Trek Judaean Desert — Dead Sea, Southern District, Israel

Ein Gedi Nature Reserve: Nahal David and the David Waterfall

A short, water-rich hike up a desert canyon to the David Waterfall, then higher to a hidden cave, a spring and a 5,000-year-old temple above the Dead Sea.

Ein Gedi Nature Reserve: Nahal David and the David Waterfall — Photo: Jan Helebrant · CC0

Duration: 1 days
Distance: 4 km
Ascent: 200 m
Difficulty: Easy
Best season: October–April; summer is dangerously hot — start early in the morning

Ein Gedi is the great oasis of the Judaean Desert — a place where freshwater springs burst out of the cliffs a few kilometres from the lowest, saltiest lake on Earth. The reserve of Nahal David is the classic walk: a green canyon of reeds, ferns and cascading pools cut into bare desert rock, where ibex pick their way along the ledges and rock hyraxes sun themselves on the boulders. It is one of the easiest and most rewarding hikes in Israel, short enough for families yet packed with waterfalls, wildlife and deep history.

The headline is the David Waterfall, where the stream drops in a single ribbon into a shady pool. Above it a steeper loop climbs to Dodim Cave and the Shulamit and Ein Gedi springs, passing the remains of a temple built by the people who lived here more than five thousand years ago.

Getting there. Ein Gedi is on Route 90 along the Dead Sea, about 1.5 hours from Jerusalem and 20 minutes north of Masada. Buses from Jerusalem, Be’er Sheva and Eilat stop at the reserve entrance.

Permits & tickets. Nahal David is a national park with an entrance fee. Come early — the reserve stops admitting visitors a few hours before closing so everyone is out by dusk, and the lower trail can be busy by mid-morning.

Good to know:

Swimming is allowed in the pools below the David Waterfall — bring a swimsuit and water shoes.
Carry plenty of drinking water; the spring water in the stream is not for drinking.
Keep your distance from the ibex and never feed the hyraxes.

Day 1

Nahal David: waterfall, cave, spring and temple

Nahal David reserve entrance → Nahal David reserve entrance 4 km ↑ 200 m

A single oasis day: an easy walk up the canyon to the main waterfall, then a moderate climb to the cave, the springs and the ancient temple before looping back down.

Segments

Into the canyon 0.8 km ↑ 40 m

Reserve entrance → Lower pools of Nahal David

Gravel path beside the stream

Set off from the entrance up a gentle, shaded path that follows the running stream into the canyon. Almost at once the desert gives way to greenery — reeds, acacia and small pools — and you often meet ibex and hyraxes in the first ten minutes.
The David Waterfall 0.4 km ↑ 30 m

Lower pools → David Waterfall

Rock steps beside the stream

Follow the water up to the David Waterfall, where the stream falls in a slender column down the cliff into a cool pool ringed by ferns. This is the turnaround for many visitors and a lovely place to swim. Allow time to simply sit in the shade.
Climb to Dodim Cave and Shulamit Spring 1 km ↑ 100 m

David Waterfall → Dodim Cave and Shulamit Spring

Steeper rocky path with steps

Take the upper trail that switchbacks above the waterfall to the Shulamit Spring and Dodim Cave, a hidden grotto behind a curtain of falling water. The views open out over the canyon and down to the blue haze of the Dead Sea.
Ein Gedi Spring and the Chalcolithic temple 0.8 km ↑ 30 m

Dodim Cave → Chalcolithic temple and Ein Gedi Spring

Desert path along the ridge

Continue to the Ein Gedi Spring and the low stone remains of a temple built around 3500 BCE by the Chalcolithic people of the oasis — one of the oldest sanctuaries in the country, set on a terrace with a commanding view over the whole of Nahal David.

About this place

Ein Gedi was an ancient settlement located in the Judaean Desert, along the western shore of the Dead Sea. In antiquity, it was an important Jewish settlement. The remains of the settlement are part of an archaeological park situated in southern Israel.
Read more on Wikipedia ↗
Photo: Bukvoed · CC BY 4.0
Return to the entrance 1 km ↑ 0 m

Chalcolithic temple → Reserve entrance

Descending rocky path

Loop back down the canyon on the descending trail, passing the pools again on the way out. Cool off in the water before you leave and refill on drinking water at the entrance before the heat of the day.