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Overview

It is on the Mediterranean coast, about 60 km northwest of Jerusalem and 100 km south of Haifa.

It has a thriving LGBT scene, and the general social norms are similar to major American and Western European cities.

Districts

Its booming population, energy, edginess and 24-hour lifestyle give the city a cosmopolitan flair comparable to few other cities in this part of the world.

Some neighborhoods are really distinctive areas with different cultures (e.g. Neve Tzedek, Florentin, Ramat-HaHayal), while others indicate a geographical area.

Understand

The smallish Gulf of Jaffa was the site of a fortified port town for at least 4,000 years. During the 19th century the town’s population grew from about 2,500 (1806) to 17,000 (1886). The old city walls could no longer contain the population, and they were destroyed in the 1870s. New, more spacious neighborhoods started to appear.

They envisaged a European-style garden suburb, with wide streets and boulevards. Leaving Jaffa wasn’t, however, only a question of an upgrade in lifestyle. Moving out of the Arab-dominated town also represented their belief in the Jewish national movement, Zionism. Houses from this period can still be seen in the Neve Tzedek neighborhood.

By the end of the war the British took over the Holy Land, an event the Jewish community saw as encouraging, while the Muslim community viewed it as a turn for the worse after Islamic rule. In May 1921, an Arab mob attacked a Jewish immigration center, killing dozens of Jews.

The entire metropolitan area is often referred to as Gush Dan.

It is the pinnacle of secular life in Israel.

It has a bustling civil society and is home to many activist movements and NGOs. It is also a destination for gay Palestinian refugees, unable to pursue their lifestyle in the Palestinian territories. Some ultra-Orthodox Israelis have even dubbed the city a modern day "Sodom and Gomorrah", due to its hedonistic reputation. The city's LGBT nightlife is concentrated around Rothschild Boulevard, the Florentin neighborhood, and Hilton Beach (the city's unofficial gay beach).

Most points of interest for tourists are in the center district, a rectangle defined by the sea to the west, the Yarkon River to the north, the Ayalon highway to the east, and Salame Road to the south. Within this district, most of the attractions are to the west of Ibn Gabirol street, a large north-south street which divides the district into two roughly equal halves.

At the southwest corner of the center district you will find old Jaffa. To its north is the first Jewish neighborhood outside Jaffa, Neve Tzedek (meaning "Oasis of Justice"). To Neve Tzedek’s east is Florentin (a 1920s light-industry quarter founded by Jews from Salonika in Greece, that has turned into a trendy neighborhood for young people, albeit with a large population of older and poor people); and then the Central Bus Station area, now home to foreign workers from around the world.

To the north of Neve Tzedek is "Kerem Ha'Temanim" (the Yemenite Vineyard), a crowded but picturesque neighborhood dating to the early 20th century. East and north of here lies the city center, a chiefly residential area built in the 1920s and 1930s, where the majority of Bauhaus ("International") style architecture is to be found. Further north and east, the "old north" (not to be confused with "the north" on the other side of the Yarkon), is a more spacious residential area built during the 1940s and 1950s.

The north is usually associated with a continental, chic, and suburbanite lifestyle centered around Kikar haMedina and "Ramat Aviv". To the south, the city takes on a more working-class and Middle Eastern, albeit evermore trendy, urban feel.

Culture Watch out for bikes and scooters on main sidewalks. Smoking in restaurants is limited to specific parts of their outdoor seating - smoking is illegal in restaurants. The law is rarely enforced, but smokers are regularly confronted. Dogs wearing muzzles on public transit are not aggressive monsters - there's a (sporadically enforced) law requiring muzzles on buses and trains. Taking kids to cafes and restaurants is completely normal, and the malls usually have kid play and breast-feeding areas. Israelis can be pretty aggressive about cutting in lines; don't feel guilty about body-blocking little old ladies, as they have no problem taking advantage of tourists to cut half a line. Whether restaurants and bodegos ("makolet"s) are open during Shabbat varies by neighborhood.

