All routes
City walk Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel

Tel Aviv & Jaffa: From the Old Port to the White City

A single day on foot from ancient Jaffa north along the beach promenade through Neve Tzedek, Bauhaus boulevards and the Carmel Market to the Tel Aviv Port.

Tel Aviv & Jaffa: From the Old Port to the White City
Photo: Ynhockey · CC BY-SA 4.0
Duration
1 day
Distance
9 km
Difficulty
Easy
Best season
March–May and September–November

No two ends of this walk feel like the same century. It begins in Jaffa, one of the oldest port cities on earth, and ends at a reinvented industrial harbour where the city meets the sea — and in between it crosses everything Tel Aviv has been in barely a hundred years.

The route runs south to north, mostly flat and mostly in sight of the Mediterranean, so you can walk it in a relaxed day with long stops for coffee, market food and a swim. Wear comfortable shoes and start early to beat the midday sun.

Getting there. From Ben Gurion Airport take the train to one of Tel Aviv’s central stations, then a short taxi or bus to Old Jaffa, where the walk begins. The whole route is walkable, and Tel Aviv’s shared bikes and scooters are everywhere if you tire.

Permits & tickets. None of the outdoor stops need a ticket. Old Jaffa, the promenade, the boulevards and the markets are all free and open. Individual museums along the way charge separately.

Good to know:

Day 1

Old Jaffa to the Tel Aviv Port

Old Jaffa → Tel Aviv Port 9 km
Navigate this day

A continuous seaside line from the ancient port of Jaffa, through the first Jewish neighbourhood and the Bauhaus boulevards, to the market and the reborn northern harbour.

Segments

  1. Old Jaffa: port, clock tower & flea market
    Old Jaffa: port, clock tower & flea market 1 km Map

    Jaffa Clock Tower → Old Jaffa port

    Stone alleys and steps

    Begin at the Ottoman clock tower of about 1903 and dive into the Shuk HaPishpeshim, Jaffa's flea market of antiques and cafés. Climb the restored stone lanes to the hilltop of Old Jaffa for the view back over the whole coastline, then descend to the ancient fishing port. Allow about 90 minutes.

    About this place

    Jaffa, also called Japho, Joppa or Joppe in English, is an ancient Levantine port city which is part of Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel, located in its southern part. The city sits atop a naturally elevated outcrop on the Mediterranean coastline.

    Read more on Wikipedia
  2. Along the seafront to Neve Tzedek
    Along the seafront to Neve Tzedek 1.5 km Map

    Old Jaffa port → Neve Tzedek

    Seaside promenade

    Follow the Tel Aviv–Jaffa promenade north with the sea on your left, then turn inland into Neve Tzedek, the first Jewish neighbourhood built outside Jaffa in 1887. Its low houses, boutiques and the Suzanne Dellal dance centre make it the prettiest quarter in the city. About 45 minutes with a wander.

    About this place

    Neve Tzedek is a neighborhood in southwestern Tel Aviv, Israel. It was the first Jewish neighborhood to be built outside the old city of the ancient port of Jaffa. It was founded in 1883 by a group of 48 Jewish families led by Shimon Rokach, a Jerusalemite pioneer of agriculture, and Aharon Chelouche, a landowner and businessman from Jaffa. At the beginning of the 20th century, Neve Tzedek was the cultural center of the developing Tel Aviv, where many prominent representatives of the Jewish creative intelligentsia lived and worked, including the future Nobel laureate Shmuel Yosef Agnon and the artist Nachum Gutman, who described life in Neve Tzedek in their autobiographical works.

    Read more on Wikipedia
  3. Rothschild Boulevard & the White City 2 km Map

    Neve Tzedek → Rothschild Boulevard

    Leafy boulevard

    Stroll the shaded central path of Rothschild Boulevard, lined with cafés and with the world's largest concentration of 1930s Bauhaus and International Style buildings — the White City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Independence Hall, where Israel was declared in 1948, stands at number 16. About an hour.

  4. White City backstreets 1.5 km Map

    Rothschild Boulevard → Bialik Square

    City streets

    Wind north through the heart of the White City to Bialik Square, a cluster of beautifully restored Bauhaus houses around the former city hall and the home of the national poet Chaim Nachman Bialik. A quiet, architectural counterpoint before the market. About 40 minutes.

  5. Carmel Market & Sheinkin 1 km Map

    Bialik Square → Carmel Market

    Crowded market lanes

    Plunge into the Carmel Market, the city's largest and loudest, where vendors stack spices, fruit, olives and street food from morning until late afternoon. This is the place to eat lunch on your feet. About 45 minutes, longer if you graze.

  6. Promenade to the Tel Aviv Port 2 km Map

    Carmel Market → Tel Aviv Port

    Beachfront promenade

    Return to the seafront and walk north past the beaches to the Tel Aviv Port, a 1930s harbour reinvented as a boardwalk of restaurants, bars and a weekend farmers' market. Time it for sunset over the water to end the day. About an hour.

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