Which one to choose in Israel
Two ancient sites in Israel. Beit Guvrin-Maresha National Park has 2 tickets and tours to book; Masada has 20 tickets and tours to book. The table and the two notes below put them side by side; the full pages have what to see, the ticket and the timing for each.
Beit Guvrin, Israel
Beit Guvrin-Maresha National Park, in the Judaean foothills of Israel, protects hundreds of man-made caves cut into soft chalk beneath two ancient towns. Across 259 hectares you can walk through bell-shaped quarries 18 metres high, painted Hellenistic tombs, dovecotes with thousands of niches and olive presses, a landscape listed by UNESCO in 2014.
Jerusalem, Israel
Masada is the desert fortress that Herod the Great built on a flat-topped rock above the Dead Sea, and the place where Jewish rebels held out against Rome until AD 73 or 74. The summit plateau measures roughly 550 by 270 metres and stands about 400 metres above the eastern plain, with the Roman siege camps still traced on the ground below.
| Beit Guvrin-Maresha National Park | Masada | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Ancient City | Fortress & Citadel |
| Civilisation | Near Eastern | Near Eastern |
| Founded | — | 37 BC |
| Area | — | 2.8 km² |
| Entry | Moderate fee; children reduced; park passes accepted | ILS 37; children ILS 21; cable car extra |
| Hours | About 8 am to 5 pm in summer, to 4 pm in winter; earlier closing on Fridays and holiday eves | 8 am to 5 pm Apr–Sep, to 4 pm Oct–Mar; an hour earlier on Fridays; Snake Path opens before sunrise |
| Time needed | 3 to 4 hours | 3 to 4 hours |
| Booking | Pay at the gate; book the dig experience ahead | Reserve entry online in advance; book dawn transport from Jerusalem early |
| UNESCO | yes | yes |
| Tickets and tours on GetYourGuide | 2 | 20 |