Visitor information Official tourism website (in English)

Get in

You can arrive to the city center by train, taxi, or by hired car (it's a 20-min drive followed by a very long search for parking).

On Shabbat you will have a hard time reaching or leaving the airport. There's no bus or train; taxis still go but are extra busy, and charge extra.

Ask the bus driver to ensure you are getting on the right bus.

By train: The airport train station is just below Arrivals in Terminal 3. Buy a ticket from the cashier or from an automatic machine; use it at the entry gate and again to exit at your arrival station. Better still, buy & use a Rav-Kav transport smart card, because you'll need one in the city (see "get around"), you may as well buy one now at the Kavim service center in the terminal, or issue a personal one for free. There are trains from Sunday to Thursday every 15 minutes between 05:30 AM to midnight, and on Friday morning every 30 minutes' and few trains on Saturday night. . From HaHagana Station there frequent buses to the tourist areas (4 or 104 to the city center, 54 to florentin and Jaffa).

If you travel with a friend or two, it can be a good idea to share a taxi. It is acceptable to sit in the front seat in Israeli taxis. Taxis are required by law to use the taxi meter, unless agreed otherwise by the passenger and driver, and a typical ride to the city center should not take more than 15–20 min, without heavy traffic. Do not accept fix-priced rides with taxi drivers unless you're sure of what you are doing; you will usually end up paying more than you could have had you asked to use the meter.

By bus: If you are interested in a direct bus directly to the tourist centers, there is line 445 that leaves every hour, 24 hours a day 6 days a week.

Any signs or older reference material pointing you there will lead you to a demolition site and then to an assortment of nice beachfront property.

The train stations are close to the CBD of the city, but not to its tourist center, where the tourist attractions (except Sharona complex) and accommodation (except some business hotels) are between 1 and 3 kilometers from the train stations, so getting to them requires another city bus or a taxi.

The trains on Sunday mornings are not recommended, when the soldiers return to their bases and students to the university. The trains end on Fridays at noon and resume on Saturdays after dark, to mark Shabbat.

Trains stop at all four stations during the day, but late night trains only stop at Central/Savidor. From south to north, as you approach by train from the airport, these are:

It is located in a poor area of ​​the city, so it is not recommended to walk from it to the city center. The station is about 500 meters west of the "Hatikva" market and 1200 meters east of the Levinsky market. From the train station you can take lines 4 and 104 to the city center, or 54 to Jaffa.

It is located near a large shopping center a short distance from Sarona, and from there, it is most convenient to reach the city center via Kaplan Street.

From the nearby bus terminal you can take line 18 to the city center and Lifo and line 5 to Dizengoff Street.

In addition to the New Central Bus Station, there used to be an Old Central Bus Station, but this no longer is used for transportation (the building was demolished long ago, and a parking lot was built in its place). When people say "Central Bus Station", they mean the new one.

In general, buses obey the Jewish Shabbat, and stop operation on Friday afternoon, and resume service only Saturday after dark. Some services, however, may start earlier on Saturday afternoon. Minor services may not resume until Sunday morning.

A daily bus service is also available to and from Amman through the King Hussein Bridge.

Freeways speed limit is 110 km/h. On other intercity roads the limit varies between 80 and 90 km/h. On urban roads the default speed limit is 50 km/h. Heavy traffic congestion is common.

Arriving from abroad, call ahead before entering Israeli waters to arrange immigration and customs clearance. Large vessels should head for Ashdod 20 miles south, which is a large commercial port with 24 hour entry facilities.

Get around

The main bus lines start at 05:00 AM and stops at 1 AM; on Thursday nights, Saturday nights, and during all July and August, the main lines run all night. Between November and March, the bus service stops on Friday at 15:00 and resumes on Saturday at 18:00, and between April and October the service stops on Friday at 17:00 and resumes on Saturday at 21:00.

