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Tel Aviv, Israel
Photo: Shirlysui, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Central Tel Aviv is the most important area in Tel Aviv for visitors
From the travel guide. Select a place for details, a map and what is nearby.
The largest public square in Israel is at the footsteps of the city hall. This square hosts many public demonstrations and events, often with tens of thousands of participants in attendance. The square is named after former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who was assassinated here during a peace rally in 1995. A memorial in his memory is at the northeast corner of the square.
A small garden between King George and Chernihovsky streets. A green little corner in the midst of the metropolitan with a cute pond in the center and a small dog park. On some evenings you might see mature people playing kids' games - it's Tel Aviv.
Sarona was a Templer colony founded in the late 19th century. The Templers were removed in World War II and the area continued to be used for British and later Israeli government and military offices. Today it is a shopping and entertainment district filled with restored German Templer architecture. It is known for its picturesque paths and buildings, upscale restaurants, and luxurious food market.
Namal Tel Aviv, HaNamal
Once a commercial seaport, the Port of Tel Aviv was abandoned and later reimagined as a popular attraction and shopping district. The port is one of the most dynamic areas in Tel Aviv, including a multitude of shops, restaurants and nightclubs. During the day, this is a beautiful seaside boardwalk, great for restaurants and people-watching. At night, the bars and nightclubs open up.
An elevated square on top of which there is a big fountain with a mix of fire and water. This is one of the known symbols of Tel Aviv. It reopened in June 2018 after renovations.
Home to a number of cultural institutions such as the Habima Theatre, the Culture Palace and the Helena Rubinstein Pavilion for Contemporary Art, its draw is the rectangular water feature and corresponding flower bed. In the nighttime, the square comes alive with bustling nightlife and projections against the wall of the Habima Theatre.
A historical part of town with art galleries and restaurants.
"Hatachana" [Hebrew for "the station"]
Trains no longer go here, so the station has been transformed into a popular outdoor shopping area.
Old Cemetery
Tel Aviv's original cemetery, where many central figures from the early Zionist period and beginning of the state are buried. You can see the graves of politicians like Dizengoff, Arlozorov, and Prime Minister Moshe Sharet; writers like Bialik, Tchernikhovsky, and Ahad HaAm; singer Arik Einstein; and many others. Most of the famous graves are in a cluster at the west end of the cemetery - very obvious if you can read Hebrew.
A large synagogue, built to be the central synagogue for Tel Aviv. But now it essentially functions as a regular neighborhood synagogue, and the neighborhood is pretty secular, so the building is vastly oversized for its current use. There is some nice artwork and stained glass windows inside. From the outside, it is badly in need of a cleaning and paint job, but the modernist arches added in 1969 are worth checking out.
A bizarre apartment building that resembles the buildings of Gaudi in Barcelona.
A large private house built in 1924. Designed with the guideline that it connect Eastern and Western architecture, its elements include Muslim arches, Greek columns, and of course a pagoda.
An oddball apartment building on the beach which starts normally, but then grows outward on gravity-defying columns. By architect Tzvi Harel, who drew up the design never intending to build it, until it caught the eye of a local entrepreneur.
A seven-story office building. With oscillating wave-like layers, this is a more modern take on Tel Aviv's traditional white Bauhaus architecture.
A whimsical statue of David Ben Gurion doing one of his trademark headstands. A good photo op.
One of the most important moments in early Israeli history happened here. In 1948, David Ben Gurion ordered an attack on the Altalena ship, which was carrying arms for the splinter Irgun militia. Irgun leader Menachem Begin commanded his troops not to defend themselves, believing that nothing could be worse for the new state than a civil war. There is a small memorial here to the 16 Irgun fighters who were killed in the incident.
Dizengoff House
In accordance with its name, Independence Hall is the place where the Israeli Declaration of Independence was proclaimed by David Ben-Gurion on 14 May 1948, thus officially establishing the modern State of Israel. Though essentially nondescript on the outside; inside, visitors can see the actual hall itself, watch a short documentary film, and view several artifacts in the small museum.
The city's main art gallery focuses on modern and contemporary work. Changing exhibitions are housed here, in the Rubinstein Pavilion and in the Amir Building. (Enter via the Amir as the main frontage and entrance are being rebuilt.) The children's basement is great fun and not just for kids. Within the same complex is the Golda Meir Center of Performing Arts, hosting opera, ballet, and theatre (see "Do"). The city library is also here.
