Floating in the Dead Sea is one of those bucket-list travel experiences but does it live up to the hype? During our 6-day DIY Jordan itinerary, we stayed overnight at the Ramada Dead Sea Resort to experience the famous salt water, mineral mud masks and spectacular sunsets for ourselves.
In this guide, we share our honest hotel review, practical tips for visiting the Dead Sea, what it actually feels like to float, and the mistakes to avoid – including one surprising phone time-zone issue that nearly made us miss our driver!
Planning a trip to Jordan? Read the full itinerary here:
👉 Jordan Itinerary & Travel Guide: 6 Day Adventure on a Budget
Contents
- Introduction
- What is the Dead Sea?
- How to Get to the Dead Sea from Amman
- What It’s Like to Float
- Where to Stay: Ramada Dead Sea Resort Review
- Food & Drink at the Ramada
- Day Passes vs Staying Overnight
- Tips for Visiting the Dead Sea
- Useful Links
Some of my content may contain affiliate links for companies I use and love and recommend to awesome readers like yourself. If you take action, (i.e. subscribe, make a purchase) after clicking one of these links, I’ll earn a small amount of pocket money (at no extra cost to you), so I can buy a coffee while creating more helpful content like this.
Introduction
The Dead Sea is one of those cool things that you learn about in Geography and it’s hard to imagine what it must feel like to float in it – until you’re actually floating in it, slathered in black mud, with a mocktail in your hand and the sun going down. It’s a fascinating place and very relaxing.
We visited the Dead Sea as part of our six-day DIY trip to Jordan and it was one of the most memorable experiences of the whole trip.
What is the Dead Sea?
The Dead Sea is the lowest point on earth, sitting at 398 metres below sea level. Despite its name, it is actually a very large lake, bordered by Jordan, Israel and the West Bank areas of Palestine.
The water is 34% salt – compared to just 3.5% in ordinary seawater – which is why you float so effortlessly. The salinity is so extreme that boats cannot function in it at all.
The Dead Sea is also slowly shrinking. It has lost roughly a third of its surface area in recent decades due to water diversion from the Jordan River, so if visiting is on your bucket list, don’t put it off.
How to Get to the Dead Sea from Amman
The drive from Amman to the Dead Sea takes took us around 1 hour, making it an easy day trip if you’d prefer not to stay overnight – you can visit on your way to Petra.
We had a private driver (Khaled Assaf, found via the Jordan Travel Community on Facebook – highly recommended) who took us door to door.
If you’re self-driving, the route from Amman is straightforward via the Dead Sea Highway.
Other Transport Options
- The Jett Tourist Bus (downtown Amman) and taxi ride from Al-Rama
- Organise a tour on Get Your Guide
What It’s Like to Float
Walking into the Dead Sea is unlike any swimming experience you’ve ever had. You don’t really swim – you just lie back, and the water holds you completely.
The sensation is surreal. The water is glassy and dense, and you can sit upright reading a newspaper (the classic Dead Sea photo) without any effort. It feels slightly oily on the skin due to the mineral content.
A few important warnings:
- Don’t splash or rub your eyes – the salt is extremely painful and can cause temporary vision problems
- Keep time in the water short – 10-15 minutes per dip is plenty
- Any cuts or abrasions will sting intensely. Apply a little Vaseline to any broken skin before you go in
- It irritated my daughter’s skin – the mud mask helped soothe it afterwards
- Wear old swimwear – the mud stains badly and is very difficult to wash out
The Mud Mask
Part of the Dead Sea ritual is the black mud mask. The mineral-rich mud is gathered from the shoreline, spread all over exposed skin, left for around 5 minutes, then washed off in the sea.
It genuinely leaves your skin feeling incredibly soft but it smells awful! It’s a great photo opportunity – your family covered head-to-toe in black mud is a sight to behold.
You can buy the mud mask and other lovely products (without the gross smell!) from your hotel and at outlets on the highway.
Where to Stay: Ramada Dead Sea Resort Review
We stayed at the Ramada Dead Sea Resort for one night. It wasn’t the most glowingly reviewed hotel on Booking.com for its star rating, but it was significantly cheaper than the other Dead Sea hotels – and we decided to take the chance.
We are very glad we did.
On arrival, we were upgraded to a suite with a view over the pool and the sea. The hotel itself was lovely, perhaps in need of a refresh, but comfortable and well-equipped. The pool facilities were beautiful and the guys at the beach were simply fantastic – kind, attentive and they went above and beyond to make sure we had a wonderful experience.
🌟 Tip: The showers at the Ramada round the back worked better than the ones at the front.
Key facts:
- 4★ resort hotel
- No alcohol policy – bags are scanned on arrival so you cannot bring any in
- Breakfast included in the price
- Free shuttle bus between hotel and beach (it’s quite a walk)
- Sunset mocktail bar by the pool with evening entertainment
- Shisha available at the pool bar for around 5 JOD
Price: We paid £269 for 2 rooms for 1 night (including breakfast), which was significantly less expensive than other Dead Sea hotels.
👉 Book Ramada Dead Sea Resort Hotel
⚠️ Important: Check Your Phone’s Time Zone
While staying at the Dead Sea, your phone may pick up an Israeli time zone due to the proximity of the border. We found this out the hard way – we nearly missed our driver in the morning because our phones were showing the wrong time. Double check before you go to bed!
Food & Drink at the Ramada
The Ramada has a café bar, a swim-up pool bar with a sunset veranda and a buffet restaurant. The food isn’t quite 5★ but it’s perfectly good. Breakfast was a full buffet and a good way to start the day.
In the evening, there is entertainment next to the pool bar, which is lit up beautifully. While alcohol isn’t served, there’s a solid selection of mocktails and non-alcoholic beers. Shisha is available too – we paid 5JOD. The atmosphere is lovely.
Day Passes vs Staying Overnight
If you’d prefer to visit the Dead Sea without staying the night, most resort hotels offer day passes ranging from around 20-70 JOD per person, which typically includes access to the beach, the pool facilities and lunch.
The public beach is also an option, though facilities are more limited.
We’d recommend staying overnight if your itinerary allows – it gave us time to relax properly, enjoy the pool in the evening and make the most of the mud experience without feeling rushed.
Tips for Visiting the Dead Sea
- Vaseline on cuts – even small scratches will sting badly in the salt water
- Old swimwear only – the mud is nearly impossible to get out of fabric
- Short dips – don’t stay in too long; 10-15 minutes is the recommended maximum per session
- Stay hydrated – it’s extremely hot and the salt draws moisture from your skin
- Check your phone’s time zone if you’re near the northern end of the Dead Sea
- Don’t miss the mud – it genuinely works wonders on your skin
Leave a Reply