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Street food
Falafel is still the number one fast food in Israel and you can find falafel in every corner of Tel-Aviv. Sabih is the brother of the falafel: it is served exactly as the falafel, in pita bread and with salads, but instead of the falafel balls, it includes slices of grilled eggplant and a boiled egg (A very nutritious and healthy dish). Visit the page, about the Best Falafels in Tel-Aviv.
Other Israeli fast-foods you should try while in Tel-Aviv: Humus, Tehina, Malawah, Burekas and Jahnun. By the way, all are vegetarian dishes.
Here are “Burekas”, they are filled with white cheese:
Vegetarians
It is estimated that 8% of the population in Israel is vegetarian, which makes Israel second only to India in that respect. Vegetarians don’t eat animals, Vegans also don’t eat animal products (eggs & milk). Why should you know about it? First because being vegetarian is great (read my Vegetarian page), second because during your visit in Israel you will notice that the restaurants are much more friendly to vegetarians compared to other countries like France or Spain for example. Let’s say that in Europe a menu in a restaurant offers 5 types of salads, it is probable that 4 out of the 5 will contain some kind of meat or fish, in Israel it will be the opposite: 4 out of 5 will not contain any meat. Also the Israeli fast food is vegetarian.
Visit the page, about the Vegetarian options in Tel-Aviv.
But if you are a carnivore, don’t worry, still most of the people in Israel are like you :
Salsa Dance
If you don’t already dance salsa, you should start right away. You can see some explanations I wrote about the different Salsa styles. Although Tel-Aviv is not a very big city in worldwide standards, there are still enough Salsa clubs so that you can dance every day of the week, it is very popular. On the week-ends you can choose among several clubs.
Visit the page about Tel-Aviv nightlife.
Watch this Video of a Rueda demo in a Salsa club in Tel-Aviv.
Popular Israeli Dance
If you insist on authentic Israeli dance, there is in Israel what is called “Rikudei Am” which stands for popular Israeli dance. This dance is for everyone and for every age, you just need to learn the steps for each song. You can see people dancing (and also participate) every Saturday at the Gordon beach (See Map). In the hot months it is in the evening and in winter around noon .Be careful of fat Israelis who spin rapidly with stretch hands.
Watch this Video of Rikudei Am at Gordon Beach.
Tel-Aviv Metro
Finally, after almost a century since the creation of Israel, there is now a first line of Metro (it was inaugurated in August 2023). It is not exactly a Metro, it is a Tram. See the Transport page.
Electric Bikes
Because it seems that a metro system is not going to be built in Tel-Aviv during our era, and since a real motorcycle requires holding a license, insurance and an expensive maintenance, people in Tel-Aviv found the perfect way of transport, the electric bike. With an electric bike you can ride on the road and on the sidewalk, it is quiet, cheap and perfect for Tel-Aviv weather and size. As a tourist, you can rent one in some shops.
Trains
If you want to go outside of Tel-Aviv you can use trains, there are several stations in town (See Map). There was once a joke that the trains exist in Israel only in order to show it to children but now it is quite useful in order to go to several destinations. Haifa in the north, for instance is served very well by the trains, Jerusalem and also the international airport. The train doesn´t reach Eilat in the south. See the Transport page.
Taxis
There are a lot of them in Tel-Aviv and the service is quite efficient, but: Unfortunately, not all taxi drivers are honest. Taxi drivers are known to cheat even locals, so just imagine what they can do to tourists. So if you care about the price, just pay attention: make sure the driver is making the taximeter run at the beginning of the journey and ask a receipt at the end.
Central Bus Station
The huge station building is located at the south of the city and it includes a mall (See on Map). Sadly the station and its surrounding are quite neglected. There are lots of foreign workers who live in this area so you can find in this mall grocery stores with products from the Philippines, India, Nigeria and other exotic places. There are also buses in this station, they go to all destinations in Israel, including Eilat. There is also another central bus station in Tel-Aviv, located at the north of the city, it is smaller. To go to Jerusalem you can use both stations. See the Transport page.
Ben-Gurion International Airport
If you come to Tel-Aviv, you will probably pass through the airport which is located 21 Km from the city (See on Map). You can be sure you are at the right airport if you see many balloons stucked in the ceiling of the arrival hall. The balloons are there because Israelis are getting excited when they expect relatives who were a long time abroad (3 days) and they wait for them with presents and balloons. When there are too many of them in the ceiling, the airport maintenance are getting them down. To go to the airport you can use the train, it is just a 15 minutes ride. See the Transport page.
If you are really bored, you can watch planes landing and taking off from Tel-Aviv, in real time, by visiting the site FlightRadar24.
El-Al is the Israeli national company and its symbol on flightradar is ELY (you can click on an any airplane to get info).