Displays temporary exhibitions from the nearby Museum of Art. Same hours, free entry with museum ticket.
Despite its compact size, it manages to survey almost the entire gamut of the Bauhaus design genre. Detailed exhibitions, books, maps and posters, multimedia and a great little shop. The center also conducts tours of the Tel Aviv Bauhaus White City (F 10AM, duration 2 hours, book ahead) and other destinations.
Home of Prime Minister David Ben Gurion from 1931-1968, and the place where Israel's Declaration of Independence was written. Now it is a museum focusing on Ben Gurion's life.
Focuses on the work of painter and sculptor Nachum Gutman.
A museum run by the daughters of Joseph Bau, an artist who saved many lives during the Holocaust and is featured in the movie "Schindler's List". The daughters give an original and uplifting presentation describing their parents' lives in the context of the Holocaust.
A house built in 1887 in Neve Tzedek, at a time when this neighborhood was still considered part of Jaffa, and Tel Aviv did not yet exist. It has been restored to its original condition, and you can tour it and learn about the history of Neve Tzedek and Jewish settlement outside the old city of Jaffa.
A museum of optical illusions, including fun 3D ones like the Ames room that you can walk into.
Beit Ha'ir
A city history museum, housed in the old City Hall building.
Home of Hayim Nahman Bialik, Israel's national poet. Now a museum dedicated to Bialik's life.
An exhibition of the art of Israeli painter Reuven Rubin.
Recounting the fascinating story of the embryonic Israel Defence Force, from British Mandate days to Israeli independence in 1948 and beyond, lots of interesting artifacts, weapons and memorabilia.
Small museum all about the life of Ze'ev Jabotinsky. Features a film about a clandestine immigration operation and a few cases showing his personal effects.
Very detailed history of the Etzel (Irgun) movement and their operations, also includes a short film. This museum tells the overall story of Etzel starting in the 1930s and ending in 1948.
A separate museum which focuses on Etzel/Irgun military operations in 1948, especially the conquest of northern Jaffa, including the current location of this museum.
Batei HaOsef
This used to be a museum of old military vehicles, but in 2019 the contents were moved to Yad LaShiryon museum in Latrun. It's mentioned here so that you don't mistakenly visit it based on old recommendations from elsewhere.
Sheraton beach
Just south of Tel Aviv Port (which has no beach, the waves crash against the wall of the boardwalk). This beach became famous as the setting of the movie Metzitzim (1972). Now it's the most popular destination for families.
Nordau beach, the religious beach
This beach is male-only on Sunday/Tuesday/Thursday and female-only on Monday/Wednesday/Friday. On Saturdays it's open to everyone. It attracts many religious people who don't want to be seen by the opposite sex in bathing attire. It's surrounded by a wall to prevent people outside from looking.
A narrow strip of beach, south of the separate beach, where dogs are permitted.
A meeting place for Tel Aviv's LGBT community.
Just south of Hilton beach, the waves off this narrow beach are popular with surfers.
Full of beach volleyball courts, exercise equipment, and other sports facilities.
A very busy beach with a heavy presence of French speakers. Also known for the elderly locals who come here early in the mornings to exercise.
A beach that heavily attracts Tel Aviv residents, and is quieter than some of the other beaches in town.
Allenby beach
The biggest destination for teenagers, who find it easy to get here from the nearby Carmel Market bus terminal. Opposite Allenby street, it was renamed in 1987 in honor of Jerusalem.
Tel Aviv beach, Dolphinarium beach, Tupim beach, Banana Drum beach
The beach has an Eastern vibe, with yoga, tai chi, and drum circles taking place at various hours of the day.
Charles Clore beach
There is no breakwater here, which makes the waves bigger and more dangerous, and fewer people go into the water here. However, this is Tel Aviv's most beautiful beach, with a nice view of Old Jaffa. At sundown, you can see brides and grooms who come here to take pictures together.
