Attractions and Itineraries for Tel Aviv – Yafo

This guide covers museums, markets, and other attractions in Tel Aviv and Jaffa and suggests how to spend several days in the city.

An old saying in Israel is, “In Jerusalem, people pray. In Haifa, work, and if you are looking for entertainment, then go to Tel Aviv.” So, we will review some of those entertainment options on this page.

Map of Tel Aviv

Let’s start with a map of Tel Aviv. On this map, you can see attractions, museums, markets, and other points of interest. You can zoom in and move the map. When you select one of the pins, you will see a short description and a link to the relevant article.

Interactive map of the area:

Attractions in Tel Aviv

• Tel Aviv is located by the seashore. And the Middeterenian Sea attracts many people. Many tourists visit the city just for the beaches and the sea promenade. Metzitzim Beach, Religious Beach, Hilton Dog Beach, Gay Beach, Gordon, Frishman, and many other beaches. I will say that if you love beaches, then you will enjoy the town. Here is a link to one of the best beach guides I found. And though you can stay at the beaches for a week (or even more), we will continue to the sea promenade.
• Tel Aviv Port is a nice place for a walk, performing different sports activities, or spending time with kids.
• Azrieli is probably the most recognizable complex in Tel Aviv’s skyline. In this post, we will photograph next to Azrieli and then take an elevator to Azrieli Observatory, the highest observatory in the Middle East.
• Russian Orthodox Church in Abu Kabir is located in the Abu Kabir neighborhood, in the southern part of Tel Aviv, next to Ofer Cohen and Levanon streets.
• Sarona was a German Templer colony that is now a restored neighborhood with various attractions.
• Ariel Sharon Park, also Hiriya, is a former waste dump converted into an Ecological Park.
• Sunset at Science Walkway next to Tel Aviv University is quite short, but despite that, it offers several excellent viewpoints of the city.
• Afeka Caves and Drezner Grove offer a lovely and easy hike close to Tel Aviv. On this path, you will see many flowers and ancient burial caves.
• Ganei Yehoshua (Park Yarkon) offers various attractions, including a Tropical Garden, Unique Gardens (consisting of a rock garden, a cactus garden, and a trimmed garden), Rosh Tzipor Birdwatching Center, and more.

Museums

• The Palmach Museum opened its doors in May 2000. It is an interactive history museum that introduces Palmach’s legacy.
• Nalagaat Center “Please Touch” in Hebrew, crowned by The New York Times as “a simple, universal message, powerfully conveys from the stage,” has established itself as one of the most innovative theaters globally and Israel’s leading cultural sites. Nalaga’at, a unique, nonprofit center of culture and arts, is a meeting place for the deaf, blind, deaf-blind, and the general public.
• The Yitzhak Rabin Center is the national institute established by the Knesset in 1997 that advances the legacy of the late Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, a path-breaking, visionary leader whose life was cut short in a devastating assassination. The Center presents Yitzhak Rabin’s remarkable life and tragic death, crucial elements of the history of Israel, whose impact must not be ignored or forgotten lest risk the recurrence of such shattering events.
• Tel Aviv Museum of Art is a municipal museum and one of Israel’s leading artistic and cultural institutions. The museum comprises various departments: The Department of Israeli Art, the Department of Modern and Contemporary Art, the Department of Prints and Drawings, the Department of Photography, the Department of Architecture and Design, and the Old Masters Department.
• Independence Hall, or Beit Haatzmaut, is housed in one of Tel Aviv’s first buildings on the plot of land where the drawing of lots took place (April 1909). Note: Independence Hall is closed to visitors due to extensive renovations that will take a few years.
• The Ben-Gurion House was built in 1930-1931 when the first workers’ neighborhood was established on the Jewish National Fund land. Ben-Gurion requested that the house become a public institution for reading, study, and research. After his death, the Israeli Parliament unanimously voted for, following the decision of the Government of Israel, the “David Ben-Gurion Law – 1976,” which declared the house a national site.
• Eretz Israel Museum is a very diverse museum. There is something for everybody. Check out the linked guide for additional details.
• The Museum of the Jewish People at Beit Hatfutsot connects Jews to their roots and strengthens their personal and collective Jewish identity. It conveys to the world the fascinating narrative of the Jewish people and the essence of Jewish culture, faith, purpose, and deed while presenting the contribution of world Jewry to humanity.
• The IDF History Museum is dedicated to Israel’s military, from the underground organizations active during the British Mandate for Palestine to the modern Israel Defense Forces. The museum is located in Neve Tzedek. This museum is now closed, and its exhibits will be moved to Yad La-Shiryon.
• Joseph Bau House Museum is an authentic workshop that conveys to visitors the fantastic story of this Israeli artist.
• Rubin Museum was originally a residential house where the artist lived and worked until his death. Today, it is a lovely small art museum.
• Nahum Gutman Museum of Art in Tel Aviv has a permanent exhibition dedicated to the artist and several temporary exhibitions.

Markets

There are many markets in Tel Aviv. You can divide them into two categories. The first one is the “old” Markets, which have existed for many years. They are Carmel Market, Nachalat Binyamin Market, HaTikva Market, Levinsky Market, and Vintage Market.

There are also “new” markets. I refer to markets created in recent years, such as Sarona Market, The Port Market, North Market, and Rothschild Allenby Market. You can find out more at Best Tel Aviv and Jaffa Markets.

