Bethlehem and Dead Sea from Jerusalem

On day 4 of our stay in Jerusalem, we went on a trip to Bethlehem and the Dead Sea.

You can easily reach Bethlehem from Jerusalem by public transportation. The bus ticket costs 4 EUR compared to about 100 EUR for the guided tour. We know several travelers who have done this on the relatively short journey, and the hotel confirmed that it is doable.

However, since we are a larger group and also wanted to visit the Dead Sea, we decided to take one of the many organized tours.

In general, we took all our booked tours with Tourist Israel, an organization of the tourism office in Tel Aviv.

The bus drivers are very different, but in general, they do not drive in a European style. Cutting corners, using two lanes, and whoever brakes loses... But it seems safe, we always arrived well and hardly saw any accidents on the roads.

At the border of Bethlehem, another guide joins us on the bus. This is a must because our guide is not allowed to lead us in Bethlehem.

At our request, we first stop at the Bansky Hotel. The hotel advertises the closest view of the wall. Bansky has also immortalized himself on the wall. A visit to the hotel costs 20 shekels (equivalent to 4 EUR). Due to lack of time, we decide not to go in but instead walk a short distance along the wall.

A short distance further by bus and we arrive at the parking lot. A short walk and we are in front of the Church of the Nativity. On the way, we played labs. And of course, we took the obligatory photo for the virtual. And then we enter the church through the Humanity Door.

After many photos and some explanations, we are led back outside through the cloister.

Since we are still looking for an answer for a lab and because the name sounds very interesting, we visit the Milk Grotto with our guide. Then we go shopping in the typical souvenir shops. Some Bansky magnets and mugs are brought on the bus, as well as olive wood beauties. You could also watch the craftsmen in the simple workshops. Unfortunately, as a group, we are not allowed to move freely in the city, so it's back to the bus.

Next stop: Shepards field. We ask the bus to stop above the site. With some surprise, our wish is granted. We, as always, place a new cache and then proceed a few meters further to the official Sheppards Field Memorial. We finally manage to take a group photo with almost all participants before continuing to the Dead Sea. The group already logged the lowest listed cache here during our trip to Petra, so there was no competition today. However, we log the cache at Kalia Ruins before reaching the beach. Unfortunately, it was incredibly hot today, so walking across the hot sand was quite a challenge. Nevertheless, we enjoy the buoyancy of the saltwater. Before we all could get sunburned, we return to the tour bus to Jerusalem with a cool drink. Kalia Beach is aimed at tourists, but we missed a little more snack options. So be prepared. But there are plenty of souvenirs, swimming suits, and drinks.

And with the geocache 'Kalia Ruins', there is also the opportunity for a very deep-listed geocache.