A Perfect Day in Tel Aviv

Wander down Tel Aviv’s most beautiful tree-lined boulevard and embrace the classic Bauhaus architecture. You’ll feel like the ultimate Tel Avivian. With everything from charming cafés, incredible ice cream parlours, and lively late-night clubs to historical museums, boutique hotels and endless charming places to sit and relax, Rothschild Boulevard is the perfect central Tel Aviv spot to explore. We’ve got the low-down on the must-see sights along the infamous street.

The artfully architected museum houses the best of Israeli art, as well as new and old masters. Gracing the walls of this museum are Israel’s most comprehensive collections of modern, contemporary, and Israeli art. The museum boasts an impressive collection of the old masters, diverse temporary exhibitions, displays of photography, design & architecture, a performance hall, and a beautiful, calming sculpture garden to wander around or relax in. When visiting, don’t miss the newest addition to the museum, the Herta and Paul Amir Building, which was designed by professor Preston Scott Cohen. Built around a spiralling, 90-foot high atrium, the Herta and Paul Amir Building is an architectural wonder. The interior space provides a unique setting for displaying contemporary art, a centre for architecture, and a gallery.

Few are the areas in Tel Aviv that can produce such a concentration of fine spots for entertainment and restaurants that provide excellent culinary delights with equally great vibes. The Levinsky Market is the perfect place to refuel your pantry, body, and soul. The style of entertainment is alternative and easygoing, and the prices are always easy on the wallet. A glass of arak and a sniff of all the spices, and you are in the Levinsky State of Mind.

Being the Israeli culture hub that it is, Tel Aviv’s gallery scene has thrived in recent years. Well, Jaffa took on the challenge to prove that there’s nothing a young sister can do that her older sister can’t (already suggested by the impressive list of Jaffa restaurants). From galleries like Zadik (temporarily closed) aiming to enhance the viewer’s sensory experience to extensions of the Israeli art scene (like the Gordon Gallery) drawing from an international artist-pool, the Old City is claiming its cultural merit. Spend your weekend gallery-hopping around Jaffa – and don’t forget to refuel on Jaffa street food, offering some of the tastiest shawarma and shakshuka you’ll ever have.

By day, the Carmel Market, one of the best markets in Israel, is a carnival scene: a clash of curious tourists taking their sweet time and impatient locals just trying to buy dinner. As fish guts and fruit peels are thrown into the main street and water washes away a long day of work, the shuk becomes void of all shoppers and signs of human existence. Nightfall is when the magic happens. Nestled down the alleyways of the market are some of the best restaurants and hidden bars in Tel Aviv. Bring some friends to Carmel Street, but remember, the more on the down-low you keep these establishments, the less crowded they’ll stay.

The vibrant stretch of coastline from Jaffa in the south to Tel Aviv's port in the north awakens all the senses with a feast of colours, sights, songs, and smells. Nothing beats walking – or cycling – along the seaside promenade, breathing in the fresh, salty air of the Mediterranean. With Old Jaffa stamping the horizon to the south and the city’s skyscrapers to the north, this is the all-time best spot for people-watching and whizzing by. Sitting on a bench to watch local life unfold before your eyes with beach-goers, paddle players, sunset buskers, magicians, and more doing their thing as the waves gently crash on the shore.

Amongst its many attributes, there is one quintessential, citycentric element of Tel Aviv - its kiosks ­­- that just may top even some of its European counterparts, given that ours are open and active year-round. When we say kiosks, we're referring to the small wooden structures that passersby will undoubtedly notice going to and from – the pit stops are conveniently peppered across the grassy swaths of the city's wide boulevards, wafting intoxicating whiffs of freshly-brewed coffee and artisanal pastries. Some of these kiosks have progressively become landmarks and are not-to-be-missed when strolling on a lazy weekday morning or afternoon, where you can grab a quick bite and take a breather all in one blissful swoop.

There is something so whimsical about looking at old photographs; the colours (or lack thereof), the fashions and trends, the expressions of people you will never meet but who may be connected to your ancestry somehow. Thankfully, Israel's impressive progression has been well documented; The Photohouse's archives are here to prove it. First opened on Allenby Street in 1936, the Photohouse has a massive collection of negatives numbering close to a million images, and today the shop houses one of the country’s most monumental private archives of historical photographs, recounting the story of Israel's past, and bursting with nostalgia. For those searching for a unique gift, the images can be blown up into huge posters, magnets, coasters, and more. Plus, framing is also available on-site. This store is a must-visit for anyone who loves photography and history.