Masada at Sunrise & the Dead Sea by Taxi from Jerusalem: 2026 Planner

A taxi from Jerusalem to Masada starts at ₪520 (95 km, about 82 minutes) and a taxi from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea — Ein Bokek, the hotel zone — starts at ₪600 (112 km, about 95 minutes), for a regular taxi with up to four passengers at the daytime rate, according to the official 2026 meter tariff. Sunrise on Masada means leaving Jerusalem in the dark, and a pre-dawn start is billed on the night tariff: from ₪580 rather than ₪520. This planner covers the departure hour, the cost of each leg, and the Shabbat rules that decide which day you go — the experience itself is in our Dead Sea day trip guide.

Prices, distances and times from Jerusalem

Masada, Ein Gedi and Ein Bokek sit on Route 90, along the Dead Sea. The figures below are starting prices for a regular taxi (up to four passengers, up to three large suitcases) under the official 2026 meter tariff, including the ₪5.78 pre-booking fee. A return leg covers the same road in the same time, so it starts from the same figure.

Route	km	Time	Tariff A (day)	Tariff B (night)	Tariff C (Shabbat/holiday night)
Jerusalem ↔ Masada	95	about 82 min	from ₪520	from ₪580	from ₪650
Jerusalem ↔ Ein Bokek	112	about 95 min	from ₪600	from ₪690	from ₪770

Ein Gedi — roughly an hour from Jerusalem — has no row in the price list, and neither do the hops between the three sites: they are priced by the official meter tariff, so get an instant price in the calculator. What we confirm is the meter calculation for that route, date and hour, rounded down to the nearest ₪10; traffic does not change it. Full rates are on our price list and in our 2026 tariff guide.

What is inside the fare

Since 1 April 2026 the meter opens at ₪12.46. Tariff A then adds ₪1.95 per km for the first 10 km, ₪3.79 per km beyond that and ₪1.95 per minute — distance and time run together, so traffic raises the fare. Tariff B is ₪2.34 / ₪4.18 / ₪2.34 and Tariff C is ₪2.73 / ₪4.57 / ₪2.73, which is why Ein Bokek reads ₪600, ₪690 or ₪770. There is no luggage or passenger surcharge, and child seats and boosters are free when requested in advance.

The Masada sunrise: when to leave Jerusalem

We plan sunrise pickups about two and a half hours before the sun comes up: 82 minutes of driving, the rest as margin for the entrance and the climb. For a 06:00 sunrise that is a 03:30 departure and the foot of Masada around 04:50. Sunrise moves through the year, so check the time for your date — in summer it is far earlier.

Snake Path or cable car

The Snake Path is the classic pre-dawn ascent and wants reasonable fitness, closed shoes, a head torch and water; the cable car is easier and the sensible choice with small children. Opening hours vary by season and weather, so check the park's official hours and we set the pickup around them.

What a pre-dawn start does to the price

The meter's day runs 06:00 to 05:59, so a 03:30 departure is billed on the previous evening's tariff:

• Pre-dawn Monday to Thursday — Tariff B (21:01–05:59): from ₪580 instead of ₪520.
• Pre-dawn Friday — Thursday night turns to Tariff C at 23:01: from ₪650.
• Pre-dawn Sunday — still the Shabbat tariff day, Tariff C from 19:01 to 05:59: from ₪650, pre-booked and leaving only after Shabbat ends.
• Pre-dawn Saturday — Shabbat, so we do not drive.

A Monday-to-Thursday sunrise is the cheapest version of this trip.

A sample day: Masada, Ein Gedi, Ein Bokek

Climb before the heat, walk Ein Gedi in the morning, float at Ein Bokek after lunch. The timetable assumes a 06:00 sunrise.

Time	Stop	Notes
03:30	Leave Jerusalem	Night-tariff leg, from ₪580
04:50	Foot of Masada	Snake Path, or the cable car
06:00	Summit	Sunrise, then the site
08:30	On to Ein Gedi	No route row — metered
Midday	On to Ein Bokek	No route row — metered
Before 21:00	Leave Ein Bokek	Tariff A (Sun–Thu), from ₪600

Not a sunrise person? Leave at 07:00 and the first leg is Tariff A, from ₪520.

How the day is priced, leg by leg

There is no single day-trip price: every leg is metered separately at the tariff in force when it begins. Book it as an outbound and a return, or as two separate rides — a drop-off now and a pickup later, which is what people staying over at Ein Bokek do.

Day plan (regular taxi, up to 4)	Outbound	Return
Masada at sunrise, back before 21:00 (Mon–Thu)	from ₪580 (Tariff B)	from ₪520 (Tariff A)
Ein Bokek, daytime, back before 21:00 (Sun–Thu)	from ₪600 (Tariff A)	from ₪600 (Tariff A)
Ein Bokek, leaving after 21:00 (Sun–Wed)	from ₪600 (Tariff A)	from ₪690 (Tariff B)
Ein Bokek, leaving after 23:01 on Thursday	from ₪600 (Tariff A)	from ₪770 (Tariff C)

Figures are per leg, so a daylight round trip to Ein Bokek is ₪600 plus ₪600, from ₪1,200 for the pair, with the hops between sites on top. Payment is cash, card charged in advance or transfer; cancellation is free more than 24 hours ahead, up to 50% from 24 to 6 hours and 100% under 6 hours — see our service terms.

