Tel Aviv is a unique city and one of the most beautiful places in the entire world. It is also known under the names of White City, and the city that never sleeps because of the many entertainment places available every hour. Tel Aviv is full of art, history, culture, and its nightlife is pretty lively.
You can embrace artistic interests such as architecture in Tel Aviv and, at the same time, enjoy the beach because this city has multiple sides with a lot to offer at the same time. There are many top tourist and cultural places you need to visit in Tel Aviv.
The Beaches Of Tel Aviv
The renewed seashore promenade goes along Tel Aviv’s coastline. Many cafes and restaurants populate the beachside, where you can enjoy fresh Mediterranean food with a magnificent sea view along the Tel Aviv shore.
It is magic to admire the sunset at the beach listening to the sea wave sound.
The main beaches of Tel Aviv are:
- Frishman Beach is located in the very centre of the city, and it is also suitable for families. Moreover, it has volleyball yards, and it is close to many cafes, restaurants, and bars. Frishman Beach is one of the best places in Tel Aviv to relax and enjoy the beauty of the Mediterranean sea.
- Gordon Beach is situated in Tel Aviv Marina, and it is a crowded beach offering volleyball spaces and a seawater swimming pool with a fantastic sea view. You can work out at the gym and enjoy the numerous bars in the area around that offer a stunning sunset view of the sea.
- Bograshov Beach is another central beach along the famous Tel Aviv promenade where you can enjoy a delightful swim and then relax on the golden sand enjoying the sun. This beach is very central; hence, it is easy to discover Tel Aviv centre’s many eateries and shops.
- Rainbow umbrellas feature Hilton Beach, and it is the unofficial gay beach of Tel Aviv. It is a prominent place for surfing in the southern part, and in the northern area, it is a dog-friendly beach.
- Giva’at Aliya Beach is the southernmost beach of Tel Aviv, very close to Bat Yam and featured by stone arches and majestic palm trees. On this beach, you can practise many sports such as volleyball, windsurfing, and kayaking. And of course, you can enjoy a refreshing drink with a stunning sea view afterwards.
- Metsitsim Beach has been named after the famous 1970’s Israeli movie “Metsitsim”. It is a beach close to Tel Aviv Port, and it is family-friendly, offering children’s playgrounds. As on the other Tel Aviv beaches, volleyball’s yards don’t miss, and the beautiful white sand makes unique this beach.
- Tel Barukh Beach is a quiet beach far from Tel Aviv centre, close to the Ramat Aviv neighbourhood. It is a family-friendly beach, and it offers many entertainments such as an outdoor workout area, a volleyball yard, playgrounds, green gardens and restaurants with a stunning view, which make this beach the perfect spot to relax enjoying the summertime.
- Charles Clore Beach is close to Jaffa, and it is one of the calmest beaches of Tel Aviv, being far from the city centre. This beach offers a unique experience from the point of view of closeness to nature. You can go for a walk, visit the Jaffa Port and the Etzel Museum.
- Jerusalem Beach is located close to the big Allenby street, one of the busiest avenues of Tel Aviv centre, and it is one of the most popular beaches of the city crowded by tourists and locals because of its central position. Work out areas, volleyball yards, and playgrounds are inside the beach, which offers plenty of space.
- South Tzuk Beach is in the Northern region of Tel Aviv, and it is a beautiful and calm place, which is suitable for families. There is a restaurant, an outdoor gym, a volleyball yard and a playground like the other beaches.
Neve Tzedek – The oldest Jewish neighbourhood of Tel Aviv
The oldest neighbourhood of Tel Aviv is Neve Tzedek, and it is a fashionable centre of chic and trendy boutiques, art galleries, restaurants and cultural institutes.
Indeed, Neve Tzedek was the first Jewish neighbourhood to be created outside Jaffa. The district presents beautifully restored residences, and its streets exhibit the allure of the late 19th century.
It is highly recommended a walking tour primarily for romantics, history lovers, miniature and winding alleys enthusiasts. It is very recommended to taste the delicious icecreams at Anita, one of the city’s best ice cream shops; moreover, it is a delight to walk in the characteristic narrow street of this area and get lost in it. Another fantastic place to visit is Dallal, which is a fabulous spot to enjoy your lunch, or you can enjoy another delicious ice cream at Granny’s Ice cream, i.e. Glida Savta, close to the Suzan Dallal Art Center.
The highlights of Neve Tzedek are:
- Nahum Gutman Museum Of Art is located in Shim’on Rokah St 21 in Tel Aviv, and it is a fascinating art museum. It is dedicated to the artist Nahum Gutman, who was a famous documentarist of Tel Aviv history. The museum exhibits paintings, scripts and drawings of the artist.
