UltimateCity Guide Tel Aviv
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Stories from Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel

Every story, long read and guide in the ULTIMATE Tel Aviv City Guide, in one place.

Areas

Tel Aviv by area

From the stone lanes of Jaffa and the low houses of Neve Tzedek to the Bauhaus boulevards of the White City, the markets, Florentin’s murals and the hotels on the promenade: each area has its own guide.

A stepped lane of honey-coloured stone in Old Jaffa, with galleries and an archArea guideJaffaThe old port on the hillPainted figures sitting on a bench by blue shutters on a house in Neve TzedekArea guideNeve TzedekLow houses and danceCurved white balconies of a Bauhaus building on Dizengoff StreetArea guideThe White CityThe Bauhaus cityCherry tomatoes, garlic and artichokes piled on a stall in the Carmel MarketArea guideCarmel MarketThe great food marketA large painted mural of a face crowned with roses on a wall in FlorentinArea guideFlorentinMurals and spices

Getting about

Tel Aviv is flat and made for walking: the promenade links Jaffa to the port, and shared bikes and the light rail do the rest.

  1. Area guideDizengoffThe fountain and the Old North
  2. Area guidePromenade & PortHotels on the sea
  3. Area guideSaronaOld houses and the opera

Practical

Plan your trip

The practical things to know before you go: the ETA-IL, Shabbat hours, trains and the light rail, and itineraries from a first day to a weekend on Clock Square.

Striped parasols and loungers on Frishman Beach, with a lifeguard tower by the seaBefore you goTel Aviv essentialsThe ETA-IL, Shabbat, money and the numbers to callRed double-deck Israel Railways trains at Tel Aviv Savidor Center stationGetting aroundGetting around Tel AvivThe airport, trains, light rail and bikesItineraryA day in Tel AvivFrom the market to Jaffa at sunsetOld Jaffa and St Peter’s bell tower lit against an orange sunset over the seaLuxury guideLUX LivingThe finest addressesThe promenade and beach at sunset, with hotels along the shoreItineraryThe Gold weekendClock Square, OCD and the spa
  1. ItineraryJerusalem for the dayThe Old City and Yad Vashem

Our advice

Old Jaffa at sunset

Climb from the Clock Tower through the stone lanes to St Peter’s Church as the sun goes down over the sea, then walk down to the port for dinner. Our Jaffa guide

Day trips

Beyond the city

Jerusalem’s Old City and Yad Vashem, Caesarea’s Roman port on the coast, the Bahá’í Gardens of Haifa, and Masada above the Dead Sea.

Jaffa Gate in the stone walls of Jerusalem’s Old City in early lightBeyond the cityJerusalemThe Old City and Yad VashemThe restored Roman theatre of Caesarea under a blue skyBeyond the cityCaesareaThe Roman portA fountain and stairs rising through the terraces of the Bahá’í Gardens to the domed Shrine of the BábBeyond the cityHaifaThe Bahá’í Gardens
  1. Beyond the cityMasada & the Dead SeaHerod’s fortress

Our advice

Book the national parks ahead

Caesarea and Masada ask you to reserve your visit on the Israel Nature and Parks Authority’s site, and Yad Vashem asks for registration in advance. Go on a weekday, and plan around Shabbat. Masada and the Dead Sea

In depth

In depth: the stories of Tel Aviv

The old port and the white city, the museums and stages, the market kitchens and chef’s tables, the hotels, getting around and where to buy.

The towers of Tel Aviv seen from Old Jaffa, with a minaret and old stone roofs in the foregroundFeatureThe port and the white cityJaffa, the Bauhaus city and the seaThe plaza and arched entrance of the Tel Aviv Performing Arts Center, home of the Israeli OperaIn depthMuseums and stagesFrom the art museum to BatshevaA plate of hummus topped with whole chickpeas, olive oil and parsleyIn depthEating in Tel AvivMarket kitchens and chef’s tables

Shabbat

From Friday afternoon to Saturday evening, trains and most buses stop and many shops close; much of the city’s café and restaurant life carries on.

  1. In depthThe hotelsFrom Jaffa to the promenade
  2. In depthGetting aroundTrains, light rail and Shabbat
  3. In depthBuying in Tel AvivNeighbourhoods and the first steps
  4. Fun factsTel Aviv fun factsThings you might not know

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