Line © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), checked by Global Adventurer.
The walk
From the Nahal Arugot (נחל ערוגות) entrance of the En Gedi Nature Reserve follow the red-marked path up the north bank of the stream. It climbs on built steps with railings high above the gorge and passes the foot of the Bnei Hamoshavim Ascent. About 2 km from the gate a sign sends you left on the blue path down to the Hidden Waterfall. Come back east on the blue along the stream bed, wading in places, rejoin the red, and take the short blue dip through the lower pools on the way back to the gate.
It is 4.6 km round with 239 m of ascent; allow about 2 hours. The grade is Easy: steps and a narrow path above the gorge, then slippery rock and shallow water. Expect wet feet.
INPA closes the trails when floods threaten, and Arugot drains a large part of the Judean Desert: do not go if rain is forecast anywhere upstream. The pools have no lifeguards and change depth after every flood. Carry at least 3 litres of water each. The last entry for this walk is 13:00 in winter time and 14:00 in summer time.
Book a slot online with INPA first; adults pay 31 NIS, and one ticket covers the whole reserve for the day. Buses on Route 90 stop at Kibbutz Ein Gedi, about 1 km away.
Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.
Good to know
- Nahal Arugot is the largest year-round stream of the Judean Desert, fed by springs below the cliffs and lined with reeds, acacias and Christ's-thorn
- Nubian ibex come down to drink in the mornings; a few Arabian leopards lived in the reserve until the early 2000s
- The Hidden Waterfall, about 8 m high, is tucked into a side of the gorge; its pool fills and silts up again from one flood to the next
- The flood of 4 May 2025 wrecked the reserve's paths; INPA rebuilt them and reopened Nahal Arugot in 2026
Getting there
Start: Nahal Arugot entrance car park, En Gedi Nature Reserve. 31.45581, 35.38396
Directions to the start
Google Maps Apple Maps Waze Moovit
Waze drives you to the car park; Moovit has the buses and trains to the start.
Places to stay nearby
Rooms in and around Nahal Arugot entrance car park: Booking.com → Expedia → Hotels.com →
Affiliate links: if you book, Global Adventurer earns a small commission at no cost to you.
Paths change, and the weather decides the day. The line and figures come from OpenStreetMap and our own checks; take a map, check the forecast, and turn back if it isn't right.