A Sabbath Morning in Tel Aviv & Old Jaffa

July 23, 2017
places to visit in tel aviv

I have no problem admitting when I’m wrong.  And this was definitely one of those times.

As I planned our epic Israel and Jordan adventure, many forum posts and blog articles reiterated, “Don’t discount Tel Aviv and Jaffa, they’re worth spending some time in”.

But I had so much I wanted to fit into our itinerary that I kept telling my friends (and myself) that if we needed to cut time, I didn’t feel like Tel Aviv was critical as anything other than a base.  We ended up only having a morning to explore Tel Aviv and Old Jaffa, but I was surprised at how quickly the city charmed me.

The beaches of Tel Aviv are one of its biggest draws...tips for what to do in Tel Aviv & Jaffa with only a few hours!

After our first day spent exploring the north of Israel, we’d finally gotten a decent night of sleep.  Feeling refreshed, I was jonesin’ for some coffee and ready to hit the pavement.

We headed out from Abraham Hostel and started walking toward the sea, with a quick stop for vital sugar and caffeine.  Is this not the cutest?!

places to visit in tel aviv

places to visit in tel aviv

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It was a gorgeous, hot Sabbath morning, and Tel Aviv was ALIVE.  No sleepy weekend morning here.

Because Tel Aviv is a bit more secular, there were still some shops open, and tons of people out walking, having brunch, walking their dogs, and generally enjoying a beautiful late spring morning.  It was also a couple days before their Independence Day, so there were Israeli flags displayed all over.

places to visit in tel aviv

places to visit in tel aviv

places to visit in tel aviv

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The street art in Tel Aviv is really something.  I was obsessed with these adorable squirrels (who definitely look like they’re up to something).

If you have longer to spend in the city and are into this kind of thing, there are street art tours that you can take to really get a feel for it.  We just walked through the Neve Tzedek neighborhood toward the sea.

How to make the most of a short time in Tel Aviv and Jaffa. See Old Jaffa, spend time at the beach, soak in the street art culture, and stuff yourself full of delicious goodies! Tips for your first time in Israel!

How to make the most of a short time in Tel Aviv and Jaffa. See Old Jaffa, spend time at the beach, soak in the street art culture, and stuff yourself full of delicious goodies! Tips for your first time in Israel!

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We enjoyed soaking in the city, but after about 25 minutes we reached the real star—the Mediterranean.

How to make the most of a short time in Tel Aviv and Jaffa. See Old Jaffa, spend time at the beach, soak in the street art culture, and stuff yourself full of delicious goodies! Tips for your first time in Israel!

How to make the most of a short time in Tel Aviv and Jaffa. See Old Jaffa, spend time at the beach, soak in the street art culture, and stuff yourself full of delicious goodies! Tips for your first time in Israel!

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I challenge you to find a major city with beaches this beautiful and accessible.  I could have parked myself on that sand all day and just stared at the changing blues, greens, turquoises, and teals.

The beaches of Tel Aviv are one of its biggest draws...tips for what to do in Tel Aviv & Jaffa with only a few hours!

The beaches of Tel Aviv are one of its biggest draws...tips for what to do in Tel Aviv & Jaffa with only a few hours!

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But alas, we had another destination in mind.  We walked south along the promenade as Old Jaffa came into view.

The beautiful Old Jaffa port & beaches of Tel Aviv are a huge reason to visit, but not the only ones. Great food, vibrant street art, tons of history and culture. Tips for visiting Israel's modern city!

The beaches of Tel Aviv are one of its biggest draws...tips for what to do in Tel Aviv & Jaffa with only a few hours!

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To give a little bit of background:  Tel Aviv is a very modern city, only founded in the early 1900s.  But next-door and now included Jaffa (also Yafo, Joppa, etc.) is one of the oldest functioning ports in the world.  Because it’s a very key strategic position and an natural port, reading who has controlled it is like a “Who’s Who of the Ancient World”.

It first shows up in the historic record in the 1500s BCE as a Canaanite port, then Egyptian, Hittite, Philistine and Israelite (honestly, went back and forth between those two for a while), Assyrian, Persian, Phoenician, Greek, Hasmonean (Jewish), Roman, Byzantine, Mamaluke, Ottoman—even Napoleon conquered it before the British took control in 1917.  This port is not a spring chicken, and it got around.

places to visit in tel aviv

places to visit in tel aviv

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We walked along the water, rounding the bend.  Some street musicians really set the scene for us, the perfect ambiance for a stroll in such an amazing historic town. (Apologies for the obnoxious vertical video, I Snapchatted that originally)

Old Jaffa & Tel Aviv are a must visit in Israel (I was skeptical, but it won me over!). Tips for visiting if you have less than a day in this vibrant city! #israel

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We didn’t have a specific game plan, just walked around.  I probably should have done a bit more research because I feel like we probably missed some important sights.

I will say that I expected the narrow streets, stairs, and alleys to be a bit more…old-looking.  Not only were they super clean (props, Jaffa-ians) but weirdly newer-feeling.

Old Jaffa & Tel Aviv are a must visit in Israel (I was skeptical, but it won me over!). Tips for visiting if you have less than a day in this vibrant city! #israel

places to visit in tel aviv

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In addition to the cute little farmers market in the main square, there are a few famous churches.  We didn’t bother with visiting them, but if that’s your thing you can feel free.  We wanted to stay outside in the sun as long as possible.

