City Guide: Tel Aviv
THE BASICS
Country: Israel
Language: Hebrew
Currency: Israeli Shekels NIS / ILS but lots of tour companies will accept US dollars
Getting there: From the airport, a taxi can cost you up to 190 shekels (£40 roughly)
Taxis: Download the Gett app. No uber.
Power: Originally type H but being phased out. You will only need Type C – Europe.
Internet: We recommend getting an E-Sim, you can do that HERE.
Best time to visit: With only a few days of rain a year (when we went) Tel Aviv and Israel are perfect for all year round travel.
Notes: Remember Shabbat. It begins at sundown on Friday until sunset on Saturday. In Jerusalem, the city is completely closed. There’s not even public transport. Tel Aviv is different and lots will remain open but just take note that it is the Jewish day of rest if you are traveling around Israel.
What an amazing country Israel is. After spending half of our time in other parts of Israel we finished our trip with 4 days in Tel Aviv across two different locations and this is what I discovered during my research and through my experience of this incredible city.
WHERE TO STAY
Jaffa
My recommendation is Jaffa. I can see how it could be slightly more complicated to navigate around central Tel Aviv from Jaffa but in my opinion, Jaffa was so magical that I could’ve stayed there the whole time.
We stayed here in a little apartment from booking.com – I think the price was great for Tel Aviv and it sleeps up to 4 people. It’s not a fancy hotel, but it’s just what you need and the location is perfect.
Centre District
We stayed in the centre district of Tel Aviv in Hotel Saul, the most wonderful boutique hotel. You can check them out here or on booking.com
We’ll write more about Hotel Saul soon but we give it 10/10 for value, location, aesthetics, and vibe.
Neve Tzedek
Known as the ‘Artsy’ part of Tel Aviv. Full of avant-garde design stores, boutique shops, and great cafes.
Florentin
Considered the ‘up and coming’ neighbourhood in Tel Aviv, accommodation is slightly cheaper but still amazing for those on a bit of a budget.
The Beachfront
Anywhere along the beach is an excellent place to stay, especially in summer. Anywhere close to the beach is packed with shops, restaurants and there is plenty to do.
WHERE TO EAT
I feel the pressure for this section because Tel Aviv is famous for its food. Before our trip everyone just kept saying things like ‘Just wait until you try the food’ ‘You’ll die the food is that good’ and ‘It’s the best food you’ll ever have in your life’ I just didn’t have enough time to try all the amazing food in this city. I also didn’t have the budget by the end of our giant adventure exploring Israel. Even the ‘cheap’ food we found was delicious.
So below are all the spots we ate at and more recommendations from locals and then some fancier tips for those looking for an extra special dinner out in Tel Aviv.
Coffee & breakfast
Cafelix Coffee – Jaffa and Tel Aviv
Absolutely my favourite coffee in Israel.
Milk Bakery
Decent coffee, fresh pastries, and a great location to sit outside in the sun.
Casino San Remo
Sit down breakfast with good coffee.
See their breakfast menu here.
Habutke Cafe
This was a little café near our hotel. I didn’t expect good coffee but I was so pleasantly surprised. Great coffee! We didn’t try the food.
YomTov Café
Hidden amongst the Carmel Market – we loved this spot on our last morning.
Brunch and coffee are great. Highly recommend a visit.
Dinner
Dr. Shakshuka
Beit Eshel St 3, Tel Aviv-Yafo
I could’ve eaten here every single night. This is a must-eat location. In the heart of Jaffa near the old clock tower and positioned throughout a big archway, Dr. Shakshuka is full of vibe! Big tables overflowing into the alleyway, delicious shakshuka (baked eggs) and the best homemade lemonade I’ve ever had! The bread and side dishes were just as good and I can’t recommend it enough.
Falafel Resto.
Allenby St 49, Tel Aviv-Yafo
Normally you would walk past a takeaway shop like this. But when there are people everywhere and nowhere to sit then you should always pay attention! It’s cheap, the portions are huge, the salads are limitless and refillable and it was SO DELICIOUS.
Casino San Remo
Nehama St 2, Tel Aviv-Yafo
Affordable without compromising on experience or taste. In Jaffa, we had one of our only meals out here in Tel Aviv. Delicious homemade food! See their dinner menu here.
The Old Man and The Sea
Kedem St 85, Tel Aviv-Yafo
In Jaffa with a stunning view of the ocean. Good prices and fresh food! You can book online.
Other recommendations that are a little bit fancier
Aria
Claro
Alena
Dinings
North Abraxas
HaSalon
Mashya
Shila
Messa
Emesh
Other
Abouelafia Bakery
Yefet St 7, Tel Aviv-Yafo
In Jaffa close to the flea market this store is full of nougat, treats and well, I’m still dreaming about it. I wish I bought more. It’s perfect for something cheaper for lunch and the best sugary snacks.
Stefan Gelato
Tchernikhovski St 21, Tel Aviv-Yafo
Natural Gelato shop owned by a lovely couple serving amazing strudel and great coffee.
Golda
Olei Zion St 9, Tel Aviv-Yafo
My favourite meal of my entire trip. It’s right near the flea market in Jaffa and has plenty of gelato flavours to choose from as well as frozen yoghurt with every topping you can think of.
WHAT TO DO
Explore Jaffa
Visit the Old Port, walk up into the old town and through all the winding streets visiting all the beautiful art stores.
Check out the clock tower and walk down all the beautiful back streets through to the flea market where you will find vintage items and boutique shops. Don’t’ forget to barter in the market.
The Beach
In summer you can swim, hire sunbeds and surf. In the winter and off-season, it’s still beautiful to walk along. Watch out for jellyfish!
Carmel Market
Such a great food market to get lost in. I was ordering 10NIS worth of Halva and the guy gave me half a kilo of it instead because I smiled.
Food Tour
Delicious Israel offers some fabulous food tours.
Shop
Check out My Walkaholics in Jaffa - locally designed shoes. We met the owner and I bought 2 pairs. A great reference point for good shopping in Jaffa. Tel Aviv has some big shopping malls like the Dizengoff centre but the best shopping I found was in Jaffa and throughout markets around Tel Aviv.
Day Trips
Tel Aviv is a great place to stay if you’re wanting to do some Holy Land travel! We’ll be going into this in detail soon but from Tel Aviv, you could consider a few different trips - The dead sea, Masada, Jerusalem, Nazareth, Sea of Galilee and more. A good recommendation for cheaper group tours is Tourist Israel. We didn’t use them but I have heard really good things, I also emailed them back and forth for months and they were really helpful. I ended up using a private guide whom I will link shortly.
Last notes: Israel is expensive! If you’ve done some research on hotels, Airbnbs, tours, transport and so on you might have realised that by now but if not, you heard it here first.
Enjoy actually Going Home Broke x
If you’re looking for a great and reliable transfer in Israel - we recommend booking through our favourite partner HERE.
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