Several smartphone apps, such as efoBus or Moovit or Google Maps, offer route maps and real-time bus arrival tracking and trip planning. Most buses and trains now have USB chargers.

Since Jan 2019, you can't pay cash on the bus. You need to buy a Rav-Kav smart card from the driver or Rav-Kav service center for ₪5 (if getting from service center, you may as well just issue a free personal card) plus either stored value to cover how many journeys you need, in ₪30 or ₪50 increments. See Public transit in Israel. Or you may as well load up an appropriate periodic pass to cover your journeys. Think about how much is left on your card before travelling to an edge-of-city location that might not have a top-up point: your credit is shown after each validation on the validator screen.

Bus 5 goes through Rothschild Boulevard, Dizengoff Street (including the Dizengoff Center Mall), and the 2000 bus terminal. Bus 18 connects 2000 bus terminal to the city center and the old city of Jaffa. Bus 62 and 115 connects between the beach to dizzengoff street, Sarona, and Hashalom Train Station.

Be aware of outdated tourist maps that might lead you to a location where that bus supposedly stop, while it's not.

Every third bus (so in 1.5 hour intervals) has accessibility measures for disabled passengers. Lines 705, 706, 707, 708, 709 and 710 operate every 20 minutes from 17:00 until 02:00, and on Shabbat from 09:00 until 17:00. Official line map is posted here (you need to tick some lines on the legend though), on stops where these lines pass on, and in the popular transit mobile applications (Bus Nearby, efoBus, My-Way). Schedules and line maps may change if/when more adjacent municipalities join the project.

The light rail runs past many areas of interest to tourists. Listed from south west to north east:

As of August 2023, The light rail runs from 06 AM to 10 PM from Sunday to Thursday, and from 6 AM to 4 PM on Fridays.

The "sherut" ("sheh-ROOT") or "service taxi" is a 6-12 seat van-sized minibus which runs on fixed routes, parallel to some bus routes. This alternative is often faster and more frequent than taking a bus. Unlike buses, they operate 7 days a week (on Shabbat too), and when requested will stop in between official bus stops.

If you sit up front, be prepared to pass other passengers' money to the driver and the change back to the passengers. You must tell the driver when you want him to stop. Passengers are not allowed to stand, so if two people want to board and only one seat remains, they will not be allowed to get on together.

As of August 2019 you may use Rav-Kav contracts on service taxis too (any periodic pass which is valid for the central region, or deduct 6.80 from stored value balance), but only on service taxi lines 4 and 5 at this time. Rav-Kav service on service taxis does not operate on Shabbat.

You can hail a taxi ("mo-NIT", מונית) in the street or call one (with extra surcharge, ₪3.30). And no, the meter is never broken. A local ride without meter should be ₪20-30 in the downtown core, and up to 50 or 60 to the immediate suburbs.

These lists are only available in Hebrew, so check these prices in advance with the assistance of a Hebrew speaker.

Gett is a local option, Uber and Yango can be also used.

Several shops throughout the city offer bicycle rental, and cheap ones can be purchased for several hundred shekels on longer stays.

Be sure to lock your bicycle at all times and don't leave it outside at night — even proper locks get cut by electric cutters in under 15 seconds.

The name is a pun - the Hebrew word for "bicycle" is pronounced o-fun-ayim. An English language Google map of docking stations is available.

You must have a helmet on you, or else you'll be fined by municipal inspectors and/or police. They are ideal for transportation on Shabbat, when public transportation options are limited and there is less traffic on the road. Riding on sidewalks is illegal and can net a hefty fine, so it is best to stick to the roads and bike paths. Check the local news before your trip to find out about any new restrictions.

By car Ayalon Freeway (freeway 20) runs north-south and is the main artery of the city.

A popular and effective navigation app based on traffic loads is Waze. Also, remember that Israeli drivers are considered aggressive in comparison to their Western European or North American counterparts. Signage is in English, Hebrew and Arabic.