To that end, make sure to head to the top of the gardens in the middle of Old Jaffa (HaPisga Garden, or Peak Garden) for the beautiful views of Tel Aviv, the beaches, and Jaffa.  They make it as Instagrammable as possible 🙂

places to visit in tel aviv

places to visit in tel aviv

I kept taking pictures of this sailboat, because it somehow kept popping up everywhere we went.  As we walked, the thing that kept running through my mind is that this is a very old view.  Like, this pic here (below) is basically the same one that the apostle Peter would have seen when he was staying in Joppa over two millennia ago.  That is INSANE.

Places to visit in Tel Aviv & Jaffa if you only have a short time...tips for where to go, where to eat, what to see. Don't miss this vibrant & charming Israeli city!

Not this one, obvs.

Places to visit in Tel Aviv & Jaffa if you only have a short time...tips for where to go, where to eat, what to see. Don't miss this vibrant & charming Israeli city!

Jaffa is home to tons of art galleries and great restaurants, which we just didn’t have time to sample, unfortunately.  If you have more time to explore than we did, check out articles like this and this for a bit more info.

places to visit in tel aviv

places to visit in tel aviv

We finally made our way to the famous clocktower (which honestly was a bit underwhelming after all it was talked up).  I missed the sight of the sea, but my stomach was growling and we needed to get back to the hostel to meet our friends soon.  Luckily, she texted me right at that moment that we should try to grab a bite at Abulafia.

Except she didn’t spell it that way (it apparently has a few different spellings, like Aboulefia), so I scanned the street and finally did some googling, trying to figure out what that was.

places to visit in tel aviv

Sooo happy I did.  It was just a few steps down the street, and I was captivated by all the baked goods on offer as we drew near.  The challenge for someone like me is 1) figuring out what I want, and 2) getting served.

There isn’t really a line, you have to know what you want (no, there’s no any kind of menu that I could see), and politeness isn’t valued.  In general in Israel, I found you just have to be direct and a little pushy (not straight up rude, just not deferential or polite) to get around.

places to visit in tel aviv

Abulafia is famous, and has sat at the same corner in Jaffa since 1879.  The biggest bummer for me is that I’m 100% positive I didn’t get the best things there just because I didn’t know they existed, and I wish I’d had a local to point me in the right direction.

Regardless, we got a couple pastries filled with savory things and a long phyllo stick pastry thing, and made our way back to the beach to eat.

With only a few hours in Tel Aviv & Jaffa, explore Old Jaffa, grab pastries from Abulefia bakery, & soak in the gorgeous Tel Aviv beaches! A must visit in Israel.

Not bad.  Not bad at all.

It was only a few hours (and a chill few hours at that), but Tel Aviv and Jaffa left me thoroughly charmed.  I’d head back there in a heartbeat to explore the food, culture, and history (it also has a major nightlife, but that’s just not for me).

Places to visit in Tel Aviv if you only have a half day:

  • The beach!!!  Walk, sit, lay out, have a snack, and soak up Tel Aviv’s beach culture—and if you’re here at sunset, this is the place to be!
  • Explore Old Jaffa.  Visit the clock tower, the port, the main square with churches
  • Neve Tzedek neighborhood…just walk through and enjoy the street art (Simtat Shlush in this area has a lot of great examples), have a snack or sit down for some brunch
  • Eat at Abulafia bakery in Jaffa
  • If you’re here at night and nightlife is your thing, head to Shenkin, Allenby, and Bograshov Streets
  • We stayed at the Abraham Hostel Tel Aviv, in a private double room.  Definitely recommend!  Great breakfast, cool bar area, nice vibe (and that’s from someone who is *not* a hostel person…).

I know I missed a TON of places to visit in Tel Aviv…let me know what I need to do next time I’m there in the comments!

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Tel Aviv & Old Jaffa, Israel | Places to visit in Tel Aviv and Old Jaffa if you only have a short time...let yourself be charmed by the gorgeous beaches, history, street art, food, and more. This city mixes old and new Middle Eastern, Arab, Israeli, and other cultural influences, tips for visiting. #israel #telaviv #jaffa #history

Comments (7)

  • What To Do In Jerusalem: A 24-Hour Itinerary | One Girl, Whole World

    April 10, 2018 at 7:20 am

    […] You might also like:  A Sabbath Morning in Tel Aviv & Old Jaffa […]

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    January 1, 2018 at 8:30 pm

    […] Read next:  A Sabbath Morning in Tel Aviv & Old Jaffa […]

  • Elise Cohen Ho

    July 25, 2017 at 3:15 pm

    Thank you for sharing your journey It is so interesting to see reas I have not seen myself.

  • Madiha

    July 25, 2017 at 2:25 pm

    your pics are amazing!

    1. Jessica

      July 25, 2017 at 3:42 pm

      Thanks!! Pics are one of my favorite souvenirs from trips…love poking back through them to remember amazing experiences

  • Megan

    July 25, 2017 at 1:54 pm

    Thanks for sharing! What a wonderful trip. I would never have thought it would be so modern with a great splash of old. Might just have to add this to my bucket list!

    1. Jessica

      July 25, 2017 at 3:41 pm

      Thank you! Definitely recommend adding to your bucket list, there is just so much to see in that part of the world–and you’ll get the best hummus and falafel there is! 🙂

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