Travel tips · Tel Aviv · Israel
Tel Aviv travel tips: what to know before you go
The etiquette, money and practical details that make the first day easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Ynhockey, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Quick answer
Tel Aviv is informal, direct and outdoors-oriented: people dress casually, talk frankly and spend evenings on café terraces and at the beach. Shabbat, from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown, changes the rhythm of the week: trains and most buses stop, while many restaurants, bars and beaches stay busy.
Key facts
- Language
- Hebrew, Arabic and English
- Currency
- ILS
- Plugs
- Type H and Type C sockets, 230 V, 50 Hz
- Tap water
- Tap water is safe to drink; carry a refillable bottle in summer.
- Emergency
- 100 police, 101 ambulance, 102 fire
Things to know
- Directness is normal and not meant as rudeness; a quick 'shalom' and a smile go a long way.
- Dress modestly, covering shoulders and knees, when visiting churches and mosques in Jaffa.
- Plan around Shabbat: trains and most public buses stop from Friday afternoon until Saturday evening.
- On Yom Kippur, usually in September or October, the whole city stops and roads empty of cars; shops and restaurants close.
- Ask before photographing people, particularly religious Jews and Muslim women.
- Make hummus, falafel and sabich your lunches; they are filling and a fraction of a sit-down meal.
Tipping
Tipping is expected in restaurants and cafés, usually around 10–15% when service is not already included; taxi drivers do not expect tips.
Language
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Shalom | Hello / goodbye |
| Toda (raba) | Thank you (very much) |
| Bevakasha | Please / you're welcome |
| Slicha | Excuse me / sorry |
| Ha-heshbon, bevakasha | The bill, please |
| Shabbat shalom | Greeting for Friday and Saturday |
What to wear
Casual summer clothes are the norm, and swimwear belongs on the beach; bring a scarf or long layer for religious sites and air-conditioned interiors.
Practical details
- Plugs and voltage
- Type H and Type C sockets, 230 V, 50 Hz
- Drinking water
- Tap water is safe to drink; carry a refillable bottle in summer.
- Emergency number
- 100 police, 101 ambulance, 102 fire
- Phone and internet
- Free Wi-Fi is common in cafés and many public spaces; local SIM cards and eSIMs are easy to buy.
- Time zone
- Asia/Jerusalem
Check your own government's travel advice before and during your trip, as the regional security situation can change, and follow instructions from local authorities. Day to day, watch for fast e-scooters on pavements, rip currents at unguarded beaches and summer heat.
Entry requirements
Visa and passport rules depend on your nationality and change often. Check Israel's official government guidance and your own government's travel advice before booking.
Plan the trip
Questions travellers ask
+Do you tip in Tel Aviv?
Tipping is expected in restaurants and cafés, usually around 10–15% when service is not already included; taxi drivers do not expect tips.
+Can you drink the tap water in Tel Aviv?
Tap water is safe to drink; carry a refillable bottle in summer.
+What plugs are used in Tel Aviv?
Type H and Type C sockets, 230 V, 50 Hz
+What language is spoken in Tel Aviv?
Hebrew, Arabic and English.