Head to the Azrieli Center to see Tel Aviv from above. This complex with its three geometrical skyscrapers (with circle, square, and triangle footprints) is a graphical icon of the city. The bottom 3 floors contain a full-size and very popular shopping mall. But we've come here in order to climb up to the 49th floor of the circular tower, from which, they say, you can see on a good day as far as to Haifa. There’s also a posh restaurant up there, 2C Tel Aviv, which naturally charges extra for the location, it is circular kind of like the Space Needle in Seattle, but it doesn't spin, (Kosher; Tel. 03-6081990; about ₪200 per person). To get to the lookout, go to the top floor in the center of the shopping mall, and from there you can enter the circular tower where there is an elevator to the top.
Hosts opera, ballet, theatre, and concerts.
The largest public park in Tel Aviv. The Yarqon River runs through the park, and spills into the Mediterranean Sea. Most of the park lies north of the river, but the south bank has a nice portion of it as well. The park is an excellent place for physical activities of all kinds - walking, jogging, cycling, boating, kissing, etc. You can also come and join a game of football/basketball at almost any time. The park is clean (but the river is not - do not swim!) and except for a few small parts is very well lit at night.
Meeting at the Tel Aviv Port, you can ride a Segway through the Yarkon park or along the Tel Aviv beach. No experience necessary. Must reserve in advance.
A port for yachts, sailing boats, and other small craft. (Not to be confused with the "Tel Aviv Port", which no longer functions as a port.) At the marina, you can engage in diving, sailing, and other water activities. There are also a few restaurants, and of course it's right next to the beach.
TAR
The hottest inline skating group in the country! Every Tuesday 50 to 250 inline skaters of all ages gather around in the parking lot in front of Ha'Bima theater in Tel Aviv at 22:00. The departure is at 22:30 for a nightskating on Tel Aviv's roads.
Israel's secular and religious sides meet in this venue, which sort of a cross between a synagogue and a nightclub, and hosts religious classes as well as concerts, drinking, and dancing.
cinematheque and movie archive with 5 cinema halls and space for watching movies from its archives. The Cinematheque screens Israeli and foreign films, and private events. Film festivals include held at the cinematheque include TLVFest, "Doc Aviv" Documentary Film Festival, "Moments of French Cinema", an Australian Film Festival and more. Its lobby hosts photo exhibitions by Israeli artists. The current building was designed by Israeli Architect Salo Hershman, and was opened in 1989.
"The Syrian"
A great hummus restaurant in the Kerem. Don't be frightened by his angry facial expression; he's always like that.
Sandwiches street bar
One of the best hummus places in Tel Aviv
Small laid back vegan hummus place. It's open onto the street so it's a great place to have lunch and watch the locals as they rush by while you relax to the sound of Reggae. Fridays tend to be especially crowded.
Hummus Mashawsha
Great long-established Italian restaurant.
Tasty and affordable Pizzeria. The Pizza is made in the style of Rome with a thick crust, many kinds of toppings, and is paid for according to weight. Great place for a late night snack.
Popular and stylish street side cafe. It's open 24/7 and offers some good dishes as well.
Upscale restaurant, European and Mediterranean cuisine.
Japanese restaurant, mostly sushi and fish. Alongside is "Oban Koban" street-style food.
The 11th Floor Restaurant has views of the cityscape of Tel Aviv. This restaurant has a spacious setting and creative dishes, recalling the finest New York restaurants. Chef Eitan Mizrahi has created an outstanding kosher menu.
A small but crowded little bar, named for the African American civil rights activist.
Cocktail bar with music.
Rock bar and venue. There are 2 shows nightly by the hottest local indie bands and even the occasional party. It's right above Haozen Hashlishit (The Third Ear) store.
An American-style bar features live music every night of the week. Also features outdoor seating in the more pleasant weather, pool table and televised sporting events. Mostly Anglo 20-30 something crowd, very good bar with several kinds of beer on tap.
An Israeli pub and dance-bar. This is where a lot of the locals go to just to grab a beer or to enjoy the nightlife scene. Vintage design indoors, alongside outdoor balcony in which all the most important sports games are broadcast. Trendiest music from abroad and Israel.
The first Irish pub in Tel Aviv, great atmosphere and reasonable prices, busy at weekends. Has food and outdoor seating. Often many UK and Irish customers, strangely enough. Molly has another branch at 6 Aluf Albert Mendler St near HaShalom station. But no relation to Leo Bloom's Bar in the Ziv Tower out in the north city; fittingly so, since Molly's main problem with Leo was the "no relation".
