidedtours are offering Jerusalem in the morning and the afternoon at the Dead Sea or the Israel museum to see the dead sea scrolls.

 

I am assuming therefore that Jerusalem may be just a tour of the highlights.

 

 

Babs

 

Wow ... I am trying to get that in my head. Let's say you leave the ship at 8 AM. An hour to Jerusalem, 20 minutes for the view from Mt Scopus, an hour at Gethsemane, half an hour to get to the Temple, an hour there and it is noon. Even if you grab lunch on the fly, then off for the Dead Sea an hour's drive, changing facility 20 minutes, an hour floating, change 10 minutes, and an hour back to the ship to make a 4 PM departure. If you can get back to the ship later, that gives you a bit more time. But you are really going to be moving fast!!

 

In every port, decisions have to be made about what to see and what to skip. Setting priorities in Israel is so much harder because there are so many important attractions. Only you can decide if you want to take your time in one spot or see many attractions as rapidly as possible.

 

Have a GREAT cruise!

[Babs02]

Wow ... I am trying to get that in my head. Let's say you leave the ship at 8 AM. An hour to Jerusalem, 20 minutes for the view from Mt Scopus, an hour at Gethsemane, half an hour to get to the Temple, an hour there and it is noon. Even if you grab lunch on the fly, then off for the Dead Sea an hour's drive, changing facility 20 minutes, an hour floating, change 10 minutes, and an hour back to the ship to make a 4 PM departure. If you can get back to the ship later, that gives you a bit more time. But you are really going to be moving fast!!

 

 

Have a GREAT cruise!

 

Take a breath lol - :D

we dock at 7am and leave at 8pm.

We're not planning on stopping for lunch, just taking snacks.

wouldn't it take longer than an hour to get back to the ship from the dead sea if its an hour from Jerusalem?

 

Thanks for your input though certainly gives me an idea of timescale, for the day.

 

Babs

[cruisemom42]

I have been planning a tour with a private guide who doesn't recommend doing much, if anything, outside Jerusalem on a one-day tour. I'd rather see more of the city and not feel rushed all day. (Been there, done that too many times on other tours.)

[Babs02]

I have been planning a tour with a private guide who doesn't recommend doing much, if anything, outside Jerusalem on a one-day tour. I'd rather see more of the city and not feel rushed all day. (Been there, done that too many times on other tours.)

 

 

which guide are you planning on using?

 

babs

[MercedMike]

I have been planning a tour with a private guide who doesn't recommend doing much, if anything, outside Jerusalem on a one-day tour. I'd rather see more of the city and not feel rushed all day. (Been there, done that too many times on other tours.)

 

Well, of course, this is the trade off.

 

We spent the full day in Jerusalem. We were able to go to Mount Scopus, the Garden of Gethsemane, past Har Megiddo (Armageddon) valley, spend quite a bit of time at the Western Wall, visit Mt Zion, the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin, the Upper Room of the Last Supper, and then walk the Way of the Cross to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. We only used a tiny bit of that time for shopping! We still missed out on the Shrine of the Book and the Chagall windows and Vad Yeshem, and a whole bunch of other things.

 

On our full day trip to the Dead Sea, we traveled through the Negev path Beer Sheba, over the pass from the 6 day war seeing all the military vehicles left there as a memorial, and spent quite a time at Masada, taking the cable car up and walking the full circuit of the top, getting some marvelous pictures of the Dead Sea valley and Jordan on the other side. Following that we visited the spring of Ein Gedi where David fled from King Saul and saw the ibex after whom the spring is named. Then we had a relaxing buffet lunch in the Hod Hamidar hotel and afterwards enjoyed spa privileges, which of course included floating in the Dead Sea from the beach and also enjoying the indoor pool filled with the salt water. Then we returned to the ship in time for dinner.

 

Now we really enjoyed each of those trips and much appreciated having the leisure to see all those many attractions at a leisurely pace. BUT if we had only one day, which would we choose? I am hard put to answer. Gethsemane, Western Wall, Dead Sea float at a whirlwind pace is one answer. Everybody has to decide.

 

Whatever you decide, have a GREAT cruise!

[Babs02]

Thanks everyone for your imput. We have decided to do Jerusalem and the Israel museum to see the dead sea scrolls.

 

Hopefully, if we visit another time we can go to the dead sea.

 

This seems to be a better solution, since we don't want to feel rushed.

 

Thanks:)

 

Babs