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Tel Aviv Ben Gurion International Airport

Tel Aviv Travel Guide

About Tel Aviv

Energetic, hedonistic, incredibly diverse and endlessly fun, Tel Aviv is blessed with a great café culture, impressive architecture and pulsating nightlife. Founded only in 1909, it is also one of the world's newest cities.

Head to Old Jaffa for an overview: this is the biblical port town from which modern Tel Aviv sprung, now sprawling east into an ever-wider metropolitan area. Climb the ancient stone streets to the heights of Jaffa to be rewarded with a vista of golden sands glistening against the Mediterranean Sea and the sight of Tel Aviv’s skyscrapers towering in the distance.

A few blocks over from the beach you’ll find the bustling Carmel Market, full of local produce and spices. Continue on through the art and crafts fair of Nachlat Binyamin, which in turn leads onto the elegant Rothschild Boulevard. This important thoroughfare is lined with handsome houses and trendy cafés, culminating in the impressive national theatre, Habima. Steering back seawards brings you to the iconic Bauhaus buildings on and around Bialik Street, which have earned Tel Aviv the name of 'White City'.

The city is constantly changing and developing. Several post-industrial areas have been adopted by artists and entrepreneurs who seek to revive these districts with galleries and dive bars. The most renowned example is the hipster paradise of Florentin, glowing with graffiti and wafting of unconventionalism.

You won't have trouble finding Tel Aviv's fabled nightlife. Bars and nightclubs abound, locals tend to head out late and continue to party into the early hours. Great for languishing, the beach nearly always has something happening at night too.

A city of immigrants, Tel Aviv is rich in culture. European, American (both North and Latin), Arab and African incomers are plenty, and you'll notice large Yemenite and Ethiopian-Jewish communities too. Restaurants blending Mediterranean, Middle-Eastern and other influences sum up the atmosphere of Tel Aviv: progressive, informal and thoroughly cosmopolitan.

Key facts

Population:

432,892

Latitude:

32.061952

Longitude:

34.761727

A digital image at https://illuminoto.com

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Featured Hotels

The Beachfront Hostel

A basic combination of hostel and hotel, The Beachfront is a little shabby and has amenities that some may find inadequate, particularly the dormitory-style rooms. But there’s hardly anywhere cheaper to stay in Tel Aviv, and it’s right on the beach. Breakfast is not included, but is offered at a restaurant next door.

David InterContinental

A gargantuan 5-star hotel, much of the David InterContinental’s clientele are here for business, but don’t let that put you off – a night spent here feels surprisingly intimate. Just across the road from Charles Clore Park and the beach, it’s a few minutes’ walk from Carmel Market and the Yemenite Quarter. Good value, apart from expensive Wi-Fi.

The Rothschild

Housed within a gorgeous, buttercup yellow building that’s almost as old as Israel itself, The Rothschild is a real sanctuary thanks to its tranquil courtyard and sympathetic décor. Service is top quality, as is the food served in the restaurant. Elsewhere, the emphasis is on natural – including the toiletries.

Dan

The longest standing of Tel Aviv’s upmarket beachfront hotels, the Dan's unusual low-rise building and colourful exterior (on the beach side) makes an interesting change to the identikit high-rises that surrounds it. However, because of its age, some rooms seem to be at a lower standard than the price and reputation suggest.

The Diaghilev

This is a hotel where art takes centre stage. The décor combines white walls with bright furniture and even brighter artworks, all of which are for sale. Rooms are pleasant and comfortable and there's a restaurant serving excellent local fare on site. All the city centre attractions are close by.

Cinema Hotel

Formerly a Bauhaus cinema, this stylish little hotel is right in the city centre, just off Dizengoff Square. The comfortable, attractively furnished rooms have plenty of amenities, among them a fridge, beach towels and free Wi-Fi, and there’s a free sauna, rooftop terrace and business lounge too.

Introducing Tel Aviv

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