Private Dead Sea, Pink Lake and Crystal Beach Trip from Amman

The Dead Sea, the lowest place on earth

The Dead Sea lies about 430 metres below sea level at the bottom of the Jordan Rift Valley, and its shore is the lowest dry land on the planet. The water is so salty, roughly ten times saltier than the ocean, that nothing lives in it and you float on the surface without effort. The mineral mud along the shore has been used for skin care since antiquity.

How to get to the Dead Sea from Amman? The drive is only about 45 minutes to an hour, dropping from the hills of the capital through dry valleys to the shore, and passing a marker where the road crosses sea level. With your own car and driver, you can stop for photos on the way down, as the blue water and the hills on the far shore come into view.

The Pink Lake

Near the Dead Sea shore, shallow salt pools sometimes turn a striking shade of pink. The colour comes from salt-loving micro-organisms and algae that thrive in very salty water and produce red and orange pigments. The Pink Lake has become one of the most photographed spots on the Jordanian side of the Dead Sea, with its rosy surface framed by white salt and the brown hills behind.

The intensity of the colour changes with the season, the water level and the light, so it can range from pale blush to bright pink, and is usually strongest in sunshine and warm weather. Our driver takes you there and gives you time for photos at your own pace. Shoes with good soles help, as the salt crust around the edges is hard and sharp.

Crystal Beach and its salt formations

As the Dead Sea has dropped over recent decades, its retreating shoreline has left behind remarkable salt formations. At Crystal Beach, the stones and the water's edge are coated with thick white crystals, forming shelves, columns and rounded shapes that sparkle in the sun against the deep blue water. It feels like a frozen shore in the middle of the desert.

It is a superb place for photos, especially in the soft light of the morning or mid-afternoon, and a good spot to see up close how the salt builds up layer by layer. Walk carefully, as the crystals are slippery when wet and sharp underfoot, and keep the salty water away from your eyes. Your driver waits while you explore, with no fixed time limit.

A day at a 5-star Dead Sea resort

The default option ends with time at a 5-star Dead Sea resort, where you have access to the beach and swimming, with towels and lunch included. Resorts on the Jordanian shore are set in terraced gardens leading down to the water, with showers to rinse off the salt and loungers for a rest between swims.

Here you can float in the sea, try the mineral mud, cool off in the pools and enjoy lunch without any planning. Is the Dead Sea worth visiting for a half day? With the Pink Lake and Crystal Beach added, it becomes a full and varied outing in about six hours. The best time to visit the Dead Sea is from October to May, when the air at the shore is warm but comfortable.