DAY ONEi
09.00: One of the first things you notice when you walk around the streets of Tel Aviv is the number of young people gliding through its many cycle lanes on electric scooters. It’s a speedy and fun way to get around, but to really soak up the city’s sights you need to be on foot. And there’s nowhere better to start than at the bottom of Rothschild Boulevard, named after French Zionist supporter Edmond James de Rothschild, which is the city’s main artery. Look out for the famous coffee kiosk on the corner of Herzl Street, its design unchanged since the first one was built in 1910, a year after Tel Aviv was founded, and imitated across the city. Farther up Rothschild, you’ll find the historic building where David Ben-Gurion declared the state of Israel in 1948, now restyled as Israel’s
26 18 JUNE 2020
Independence Hall. As you make your way up the boulevard towards the beach, the changing styles of the buildings show the vision of Akiva Aryeh Weiss, known as the founder of Tel Aviv, who set out plans to make a Middle Eastern city in the style of New York. Encourage clients to take their time with a casual stroll up Rothschild and its connecting boulevards, popping down a few side roads or stopping to admire its Bauhaus buildings, before branching off at Ben Gurion Street towards the Tel Aviv Marina.
13.00: A 10-minute taxi, or scoot, along the waterfront from the marina takes you to hip tapas restaurant Vicky Cristina. It has a Spanish influence, but is in keeping with the relaxed, European beach-city vibe you get in Tel Aviv. The menu features plenty of fresh fish and some Israeli favourites.
14.00: Tel Aviv may be a modern metropolis now but its origins date back thousands of years. Jaffa, the old port town in the southern part of Tel Aviv, can trace its history to before biblical times. A good place to start is the striking Jaffa Clock Tower, one of more than 100 built across the Ottoman Empire at the turn of the 20th century. From there, you can wander through the Old Town’s narrow, biscuit-coloured stone streets and absorb the artsy vibe of an area awash with museums, theatres and artisanal shops and galleries. Jaffa Flea Market is a good spot to pick up souvenirs – as long as you’re willing to haggle with the traders.
19.00: If you stay in Jaffa until early evening, dine at The Jaffa, a hotel in Marriott’s Luxury Collection that embodies Tel Aviv’s melting pot of culture with its mixture of Italian
cuisine and local dishes, served in its cosy courtyard. You can even stay for a game of backgammon, which originated in the Middle East and dates back about as long as the Jaffa district itself.
21.30: Head back along the beachfront to downtown Tel Aviv and grab a post-dinner drink on the rooftop of the Lighthouse Hotel, where you can feel the sea breeze as you sip cocktails, with Tel Aviv’s high-rise buildings as a backdrop.
DAY TWOi
09.00: Tel Aviv is a big place, and although it is easy to get around on foot, another two-wheeled way to get about is a bike tour. Baja Bikes’ aptly named Highlights of Tel Aviv bike tour, priced from £40, starts in the picturesque Yarkon Park, and makes its way downtown via
travelweekly.co.uk
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