Bar with mostly good reviews. Israeli timekeeping: happy hour is from opening to 22:00.
A dark 2-floor dance-bar with mainly hip-hop music. Tuesday is karaoke night.
Mixed reviews, expensive.
A bar for drinking while planning the next revolution. A very established Tel Aviv institution that's highly popular with students of humanities at Tel Aviv University.
Laid back bar and trendy clothing store. When the hipsters tire of mingling at HaProzdor, they walk down here to sit down and chill with their friends. During daytime you may also check out the clothing store next door which boasts its own trendy clothing line.
Good food & music.
Mainly a hip-hop dance-bar with an outside area. Attracts a diverse crowd, from suburban party girls to highbrow philosophy students.
A small dark pick-up bar with a very friendly atmosphere. Tuesday nights: 1 + 1 on drinks.
Classic wooden bar with stout on tap and outdoor seating as well.
Coffee shop, bar-restaurant, on the beach
Tel Aviv's only microbrewery and Israel's oldest continually operating microbrewery. Featuring 16 types of hand-crafted beers brewed on premises. Always an interesting seasonal beer or two (try the Golem - an Iced IPA at 11.3% on tap every full moon). Bar extends into the brewery so you can sit only a few feet from the copper brewhouse. Live Blues on Monday nights, Jazz on Tuesday nights. During Football season enjoy Sunday night football every week. Nice mix of Anglo-Israeli crowd; highest rated beer destination in Israel on ratebeer.com.
Cuban bar & lounge. Salsa dance club.
Clean friendly hostel by Ge'ula beach.
Clean friendly hostel not far from the bus station.
Gets good reviews for vibe, cleanliness and location.
Guest house with 7 private rooms, no dorm, very basic but comfy. Close to the beach.
Close to beach but very uneven quality.
Handy for beachfront, gets mixed reviews for quality of accommodation.
Rooms small and a bit dated, rated only 3.2 out of 5, but good value for such a central location.
Boutique hotel with 5 suites, no single rooms, long rentals available.
Near the beach, short walk from centre. Rooms are small, the "spa" is just a dry sauna, and there's quite a bit of street noise.
A combined art museum/hotel, original modern art fills the entire hotel. Central location. Part of Atlas chain.
On Tel Aviv beachfront, 1 km north of Jaffa. Okay for comfort.
Clean & friendly, handy for beach, Sheinkin St., the arts and crafts fair at Nahalat Binyamin & Bezalel Market.
Mid-range hotel, they usually score well for comfort, cleanliness and service.
Located in a restored 1930 Bauhaus building, the Esther Cinema. Rooms and public areas are decorated with a cinema theme - they've done this with real pizzazz. Breakfast is excellent.
Marina Tel Aviv
On the sea shore promenade. Has a great view of the marina.
A 4-star, boutique hotel across from the beach.
Spacious, renovated rooms, and stylish urban design. Each room is equipped with a mini fridge, LCD television and cable, and personal safe. A spacious pool and sunbathing area on the roof of the hotel has panoramic view of the seashore and the city.
Boutique hotel. An elevator connects the hotel with the new shopping mall and cafes at Weizmann Center.
Boutique hotel in a Bauhaus building, rooms in a minimalist style. No breakfast on site, you get a voucher for the cafe a short block away. They also run the Olympia 500 m north along the street.
Israel Youth Hostel Association
45 rooms all with a/c.
Clean friendly place, free parking, most rooms have kitchenettes.
Friendly hotel within a minute of the beach, rooms are small.
Barely 60 m from beach, nice rooms but a tad small. Great sunset views from rooftop terrace but this is a smoking area.
Good hotel within walking distance of the nightlife, beach and Dizengoff. Part of Atlas chain who have a dozen hotels in TA.
The only gay guest house in Israel. It is in the heart of Tel Aviv gay and center district and a short walk to the beach. Best to book in advance.
Boutique hotel near the marina, gets great reviews for comfort and service.
Boutique-style hotel with suites in contemporary style.
Next to marina, some construction noise, but generally a good standard for rooms and service.
Good location by marina, okay rooms, but a lot of noisy construction all day long - the end date for this isn't known.
Beachfront hotel gets great reviews for comfort, food and service.
