Picnic spots compared
Facilities below come from INPA’s English pages, Kibbutz Kalia’s own site, the Tamar Regional Council, and DeadSea.com’s beach guides, with fees as published in 2026. Check the official source before driving out. For which shores charge, see free versus paid Dead Sea beaches.
| Spot | Shade | Drinking water | Toilets | Entry fee (published 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ein Bokek public beach | Free umbrellas, landscaped shade | Cold water drinking fountains | Yes, plus changing rooms | Free |
| Hamei Zohar beach (Neve Zohar) | Large shaded gazebos | Not listed, bring your own | Yes, plus changing cabins | Free |
| Einot Tzukim reserve | Shaded picnic areas | Drinking fountains | Yes | 40 NIS adult, 25 NIS child (INPA) |
| Ein Gedi reserve entrance | Limited, parking lot eating areas only | Kiosk at entrance, carry your own | Yes, accessible | 31 NIS adult, 16 NIS child (INPA) |
| Kalia Beach | Parasols, shaded BBQ zone | Water at the BBQ area, showers | Yes | 45 NIS adult, 35 NIS child (operator) |
Ein Bokek and Hamei Zohar: free beaches with the basics
Ein Bokek public beach is the easy choice for a no-cost picnic. The Tamar Regional Council maintains it year round, and wheelchairs can be borrowed from the lifeguard’s booth. The Ein Bokek mall next door sells supplies.
Ein Bokek Central Beach costs nothing to enter, and the Tamar Regional Council’s official Dead Sea Land listing records free umbrellas and chairs, cold water drinking fountains, showers, changing rooms, and public toilets, with the beach running 7:00 to 18:00 in summer and 7:00 to 16:00 in winter as of 2026.
Hamei Zohar beach sits about 3 km south beside Neve Zohar, and it is quieter. Per the Neve Zohar beach guide, it has free parking, changing cabins, freshwater showers, and large shaded gazebos, with a lifeguard typically posted April to October. No loungers. Bring chairs.
Neither beach lists BBQ facilities, so check with the Tamar Regional Council before lighting anything on a public beach.
Einot Tzukim: picnic tables beside spring pools
Einot Tzukim (signed as Enot Tsukim, historically Ein Feshkha) is a fenced oasis reserve on Route 90 south of Qumran, the closest thing this shore has to a picnic park. INPA lists shaded picnic areas, restrooms, a shallow wading pool, and the 1.5 meter deep Tamar Pool, which opens only when a lifeguard is present.
Einot Tzukim charges 40 shekels per adult and 25 per child according to the Israel Nature and Parks Authority (2026), and it is the only INPA reserve on the Dead Sea shore where picnic tables, drinking fountains, and spring-fed swimming pools sit inside the same fenced site.
Hours run 8:00 to 17:00 in summer and 8:00 to 16:00 in winter as of 2026, per INPA, with short days before holidays. Confirm them before you drive out. Dogs are not allowed, the Dead Sea is not reachable from inside the fence, and no food is sold on site, per the Einot Tzukim reserve guide. Cooler ideas are in the Dead Sea local food guide.
Ein Gedi: eat in the parking lot, not the reserve
Ein Gedi is where visitors get the rules wrong. The waterfalls look like the obvious lunch backdrop. They are off limits.
The Israel Nature and Parks Authority does not allow visitors to carry food into Ein Gedi Nature Reserve. The official reserve brochure states that eating is permitted only in the designated areas in the parking lots, a rule written to keep human food away from the reserve’s ibex and hyrax.
So the plan is a picnic at the entrance, before or after the trails. INPA lists restrooms, a kiosk, and a shop at Nahal David, with adult entry at 31 NIS and children at 16 NIS as of 2026, plus picnic areas at the separate Antiquities and Synagogue site, so check which gate you are entering. Trail times are in the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve guide.
The old Ein Gedi bathing beach is permanently closed because of sinkholes, so there is no shore picnic here. If you hike first, the INPA brochure tells hikers to bring at least 5 liters per person per day and never to rely on the springs.
Kalia Beach: the one confirmed BBQ area
Kalia Beach, at the northern end of the Dead Sea roughly 35 to 45 minutes from Jerusalem via Route 1, is where the actual grilling happens. Kibbutz Kalia sets out the rules on its own site: there is a designated BBQ area with shade and water, visitors bring their own grilling grids or buy them on site, and bringing your own barbecue unit is not allowed at all.
