Tel Aviv – Jaffa

The city is strikingly hip, with an effortless counter-cultural vibe, and an organic overdose of free thinking. The result is a flourishing arts and design hub, evident in the city’s graffiti strewn streets, prolific art exhibitions, locally designed fashion and jewellery, and creative kitchens.

Tel Aviv’s energy also manifests in its incredibly successful innovation scene which boasts – globally – the highest number of tech start-ups per capita. Tel Aviv is also a UNESCO world heritage site hosting the world’s largest collection of Bauhaus architecture.

A tour of Tel Aviv will invite you to get under the skin of the city through an understanding of its radically modern history and founding visionaries. You will see some of the city’s earliest neighbourhoods – which today luckily happen to be some of its prettiest – and visit Independence Hall, Rothschild Boulevard and other places of note.

Whilst in Tel Aviv, whether together with your expert guide or independently, you might also like to explore some of the city’s excellent museums. We particularly love the Tel Aviv Museum of Art – the building itself is an architectural masterpiece and the permanent exhibitions take you through a history of Israel art, and therefore also Israeli society and politics. We also highly recommend the Rabin museum – the only museum in Israel to explore the history of the state of Israel and Israeli society as well as the life story of Yitzak Rabin. A fascinating, informative museum, it goes through the historical turning points in the country’s development showing the dilemmas, social challenges and conflicts that the country faced at the time. This information is interwoven with the life story of Yitzak Rabin who had a major influence on the country’s history and became a symbol of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

Tel Aviv is also home to several wonderful markets which foodies will love to visit on a culinary tour. Tel Aviv’s most famous three foodie markets are the Carmel Market, which is a classic Israeli market selling fruit and veg, regional culinary specialities, and souvenirs; Levinsky Market, which is famous for its spices and teas; and Sarona Market which is a cutting edge, modern take on the traditional market.

Adjacent to Tel Aviv is the ancient port of Jaffa, mentioned in the bible in the story of Jonah and elsewhere. Jaffa’s strategic location has made it an object of desire to conquerors throughout the ages, including the ancient Egyptians, the Romans, Napoleon, and the British. Jaffa is also significant in the history of Christianity and St Peter’s determining vision, which he experienced while sleeping in Jaffa, and subsequent missionary are marked by the impressive St Peter’s church.

Ancient Jaffa and Modern Tel Aviv are fascinating to tour together because of their contrasts, and because of the huge swathes of history and ideologies which such a tour takes in. Please ask about including a tour of Ancient Jaffa and Modern Tel Aviv in your Israel touring itinerary.

We are so thrilled to have experienced so many facets of Israel. I’ve told all my girlfriends how great it would be to have a girl weekend in Tel Aviv!

Kate G, New York