- Suzanne Dellal Centre in Yehi’Eli St 5 dates back to 1989, and it’s the principal dance centre that made and makes famous Israeli dance worldwide. There are always shows, events, festivals, performances, and seminars correlated to the dance world in the centre. It is one of the essential must-visit cultural places in Tel Aviv.
- Hatachana Park in Kaufman St 65 is a special place where modernity and history blend. It hosted the first Middle Eastern railway dating back to 1892. This train route united Old Jaffa and Jerusalem, substituting camels for carrying heavy loads. Nowadays, HaTachana Park is a popular open-air shopping and entertainment centre. You can explore the historical train trails and visit artist boutiques, galleries, and restaurants in restored buildings dating back to the Ottoman era.
- Shabazi Street is one of the main pathways of Neve Tzedek. You will enjoy passing the afternoon in fashionable cafes, boutiques, and art galleries whilst encircled by elegant 19th-century architecture. The vintage and romantic atmosphere of Shabazi Street will enchant you at the point of revisiting it again and again.
Rabin Square
One of Israel’s most popular and beautiful squares is Rabin Square, in Ibn Gvirol St 70, a central location in Tel Aviv and a must-visit place. Additionally, in 1995 this square was renamed in memory of Yitzhak Rabin, Israel’s Prime Minister, who was murdered during a pro-peace assembly. In this impressive square, there are open gardens with chairs close to the central fountain.
This unique and iconic public plaza has been a place for demonstrations, ceremonies, parades, parties, and performances over the years. There are the Holocaust Memorial Sculpture, the City Hall, and Yitzhak Rabin Memorial in this square. The place additionally has an ecological pond beside the central fountain, and it is surrounded by numerous cafes, restaurants, and bars.
Jaffa’s Old City and Port
The oldest port city in the world, Jaffa’s Old City is a maze of stores and cafes that spill over into Jaffa’s flea market.
You will find many delicious fresh fish dishes in the restaurants at the Port and have a stroll losing yourself in the winding alleys of the Twelve Signs. Old Jaffa is the most ancient harbour city in the world. It is full of historical places, eateries, and fascinating stories. Jaffa’s ancient history dates back to several centuries ago. Nowadays, it offers a lively nightlife display besides providing various entertainments and places to visit such as mosques, churches, old clock towers, art galleries, museums, trendy restaurants and an ancient and famous flea market.
Jaffa Port is the most ancient harbour in the world, and it is well-known as the Port from which Jonah started his sea adventures following the biblical story of “Jonah and Whale”.
For many centuries, this Port has been the trading centre of anglers, sailors, and merchants. Today, it is a favourite vacation place. You will enjoy dining at a local seafood restaurant, visiting art galleries, and going on a boat while admiring the beautiful view.
Tel Aviv Port
Namal Tel Aviv, the other name of the Tel Aviv Port, has latterly been renovated, and it is one of the most exciting areas in the city centre. During the day, the coffeehouses and shops at Namal Tel Aviv house one of the trendiest nightlife of the town, being one of the most popular nightspots. Additionally, whilst the Port is a popular destination for young partygoers at night, it is also fantastic to pass the afternoon shopping and contemplating the beautiful sea in the middle of eateries, stores, and other entertainments. For example, you can visit Yahaloma close to the Port’s farmers’ market to discover some fine local cuisine.
The Great Synagogue in Tel Aviv
The Great Synagogue is located in Allenby St 110, and it dates back to 1926 when it has been completed as designed by Yehuda Magidovitch. Later in 1970, the building has been restored, adding external arches. This synagogue is featured by stained glass windows, an immense dome, and bizarre lighting installations. You are welcome to join a Shabbat meal or visit this majestic synagogue to admire its historical architecture.
Another nightlife hub is the square around the Great Synagogue on Allenby Street. Of course, you will find a vast choice of excellent restaurants such as the famous Port Said restaurant and interesting bars all around the area.
Habima Square
Tel Aviv’s Habima Square, also known as The Stage Square, is the famous HaBima national theatre with its philharmonic orchestra, and it is one of the gorgeous squares in Tel Aviv. It is a dreamy place where it is located the well-known Habima Theater, a modern theatre whose restoration dates back to 2009.
A green area characterises Habima Square with gardens of flowers, a colourful sunken garden, a reflecting water pond, an artificial grass hill, and several sculptures. Most of Israel’s national theatre performances are mainly in Hebrew, but most of them are translated into English.
This theatre was initially founded in Moscow in 1913, and it was the first modern theatre with performances in the Hebrew language. Subsequently, in 1928 the company moved to Tel Aviv because of the persecutions in Russia, settling in its actual location at the top of Rothschild Boulevard, which was named in 1945 Habima Square. It is the perfect place for socialisation, families’ and friends’ gatherings.
