Beyond Jerusalem in 2 Days on a Budget (With Costs)
Two Days for the Two Day Trips Nobody Skips
This 2 day plan uses Jerusalem purely as a base: Day 1 is Masada and the Dead Sea by cable car, Day 2 is Bethlehem across Checkpoint 300. It nests inside the longer 4 , 6 and 7-day versions, and the day trips guide has the full cost breakdown behind these numbers.
Book These Before You Go
- A Masada and Dead Sea day tour on Viator , worth comparing against the bus fare below before you decide.
- A half-day Bethlehem tour on GetYourGuide , if the checkpoint crossing feels like too much to plan solo.
- A room near Jaffa Gate or the Central Bus Station on Booking.com , for the easiest access to both day trips below.
Day-by-Day at a Glance
| Day | Focus | Travel time from Jerusalem | Approx. spend |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Masada and the Dead Sea, cable car included | About 1.5 hours each way | 265 ILS ($85) |
| 2 | Bethlehem, Checkpoint 300 crossing | 30-45 minutes each way | 16 ILS ($5) plus lunch |
Day 1: Masada and the Dead Sea by Cable Car
The Egged bus leaves the Jerusalem Central Bus Station for the roughly 1.5 hour run down through the Judean Desert to Masada, dropping from the city’s 800m elevation to about 400m below sea level. No reservation is needed on the main line, and the one-way fare runs close to 80 ILS ($26), so budget around 160 ILS ($52) for the round trip alone. Take the cable car up, a few minutes, bundled with entry for 77 ILS ($25) round trip, rather than the steep Snake Path on a first visit; save the hike for a repeat trip if you are staying longer. After the fortress, cover the short stretch to Ein Gedi Nature Reserve (28 ILS, $9) for a swim in the freshwater pools, then finish at a Dead Sea beach for the float everyone comes for. Bring water shoes; the salt-crusted shoreline is sharp underfoot, and pack more water than feels necessary. Add it up: 160 ILS bus, 77 ILS Masada with the cable car, 28 ILS Ein Gedi, close to 265 ILS ($85) before food, in the same range as a guided Masada and Dead Sea day tour once transport and entry are bundled. If saving planning time matters more than the last few dollars, book the tour instead.
Day 2: Bethlehem, Crossing Included
Bus 231 leaves from near Damascus Gate and the Sultan Suleiman Street station every 5 to 10 minutes, reaching Checkpoint 300 in 30 to 45 minutes for about 8 ILS ($2.50) each way. Bethlehem is in the West Bank, so this is a genuine checkpoint crossing, not a city bus stop: carry your passport and your ETA-IL entry record for the walk back through, and check your government’s travel advisory before you book this leg, since the regional situation can change; that is a planning note, not a political one. The crossing itself takes about 2 minutes on foot. From the checkpoint, a short taxi or walk gets you to Manger Square and the Church of the Nativity, the main reason most travelers make this trip. Budget a half day rather than a full one; the crossing overhead is real but small once it is planned for, and there is little reason to linger past early afternoon. Back in Jerusalem by evening, see the Jerusalem budget guide for a stall-by-stall Mahane Yehuda Market pick, a cheap, easy way to close out the day. If the checkpoint logistics feel like too much for a first trip, book a half-day Bethlehem tour on GetYourGuide instead, from around $75, no crossing planning required beyond what the guide handles.
Is 2 Days Enough for Both Masada and Bethlehem?
Yes, these are the two day trips most worth doing from Jerusalem, and neither needs more than a day. Masada and the Dead Sea fill a full day between the bus, the cable car and the swim; Bethlehem is genuinely a half day once you are through Checkpoint 300, leaving the afternoon free for Jerusalem itself. Add a third or fourth day only if Tel Aviv or Ein Gedi interest you specifically.
What Does This 2 Day Trip Cost in Total?
Roughly 280 to 300 ILS ($90-95) across both days self-guided: about 265 ILS for the Masada and Dead Sea day, 16 ILS plus lunch for Bethlehem. Swap the Masada day for the bundled tour instead and the total climbs by $60-120, with no bus schedule to plan around. Accommodation is separate and varies by neighborhood and season.
Do You Need a Rav-Kav for This Trip?
Not really. The bus to Masada and the bus to Bethlehem are both paid in cash to the driver or with a Rav-Kav either way, and neither route benefits from a citywide transit pass the way a longer stay reaching the Israel Museum or Yad Vashem would.
Pack your passport and ETA-IL confirmation in the same bag pocket the night before Day 2; it is the one day of this trip that actually checks it.