Tel Aviv Walks Series

My wife and I started a new tradition. Usually, on Friday mornings, when we have the morning to ourselves, we explore the streets of Tel Aviv. I called this series “Tel Aviv Walks,” and here are the walks:

1. Allenby Street – In this first walk, we visited Rothschild Boulevard, along Allenby Street, and several bookstores.
2. Neve Tzedek was the first Jewish neighborhood built (established in 1887) outside Jaffa. For years, the area prospered as Tel Aviv grew up around it. Years of neglect and disrepair followed, but since the early 1980s, Neve Tzedek has become one of Tel Aviv’s latest fashionable and expensive districts, with a village-like atmosphere.
3. Dizengoff – From Rabin Square, we headed to Dizengoff Street. The street and the old Dizengoff Square can be seen.
4. Yarkon River – Join us for a hike at Yarkon Park along the river. We started at Tel Aviv port and headed to Ayalon Bridge and back.
5. City Center – let’s drink juice at Tamara Juice, walk along Bograshov Street, and stop at Habima Theater.
6. Sarona Market is an indoor market at the center of Tel Aviv. Many Israelis define it as being in Tel Aviv but feeling in Europe. It is a high-class market, meaning you can find many high-quality products and restaurants, but they are not cheap.
7. Bialik Street is one of the most renovated streets in the city. Bialik House and Museum, Beit Ha’ir (former municipality), and Bauhaus Museum are at Bialik Square.
8. The Heart of Tel Aviv is the city’s ninth quarter. We started at Rothschild Blvd and continued west. There, you can find The Pagoda House and Chelouche Gallery for Contemporary Art. It is one of the best areas to visit if you love architecture.
9. Rothschild Allenby Market – In this post, we will visit one of the latest markets in the town. Unfortunately, the owners of this market have run into financial difficulties since its opening, and it is currently closed.
10. TLV Fashion Mall is a new concept mall not far from Azrieli. We also visited the nearby Antiques Market.
11. White Night In Tel Aviv is an annual event organized by the Tel Aviv municipality. Join us for celebrations across the city.
12. Graffiti At Florentin – Tel Aviv Graffiti tours, especially at Florentin, have become very popular in recent years. And in this post, you will see what all the hype is about.
13. The American-German Colony is a small residential neighborhood in Tel Aviv-Yafo. It is one of the city’s best-kept secrets.

Things To Do in Jaffa

• Old Jaffa – In this guide, we will visit Jaffa’s most popular tourist attractions, such as St. Peter’s Church, Zodiac Fountain, Yemenite Art Center, Ramses Gate, and Jaffa Alleys. There is also a separate guide to Jaffa Port.
• Do you know where the name “Flea Market” comes from? The answer to this question and additional details about the market can be found at Jaffa Flea Market.

Exhibitions, Events, And Concerts

• Researchers’ Night is an annual science festival held in research and scientific institutions since 2007. Join us for a visit to Researchers’ Night.
• Automotor is an annual car exhibition held at the Tel Aviv Convention Center, usually during Passover vacation. Automotor 2013 was special because, in addition to regular cars, there were cars from movies, including the Batmobile.
• Join us for a Yanni World Tour concert.
• Book Week is an annual event that occurs at the beginning of June. During this, you can buy discounted books and enjoy other activities.
• Here Come The Dinosaurs is an exhibition that was held on the roof of Azrieli in 2014 and has since returned to different places in Israel.
• Each Purim, there are celebrations in different cities in Israel. Check out Purim Celebrations at Tel Aviv Port.
• Eretz Israel Museum holds various exhibitions. Here are two of them: The Dancing Machine at Eretz Israel Museum (you can find information about the show and the Eretz Israel Museum) and Ice Age and Dinosaurs – The Exhibition.
• The Monsters Garden Exhibition tells the story of different monsters funnily.
• Snow Park at the port is a new, fun, and refreshing experience.

And now, let’s go over route suggestions.

How do you spend a weekend in Tel Aviv?

In this paragraph, I will suggest how to spend several days in Tel Aviv. And I will mention not only attractions within the city but around it as well. Also, I am not going to suggest the exact day-by-day activity. Instead, I will recommend full-day activities, and you can combine the days and the events according to your preferences.

Within Nonstop City

Tel Aviv is branded as Nonstop City, and something always happens there. In this section, I will list my favorites and the most popular attractions according to TripAdvisor.

List of various full-day options:

• Usually, on the first day, I prefer to walk the city. You can walk along the sea promenade or in one of Tel Aviv’s neighborhoods (check Tel Aviv Walks Series above). Moreover, you can rent a bicycle and cycle in the city. And, of course, there is plenty of walking, cycling, and Segway introductory tours. In the afternoon (during the hottest hours), I suggest visiting one of the museums from the list above. And you can swim or walk in another part of the sea promenade in the evening.
• A visit to Old Jaffa and Jaffa Flea Market. That will take most of the day. In the evening, you can go to the beach or do one of the walks from the list above — for example, Neve Tzedek, Graffiti At Florentin, Bialik Street, or The Heart of Tel Aviv.
• You can combine the Tel Aviv Museum of Art with Sarona Market for the first half (or even more) day tour. And in the evening, you can visit Rothschild Boulevard and feel the vibe of the city.
• If you visit on a Tuesday or a Friday, a nice combo would be Carmel Market and Nachalat Binyamin (see Market in Tel Aviv).
• If you are traveling with kids, see Attractions in Tel Aviv with Kids.

Note: If you can adjust the plan to the weather, do so. Since it gets hot around noon most days, I would advise scheduling a museum or some other activity within an air-conditioned space for the hottest hours of the day.

Day Tours to Other Places

Since Israel is a small country, you can reach the Negev desert, Northern Israel, or Jerusalem within several hours’ drive. One of the most popular day tour options includes visiting the Old City of Jerusalem (see additional details about Jerusalem). Visiting Masada and the Dead Sea, Caesarea, Haifa, Acre, and even Rosh HaNikra Grottoes are also excellent options.

Lastly, I would like to mention Israel Trip Planner. Check it out for additional information.