The White City – Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv is world-famous for its impressive and extravagant complex of Bauhaus architecture. It is located on Rothschild Boulevard, and it dates back to the 1930s when German immigrants founded it.
The White City is featured by the world’s most extensive collection of international style houses. Bauhaus architecture has been brought to Israel by German Jews, and it also combined elements of traditional Israeli designs.
It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it is renowned as the White City Bauhaus architectural style that makes unique the city of Tel Aviv. An emblematic Bauhaus building is the Liebling Haus, co-founded centre by the Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality and the German Government. Its purpose is to save the heritage of the White City and Bauhaus International Style buildings. Tel Aviv has been the first Hebrew city of the Mediterranean coastal seaside with its glowing white International Style buildings, representing the reinvention and conceptualisation of Modernism.
Dizengoff Street
Dizengoff Street is one of the main streets of Tel Aviv, and its euphoric and vibrant atmosphere is unique. This sparkling street is full of all kinds of boutiques, shops, restaurants, supermarkets, cafeterias, bars, and exceptional places.
In this beautiful avenue, there is one of the oldest and most prominent shopping malls in Israel, i.e. Dizengoff Center, not far from the iconic and historic Dizengoff Square featured by a dazzling fountain. Moreover, Dizengoff Center, pet-friendly, offers all kinds of shops and boutiques besides eateries and cafes. The nightlife of Dizengoff Street is pretty vibrant and fascinating wherever you choose to grab a drink, savour a delicious dinner or dance all night.
Florentin
The hipster and artistic neighbourhood of Florentin is an actual artsy centre. It arose in the ’90s as an art hub because of its low rental prices and characteristic loft apartments. Florentin is the house of artists, musicians, designers, and photographers. Its colourful streets are adorned by art street and graffitis.
The nightlife in this neighbourhood is pretty vibrant every hour, with its trendy and bizarre bars, pubs and restaurants. In Levinski Street, there is a well-known market, Levinski Market, crowded with spices, nuts, dried fruits and typical Middle-Eastern fresh food. You can have a nice walk among the numerous local restaurants tasting the regional cuisine, which is a blend of different Jewish cuisines.
Sarona Colony
Sarona Colony is located in Aluf Albert Mendler St 14, and it is a shopping and entertainment centre, originally a German Templar Colony dating back to 1871. Here, you will find Sarona Market, a gastronome destination and indoor market with over 90 shops, stalls and eateries offering the best experience regarding contemporary Israeli cuisine. It is very recommended to buy characteristic Israeli products.
The Carmel Market
The Carmel Market, mostly known as Shuk HaCarmel, is the biggest and most renowned Tel Aviv market with its endless food stands, typical shops, and local restaurants. You will find every kind of vegetables, fruits and spices besides clothing at low prices. Recently, this place became trendy because of many bars, restaurants and Middle-Eastern street food stalls.
Rothschild Boulevard
One of the most stunning and remarkable avenues of Tel Aviv is Rothschild Boulevard, with its trees, flower gardens and green areas. It is an enjoyable and relaxing experience strolling or biking in this big boulevard along with the many coffee kiosks, café, bars, eateries and nightclubs.
This tree-lined avenue offers every kind of entertainment at every hour of the day and night. You will notice the typical Bauhaus architecture admiring the several elegant building on this big avenue. By night, the atmosphere of Rothschild Boulevard is magical, and it becomes a sophisticated location with its trendy bars and clubs.
The Tel Aviv Museum Of Art
The Tel Aviv Museum of Art hosts the most extensive Israeli art collection in the world. Inside the museum, there are also well-renowned artworks by European masters such as Picasso and Monet.
Additionally, there are exhibitions about photography and design. Initially, the museum has been designed by Preston Scott Cohen, and the building is a masterpiece of architecture. In 2020, the Tel Aviv Museum of Art had been ranked at the 48th position among 100 museums by The Art Newspaper.
HaYarkon Park
HaYarkon Park, or Ganne Yehoshua, is the largest park in Tel Aviv and one of the biggest in Israel. Its name comes from the river that crosses the park, which stretches from the Tel Aviv seaside up to Ramat HaHayyal.
It is a natural green oasis with a hot air balloon, a bird park, a cactus garden with rock sculptures, tropical gardens and boat rentals. Every day this park is crowded with people running, strolling, biking, and relaxing on the green meadows. There are different trails for every kind of activity, and it is a fantastic place to get in contact with nature in the heart of Tel Aviv.
Tel Aviv is a city with endless resources, surprises and entertainments for each kind of person. This city will never stop amusing tourists and locals because of its history, culture, arts, fashion, music, architecture, nature, and culinary traditions.