Speed limits and driving laws are strictly enforced by police. All in all, driving conditions in Israel are much better than in the rest of the Middle East.

Parking lots are available, but expensive (usually around ₪25–30 an hour during the day), and can also be full around busier times (i.e., a parking in a central area could be full on a Friday night, when everybody in the area goes out to eat and drink in the city). Parking times and payment is directed by Hebrew-only signs at the beginning of the street. Where parking is available on both sides of the street, instructions are different for every side, and signs are positioned at the beginning of each side. Notice that not all paid parking are marked by blue and white ("kachol-lavan") paint on the curb. When paying to park on the street, there is an hourly parking fee (cheaper than lots), generally between 09:00 and 19:00 (street signs indicating that are usually in Hebrew only). There are usually no parking meters, meaning you need to use payment apps like Cellopark or Pango. Alternatively, you can buy parking cards in advance from a kiosk or machine, and display them on the window closest to the pavement. Also, some areas of blue-white colored curb are reserved for locals with a zone sticker at certain times of day (mostly 17:00 to 09:00). It is forbidden to park where there are red and white or red and yellow markings, though sometimes only in certain hours, as indicated by signs (but those are usually in Hebrew only as well).

Hourly based car rental services are available in the city. Other services are also available, such as Car2go which is deployed in many cities is Israel.

See

The complete listings are found on each individual district page alongside many more things to see in each district.

Inland is Yarkon park, the city's central park along the Yarkon River.

Going into central parts of the city, you will encounter Rabin Square, the largest public square in Israel. Nearby is another important square, Habima Square. It is home to a number of cultural institutions such as the Habima Theatre, the Fredric R. Mann Auditorium and the Helena Rubinstein Pavilion for Contemporary Art.

A bit west of Habima Square is the Dizengoff Centre, Israel's most iconic shopping centre with a very lively food market every Thursday and Friday. To the east, in turn, is the district of Sarona with restored German Templer architecture, known for its picturesque paths and buildings, upscale restaurants, and luxurious food market, and the Azriely Center Observatory that you can climb to the top of the mall for a nice view of the city.

Towards the sea, you can find the Carmel Market and Nachalat Binyamin arts and crafts fair. Nachalat Binyamin Arts and Crafts Fair is one of the most famous in the world.

Highlights in the south and east include the Levinsky Market, an extremely colorful outside market, and the Central Bus Station. Planned by overambitious architects, the station's incomprehensible vastness, multiple levels and intertwining corridors make it a model for what an urban jungle would feel like. There's also the Florentin neighborhood, a previously run-down but beautiful area, which is now gentrifying.

In the southeastern suburbs there's the large Park Ariel Sharon. It contains the massive "Hiriya" garbage dump, which is being redeveloped as a nature and recreation site. Park your car at the site entrance and wait for a shuttle to take you up (the last shuttle leaves around 15:00). You can also walk up on foot, if you can deal with the smell of a garbage reprocessing facility which still operates (due to the prevailing winds, there are no smells on top of the mound).

Jaffa also has an outdoor Flea Market & Bazaar, a market where you can buy almost anything for low prices.

Ideally, one should see two museums corresponding to different parts of the political spectrum - the Palmach Museum and Etzel 1948 Museum are recommended - to get a nuanced overall view. In some museums, you can hear personal stories from veterans who volunteer there - call ahead of time to find out. If you are interested in physical military artifacts like tanks and rifles, the place to go is the IDF History Museum, which has a large connection of these artifacts.

Do

For the biggest selection, check out the individual district articles. These are some of the highlights.

Enjoy a guided tour of the Bauhaus district.

In early summer be careful as there may be jellyfish in the water. Ask the lifeguard or locals about the current conditions.

The entire trip is on paved bike paths, and can be as long as 13km each way, or shorter if you prefer.

