Old Jaffa / Joppa
Jaffa is considered one of the oldest cities in the world, with a history spanning many millennia, and was once one of the principal ports of ancient Israel. It was here that ships carrying pilgrims to Jerusalem would arrive. Today, Jaffa is part of the unified city of Tel Aviv–Jaffa.
Over the centuries, the city was ruled by Egyptians, Philistines, Jews, Persians, Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, and Ottomans—each leaving its mark. According to tradition, this is where Noah built the Ark, where Andromeda was chained to a rock, where Saint Peter began his mission, and from where Jonah set sail.
Today, the historic part of Jaffa has become a vibrant tourist centre filled with restaurants, art galleries, workshops, flea markets, museums, and archaeological sites. Visitors often return again and again to stroll through its zodiac-themed streets or visit the famous Wishing Bridge.
Key attractions in Jaffa include:
House of Simon the Tanner
According to the New Testament, Saint Peter stayed in Jaffa at the house of Simon the Tanner. Here he had a vision of a vessel descending from heaven filled with various animals considered unclean by Jewish law. A voice told him: “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” (Acts 10:11–13).
Peter understood this vision as a sign that his mission extended beyond the Jewish people to the Gentiles, marking a turning point in the development of Christianity as a separate religion. The house associated with this event is still shown in Jaffa today.
Jaffa Antiquities Museum (Kedumim Square Underground Museum)
This unique archaeological museum offers visitors a glimpse into ancient history through a remarkable collection of artefacts, wall frescoes, and early “inscriptions” carved in stone.
Exhibits include ancient tools, jewellery, and everyday objects dating back to the time of Ramesses II (13th century BCE), discovered during excavations in the area.
Frank Meisler Gallery
Frank Meisler is a world-renowned Israeli sculptor whose works are exhibited in leading galleries and collected by celebrities, politicians, and royalty.
Working primarily with a unique alloy of bronze, silver, and gold, Meisler is known both for his universal artistic creations and for his Judaica designs. One of his galleries is located in Jaffa, where visitors can view and purchase his works.
Ilana Goor Museum
The Ilana Goor Museum is housed in a historic building in Old Jaffa. Ilana Goor transformed her private home into a museum in 1995, creating one of the most distinctive art spaces in the world.
The building, about 280 years old, once served as an inn for Jewish pilgrims arriving in the Holy Land. Today, it displays over 650 works, including sculpture, painting, design objects, antiques, and art from Africa and South America, alongside the artist’s own creations.
Visitors can also purchase original works and jewellery by Ilana Goor.
Jaffa Flea Market
The Jaffa Flea Market (Shuk HaPishpeshim) is a lively and atmospheric place where visitors can browse antiques, vintage items, and unique treasures.
From old copper and clayware to forgotten household objects and decorative pieces, the market offers a true taste of the ancient East, along with numerous antique shops and cafés.
Old Jaffa Port
The Old Port of Jaffa is one of the oldest ports in the world, with a history spanning over three thousand years. It is mentioned in the Old Testament as the place where Hiram I sent cedar logs for the construction of Solomon’s Temple, and from where Jonah set sail.
Today, the port has been beautifully restored into a vibrant leisure area with restaurants, cafés, galleries, and markets offering fresh seafood. Fishing boats still operate here, preserving its maritime character.
Just offshore lies a chain of rocks known as the “Andromeda Rocks,” linked to the Greek myth of Andromeda and Perseus, who rescued her from a sea monster. In reality, these rocks are the remains of an ancient breakwater.
Spending time here, especially in the evening, offers a chance to watch fishing boats heading out into the Mediterranean — a perfect end to a visit to historic Jaffa.
Rothschild Boulevard
Rothschild Boulevard is one of the main streets and key tourist attractions of Tel Aviv. It stretches from the Neve Tzedek neighbourhood to Habima Theatre.
A tree-lined central promenade—with pedestrian and cycling paths—runs along the boulevard, giving it its distinctive character. Many of the historic buildings here, designed in the Bauhaus or International Style, form part of Tel Aviv’s “White City,” a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Rothschild Boulevard is also the financial heart of the city, home to numerous financial institutions, including the First International Bank of Israel and the Israeli offices of HSBC.
Located on the boulevard is the historic:
Independence Hall
Independence Hall, also known as the Dizengoff House, is famous as the place where the Declaration of Independence of Israel was proclaimed.
