With kids · Tel Aviv · Israel
Tel Aviv with kids
Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: udi Steinwell, CC BY 2.5
Quick answer
Tel Aviv is easy with children: lifeguarded beaches, the wide promenade for scooters, Yarkon Park's lakes and playgrounds, and plenty of child-friendly restaurants. Midsummer heat is the main challenge, so plan sightseeing for mornings and evenings. Top picks: Tel Aviv beaches and promenade, Yarkon Park and Tel Aviv Port. Families usually base themselves in Beachfront and HaYarkon Street.
Key facts
- Family picks
- 6
- Best area for families
- Beachfront and HaYarkon Street
- Rainy-day options
- 1
- Busiest months
- June–August
Best things to do with kids
Beach · Beachfront and HaYarkon Street
1.Tel Aviv beaches and promenade
The tayelet promenade follows the shore from Jaffa to the Port, past a chain of free public beaches with lifeguards, sunshades and beach cafés. 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.
Swim only at lifeguarded beaches when the white flag is up; red means dangerous and black means swimming is forbidden.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Couples
Park · Old North
2.Yarkon Park
The city's largest green space follows the Yarkon River inland from the Port, with lawns, a boating lake, a rock garden, a tropical garden, playgrounds and long cycle paths. Families picnic here on Saturdays, and pedal boats and bikes can be rented near the lake.
Rent bikes and ride the riverside path from the Port, stopping at the lake for a pedal boat.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Active
- Nature
Waterfront · Old North
3.Tel Aviv Port
The old port at the northern end of the promenade has a wide undulating wooden deck, restaurants, bars and shops in former hangars, and a covered farmers' market, Shuk HaNamal. It is a favourite spot for sunset walks, children on scooters and weekend brunch.
Go for brunch at the covered market on a Friday or Saturday, then walk to Yarkon Park.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Food
- After dark
- Views
Zoo · Ramat Gan
4.Ramat Gan Safari
Just east of Tel Aviv, this large zoological centre combines a drive-through African savannah with zebras, giraffes and rhinos and a walking zoo with elephants, gorillas and big cats. It is one of the easiest full-morning outings with children from the city.
Go early in the day in summer, when the animals are more active and the heat is lower.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Nature
- Outdoors
Museum · Ramat Aviv
5.Eretz Israel Museum
A campus of pavilions devoted to glass, coins, ceramics, folklore and crafts, built around Tel Qasile, an excavated settlement with Philistine-era temples. Peacocks wander the gardens, and the site has a planetarium.
The open-air grounds suit children who need space between galleries.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Outdoors
Historic site · Neve Tzedek
6.HaTachana
The terminus of the Jaffa–Jerusalem railway, opened in 1892, has been restored as a pedestrian complex of shops, cafés and restaurants around the old station building, Templer houses and a parked locomotive. It links Neve Tzedek with the beach and is busy on weekends when much of the city is closed.
Visit on Saturday, when HaTachana stays open while many shops in the city close.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Kids
- Shopping
Rainy-day ideas
- Eretz Israel Museum — The open-air grounds suit children who need space between galleries.
Where families should stay
$$$$ · Best for beach, families, first-timers and luxury
Beachfront and HaYarkon Street
Most of Tel Aviv's large hotels line HaYarkon Street and Herbert Samuel promenade, directly above the beaches. Rooms with sea views, pools and breakfast buffets make it the easiest choice for families and beach-focused trips, and Ben Yehuda and Dizengoff streets are one block inland for restaurants and supermarkets.
- Good
- Beach on the doorstep; Large hotels with pools and family rooms; Sunset views over the sea
- Watch out
- Hotel strip lacks neighbourhood character; Among the highest room rates in the city
- Nearby
- Gordon Beach, Frishman Beach, Hilton Beach, Tel Aviv Promenade
Family travel tips
- Metzitzim Beach near the Port is shallow and sheltered by a breakwater, which suits younger children.
- Use sun protection and keep children out of the midday sun from June to September.
- Restaurants welcome children and many have kids' menus; high chairs are common.
- Supermarkets and many attractions close or shorten hours on Shabbat, so stock up on Friday.
- Strollers are easy on the flat promenade and boulevards, but hard on Old Jaffa's steps.
Day trips for families
- Caesarea (About 45–60 minutes by car) — Caesarea National Park preserves Herod the Great's harbour city, with a restored Roman theatre, a hippodrome by the sea and Crusader walls.
- Masada and the Dead Sea (About 2 hours each way by car) — Herod's clifftop fortress above the Dead Sea is reached by cable car or the Snake Path, and a float in the mineral-heavy water at Ein Bokek's beaches completes the day.
When to go with children
The best months overall are April–June and September–November. June–August are the busiest, so book the big sights early. Weather by month.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Tel Aviv good for kids?
Tel Aviv is easy with children: lifeguarded beaches, the wide promenade for scooters, Yarkon Park's lakes and playgrounds, and plenty of child-friendly restaurants. Midsummer heat is the main challenge, so plan sightseeing for mornings and evenings.
+What can kids do in Tel Aviv?
Tel Aviv beaches and promenade, Yarkon Park, Tel Aviv Port, Ramat Gan Safari and Eretz Israel Museum.
+Where should families stay in Tel Aviv?
Beachfront and HaYarkon Street: High-rise hotels facing the sea between Gordon Beach and Hilton Beach.