Fans of classical music might enjoy Israel's Philharmonic Orchestra and the New Israel Opera. For more alternative and indie music with occasional jazz shows and electronic parties, head to Levontin 7 named after its street address or The OzenBar. Dance can be enjoyed in Suzanna Dellal Center in Neve Tzedek.

Sports Football (soccer) is the most popular sport in Israel. All three normally play in the Bloomfield Stadium in the southern part of the city.

Good martial arts clubs abound in various parts of the city, ranging from modern fitness craze sports to traditional ones.

Scuba-diving: there's a couple of dive shacks and centers based near the Marina. Diving in the Med is really for experienced folk: there are interesting wrecks, and a fabulous ancient shipwreck was discovered near Caesarea in 2016. But compared to the Red Sea it's distinctly dark and barren down there, and the weather and sea conditions are tougher. Those wanting to learn, or novice divers, will do much better down in Eilat or elsewhere along the Red Sea coast.

Something is going on almost every weekend so make sure you're updated!

White Night Festival. 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. In the past it usually took place late June or early July.

Focused on urban clothing. Don't miss this colorful carnival of cutting-edge fashion!

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. Every year in May, Docaviv presents the most innovative, provocative and important documentary films of the year from around the world.

Lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender film festival. Celebrating gender diversity. Happening in June.

One of the world's most important student film festivals. Happening in late May.

Ta'am Ha'ir. "Taste of the City", an annual 4-day food fair, which takes place in Hayarkon Park at the beginning of summer (late May or June). Top restaurants present and sell samples of their finest dishes for special prices. The festival has been held under several names (e.g. Make sure to check the details.

The largest proper university in Israel (the Open University, though larger, is for distance learning and does not grant doctorates), situated in Ramat Aviv.

Buy

A Middle Eastern mélange of tastes, scents, sounds, colors – and lots of people. Friday is the busiest day when most Israelis do their shopping until the afternoon. Closed Saturdays.

The Levinsky Market, not far to the south, is the best place to buy spices, dried fruits, and different kinds of legume. A more upscale option is the Sarona Market, which has a variety of luxury foods and restaurants in picturesque surroundings. Finally, HaTikva Market in the southeast of the city is reputed to be the most "authentic" market, keeping its atmosphere as the other markets have gentrified somewhat.

If you are interested in furniture, antiques, or arts and crafts, there are markets for this too. At the Jaffa flea market, stretching over a number of streets in the old Jaffa district, you can find almost anything, but it is best for antiques.

As malls are good places to catch some air-conditioning during hot Israeli summers, they have quickly become a preferred place of entertainment for the locals. The variety is usually mid-range, mainstream, with both international and local brands.

This area is also home to Dizengoff Center, the first mall built in Israel, as well as Gan Ha'ir, which is next to Rabin Square.

The New Central Bus Station, designed as a combined bus station and mall, has large numbers of stores which now cater to a lower-class crowd, particularly migrants and workers from Third World countries. There are also a large number of vacant stores.

The air-conditioned malls threaten to destroy the concept of shopping streets, but many of the more special ones still survive, particularly in the city center.

Dizengoff Street is popular with the shoppers, as the street is peppered with numerous specialty shops, cafes, and restaurants, as well as the sprawling Dizengoff Center Mall.

Shenkin Street is known for its trendy cafes as well as designer clothing shops.

Books and music The country's widespread Steimatzky and Zomet Sfarim chains are a good source for current books. Almost every shop has at least a selection in English. Allenby St. has a number of second hand bookshops, most sell (and buy) English books. For music, check out Tower Records shop in the opera tower, on the corner of Alenby and Herbert Samuel. For the more alternative crowd, Krembo Records in Shenkin Street, Giora Record Shop next to the Carmel market, and Third Ear on King George Street will satisfy your needs.

