17 Fun Things To Do In Tel Aviv, Israel

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17 Must Things To Do In Tel Aviv, Israel
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Tel Aviv, Israel is one of the world’s hidden gem cities. It’s the perfect metropolitan city with so much to offer at any given time. If you’ve ever been to Miami and loved it, you would love Tel Aviv because they are very alike. Beautiful crystal clear beaches, crazy nightlife, amazing restaurants, fashion boutiques and a great social life.

It’s a city that never sleeps, where most people leave their house to go out at around 11:30pm and party it up until the early morning hours with most bars and clubs closing at 4am-6am. Besides Tel Aviv being a party city, during day time, it has a very chill and relaxed lifestyle mixed with hectic, if that makes sense. You can totally have a relaxing day on the beach enjoying a beer and some fresh watermelon, dine at a cute cafe for lunch and go shopping in the afternoon, but the streets are always packed with people, buses, cars and bike riders. Almost everyone in Tel Aviv speaks English, as well as Hebrew of course and people tend to be pretty friendly and welcoming. Tel Aviv is by far my favorite place to spend summer, I try to make it out there every summer because there is always so much to do. Besides this great list I have for you below, during summer time, there are lots of festivals like gay pride week and white night and also awesome concerts. We’ve had Lady Gaga, Rhianna, Justin Bieber, Elton John, Leonard Cohen, Madonna, Red Hot Chili Peppers and more perform during the summer.

Below photos from Gay Pride Week. 

gay pride week in israel - 17 Fun Things To Do In Tel Aviv, Israel gay pride festival in Israel, Tel Aviv - 17 Fun Things To Do In Tel Aviv, Israel

I could nearly write a book about just how great Tel Aviv and Israel is, but for now, I’ll keep it simple with the must do things and places to see in Tel Aviv and my personal favorites.

Beach Time

Hofit Kim Cohen - Vanilla Sky Dreaming Tel Aviv beach 17 Fun Things To Do In Tel Aviv, Israel

You can’t go to Tel Aviv and not visit its beautiful beaches, it’s like going to Paris and not seeing the Eiffel Tower. During summer time, the beaches of Tel Aviv are packed from 9am-7pm (sunset). The most popular day to go to the beach is on Saturday. If you want to find a good spot, make sure to get there early. The most popular beaches in Tel Aviv are Gordon Beach, Frishman Beach and Bograshov Beach, which are my personal favorites. However, there are many more beaches down the coastline, each with their own 24hr restaurants, serving food, cocktails and hookah. You can rent a sun chair and umbrella for your comfort. The locals and young crowds like to hang out at Gordon beach.

Azrieli Towers

Azraeli Towers, Tel Aviv - 17 Fun Things To Do In Tel Aviv, Israel

Tel Aviv’s pride and joy. A beautiful architecture piece made out of 3 buildings, each shaped differently, with one being shaped as a triangle, the other a circle and the other square, standing at 187 m (614 ft) in height. While most of the buildings are offices, the lower part of the Azrieli is a 3-floor mall, one of the biggest and best malls in Israel.

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Sarona Market

Hands down my favorite place to hang out at after the beach. Sarona Market is the newest addition to Tel Aviv. Sarona Market is divided into two sections; the outdoor and indoor areas. The outdoor area is a nice place to take a walk with beautiful parks and sitting areas, there are restaurants, cafes, bars and fashion stores, all in a very contemporary urban style mixed with old and new architecture, which makes it the perfect Instagram location.

The actual Sarona Market is an indoor marketplace, similar to many of the indoor market places all throughout Europe with many small venues. You can find anything from freshly squeezed juices to chocolate shops and hand-made pastries, as well as fresh meat, vegetables, tea shops and restaurants by the top chefs in Israel. The best way to experience this place is by coming hungry and dining your way through the market trying different things. A very classic and elegant place.

