Tel Aviv and Old Jaffa Private Tour

Start your tour in Jaffa, Tel Aviv’s joint municipality located at the southern end of Tel Aviv’s beachfront promenade. Jaffa is an ancient port city named after the biblical character, Jephthah, who was the son of Noah. The city is mentioned several times in the Bible and is said to be one of the oldest ports in the world. Jaffa was built on a cliff overlooking the sea where you can see the waves crashing against Andromeda’s Rock. According to Greek mythology, the daughter of the King of Jaffa, Princess Andromeda was chained to the rock as a sacrifice to a sea monster. But she was rescued by her true love, Perseus. Wander along the lanes of Old Jaffa and see a statue of Napoleon, a reminder that the Frenchman fought the Ottomans and conquered Jaffa in 1799. 

See St. Peter’s Church, a large edifice built to commemorate Peter’s time in Jaffa. Walk across the Zodiac Bridge which is decorated with the signs of the zodiac and offers views along Tel Aviv’s coastline. See the excavated 3500-year-old Egyptian Ramesses II Gate, and continue to Jaffa’s Artists Quarter. Walk along the narrow lanes lined with artists' studios, and galleries displaying unique artwork. Before heading for Tel Aviv, we pass through Jaffa’s flea market, a labyrinth of lanes, and stalls where items of every description are on display. 

Leaving Jaffa to pass through HaTachanah, the first train station built in the Middle East in 1892, which once served the railway line that connected Jaffa to Jerusalem.  Today HaTachanah has been renovated and turned into a modern commercial public space. We continue to Tel Aviv and the first Jewish neighborhood built outside Jaffa’s city walls - Neve Tzedek. This colorful neighborhood founded in 1909 has picturesque lanes, quaint cottages, and several specialty eateries and stores. Next visit Carmel Market, Tel Aviv’s most famous market selling fresh produce, clothing, and more. This is the perfect place to stop for lunch and try Israeli cuisine. 

Continue to Rothschild Boulevard,  passing Bauhaus buildings, and elegant historic homes. See Independence Hall where Ben Gurion announced Israel’s independence, and stop to admire the monument that commemorates this event. Pass Heichal HaTarbut, (Culture Hall), home of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra; Habima, Israel’s national theater, and head for Dizengoff Center, which is considered the center of Tel Aviv. Continue to Rabin Square, a public plaza where Prime Minister Rabin was assassinated in 1995. The tour comes to an end when we reach Tel Aviv Port, a commercial and entertainment area with a seafront promenade, created from Tel Aviv’s historic port.

Note that while it was compiled by our experts, this itinerary is just one suggestion; you can customize your tour and see much more of Tel Aviv's magic: Visit the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, take a Graffiti tour, see the Great Synagogue, enter the Palmach Resistance Museum and more (see FAQ section for details).