Tel Aviv
Israel · Country profile
Tel Aviv is the white city and the great modern metropolis of the Israeli coast, the financial, cultural and technological capital of the country and a city of the Bauhaus architecture, the Mediterranean beaches and a famously lively, secular, round-the-clock life. The white city, the celebrated ensemble of the modern architecture of the twenties and the thirties, is a world heritage, and the city around it holds the museums, the galleries, the markets, the restaurants and the nightlife that make it one of the most dynamic cities of the eastern Mediterranean. The old port town of the Jaffa, layered for thousands of years on its hill at the southern edge of the city, anchors the deep history, while the beaches and the promenades of the modern Tel Aviv carry the sun-soaked present. Cosmopolitan, informal and endlessly inventive, Tel Aviv is the great city of the Israeli sea.
About Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv is a city in Israel. The city's documented population is around 482,000 people. For visitors from abroad, the local currency is the Israeli New Shekel (ILS) and Hebrew and Arabic are spoken; the dialling code is +972. It is served by 1 airport in our guide: Ben Gurion Airport.
The White City, the Beaches and the Nonstop Life
Tel Aviv is a modern, fast-moving, proudly secular city of the Mediterranean, built around its Bauhaus white city, its beaches and its famously nonstop culture. The white city with its elegant modern buildings, the markets of the Carmel and the Levinsky, the museums and the nightlife of the centre give the visit its circuit, while the ancient port town of the Jaffa at the southern edge adds the deep past. The city is compact, walkable and safe, and its life runs on the cafes, the beach and the constant invention of its restaurants and its galleries. It is also the natural base for the wider country, the holy cities and the coastal regions within easy reach.
The Shekel, the Shabbat and the Seasons of the Coast
The city is at its best in the spring and the autumn, warm and free of the crushing heat and the high-season prices; the summer is hot and humid and the winter mild and rainy. The white city, the markets, the museums and the promenades are the essential circuit, and the old port town and the day trips of the region fill the rest. The shekel is the currency, the Hebrew is the language with the English widely spoken and the cards work everywhere. The city is safe, walkable and easy, with the light rail and the buses of the metropolitan area covering the spread, and the shabbat rhythm of the city, quiet from the Friday evening, is part of the local character.
The Jaffa, the Carmel and the Promenade of the Sea
The white city of the centre, the celebrated ensemble of the modern architecture with its curved balconies and its boxes of the international style, is the great architectural walk of the city and a world heritage, best seen on the guided tours and from the terraces of the cafes of the boulevards. The promenade of the seafront, from the beaches of the centre to the marina, is the great public stage, and the old port town of the Jaffa, with its ancient alleys, its galleries, its flea market and its hilltop views over the whole city, adds the deep history. The markets of the city, the Carmel with its food and its chaos and the specialty streets of the Levinsky, are the sensory heart, and the museums of the modern and the ancient art, along with the famous nightlife, close the picture of the restless city.
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- Country
- Israel
- Population
- 482,000
- Coordinates
- 32.0114, 34.8867
- Capital
- Jerusalem
- Region
- Asia
- Currency
- Israeli New Shekel (ILS)
- Languages
- Hebrew, Arabic
- Calling code
- +972
- Country code
- IL
Getting to Tel Aviv
Airports we list for Tel Aviv:
Cities in Israel
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Frequently asked questions
Is Tel Aviv the capital of Israel?
No — the capital of Israel is Jerusalem.
What currency do I need in Tel Aviv?
The local currency is the Israeli New Shekel (ILS). Languages spoken in Israel include Hebrew and Arabic.
What is the dialling code for Israel?
The international dialling code for Israel is +972.
Which airport should I fly into for Tel Aviv?
Ben Gurion Airport (TLV) is the airport we list for Tel Aviv.
Flying out of Tel Aviv? Check the entry requirements for your destination in our entry requirements tool before you fly.