Shuka Carmel (Carmel Market)

Haha this place is for the daring soul. LOL, I’m kidding, but really, this place is a fun madhouse! If you want to experience a real Israeli authentic groceries marketplace, Shuk a Carmel is the place to be. It’s hectic, crazy and fun and one of my favorite places in Tel Aviv. You can find groceries, spices, candy, souvenir, clothes and more for a very good price at Shuk a Carmel. It’s also a nice place to try out different foods, I always get a good fresh smoothie here, pretzels, bagels, candy, cell phone cases and sometimes even cool art for my house. It’s a great way to experience Israeli culture, but be prepared for it to get loud as every store owner will try to get your attention, kinda like in Aladdin.

Dizengoff Center

Dizengoff center - 17 Fun Things To Do In Tel Aviv, Israel

Dizengoff Center is the first mall in Tel Aviv, located at the heart of Tel Aviv, many would say it’s the center mark for Tel Aviv. The mall itself it built quite oddly. It’s separated into two parts, one on each side of the street and connects with a bridge over the main street of Dizengoff and underground. It also has a funny way of getting around, you have to go in a looping circle to get around to the top, bottom and the other side of the mall on the same floor. Needless to say, it’s still a huge part of Tel Aviv and on Friday gets pretty busy with outside ventures selling their handmade jewelry, home decor and clothing lines.

Dizanguff Street

Dizanguff Street is one of the most popular streets in Tel Aviv. From Dizanguff Center you can walk down to the shops, cafes and bars for up to 1.2 km, almost a mile until you reach the Port of Tel Aviv. It’s a nice walk to take with cool places to check out. 

Rent a Bike

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A great way to get around and see the city of Tel Aviv is by renting a bike. There are many bike rental spots throughout the city and you can return the bike to any location as long as there is room.

Shenkin (Fashion Street)

Shenkin is like the old Melrose Blvd that once was a big deal in Los Angeles. It’s a fashion boutique street, where you can find unique clothing from designers and up and comers. Many of the things you will find on Shenkin are one of a kind, but a bit over priced.

Rothschild Boulevard

rothschild , tel aviv - 17 Fun Things To Do In Tel Aviv, Israel

If I could, I would probably live in the middle of the street at the Rothschild intersection…..or maybe just in a house on the street, LOL, that’s how much I love the street.

Rothschild is a street with apartments, cafes, bars and clubs on both sides of the street. In the middle of the intersection, you can find a beautiful walkway park, where you can ride your bike, sit on a bench, read a book, people watch and enjoy the shade under the trees that go across the street. You can even find small cafes and a sushi bar in the middle of this intersection. During the day Rothschild Blvd is a very mellow street, you will find young and old people enjoying their afternoon relaxing here and walking down the intersection of the street. However, as the clock turns to 10pm-11pm the crowd changes and Rothschild turns into the best place to be for the young crowd, with endless bars and clubs opened until the early morning hours. Many locals love to bar hop here. You can find a bar that plays reggae music next to a club that plays hip-hop and right next door could be an open mic night and a gay club. No doubt about it, Rothschild will steal your heart away with something to offer everyone at any time of the day.

Picnic at the park in #TLV? Yes, please! #telaviv 🌳🌳🌳🍇🍕🍷🍴🌳🌳🌳

A photo posted by Vanilla Sky Dreaming – Travel (@hofitkimcohen) on

My friends and I love to leave the house at around 11:30pm-12am, go bar hopping and then grab sushi in the middle of the intersection outdoors at 4am-5am and get back home at 6am. If you’re a local, you will run into many of your friends on this street.

Yafo – Jaffa

hofit kim cohen - tel aviv, yaffo vanilla sky dreaming - 17 Fun Things To Do In Tel Aviv, Israel

Although Yafo isn’t at the city center of Tel Aviv and I would recommend taking a car/taxi to get there, it’s still part of Tel Aviv and a beautiful place to check out. Yafo was an ancient port city in Israel and the oldest part of Tel Aviv. It has a lot of history and is a great place to walk around, explore and take photos. The architecture of Yafo is stunning and breathtaking, similar to the architecture in Jerusalem. Currently, it’s mainly run by Israeli-Arabs, who are very friendly and welcoming, it’s a very safe area to visit and if you’re a fan of hummus this is the place to eat it, try Abu Hasan. You can find museums, art stores and cafes and well as beautiful antiques. The best part is the stunning view you get overlooking Tel Aviv and the sea.

