How to Cross the Dead Sea

The Dead Sea lies between Israel and Jordan and is divided by an invisible borderline that runs from north to south. Neither the Israeli nor the Jordanian shoreline has legal border crossings; therefore, crossing the Dead Sea directly from east to west is impossible without breaking the law. However, several other paths are legal that cross the Israel-Jordan border to the north or south of the Dead Sea, allowing you to go around it to the opposite side.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Step 1

Identify the place where you will depart from. The Dead Sea coast runs through both Israel and Jordan, and either country can serve as a good place to start a voyage across the water.

Step 2

Acquire any necessary visas. Travelers who are not citizens of a country with a visa exemption must get a visa to enter Israel. Israeli visas are acquired through the Israeli embassy and must be processed well in advance of your trip. Citizens of the United States, Australia, New Zealand and the European Union do not need a visa to enter Israel.

Jordan, however, requires all visitors to have visas. Jordanian visas can be acquired for about $14 at the airport or a border checkpoint.

Step 3

Chose a crossing point. There are several places where you can get to the other side of the Dead Sea legally. The Allenby/King Hussein Bridge is the most restricted border crossing and is located on the north side of the Dead Sea. No vehicles, private or public, are allowed to cross here, which means you must change from one vehicle to another as you cross the border, and all visas must be acquired in advance if your country of origin necessitates one.

Sheikh Hussein/North Border Crossing is another option approximately 60 miles to the north of the Dead Sea at the Sea of Galilee. This point is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

The other alternative is to cross at the Wadi Araba Crossing on the south border, which is about 200 miles from the Dead Sea.

Article Written By Martin Adamovic

Writing in both Spanish and English, Martin Adamovic has been covering psychology, marketing, lifestyle and sports since 2009. She has served as a sports journalist for a variety of mobile sports applications in Europe, including General Mobile and Bravo Game Studios. Adamovic holds a B.A. in Spanish and business from the University of Colorado and is currently studying law.

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