What to See in Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv is a big place, and these listings are just some highlights of things that you really should see if you can during your visit. The complete listings are found on each individual district page alongside many more things to see in each district.

  • Old Jaffa: located in Jaffa is a must see for any visitor to Tel Aviv. This is the reputed point where Jonah boarded a ship and was later swallowed by a whale. It is also likely one of the oldest ports in the world. 
    Rabin Square: The biggest public square in Israel and site of PM Rabin’s assassination in 1995 is in Central Tel Aviv.
  • Azriely Lookout: Watch the entire Tel Aviv area from 200 meters high in Central Tel Aviv

Museums in Telaviv:

  • Eretz-Israel Museum: in Northern Tel Aviv.
  • Tel Aviv Museum of Art: The biggest art museum in Central Tel Aviv
    Museum of the Jewish Diaspora (Beit HaTefutsot). located in Tel Aviv University in North of Tel Aviv.
  • Bauhaus Center Tel Aviv: in Central Tel Aviv

Again, there’s a lot to do in Tel Aviv, and for the biggest selection, check out the individual district articles. These are some of the highlights.

A visit to Tel Aviv isn’t complete without a dip into its fantastic beach scene which is at its best in summer, especially during Friday afternoons as Shabbat comes in, when crowds of buff beachgoers converge to take in the Brazilian drums.

The smell of barbecues, the thwock, thwock of “matkot” as the sun sets, but in early summer be careful as there are jellyfish sometimes, but if you ask the lifeguard he will probably tell you if there are any that day. A craft fair is held in the Nachalat Binyamin pedestrian zone in Central Tel Aviv.

Amusement and water parks in Tel-Aviv:

  • Luna Park Tel Aviv is Tel Aviv’s main amusement park. While the rides it has to offer are no competition to ones that can be found in other countries, it should still be considered for a visit by thrill-loving tourists, especially families with kids, since the park has a large amount of child-friendly rides. The park has two rollercoasters. It is located very close to the Meimadyon water park.
  • The Meimadyon is a large waterpark very close to Luna Park Tel Aviv. It offers a varied selection of waterslides, both for thrill seekers and for children. During summer vacations the lines get fairly long, so it is recommended to try and visit the park at a time other than summer vacation.
  • “Superland” is a name of an amusement park within an hour’s drive from Tel Aviv. It is in the city of Rishon Letzion and is often visited by people from Tel Aviv seeking better thrills than the ones at Luna Park Tel Aviv. While it has less rides, the rides it has to offer are often bigger and built more for the thrill seeker in the family. The park has two rollercoasters.
    “Yamit 2000″ is a waterpark within a half-hour bus ride from Tel Aviv, located in the nearby city of Holon. It is a large waterpark, parts of which are enclosed in a building. The park operates 364 days a year(it is closed on Yom Kippur). During the winter when there is low attendance, or cold/rainy weather, many of the park’s slides(usually the outdoor ones) open on rotation, whereas during warmer days with higher attendance all the park’s attractions are operational. The park is both child and thrill-seeker friendly.

Festivals in Tel Aviv:

Tel Aviv hosts many festivals and happenings. Something is going on almost every weekend so make sure you’re updated!

  • White Night Festival. This annual event, usually taking place late June or early July, is a celebration of Tel Aviv’s White City’s proclamation as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site and organized by Tel Aviv’s municipality. During the “White Night”, cultural institutions, as well as commercial ones, are open to the public all night long, and many special events take place.
  • Tel Aviv Fashion Market, A highly recommended biannual event (Winter/Summer) where Tel Aviv’s top clothing designers show and sell their stuff. Focused on urban clothing. 
  • Night Flea, Every August, Jaffa’s burgeoning flea market is active all through the night on weekends, with special events, shows and exhibitions taking place. 
  • Docaviv, The Tel Aviv Cinematheque, 2 Shprintzak Street, Tel Aviv’s International Documentary Film Festival. Every year in May, Docaviv presents the most innovative, provocative and important documentary films of the year from around the world. 
  • The Tel Aviv International LGBT Film Festival, The Tel Aviv Cinematheque, 2 Shprintzak Street, Lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender film festival. Celebrating gender diversity. Happening in June. 
  • The Tel Aviv International Student Film Festival, The Tel Aviv Cinematheque, 2 Shprintzak Street, One of the world’s most important student film festivals. Happening in late May.