Port of Tel Aviv

💛 TLV

A photo posted by Vanilla Sky Dreaming – Travel (@hofitkimcohen) on

 

Another great hang out spot in Tel Aviv is the Port of Tel Aviv. A great place to have lunch or dinner and walk around and enjoy some shopping. At night time there are great places to go out at with many outdoor beach bars and some clubs. A beautiful peaceful area.

Walk the Boardwalk of Tel Aviv 

Beach time 💙 TLV

A photo posted by Vanilla Sky Dreaming – Travel (@hofitkimcohen) on

 

Love the new Tel Aviv Boardwalk! It’s beautiful 💜💙💚💛❤️💗 #tlv #telaviv Who’s ever been in Israel?

A photo posted by Vanilla Sky Dreaming – Travel (@hofitkimcohen) on

Get some exercise, enjoy the sun, smell the sea salt in the air and walk the boardwalk of Tel Aviv right on the beach. The boardwalk of Tel Aviv runs more than 2 miles long. Many enjoy it during the day and night.

Watch the Sunset

tel aviv sunset - 17 Fun Things To Do In Tel Aviv, Israel

Tel Aviv has epic sunsets! Stunning! At sunset the sun becomes huge as it’s about to set, bigger than anywhere else I’ve ever seen in the world.

Enjoy a cocktail on the beach at night

One of the greatest parts about Israel and Tel Aviv is that everything is opened till late and many things just never close. One of my favorite things to do is meet up with a friend on the beach at night for a glass of wine and some catching up time. All the cafes on the beaches of Tel Aviv are open 24hrs even during winter time. So at any given time you can relax and enjoy the sound of waves. Some of the cafes even have live music at night and the kitchen is always open, in case you’re hungry.

Picnic at Park A Yarkon (Hayarkon Park)

Hofit Kim Cohen - Vanilla Sky Dreaming - 17 Fun Things To Do In Tel Aviv, Israel

Take a break from hectic city life and enjoy a nice picnic at Park a Yarkon which is near the Port of Tel Aviv. This park is huge (17 km long) and has a beautiful river going across it, where you can find people cycling, jogging and even renting a small boat.

Bar Hopping

Most of the locals in Tel Aviv normally go bar hopping, there are just too many great places to hang out at, all with different vibes. Many places offer both indoor and outdoor hang out spots. The best places to go out would be on Rothschild and at Dizengoff Street, but there are so much more fun places that are best found by exploring on foot. So enjoy life like a local in Tel Aviv and check out 2-3 places a night.

Nahalat Binyamin (Art Exhibit)

Nahalat Binyamin is a fun spot to check out for anyone who loves art and handmade crafts. It operates only on Tuesdays and Fridays and is right next to Shuk A Carmel. Over 200 artists set up their handmade art there. You can find anything from jewelry to home decor on this street along with musicians and street performers.

***BONUS! Recently added

Two cute spots to check out in Tel Aviv (perfect for Instagram photos!) in the neighborhood of Florentin. Neve Tzedek and Mitcham HaTachana. Check out the video below

Over to you, have you been to Tel Aviv? What is your favorite thing to do in Tel Aviv? Favorite hang out spots? Let me know in the comments below.

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17 Fun Things To Do In Tel Aviv, Israel

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One Response to 17 Fun Things To Do In Tel Aviv, Israel

  1. I would LOVE to visit Israel. It is one country that I feel I must visit in this lifetime. Tel Aviv would be my first destination as I love how laid back, open-minded and earthy the ambiance seems to be. My husband and I considered visiting this year, sadly, he backed out because of fear of violence/attacks. He said maybe it’s not the “best time” to go.😥 Its still on my bucket list and hopefully, soon I will see my dream of visiting come true.

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