ancient ruins
Masada
An ancient Roman fortress atop an isolated rock plateau overlooking the Dead Sea, site of the last Jewish stand against Rome in 73 CE.
15 km · about 30 min drive
AsiaIsraelSouthern District
Arad
Southern District, Israel · Asia
About Arad
Arad is worth a stop: 20 minutes from Kuseifa, 29km from Ein Gedi Nature Reserve.
Arad is in Southern District, Israel, with about 28,000 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Kuseifa, about 11 km away.
Arad (Hebrew: עֲרָד ) is a city in the Southern District of Israel. It is located on the border of the Negev and the Judaean deserts, 25 kilometres (16 miles) west of the Dead Sea and 45 kilometres (28 miles) east of Beersheba. The city is home to a diverse population of 29,504 in 2024, including Ashkenazi andRead more
Sephardi Jews (both secular and religious), Bedouins and Black Hebrews, as well as new immigrants.
After attempts to settle the area in the 1920s, Arad was founded in November 1962 as an Israeli development town, the first planned city in Israel. Arad's population grew significantly with the Aliyah from the former Soviet Union. It became a city in 1995.
Landmarks in Arad include the ruins of Tel Arad, Arad Park, a domestic airfield and Israel's first legal race circuit. The city is known for its annual summer music festival, the Arad Festival.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Arad?
Within an hour or so of Arad: Masada (15 km), Dead Sea, Ein Bokek (16 km), Ein Gedi Nature Reserve (29 km), Wadi Ibn Hammad (40 km).
Are there any good drives near Arad?
The nearest famous roads are Scorpions Ascent (Ma'ale Akrabim), King's Highway and Dana to Petra Trail.
Where is Arad?
Arad is in Southern District, Israel, about 11 km from Kuseifa.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 27,967
- Continent
- Asia
- Country
- Israel
- Region
- Southern District
- Timezone
- Asia/Jerusalem
- Coordinates
- 31.2588, 35.2128
Tags
Worth the detour from Arad
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
beach
Dead Sea, Ein Bokek
The main beach and resort area on the Israeli shore of the Dead Sea, known for therapeutic mud baths and salt-crystal-covered shores.
16 km · about 20 min drive
natural wonder
Ein Gedi Nature Reserve
A lush oasis of waterfalls, pools, and wildlife on the shores of the Dead Sea in the Judean Desert.
29 km · about 35 min drive
natural wonder
Wadi Ibn Hammad
A warm-spring canyon northwest of Karak where travertine walls drip with ferns and moss and the shallow stream is walked rather than followed on a path. Tropical in feel, and almost entirely visited by Jordanians.
40 km · about 45 min drive
natural wonder
Wadi Mujib
Jordan's 'Grand Canyon': a deep gorge with thrilling canyoneering routes through slot canyons to the Dead Sea.
41 km · about 45 min drive
historic highway
Scorpions Ascent (Ma'ale Akrabim)
A serpentine 1950s road built over an ancient Nabataean-Roman trade route, snaking down the Negev cliffs toward the Arava with dizzying desert switchbacks.
41 km · about 45 min drive
historic highway
King's Highway
One of the world's oldest continuously used routes, winding 280 km from Madaba to Petra past Karak's crusader castle, Dana's cliffs and the mighty Wadi Mujib canyon.
48 km · about 55 min drive
cathedral
Church of the Nativity
One of the oldest continuously operating churches in the world, built over the traditional birthplace of Jesus.
50 km · about 55 min drive
Driving roads near Arad
3 named roads, passes and coastal drives within 100km.
- 41 kmScorpions Ascent (Ma'ale Akrabim)A serpentine 1950s road built over an ancient Nabataean-Roman trade route, snaking down the Negev cliffs toward the Arava with dizzying desert switchbacks.
- 48 kmKing's HighwayOne of the world's oldest continuously used routes, winding 280 km from Madaba to Petra past Karak's crusader castle, Dana's cliffs and the mighty Wadi Mujib canyon.
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