The building stands on Rothschild Boulevard, near the site where, on 11 April 1909, sixty-six families gathered on the sand dunes to establish the first modern Jewish city. It was here that Meir Dizengoff and his wife Zina built their home. Dizengoff later became the first mayor of Tel Aviv.
In 1930, after his wife’s death, Dizengoff donated the house to the city, proposing the creation of a museum. In 1932, the Tel Aviv Museum of Art opened in this building and remained there until 1971.
On 14 May 1948, just hours before the end of the British Mandate, David Ben-Gurion proclaimed the establishment of the State of Israel here, in the presence of members of the Vaad Leumi and Jewish community leaders. After the declaration was read, Rabbi Fishman recited the blessing Shehecheyanu, and the ceremony concluded with the singing of Hatikvah.
Restored in 1978, Independence Hall is now open to the public and features exhibitions dedicated to the founding of the State of Israel and the history of Tel Aviv–Jaffa.
ANU Museum of the Jewish People (Diaspora Museum)
The Diaspora Museum, officially named after Nahum Goldmann, is located on the campus of Tel Aviv University in the Ramat Aviv district of Tel Aviv.
Its exhibitions present the creativity and way of life of Jewish communities across the diaspora, telling the story of the unique and continuous history of the Jewish people.
The museum features detailed models of famous synagogues, dozens of video installations about Jewish life around the world, and a genealogy centre with family trees of Jewish families from various countries.
Neve Tzedek
Neve Tzedek is a historic neighbourhood of Tel Aviv–Jaffa and the first Jewish district built outside the walls of Jaffa in the late 19th century.
Since the 1990s, it has evolved into one of the city’s most fashionable and bohemian areas, while preserving its historical charm. Today, it is a popular destination for tourists.
Despite its small size, Neve Tzedek offers a wide variety of attractions: boutique hotels, cafés and restaurants, fashion and jewellery shops, artisan studios, art galleries, and design spaces.
The name “Neve Tzedek” translates from Hebrew as “Abode of Justice.” The neighbourhood is known for its unique atmosphere of the late 19th–early 20th century, making it an ideal place for a relaxed stroll or a stop at a cosy café.
A municipal preservation programme ensures that all new construction remains in harmony with the area’s historic architectural style.
Tel Aviv Port (Old Tel Aviv Port)
The Old Port of Tel Aviv is located in the northern part of the city, where the Yarkon River flows into the Mediterranean Sea.
Opened on 23 February 1938, the port quickly became a vital transport hub for Tel Aviv. It was designed to receive boats and barges carrying goods from ships anchored offshore.
In 1948, the first ship carrying immigrants after the proclamation of the State of Israel docked here. The last ship arrived at the port on 25 October 1965.
Today, the port has been transformed into a lively cultural, commercial, sports, and culinary centre. Its pavilions host international congresses and scientific conferences. Visitors can enjoy restaurants, cafés, clubs, and bars located right by the sea, as well as concerts and sporting events.
Sarona
Sarona is a vibrant urban complex in central Tel Aviv, located near the Azrieli Center. Today, it features cafés, wine bars, restaurants, galleries, and stylish shops.
Originally founded on 18 October 1871 as a German Templar colony, Sarona was built on elevated ground safe from flooding by the nearby Ayalon River. At that time, Tel Aviv did not yet exist, and the settlement overlooked the Mediterranean Sea.
Modern Sarona combines historical architecture—two- and three-storey houses of the former colony—with landscaped gardens, walking paths, artificial ponds with water lilies, and large playgrounds.
Opened as a restored complex in 2014, it has quickly become one of the most popular destinations in Tel Aviv, attracting both locals and tourists every day.
Carmel Market (Shuk HaCarmel)
Carmel Market is the largest and most vibrant market in Tel Aviv, located in the Kerem HaTeimanim neighbourhood.
Here you can find almost everything: fresh fruits and vegetables delivered directly from farms, fish and meat, dairy products and cheeses, spices and pickles, clothing, footwear, kitchenware, cosmetics, electronics, and more.
The market is open daily except Saturdays, and prices are generally lower than in regular shops, making it especially popular with both locals and visitors.
Ramat Gan Safari
The Zoological Center Safari in Ramat Gan, part of the Gush Dan, is the largest zoological park in Israel.
