What to Do With One Day in Tel Aviv-Yafo

When we anticipated traveling to Israel, we imagined expansive deserts, ancient buildings and ruins, and cultures with histories going back millenniums.  But Tel Aviv is a little different.  Tel Aviv is as modern a city as it gets.  There’s still some old stuff, but a day in Tel Aviv is a day of exploring not only some of Israel’s ancient history, but also the new, vibrant, modern side of Israel.

We experienced something in Tel Aviv that we’ve never experienced in a foreign country not on the North American continent.  Tel Aviv almost feels like it could be an American coastal city, minus the tiny streets of Neve Tzedek and Jaffa, the oldest port in the world. 

Things to Do in Tel Aviv-Yafo

Rothschild Boulevard

Rothschild Boulevard is a wide tree-lined boulevard that was first built in the middle of the twentieth century.  The vision for this boulevard was to provide a place of beauty for people to stroll.  This purpose still holds up for today. 

There are sidewalks on either side of the street, but the better place to walk is in the park-like space that runs down the middle of Rothschild Boulevard.  On one side there is a bike path and on the other a walking path, so you don’t have to worry about being run down by a bicyclist.  There are trees, grass, benches, little playgrounds, and coffee stands, all on an island running down the middle of the busy boulevard.

Rothschild Boulevard is also the location of many restaurants, bars, and shops, and some of Tel Aviv’s UNESCO World Heritage architecture.

Old Jaffa

Before we got to Tel Aviv-Yafo, I didn’t understand why it had that name.  Turns out Tel Aviv-Yafo is a dual city.  Jaffa is the original ancient port city.  Jaffa is the opposite of Tel Aviv, filled with cobblestone streets, buildings that are hundreds of years old, and a traditional flea market.

We explored Old Jaffa on a walking tour, Sandemans New Europe free tour of old Jaffa, which we learned about through a pamphlet in reception at Abraham Hostels Tel Aviv.  The walking tour starts at the Clock Tower, wanders through the port of Jaffa, past old buildings, archaeological ruins, and ends in the Jaffa Flea Market. 

While walking through Old Jaffa, we learned about this old city, including facts like it is a large hill because as new people came in, they would build on top of what was already there, and that Jaffa might be the oldest port in the world and was the gateway for travelers to Jerusalem.

Lahat Promenade

One of the nicest walks in Tel Aviv is along Lahat Promenade, a walkway that stretches from Jaffa up to the Tel Aviv Marina.  This long walk provides views of Jaffa, modern Tel Aviv, and the Mediterranean Sea.