The Ottoman clock tower of Jaffa and its palms at dusk, Tel Aviv
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Luxury in Israel

Tel Aviv

The Mediterranean’s beach city: Bauhaus boulevards of the White City, the old port of Jaffa, boutique hotels, restaurants and nightlife, and miles of sand.

The Jaffa clock tower at dusk, Tel AvivPhotograph: Sabrina Rosenberg-David

Shalom

The White City by the sea

Tel Aviv was founded in 1909 on the sand dunes north of the ancient port of Jaffa, and grew in the 1930s into a city of white modernist buildings designed by architects trained in the Bauhaus and Europe. Its White City, with some four thousand such buildings, is World Heritage.

Jaffa, one of the oldest ports in the world, keeps its stone lanes, its harbour and its flea market at the city’s southern end. Between them lie Neve Tzedek, the first neighbourhood outside Jaffa’s walls, and Rothschild Boulevard, lined with trees and boutique hotels.

The city faces the sea along miles of beach and promenade, and it is known for its restaurants, its markets, its nightlife and its start-ups. Jerusalem is about an hour away.

A few words of Hebrew
EnglishHebrewSay it
Helloשָׁלוֹםsha-LOHM
Pleaseבְּבַקָּשָׁהbe-va-ka-SHA
Thank youתּוֹדָהtoh-DA
Good eveningעֶרֶב טוֹבE-rev TOHV
The bill, pleaseהַחֶשְׁבּוֹן, בְּבַקָּשָׁהha-khesh-BOHN, be-va-ka-SHA

Where to go

Tel Aviv at a glance

When to go and how to arrive privately.

Tel Aviv

Best time to visitMay to June and September to October are ideal: beach weather and a warm sea without the humid peak of July and August.

  • Stay
    None that meets our standard yet.
  • Dine
    None that meets our standard yet.
  • Beach
    None that meets our standard yet.
Arrive privately
By private jet
Ben Gurion Airport (TLV / LLBG), about 30 minutes by car to central Tel Aviv. The Fattal Terminal there is a private terminal for VIP passengers.
By helicopter
Not a regular option.
By sea
No superyacht marina here yet meets our standard. Herzliya Marina takes yachts up to about 40 metres; about 25 minutes by car to central Tel Aviv.

Dine

Dining in Tel Aviv

The cooking schools.

Cooking schools

Shop

Luxury shopping in Tel Aviv

The galleries and car showrooms of Tel Aviv.

Art galleries

The great marques

Official showrooms, most by appointment.

The Great Marques: showrooms, factories and cars to hire ›

Experience

Events and things to do in Tel Aviv

The finest things to do in and around Tel Aviv.

The great museums

Opera houses, concert halls and festivals

  • Charles Bronfman AuditoriumTel Aviv

    Home of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, founded in 1936 by Bronisław Huberman with a first concert under Arturo Toscanini; the hall opened in 1957 with Leonard Bernstein and Arthur Rubinstein, and was renovated in 2011 to 2013 with acoustics by Yasuhisa Toyota. Visit website ↗

  • The Israeli OperaTel Aviv

    The national opera company, founded in 1985, at home since 1994 in the Tel Aviv Performing Arts Center, whose foyer was designed by Ron Arad. Visit website ↗

Live

Luxury real estate in Tel Aviv

A home in Tel Aviv: the agencies and advisers at our standard, for the purchase and for life after it.

Prime real estate

  • Israel Sotheby's International RealtyTel Aviv

    The Sotheby's affiliate for Israel since 2012, based on Rothschild Boulevard, handling prime homes in Tel Aviv, Herzliya and Caesarea.

All the leading agencies in Israel ›

Looking for a home in Tel Aviv? Write to travel@TheMediterranean.com and we will introduce you, in confidence, to the right agency.

Private banks and advisers

  • Julius BaerMonaco, Milan, Madrid and Tel Aviv

    The Zurich-based private banking group, present in about 25 countries, lists Monaco, Milan, Madrid and Tel Aviv among its locations. Visit website ↗

  • PictetMonaco, Spain, Italy and Israel

    The Geneva private bank, established in 31 financial centres, has Mediterranean offices in Monaco, Madrid, Barcelona, Milan, Rome, Turin, Verona and Tel Aviv. Visit website ↗

  • Lombard OdierMadrid, Milan and Tel Aviv

    The Geneva private bank opened its first Spanish office in Madrid in 2007 and serves private clients from Milan and Tel Aviv as well. Visit website ↗

Private healthcare

  • Sheba Medical CenterRamat Gan (Tel Aviv)

    A public hospital and the largest in Israel, with 159 departments and clinics and a Global Patient Services division; ranked first in Israel in the 2026 Newsweek ranking, and listed among the world's top ten hospitals in that ranking in recent years. Visit website ↗

  • Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center (Ichilov)Tel Aviv

    A public hospital in the centre of Tel Aviv with an international patient service; ranked second in Israel in the 2026 Newsweek ranking. Visit website ↗

  • Assuta Ramat HaChayalTel Aviv

    The flagship of Assuta, the largest private hospital network in Israel, which performs about 115,000 operations a year and treats medical-tourism patients. Visit website ↗

International schools

  • Walworth Barbour American International SchoolEven Yehuda and Jerusalem

    Founded in 1958 with the help of the US Embassy, it runs an American curriculum for ages 3 to 18 on an 8-hectare campus north of Tel Aviv and a second campus in Jerusalem. Visit website ↗

Plan your trip

Luxury travel in Tel Aviv and the Mediterranean: your questions answered

Plan your journey to Tel Aviv

Where is Tel Aviv?

On the Mediterranean coast of Israel. Ben Gurion airport takes private jets and is about 30 minutes from the city; Jerusalem is about an hour by road or by fast train.

What is Tel Aviv famous for?

Its beaches and promenade, the World Heritage White City of Bauhaus buildings, old Jaffa, its restaurants and nightlife, and its energy as the business heart of Israel.

When is the best time to visit Tel Aviv?

May to June and September to October are ideal: beach weather and a warm sea without the humid peak of July and August.

How do you arrive in Tel Aviv by private jet?

Ben Gurion Airport (TLV / LLBG), about 30 minutes by car to central Tel Aviv. The Fattal Terminal there is a private terminal for VIP passengers.

Do you tip in Tel Aviv?

Service is usually not included. Around 10–12% is customary in restaurants, 15% for excellent service, ideally in cash. Luxury hotels: porters ₪10–20 a bag, housekeeping ₪20–40 a day, ₪20–50 for concierge help. Taxi fares are usually rounded up; ₪10–20 for airport transfers with luggage. Private guides commonly receive around ₪100–150 a day per family or small group.

What should you wear in Tel Aviv?

At synagogues, most churches and all mosques, cover shoulders and knees; entry is normally refused with bare legs, and women may be offered a wrap. Men cover their heads at the Western Wall and in synagogues (paper kippot are usually provided). In ultra-Orthodox neighbourhoods, wear long sleeves and long trousers or skirts. On yachts, no hard-soled shoes on deck. Fine dining is generally smart-casual; jackets are rarely required.

Beyond Tel Aviv

More in Israel

The rest of Israel, and the Mediterranean beyond.

IsraelIsrael Travel Guide: Tel Aviv & JerusalemExplore IsraelThe MediterraneanTwenty-two countries and Gibraltar, first class onlyExplore the MediterraneanPlan your journeyFrom your home to Tel Aviv, with the costsOpen the trip planner

Customs and etiquette

Customs and etiquette in Tel Aviv

How Israel does things.

Language
Hebrew is the official language, and Arabic has a recognised special status. English is widely spoken, particularly in hotels, restaurants and anywhere visitors gather; Russian and French are also commonly heard.
Greetings
A handshake is usual, and Israeli manners are famously direct and informal; first names are used quickly. In Orthodox Jewish and some Muslim settings, a man and a woman may not shake hands, so let the other person lead.
Dress
At synagogues, most churches and all mosques, cover shoulders and knees; entry is normally refused with bare legs, and women may be offered a wrap. Men cover their heads at the Western Wall and in synagogues (paper kippot are usually provided). In ultra-Orthodox neighbourhoods, wear long sleeves and long trousers or skirts. On yachts, no hard-soled shoes on deck. Fine dining is generally smart-casual; jackets are rarely required.
Dining
Restaurants usually serve lunch from about midday and dinner from around 7.30–8 pm, with Tel Aviv running later. Reserve ahead for well-known restaurants, especially Thursday and Friday nights. Many restaurants in Jerusalem and in hotels are kosher, so meat and dairy are not served together.
Tipping
Service is usually not included. Around 10–12% is customary in restaurants, 15% for excellent service, ideally in cash. Luxury hotels: porters ₪10–20 a bag, housekeeping ₪20–40 a day, ₪20–50 for concierge help. Taxi fares are usually rounded up; ₪10–20 for airport transfers with luggage. Private guides commonly receive around ₪100–150 a day per family or small group.
Good to know
Shabbat runs from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset. Many shops and much public transport stop, especially in Jerusalem, while Tel Aviv stays livelier; avoid driving into Orthodox neighbourhoods during Shabbat. Plan Friday afternoons and Saturdays with this in mind.

Every list on this page is checked by hand and dated: last checked October 2026. Hotels, restaurants and events link only to their own official websites, where confirmed.

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