The Safari serves as a breeding centre for many rare and endangered species and participates in international conservation programmes aimed at protecting wildlife and reintroducing animals into their natural habitats.
It is home to more than 1,500 animals from around the world. In a specially recreated African savannah environment, animals roam freely in small herds.
Visitors can explore the Safari area and travel to the central zoo by electric vehicles resembling a train. The park attracts around one million visitors each year.
Israel Diamond Exchange
One of Israel’s most recognisable landmarks is the Israel Diamond Exchange, whose worldwide reputation stems from the centuries-old tradition of Jewish diamond cutting.
Located in a complex of four buildings in Ramat Gan (part of the Gush Dan), it is one of the world’s leading centres for diamond trading.
The development of Israel’s diamond industry has been supported by favourable government policies, including duty-free import and export of gem-quality rough and polished diamonds, preferential financing, and strong international representation.
Israel remains one of the world’s largest wholesale centres for both rough and polished diamonds, with strict regulation of cutting factories, trading offices, consultancy firms, and jewellery retailers.
To explore the Israeli Diamond Exchange, visitors are advised to join guided tours of Tel Aviv and Jaffa, which often include visits to exhibition halls where jewellery can be purchased directly from manufacturers.
Azrieli Center
The Azrieli Center is a landmark complex of three skyscrapers in central Tel Aviv, each designed around a simple geometric shape: a triangle, a circle, and a square.
In addition to the towers, the complex includes a large shopping mall at their base. It is located next to the Ayalon Highway at the HaShalom interchange and is directly connected to the Tel Aviv HaShalom railway station, with one of the station’s exits leading straight into the mall.
The lower 13 floors of the square tower house the Crowne Plaza Tel Aviv City Center hotel. At the top of the circular tower, there is an indoor observation deck offering panoramic views of the city. Access to the observation deck is via the third floor of the shopping centre, and entry is ticketed.
The complex is named after its developer, David Azrieli.
Tel Aviv Museum of Art
The Tel Aviv Museum of Art is Israel’s leading fine arts museum and a major cultural centre of the Tel Aviv metropolitan area.
It was founded in 1932 in the home of the city’s first mayor, Meir Dizengoff, on Rothschild Boulevard—the same building where the Declaration of Independence of Israel was proclaimed in 1948.
Today, it is considered one of the largest and most important art museums in Israel. In 1959, the Helena Rubinstein Pavilion opened, and in 1971 the museum’s main building was inaugurated on Shaul HaMelech Boulevard, with exhibitions spread across both sites.
The museum houses extensive collections of classical and modern art, a department of Israeli art, a sculpture garden, and a youth wing.
Its exhibitions cover major artistic movements of the first half of the 20th century, including Fauvism, German Expressionism, Russian Constructivism, Cubism, Futurism, De Stijl, Surrealism, as well as French Impressionism and Post-Impressionism.
Among the artists represented are Claude Monet, Camille Pissarro, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Paul Cézanne, Alfred Sisley, Henri Matisse, Amedeo Modigliani, Gustav Klimt, Wassily Kandinsky, Marc Chagall, Chaïm Soutine, Joan Miró, and Pablo Picasso.
In addition to its permanent collection and temporary exhibitions, the museum hosts a wide range of cultural events, including classical and jazz concerts, lectures, film screenings, and symposia.
Eretz Israel Museum
The Eretz Israel Museum is a historical and archaeological museum located in the Ramat Aviv district of Tel Aviv.
Founded in 1953, the museum features extensive collections of archaeological, anthropological, and historical artefacts displayed in thematic pavilions, including exhibits of copper, glass, ceramics, and coins. The museum also includes a planetarium.
As a multidisciplinary institution, it presents the history and culture of the Land of Israel through both permanent and temporary exhibitions. Each pavilion focuses on a specific theme.
For example, the Nehushtan Pavilion recreates a Chalcolithic and Late Bronze Age mining environment, where visitors can see ancient tools such as stone hammers, flint knives, and copper chisels, as well as smelting furnaces.
The Glass Pavilion displays ancient glass vessels, while the Philatelic Pavilion traces the history of postal services in the Land of Israel from the mid-19th century to the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948.
Exhibits include letters, photographs, posters, postboxes, telephones, and even a 1949 postal truck. The permanent philatelic collection features rare and valuable stamps.