Ibex Trail Tour

The Ibex Trail: guided only, takes 3 to 4 hrs. The trail begins at the visitor center by the Mujib Bridge on the Dead Sea highway, from where a guide will escort you south for a short distance (3 Km) along the highway before turning onto a steeply ascending trail into the nature reserve. After the first steep climb, it diverges to the south, following a wide track running parallel to the Dead Sea. The Sea provides a startlingly blue backdrop throughout the hike.

About one-third of the distance along the trail, there is an optional detour up the mountainside to Qasr Riyashi, a ruined fortification of uncertain date. Villagers say that it is one of four castles in the area, occupied by a powerful Bedouin sheik known as Riyashi. Each one of his sons reputedly occupied a castle, until a fight erupted over grazing rights and all of them were killed! The climb to the castle is arduous but offers very beautiful breathtaking views over the Dead Sea. Returning to the main track, the hike continues towards the Raddas Ranger Station, dipping up and down across a number of dry wadis.

There is an amazing variety of rock colors and formations along the route and as you near the ranger station, the famous rock “statue” of Lot's wife can be seen on the seaward edge of the reserve. It is said that while fleeing the villages of Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot’s wife ignored the warning not to look back and was turned into a pillar of salt. It takes 3 hours to get to the ranger station (4 km).

Around the ranger station, you may be lucky enough to see Nubian Ibex, the magnificent wild goat with large curved horns. This animal was once common in the region but has been decimated by hunting. Mujib is one of the few safe havens for Ibex. After a rest at the station, visitors hike along a road for about one hour to reach the reserve entrance near the visitor center. (Open from November until the end of March).

Transportation from/to the hotel of your choice is not included.

The rate is based on a minimum of 2 persons.