Other Israeli companies : Arkia (AIZ), Israir (ISR)
Important Note : El-AL planes are religious, they are at rest during Shabbat.
Love parade- Gay parade
Each year there is a love parade in the streets of Tel-Aviv with the participation of the main city night clubs. It looks like this:
The “Reading” Chimney
Reading is not just a regular chimney, it is the Eiffel tower of Tel-Aviv, it is an Icon. From time to time the painting is changing and it has different night illuminations, depending on the occasion. The chimney is part of the Reading electric power plant. Just a few years ago there was smoke coming from there, but not anymore, the plant has switched to clean energy. You can use the chimney, to easily locate the port entertainment area. (See Map)
White Night Event
As if Tel-Aviv was not partying enough, in the last years the city has adopted the French “white night” event in which there are music shows and other activities all night long. Event usually held in July.
Jerusalem vs Tel-Aviv
Only 65 Km separates them but they are very different in nature. People from Jerusalem swear they could never live in Tel-Aviv and vice versa. (If you want to live equally in both cities, you probably have a personality disorder or you are very, very open minded). Here are some differences: Jerusalem has mountains, Tel-Aviv has beaches. Jerusalem is religious, Tel-Aviv is secular. Tel-Aviv people are said to be trendy, Jerusalem people reserved. Jerusalem is cold in winter, Tel-Aviv warmer. Tel-Aviv is an economic center, Jerusalem has government institutions. Jerusalem is a very old city with history, Tel-Aviv is a very young city. Visit my site about Jerusalem (what to Visit, where to Stay). See a Video of a short Trip from Tel-Aviv to Jerusalem.
Russian Culture
The last big wave of immigrants that came to Israel was from Russia.
Today, about 8 percent of Israel’s population, consist of people who were born in Russia. The Russian culture influence is all around: there are Newspapers, Radio and TV stations, Restaurants and Spectacles, all in Russian.
Soldiers
If for some reason you are attracted to Israelis in uniform, do know that soldiers are part of Tel-Aviv scenery.
Soldiers are especially abundant in the bus and train main stations at the week-end, when they go and return to their military bases.
Waiters
Waiters and waitresses in Israel are usually young people in their twenties, either students or just after the army service, saving money in order to do a big trip around the world. The tips in Israel are around 15% of the bill.
Khaosan road
This is not Tel-Aviv, this is the Kao-San road in Bangkok-Thailand, the backpackers street and this is where most of the young Israelis are going after they have saved money working as waiters in Tel-Aviv (or another job).
The army service is tough in Israel, it lasts 3 years for the men and 2 for the girls, so it became quite a custom to do a big trip after the army, a trip that can last 1 year. See my pages about the Khaosan road.
Matkot
This ball game is the real national Israeli sport. Matkot is very popular at the beaches and there are so many couples playing it that it can get annoying for the ones who are looking for a little bit of tranquility. It is very difficult to find a quiet place on the week-ends at Tel-Aviv beaches.
Watch this Video of Matkot game at Tel-Aviv Beaches.
Continue to Page 3 of the Tel-Aviv Tour 
More on Tel-Aviv :
- Where to Stay ? – Potential zones for the Hotel
- What to Visit ? – Beaches, Walking streets…
- What to Pack for the Trip ? Hidden Pocket for cash…
- Tour – How is Tel-Aviv, get the feeling of the city
- Transport – About the Airport, Buses, Trains…
- Cost – What prices to expect in Tel-Aviv ?
- Internet and Phoning – Pre-Paid card, how is the Internet…
- Maps – Google maps with points of interest for tourists.
- Frequently Asked Questions – Weather, Feasts, Costs…
- Vegetarian – Where to eat good Humus, Falafel, Sabih…
- Photos – Nice photos of the city.
- Travel Insurance (Health) – Points to know
On Haifa :
Haifa – What to Visit and where to Stay ?
On Jerusalem :
Jerusalem – What to Visit and where to Stay ?
If you have specific questions about Tel-Aviv or Israel, you can ask them in this TripAdvisor Forum
On Thailand :
- Bangkok – What to Visit, Where to Stay, Transport…
- The Islands in Thailand – Which one to choose, Where to stay, How to arrive ?
- Chiang Mai – What to Visit, Where to Stay, Transport…
- Pattaya city – What to Visit, Where to Stay, Transport…
Other Stuff :
- What to Pack ? the visual list that will help you prepare the suitcase.
- Visit my Vegetarian Page. Why be Vegetarian ? What to eat ?
- Visit my Salsa Dance Page. Salsa main Styles. Why Dance Salsa ?
- See City Information about 1 more cool city: Barcelona.
- Listen to nice Songs with translation in French, Spanish, Italian, Hebrew.
- Listen to basic Words In Spanish, French, Hebrew
If you find incorrect data on this page, like a restaurant that has closed or a big river that has moved or you want to tell me something, please write me to contact.