The return hour is the biggest lever

Sunday to Wednesday the meter turns to Tariff B at 21:01; on Thursday, Tariff B runs 21:01–23:00 and Tariff C from 23:01. On Jerusalem–Ein Bokek that is ₪90 between A and B (₪690 against ₪600) and ₪170 between A and C (₪770); on Jerusalem–Masada the gaps are ₪60 and ₪130. Set off before 21:00, Sunday to Thursday, and the whole day stays at Tariff A.

Fridays, Shabbat and Jewish holidays

Friday on the meter is Tariff A until 16:00, Tariff B from 16:01 and Tariff C from 21:01, but the calendar matters more than the meter. Almaxpress drives 24/6, Sunday to Friday, with no service on Shabbat or Jewish holidays, from candle-lighting on the eve until the day is out, so a Friday trip is planned to end before Shabbat comes in. Saturday-night rides are pre-booked and depart after Shabbat ends; that moment shifts weekly and by season, so check the Havdalah time for your date. On the meter a Saturday-night ride is Tariff B until 19:00 and Tariff C from 19:01 — in winter, when Shabbat ends early, an 18:30 departure is still Tariff B. Holiday eves follow the Friday rules and holidays the Shabbat rules: Rosh Hashanah 12–13 September 2026, Yom Kippur 21 September 2026 (no service at all), Sukkot 26 September 2026, Simchat Torah 3 October 2026, Pesach 22 and 28 April 2027, Shavuot 11 June 2027. More in our guide to taxis on Saturday night and Jewish holidays.

Ein Bokek, Ein Gedi and where the taxi stops

Ein Bokek is the Dead Sea hotel zone and where most day trippers get into the water. Hotel guests are set down at the entrance with their luggage and collected from the same spot; if you are not staying over, fix the pickup point and hour when you book. Our route pages cover the two main runs — taxi from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea and taxi to Masada — and there is a slower read in Taxi to the Dead Sea.

Coming straight from Ben Gurion

Many Dead Sea days start at the airport. The driver waits in the Terminal 3 arrivals hall with a sign showing your name and we track the flight, so a late landing does not change the price you were given. Ben Gurion to the Dead Sea has no route row: it is priced by the official meter tariff, plus the ₪5 surcharge on rides leaving the airport. The pickup is explained on our taxi from Ben Gurion page.

Families and groups

A regular taxi takes up to four passengers and up to three large suitcases. Five passengers and up travel better in one larger vehicle than in two cars. Large vehicles have no published price: send the route, date and hour and book a 6-seat large taxi, 10-seat van or 19-seat minibus — we confirm the price within minutes.

• 6-seat large taxi — usually about six to eight suitcases.
• 10-seat van — about ten to twelve large suitcases.
• 19-seat minibus — nineteen suitcases, and more with a luggage hold or a trailer.

Child seats and boosters are free when requested in advance. The three sizes are compared in our group transfers guide.

Frequently asked questions

How much is a taxi from Jerusalem to Masada?

From ₪520 by day, from ₪580 at night and from ₪650 on a Shabbat or holiday night, for a regular taxi with up to four passengers under the official 2026 meter tariff. The route is 95 km, about 82 minutes.

How much is a taxi from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea?

From ₪600 by day, from ₪690 at night and from ₪770 on a Shabbat or holiday night to Ein Bokek, 112 km and about 95 minutes away. Ein Gedi has no route row and is priced by the meter.

What time should I leave Jerusalem for sunrise on Masada?

About two and a half hours before sunrise: roughly 82 minutes of driving plus margin for the entrance and the climb, so a 06:00 sunrise means leaving around 03:30. Check the sunrise time for your date.

How is a round trip priced?

As separate legs, each metered at the tariff in force when it begins, and both confirmed in advance at the official 2026 meter tariff.

What does the drive back cost in the evening?

It depends when you leave: Tariff B from 21:01 Sunday to Wednesday, and on Thursday Tariff B from 21:01 with Tariff C from 23:01. On Jerusalem to Ein Bokek the gap between A and B is ₪90 (₪600 against ₪690).

Can I travel to the Dead Sea on Shabbat?

No — Almaxpress drives 24/6, Sunday to Friday, with no service on Shabbat or Jewish holidays. Saturday-night rides are pre-booked and depart after Shabbat ends, at Tariff B until 19:00 and Tariff C from 19:01.

How much is a large taxi or a van to the Dead Sea?

There is no published price for the 6-seat large taxi, the 10-seat van or the 19-seat minibus. Send the route, date and hour through the large taxi page or on WhatsApp and we confirm within minutes.