Tel Aviv Insider Tips

When you think about Israel, you probably imagine an ancient land full of biblical landmarks and dramatic desert scenery. Modern, cosmopolitan Tel Aviv is nothing like that, which many visitors find quite surprising. In fact, many people planning a vacation in Israel plan to spend only a limited time in Tel Aviv, because there’s nothing holy about it at all.  Some completely bypass the city.  This is a shame. The city has a lot to offer and you could easily spend a few days or even weeks exploring it, enjoying the vibe and discovering a totally different, and surprising, side of Israel. We hope our Tel Aviv insider tips will convince you, as there are some great things to do in Tel Aviv!

By the way,  I am Shimrit Elisar, a British-Israeli travel blogger living in Tel Aviv, and I created DIY Tel Aviv.

Obviously if I created a site entirely dedicated to planning your own adventures in Tel Aviv, I love this city!  But it is just one of many amazing things to do throughout Israel.  I truly  We hope you will spend a few encourage you to visit my country, and see all of the wonders.  And most of all, spend a few days exploring Tel Aviv, because you will be glad you did.  You may even choose Tel Aviv as your base as you go out exploring, and if so, you will find some great options in this Day Trips from Tel Aviv guide.  But for now, here are my insider tips for experiencing Tel Aviv.

 

Things to do in Tel Aviv

The Beach

 

Tel Aviv’s most noticeable feature is the long stretch of sandy beach that occupies its entire western side. The sea is surprisingly warm in summer and if you’re used to the ocean, also in winter. It takes about an hour to walk from the old Jaffa port in the south of town to the old Tel Aviv port in the north, but you can also rent bicycles and even segways to make the journey along the city’s busy promenade.

The seafront is divided into a number of different beaches, each with its own unique vibe. There’s also a choice of (overpriced) beach cafes and bars to stop at if you want to be right on the water. Walking along the beach is a great way to experience how small Tel Aviv actually is.

Beyond the old Tel Aviv port are only suburbs, but you could carry on along to the Yarkon River estuary, beyond which there are natural brown sand beaches that are usually pretty empty. The stretch all the way to Herzliya, the next town.

 

Speaking of the Yarkon estuary, the Yarkon river stretches east and both banks are part of a park that stretches all the way to its origin in Rosh Haayin (4-5 hour journey by foot or bicycle). But you can also just have a picnic or a BBQ in the park if you’re not feeling active.

 

Old Jaffa

 

This ancient port town stood independently for thousands of years before being united with Tel Aviv in 1949. Modern day Jaffa is a diverse place, where, much like in Jerusalem, you can hear church bells, a Muslim call to prayer and Jewish religious songs.

The old city features buildings from the Ottoman period and even the crusader period and is absolutely beautiful. Sure, it’s a giant tourist trap, full of expensive art galleries, overpriced seafood restaurants and tacky souvenir shops, but getting lost in the narrow alleyways leading down to the port will soon make you forget all that.

 

 

If you want to learn more about this part of town, you can visit the Old Jaffa Museum of Antiquities, where you could easily spend an hour exploring.  Just across the road from the old city, you’ll find Tel Aviv’s largest flea market (Sun – Fri), which is now also home to some great bars, restaurants and cafés.

 

The White City

 

Tel Aviv features the highest concentration of Bauhaus buildings outside of Germany and was therefore designated a world heritage site by UNESCO in 2003. The buildings are actually scattered throughout central Tel Aviv, but there are free English language tours organized by the Tel Aviv municipality that will take to see the best examples and explain the history. If you want to explore on your own, head over to the Bauhaus Center on Dizengoff street, where you can get books, audio tours and general advice.

 

 

Neve Tzedek

 

This was Tel Aviv’s first Jewish neighbourhood outside Jaffa’s walls. Apart from having this bit of history going for it, it’s full of beautiful little houses, small streets lined with cute cafés, pretty patisseries and chic designer boutiques. It’s really popular with the local French community, so get ready to hear a lot of French spoken and feel like you’re in a Middle Eastern version of Paris.

 

The Carmel Market

 

This is Tel Aviv’s biggest market and while not exactly huge, it’s a great place to hang out, do some people watching, soak up the vibe or grab some street food, a great cup of coffee or even some local craft beer. Even if you walk up and down all the side street, the whole experience should only take an hour or two, unless you decide to stop for a meal.

The parallel Nahalat Binyamin street features a local craft fair on Tuesdays and Fridays, which is the perfect place to pick up unique gifts to take home.

If markets are your thing, you’ll also want to check out the smaller Levinsky Market, the city’s spice market. It is more of a collection of shops, rather than stalls, but has a much wider selection of spices, condiments, nuts and other specialty foods.

 

Museums

 

Although not nearly as historic as Jerusalem, Nazareth or Acco, Israel’s more famous ancient towns, Tel Aviv does have quite a few museums that are worth a visit.