Gordon Street is famous for its art galleries. Ben-Yehuda Street has several Judaica/Jewelery/souvenirs shops. You can buy jewelry from Michal Negrin, a world-famous Israeli designer, in her shops at the Azriely mall and on Sheinkin st. The prices are much better than abroad. For more original crafts and Judaica, try the Nahlat Binyamin craft market mentioned above.

Eat

There are plenty of fast food restaurants, offering both international and local Israeli food. One can get a decent meal, including falafel or hummus on every street corner. You can also eat a toast, sandwich or some other snack at one of the cafes around the city. Many fruit juice parlors are around.

The city is also known for being one of the best destinations for plant based eating. The landmarks are Meshek Barzilai in Neve Tzedek, Anastasia on Frishman street and 416 near Sarona. You will also find many plant based options on the menu of most restaurants.

Drink

It has a wide range of pubs, bars, clubs and it is known worldwide for its nightlife. The entire city is crawling with nightlife attractions and you would actually have to work pretty hard to find yourself further than 500 meters away from a place to have a drink. Buses stop running at sundown on Friday and only start again after sundown on Saturday, so if you go out on Friday night you may find yourself forced to take a cab if you cannot walk!

New places are opening and closing every day and the "hottest spots" change every couple of months, so no internet guide will be able to direct you to the hippest place (even though some may try). Checkout up to date event and party sites. Usually the limitation is different between males and females and while some spots may be flexible others will be as strict as possible.

Israel has no unique drinking culture so any place with any self-respect will have the entire world wide alcohol selection available, from Wine and Beer to Tequila, Arak, Vodka, Whiskey and Cognac.

Pubs The entire city is full of spots to hang out, and there are streets and areas that stand out with even more pubs/clubs, have a look at the districts detailing the scene.

There are a few well-known pubs that specifically cater to foreigners. Mike's Place, next to the American embassy, is an American-style bar which attracts a mostly-Anglo 20-30 something crowd. Molly Bloom's Irish pub and the English Pub, not far from Mike's Place, host many people from the UK and Republic of Ireland.

Up to date English language party listings are readily available online.

The biggest and newest club in the city is Haoman 17 (Florentin quarter). Other fantastic clubs are TLV, Dome (gay & Offer Nissim is the resident DJ), Vox, Powder, and the "indie" Cafe Barzilay and Studio 46.

Rock clubs, including Barbie Club (Kibutz Galuyot St) and the Zappa Club (in the northeastern neighbourhood of Ramat haChayal), among others, host concerts almost every night of the week.

Billiards (pool) clubs include Gypsy on Kikar Atarim (Atarim plaza)

There are many gay clubs and parties. Some of which have been running for several years already (Shirazi's FFF line, which is taking place in the 'Haoman 17' club. The electro 'PAG' line). Others are changing from time to time. There is also a gay accommodation.

Most gay clubs have closed as the younger generation of gay Israelis just go clubbing with their straight friends. Many clubs do have gay nights, though.

There is a gay beach in the city, Hilton Beach, named for the Hilton Hotel adjacent to it. It is often full of young gay Israelis, especially in the weekends. Next to Dizengoff Center and on Rothschild Boulevard you may see gay couples walking freely all day long.

Espresso-bar, Cafeneto, Café-café and arcaffé are some of the local chain-cafés. Aroma's the biggest among them. Feel free to spend hours in a coffee shop - no one will slap the check on your table or require you to order more stuff.

Bohemian 'Puah' (in the Jaffa flea market), Café Noah, Chic 'Le Central' (Rothschild Av.), and 'Tolaat Sfarim' (Rabin Sq. and Mazeh street near Allenby and Rothschild) are recommended for their very distinctive and Israeli café-drinking experience.

Sleep

The main area for a short term stay is in the center with a big hotels strip on the beach and many accommodation options all around. The center should be your default place to stay. Some places can also be found in the south and will usually be cheaper (except the David Intercontinental).

The most common options are Ramat Gan, Bat Yam, Holon and Givatayim.