2 days in Tel Aviv

Day by day

1. Day 1: Old Jaffa and Jaffa Port

   Old Jaffa, Jaffa Port, Jaffa Flea Market (Shuk HaPishpeshim) and Carmel Market, then Rothschild Boulevard in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Old Jaffa

      Archaeological layers on the hill go back thousands of years, and the Ottoman-era Clock Tower marks the entrance from the flat city below.

   2. Late morning

      Jaffa Port

      The breakwater gives views of Old Jaffa above and the city skyline to the north.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Hummus

      Long-established counters in Jaffa and around Carmel Market; go for lunch rather than dinner.

   4. Afternoon

      Jaffa Flea Market (Shuk HaPishpeshim)

      Daytime is for browsing furniture, brass and old records; at night the same streets fill with restaurant tables.

   5. Late afternoon

      Carmel Market

      Small counters and bars have opened among the produce stands, making it the city's best grazing lunch. Fridays before Shabbat are the busiest and most atmospheric.

   6. Evening

      Rothschild Boulevard

      Rent a bike or e-scooter from a nearby dock and ride the central lane from Habima Square down to Neve Tzedek.

2. Day 2: Tel Aviv beaches and promenade and White City Bauhaus architecture

   Tel Aviv beaches and promenade, White City Bauhaus architecture, Neve Tzedek and HaTachana, then Tel Aviv Port in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Tel Aviv beaches and promenade

      Locals play matkot paddle ball on the sand and swim at sunset; each beach has its own crowd, from families at Metzitzim to surfers at Hilton.

   2. Late morning

      White City Bauhaus architecture

      Look for ribbon windows, rounded balconies and pilotis on Rothschild Boulevard, Bialik Street and around Dizengoff Square. The Bauhaus Center on Dizengoff Street sells maps and runs guided walking tours.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Sabich

      Sabich stands around Frishman Street, Carmel Market and Levinsky Market.

   4. Afternoon

      Neve Tzedek

      The Suzanne Dellal Centre's courtyard with orange trees is a pleasant stop, and the Nahum Gutman Museum shows works by one of the city's early painters.

   5. Late afternoon

      HaTachana

      It links Neve Tzedek with the beach and is busy on weekends when much of the city is closed.

   6. Evening

      Tel Aviv Port

      Go for brunch at the covered market on a Friday or Saturday, then walk to Yarkon Park.

Before you go

If it rains

• Swap in Tel Aviv Museum of Art (Rothschild and the city centre): Allow time for the Israeli art galleries, which are rarely seen outside the country.
• Swap in ANU – Museum of the Jewish People (Ramat Aviv): Combine it with the Eretz Israel Museum, a short walk away in Ramat Aviv.
• Swap in Eretz Israel Museum (Ramat Aviv): The open-air grounds suit children who need space between galleries.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 14–21 hours of visiting over 2 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 10.1 hours in December to 14.2 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

Getting between stops: Walking. Jaffa to the Port is about 6 km along the seafront promenade, and Rothschild Boulevard, Carmel Market and Neve Tzedek are all within 15 minutes of each other on foot.

More or fewer days

• One day in Tel Aviv
• 3 days in Tel Aviv
• 5 days in Tel Aviv

Questions travellers ask