The city of Tel Aviv is Israel’s financial and cultural center. The creative vibes of the city truly bring a special atmosphere. While we usually don’t like to stay in big cities, we love Tel Aviv and make sure to come here every time we’re in Israel! Spend your days at the beautiful white sand beaches or go visit the multiple markets, coffee shops, and cute streets this vibrant city has to offer!
Continue Reading to find out our absolute favorite things to do in Tel Aviv. It includes a list of all the different beaches as well as the main markets of the city!
- Go to one of Tel Aviv’s Beaches
- Explore Tel Aviv’s Markets
- Discover Tel Aviv’s restaurants
- Rent an Electric Scooter
- Rothschild Boulevard
- Visit Neve Tzedek
- Get Lost in the Old City of Jaffa
- Admire the Sunset from Jaffa Port
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1. Go to one of Tel Aviv’s Beaches
Tel Aviv has a total of 14 kilometers long of white sand beaches, right next to the city! The Mediterranean Sea is at the perfect temperature from April to October. Many beaches offer rentals for all types of equipment from beach chairs, umbrellas, surfboards, and windsurf! All of the beaches are connected by a long seaside promenade which is the perfect place to take an afternoon stroll!
Here are the main beaches in Tel Aviv, from north to south
Hilton Beach
There are three parts to Hilton Beach: the city’s gay beach, the surfer’s beach as well as the dog’s beach! This bay is also popular to practice water sports. Independence park, which is adjacent to the Hilton hotel, is another great spot to watch the sunset.
Gordon-Frishman Beach
Located in the center, these are the most famous beaches in Tel Aviv for a reason! These beaches are clean, accessible, and have all the necessary amenities for a successful beach day. There is even an outdoor fitness park in proximity, as well as several volleyball courts.
Jerusalem Beach
Many people come to Jerusalem Beach to play ‘matkot’, a beach tennis game very popular with Israelis. The north section of this beach also allows kite surfing. However, there are no water sports allowed in the south part of the beach making it ideal for swimming.
Banana Beach
Banana beach is a good place to come grab a drink! There are many tables set out on the sand and their beach bar is 24/7! A good place to come celebrate happy hour with friends!
2. Explore Tel Aviv’s Markets:
Carmel Market (our favorite)
Carmel Market is the busiest market in Tel Aviv! You can find everything for the kitchen: from fruits, vegetables, meat, cheeses, nuts, and baklava. This market is frequented by many locals and you might have to get lost in the crowd of people to get to the other side. The sellers are loudly singing their specials of the day and the overall atmosphere is really inviting!
Levinsky Spice Market
The Levinsky Market is located in the trendy neighborhood of Florentin. This market is mostly frequented by locals and is definitely the best place in Tel Aviv to buy spices, dry fruits, nuts, and specialty pastries. Stop in a coffee shop to try the traditional cardamom coffee and watch the world around you for a moment.
Nahalat Binyamin
The Nahalat Binyamin Market is an artisan market happening every Tuesday and Friday. The whole street becomes pedestrian for over 200 locals artists to come expose and sell their art. There are often street performers and musicians present making it a fun afternoon activity!
Jaffa Flea Market
Jaffa’s flea market is well known with the locals. Here you can find vendors selling an array of unique objects, as well as beautiful oriental rugs. Stop for a pastry in one of the adorable coffee shops, or visit one of the multiple bars to try local beers!
3. Discover Tel Aviv’s restaurants
Every restaurant in Tel Aviv has something unique to offer, created by a melting pot of different cultures! From the traditional hummus to the famous falafel wrap and international dishes: everything is delicious. Tel Aviv is also known to be the vegan capital of the world, which means we feel right at home! Middle-eastern cuisine is already vegan-friendly, there are also 400 vegan-friendly restaurants in Tel Aviv! Some of our favorites are:
- Meshek Barzilay and Anastasia for plant-based food.
- Port Sa’id is a local late-night restaurant serving all types of food.
- Abu Hassan and Hummus Eliyahu are good local places to simply eat hummus and pita!
4. Rent an Electric Scooter
Tel Aviv has bike lanes stretching over 70 kilometers, all over the city, and on the seafront promenade. It connects large parts of the city. Getting an electric scooter or a bicycle is really the ideal way to go around. You might be a little hesitant at first but once you get the hang of it, you’ll never want to let it go! There are different companies in the city and you can usually pick them up and drop them off anywhere you want.
Tip: Rent an electric scooter, either on the North or South Side of the Beach Promenade, and drive it along the whole way. It’s an inexpensive but fun activity!
5. Rothschild Boulevard
The Rothschild Boulevard was one of the first streets built in Tel Aviv. It is the perfect place to come grab a coffee, sit on a bench, and live like a local for a bit! The green area is shaded by trees along the whole way and attracts locals who come meet their friends here at the end of the day.
6. Visit Neve Tzedek
Built-in 1887, Neve Tzedek is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Tel Aviv! There are many good restaurants in this part of the city, as well as small alleyways where you can find art galleries and unique boutiques! It’s a good place to get out of the city and simply walk around; you could stop there before visiting the Old City!
7. Get Lost in the Old City of Jaffa
Jaffa is an ancient port city that was mention in history as early as 7500 BC! It is a place where Jewish and Arab cultures live side by side and influence each other! Visit the countless art gallery and artisan studios on your way to visit Abrasha Park. There you will have a stunning view over Tel Aviv, before heading down the magical alleyways that lead down to the port!
8. Admire the Sunset from Jaffa Port
The Jaffa Port is one of the oldest ports in the world! While it is still used by local fishermen, the Jaffa Port has many cafes and restaurants serving fresh seafood and other delicacies. It is one of the best places to catch the sunset in Tel Aviv while enjoying a ‘malabi’, which is a traditional dessert! Feel the air slowly becoming cooler as you see the sun drop below the horizon line.
Tel Aviv is a very active and open-minded city representing the modern face of Israel. It will certainly appeal to everyone: from the foodies to the art connoisseur; from the families to the party animals! There is truly something special about the city of Tel Aviv. It might be the cohesion of the bustling city center, white sand beaches, and the sea! Whatever it is, we will always be back in Tel Aviv!
If you are already in Israel make sure to stop at the lowest point on Earth: the Dead Sea! We wrote a useful guide for a successful Dead Sea vacation which you can find here!
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