Boxy modern hotel on the shoreline. Quality of rooms varies greatly depending on whether they've been upgraded yet: this work continues in early 2020.
Great location near beach, decent rooms showing their age. Service mostly good with some lapses.
Large hotel on northern seafront. Rooms okay but showing their age, service erratic.
A high-class international chain hotel, overlooking the Med; part of the Marriott chain and fairly reliable for comfort.
In the Azrieli tower complex 2 km from sea, reliable chain offering.
Good location and rooms, try for a sea view else all you see is surrounding construction. The roof-top pool is neat. Parking is problematic but that's typical for downtown TA.
The Drisco Hotel Tel-Aviv
The Drisco Hotel is in the center of the picturesque and pastoral American – German colony in Tel Aviv which was established in 1866, with a quiet and pleasant environment surrounded by beautiful houses which were restored by an artist. The George and John restaurant, headed by chef Tomer Tal, won the title "the best restaurant in Israel" and made it into the top 6 in the ranking of the best restaurants of "Middle East & North Africa's 50 Best Restaurants" of 2023. You can also find throughout the hotel other lovely sites; the lounge – which is decorated with original historical murals painted in 1925, a pleasant rooftop terrace – overlooking to the beach of Tel Aviv, a beautiful patio – where you can enjoy breakfast, fully equipped gym, spa treatment rooms, well maintained garden.
A trendy and much livelier street that has mainly clothing shops of smaller less known designers along with known brands. Also contains many coffee shops and restaurants. During Friday this street is as crowded on the sidewalk as most of Tel Aviv is on the road.
Many different shops all along Dizengoff street, with the north of Dizengoff is spread with many small Israeli designer shops.
A street that is close to the beach and tourist area has several Judaica, Jewelery and Souvenir shops.
Offers tiny stores selling everything from cheap household accessories like clothes hangers and ironing boards, to specialist kosher butchers and cheese stores.
Nation Square
One of the biggest squares in Tel Aviv (and Israel). A very expensive and chic area for shopping with many major designer stores all around a big green circular traffic square.
The largest and most famous market in Tel Aviv. Hosting clothing, food, souvenirs, and other shops. Watch out for the prices, not seldomly prices double for tourists.
A craft fair is held in the Nachalat Binyamin pedestrian zone every Tuesday and Friday (often more frequently during the summer and other holidays). In addition to the truly original crafts (which can make good gifts), presented by their creators, you can enjoy a good atmosphere and street shows.
Tel Aviv Antiques and Secondhand Goods Market
Held twice a week in Dizengoff Square, this is a good place to find all sorts of vintage and second-hand goods.
HaShalom Mall
Situated at the feet of the Azriely Towers and connected to HaShalom Train Station. This is the largest mall in the city and is often over crowded. Visitors can climb to the top of the mall for a nice free view of the city, or get to the observatory at the top of the Circular Tower (see in the "do" section). There are many stores in the mall, along with a large movie theater.
The first mall in Israel. This large mall has, in addition to the usual selection, some specialty shops, such as musical instruments, stamps, hand-held devices, hobby etc. On Thursday and Friday there is a food market inside the mall with all kinds of restaurants and amateur chefs selling dishes for decent prices.
Just off Rabin Square, an up-market oriented mini-mall with a great cafe at the top of it.
A new shopping mall that mainly focuses on fashion. Located where the former wholesale market was.
One of the cities best second hand clothing shops. Sells modern, trendy clothing at unbelievably low prices.
Founded in 2003 by Neve Tzedek residents, the Sipur Pashut Book Shop is counted among Israel’s outstanding, independent bookshops. Sipur Pashut holds a vast English collection.
Contemporary art by local artists.
Young contemporary art by Israeli and international artists.
Located in the heart of Tel Aviv, Gallery97 specializes in superior quality Israeli and Jewish art. A modern art gallery, concentrating on purchasing and selling artworks from Ecole de Paris and Jewish artists of the 20th century.
Gallery and an auction house for art and antiques.
By train
Both Tel Aviv Central Train Station and Tel Aviv HaShalom Train Station are on the edge of this district. (However, HaShalom is not served on weekends, i.e. Friday and Saturday.)
A dense network of bus lines operates through the Tel Aviv city center, branching out to other districts and suburbs.
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