The Eretz Israel Museum is a sort of one-stop shop for archaeology, history, natural history and art. It’s the place to go if you want to look at “stuff”. It also includes the city’s Planetarium, in case you want to be magically transported back in time to the 90s (kids love it).

The Tel Aviv Museum of Modern Art has exhibitions of both local artists and famous international artists, as well as film screenings, multimedia events and all kinds of other fun stuff.

And if you want to learn a bit about modern Israeli history, there are many smaller museums scattered throughout town, such as Independence Hall (where Israel declared itself independent without waiting for the British mandate to approve), the Bible Museum, Beit Dizengoff, Ben-Gurion House (where Israel’s first prime minister lived) and several museums dedicated to the Jewish pre-independence “liberation fronts”.

 

Tel Aviv Insider Tips

Tips for Nightlife and Culture

 

Tel Aviv is seen by some people as a sort of Middle Eastern Berlin, which is hardly surprising considering how many people from Tel Aviv go to or even move to Berlin. In keeping with that vibe, the city has quite a few dance bars and clubs, headed by the Block Club, considered one of the best electronic music clubs in the world. If you like house music or techno, you won’t want to miss it. Party night is Friday night.

For a more varied line-up of daily gigs and parties from alternative rock to Middle Eastern music, try the Pasaz Club.  Big name local and international acts play the Barby venue in the south of town.  There are parties, gigs and other great events happening all over town every day, often for free. To get an idea of what’s going on, you can check out some Tel Aviv event listings.

 

Tips for Food and Drink

 

Tel Aviv is considered particularly hedonistic and residents love a good meal, as well as great street food. Be warned that food, and especially drink prices are usually very high, but the quality is usually very high too.

If you want an instant introduction to all of the country’s popular street food dishes, head down to HaKosem, just off King George St., where nothing is left off the menu.  Apart from that, you’ll find most global cuisines represented in town, from Asian and African to Middle Eastern, Mexican, Italian and, of course, American.

 

Tel Aviv Insider Tips – Café Culture

 

The people of Tel Aviv love hanging out in cafés, but are pretty chilled about it. You could take your laptop anywhere and spend hours checking your emails, working, or chatting on a single cup of coffee. Café food is great, though, and often cheaper than in restaurants, so it’s definitely worth trying.

Try Nehama Vahetzi off Habima Square for an original version of the city’s usual café menu and a crowd of local celebrities, creatives and freelancers.  Café Xoho is a favorite with the local expat community and is relaxed and friendly.

Tips for Where to Stay

 

Tel Aviv is expensive and you don’t always get your money’s worth. If you’re on a budget, try Abraham Hostel, which has both dorm rooms and very reasonable private rooms.  It is big, but clean, central and friendly.

Atlas Hotels have several different boutique hotels around town that offer small, but beautifully designed rooms.  Otherwise, your best bet is to look for a holiday rental through AirBnb or another similar service.  These are often the best deals, but make sure you familiarize yourself with where to stay in Tel Aviv first, so you know which areas to go for.

You can also check out Trip Advisor’s recommended hotels, and get a great deal!

 

Money in Tel Aviv

The currency in Israel, and Tel Aviv, is the Shekel, which is abbreviated as NIS, which means New Israeli Shekel.  Bills come in denominations of 20, 50, 100, and 200. Cents, or a hundredth of a Shekel are called argorot. Coins come in 10 and 50 argorots, or in 1, 2, 5, and 10 Shekel denominations.  Although it is not quite right, and the exchange fluctuates daily, it may be easiest to think of a Shekel as about a quarter, compared to American dollars or Euros.

Some businesses in Israel will accept foreign currency, although none are required to do so.  It will be easiest to make purchases with Shekels. You can withdraw Shekel from your own accounts using your ATM or credit cards, provided you have made arrangements with your financial institutions prior to your trips.  

You can also exchange currency at an Exchange Bureau, or a bank.  A bank generally gives the best rate, but they do charge a fixed exchange fee. Some banks are only open in the mornings, and all are closed on Saturdays.  In addition, it is unwise to exchange on Sundays, as international markets are closed, leaving the banks to calculate their own rates. In simplest terms, plan to make your currency exchange at a bank on a weekday morning.

Need more Tel Aviv Insider Tips?

Tel Aviv is a city with a vibe all it’s own.  Travelers to Israel should visit, to experience an unexpected, and modern side of the country, and to understand the true culture.  Spend a few days, and you will find that there are so many great things to do in Tel Aviv that you will wish you had longer.  For more information for planning your trip, and more in depth Tel Aviv insider tips, be sure to check out the DIY Tel Aviv alternative city guide.

If you are looking for somewhere to visit, and Tel Aviv isn’t quite it, start on our Destinations page. 

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About the Author:

 

Shimrit Elisar is a British-Israeli travel blogger and the author of alternative city guide, DIY Tel Aviv. She has an unhealthy obsession with cities, underground culture and cats.  You can find Shimrit on Facebook,  and on Instagram.  

 

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