I recently returned from a whirlwind trip to Israel, which was unlike any other place in the world I’ve ever visited. The combination of the country’s rich history, beaches, people and food made it rank so highly on my travel adventures list, so I put together a travel guide for those of you looking to visit Israel. Today, we will focus on the city of Tel Aviv, but check back for guides to Jerusalem as well as a foodie-focused guide to Israel.
I spent four days in Tel Aviv, and here are my must-dos during my time there. The city is incredibly small, so this is all doable during your stay. I even had a fair amount of free time and didn’t feel rushed, so feel free to pack most of this into just two or three days.
Day 1:
The Beach: One of the beautiful things about Tel Aviv is that it is on the water, with miles of beaches to explore, each with a different vibe. On my first full day in Tel Aviv, I grabbed a bicycle from my hotel and went along the boardwalk, scouting out the best place to lay out with a good book. Day one, I went to Frishman Beach, buying one of its orange lounge chairs for the day and lathering up in sunscreen. The beach here was lowkey and relaxing, and just the right place to get my base tan going.
On day two, I went to Gordon Beach, which I adored. It is higher end than most of the other beaches and has pretty cabanas and a good-looking crowd of beachgoers. It has a great beachfront restaurant called Lala Land servicing everyone. I spent the entire day basking in the sun reading and eating a delicious salad and iced coffee from Lala Land. Would absolutely recommend to fill the first half of the day.
Explore Rothschild Boulevard & Bauhaus Architecture: Tel Aviv has a beautiful tree-lined street called Rothschild Boulevard that is flanked by hotels, restaurants, cafes and beautiful Bauhaus buildings. Taking a leisurely stroll down Rothschild is really rewarding, allowing you to take in the scene. I really loved seeing the Bauhaus buildings, which is a style of architecture common in Tel Aviv.
During the Holocaust, Jews fled to Israel and there wasn’t enough housing for the families. So, buildings were thrown up quickly and cheaply, with common characteristics such as box shapes and curved architecture and temperature-style windows down the center of them. Rothschild Blvd. has really great example sof the style as do other parts of the city. Tel Aviv has more Bauhaus homes than any other part of the world. There is also a free tour of the architecture held by the Bauhaus Center. I didn’t have time to do it during my stay, but it is worth looking into.
Catch a sunset: Tel Aviv sunsets are absolutely stunning. They look like the sky is on fire, bursting into orange flames followed by pinks and purples, etc. The best place to witness this is from the beach, so be sure to check when sunset is and either linger a little longer at the beach that day or schedule an early dinner on the beach. Our recommendation for the latter is at Manta Ray, more on that in our food post.
Day 2:
Explore the Culinary Scene: Israel has such an eclectic culinary scene because Jews from all over the world flocked to the country to escape persecution. Because of that, it is a melting pot of cuisine from across the globe, making it a foodie’s playground.
In order to properly sample all Israel has to offer on the food front, I signed up for a five-hour food tour run by Delicious Israel. Starting in the port city of Jaffa, our guide took us to 12 different eatieres throughout Israel and gave us a great education in the history, architecture and food scene of the country.
On the tour, we walked from Jaffa all the way to the Carmel Market, stopping in lots of neighborhoods in between. We had delicacies such as hummus, falafel, malaby, poppy seed tarts, bagels, ice cream, Yemeni eggplant etc. The highlights for me were hummus at the famous Abu Hassan, which was truly the best hummus I’ve ever eaten, period, and has officially ruined Sabra hummus for me. I learned I have been eating hummus wrong my entire life, and that you are supposed to use raw onion to eat it, not pita. The falafel near Carmel market, an amazing outdoor food market in Tel Aviv, was also spectacular.
My guide was super well informed, so in addition to learning a ton about the culinary scene in Israel, its top chefs and the evolution of food there, we learned about the culture, the city’s architecture and other facts that served as such a nice primer to Tel Aviv and all it has to offer. I would absolutely recommend to any visitors.
Grab a coffee or drink in the Neve Tdezek neighborhood: Located between downtown Tel Aviv and Jaffa lies a hip neighborhood called Neve Tdezek. This area is like a prettier version of New York’s Soho, and is home to 15 of Israel’s billionaires. The area used to be slums, but a revitalization effort has made eit one of the coolest zip codes in all of Tel Aviv, and a daytime stroll through the area will quickly show why. The cute streets are lined with upscale restaurants, wine bars and cafes as well as the most adorable shops for clothing, home design etc. We popped into a French-Israeli bakery called Dallal, which had the most amazing pastries. No matter what you do, get involved with the cafe culture in Tel Aviv, as there are no Starbucks and what they have on offer is much better than Starbucks anyway.
Day 3:
Jaffa Segway Tour: Tel Aviv has very distinct neighborhoods, each with their different vibes. In the Northern part lies Jaffa, an ancient port city that is majority Arab and has its own flair. Once a poor part of town, the area is undergoing a resurgence, with waterfront properties selling for millions of dollars. Many of the signs are in Arabic as is the cuisine, etc.
We signed up for a segway tour with Segs, and it was one of the most fun parts of the trip. We met our guide at the Port of Jaffa, which in and of itself is so beautiful and colorful. It has a cobblestone street lined with cute cafes and restaurants with views of locals fishing for their daily catch. Even if you don’t do this tour, it’s worth spending a morning at the port and observing the hustle and bustle of the scene.
From Jaffa, our two-hour tour went through the Old City part of town, where we learned about Jaffa’s role in being an area of commerce thousands of years ago. We went through windy cobblestone streets, took our segways up a hill to get an insanely beautiful view of all of Tel Aviv and went through neighborhoods filled with newer mansions. Because we had an afternoon tour, we saw the most beautiful sunset on the beach while on our segways. Segs and the City also offers tours in other parts of town if you’d be more interested in that.
Explore the Markets: Tel Aviv has two main markets: Carmel and Jaffa Flea Market. Each has a different vibe. Carmel is geared toward foodies, with grocers selling fresh fruits and veggies, Jewish pastries, a row dedicated to butchers, etc. They also have kitchen items and other wares that are good souvenirs to bring home. My biggest regret is not buying a Falafel scooper at the Carmel Market. Jaffa Market is an eclectic mix of items on sale for locals. Some is junk — hello old television remotes, and some are vintage treasures such as jewelry and mirrors. If you do the Delicious Israel Tour, you will see both. I you don’t do the tour, it’s worth making a trip to see both on your own time.
Israel Travel Guides:
Travel Guide: Old City Jerusalem, Israel
Travel Guide: Tel Aviv, Israel
Travel Guide: Where to Eat in Tel Aviv
Travel Guide: Masada, The Dead Sea & The Desert