Kalia Beach has the only BBQ area on the Dead Sea shore confirmed by an operator’s own site. Kibbutz Kalia lists all-inclusive entry at 45 shekels per adult and 35 per child as of 2026, with a shaded grilling zone, showers, chairs, a restaurant, and free access to natural Dead Sea mud.
Hours run roughly 8:00 to 18:00 in summer and an hour shorter in winter as of 2026, per the operator, and a cheaper day ticket is sold at the gate. Fees move, so confirm with Kibbutz Kalia before you set out; more detail is in the Kalia Beach visitor guide. Staying the night? Read the Dead Sea camping guide, because overnight rules vary by site.
Heat, water, and leave no trace
The shoreline sits roughly 430 meters below sea level, and summer afternoons regularly pass 40 degrees Celsius. From June through September, eat early or after 16:00. The heat safety guide covers heat exhaustion, and the month-by-month weather guide explains why winter picnics here are pleasant.
Water first, food second. Plan on two to three liters per person for a beach afternoon, and far more if you hike. Frozen bottles do double duty as ice packs.
Pack a cooler, chairs for Hamei Zohar, grilling grids for Kalia, hats, sunscreen, and garbage bags. The Dead Sea packing list has the rest, and the Dead Sea with kids guide covers shade timing and float safety.
Around Ein Gedi, the ibex and hyrax will find your sandwich before you finish unpacking. They beg well. Do not oblige them. The INPA brochure is direct: “Please do not feed the animals. All their food is found in the reserve and any other nourishment might be unhealthy for them!” Keep food sealed at the parking lot eating areas. Fires and smoking are forbidden inside the reserve, and everywhere else, carry your waste out.
Choosing your spot
Match the spot to the meal. Grilled food means Kalia. A shaded table beside fresh water means Einot Tzukim. A free afternoon with full facilities means Ein Bokek or Hamei Zohar. At Ein Gedi, the picnic stays in the parking lot.
Frequently asked questions
Can you barbecue at the Dead Sea?
Yes, at Kalia Beach, which has a designated BBQ area with shade and water, per Kibbutz Kalia’s official site. Bring your own grilling grids or buy them there; the operator states that bringing your own barbecue unit is not allowed. Fires are forbidden inside Ein Gedi Nature Reserve, and the free Ein Bokek and Hamei Zohar beaches list no BBQ facilities.
Is picnicking allowed inside Ein Gedi Nature Reserve?
No. The Israel Nature and Parks Authority does not allow food past the entrance, and its official brochure limits eating to the designated areas in the parking lots. The rule exists because ibex and hyrax that eat human food can be harmed by it. A kiosk and restrooms sit at the Nahal David entrance, so picnic there instead, before or after the trails.
Which Dead Sea picnic areas are free?
Two: Ein Bokek public beach and Hamei Zohar beach, about 3 km apart on the southern shore. The Tamar Regional Council lists free umbrellas, chairs, cold water drinking fountains, showers, changing rooms, and toilets at Ein Bokek, while DeadSea.com’s guide to Hamei Zohar lists free parking, shaded gazebos, changing cabins, and showers, with no loungers provided. Neither charges admission, and neither publishes BBQ facilities.
Does Einot Tzukim have picnic tables?
Yes. INPA lists picnic tables and shaded areas at Einot Tzukim, along with restrooms, drinking fountains, a wading pool, and the 1.5 meter Tamar Pool, which opens only when a lifeguard is on duty. Entry costs 40 NIS per adult and 25 NIS per child as of 2026. No food is sold inside, so bring supplies and confirm pool hours with INPA.
Sources
- En Gedi Nature Reserve, Israel Nature and Parks Authority, https://en.parks.org.il/reserve-park/en-gedi-nature-reserve/
- En Gedi Nature Reserve brochure (PDF), Israel Nature and Parks Authority, https://static.parks.org.il/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/engedi-eng.pdf
- Enot Tsukim Nature Reserve, Israel Nature and Parks Authority, https://en.parks.org.il/reserve-park/enot-tsukim-nature-reserve/
- Kalia Beach, Kibbutz Kalia (official operator site), https://kaliadeadsea.com/en/kalia-beach-en/
- Ein Bokek Central Beach, Dead Sea Land official regional tourism site, Tamar Regional Council, https://www.deadsea.co.il/attractions/ein-bokek-central-beach/?lang=en