Tel Aviv: Where Is This, How Do You Get There, and Why Would You Travel Here?
I’ve been thinking a lot about how much of the world I don’t actually know.
Not in a negative way — more in a curious way.
The kind where you realize that entire places exist beyond the handful of destinations we hear about over and over again.
Tel Aviv is one of those places for me.
I didn’t grow up learning much about it. I couldn’t have told you where it was on a map without pausing. And yet, once I started reading more, I couldn’t stop thinking: how is this not talked about more?
Where is Tel Aviv?
Tel Aviv is in Israel, sitting right along the Mediterranean Sea.
It’s a modern coastal city layered with ancient history. To one side, beaches and bike paths. To another, the old stone streets of Old Jaffa Port — one of the oldest ports in the world, where traders and travelers have docked for thousands of years.
Tel Aviv doesn’t separate past and present — it lives in both at once.
How do you get there?
Most international travelers land at Ben Gurion Airport (TLV) — Israel’s main international gateway.
From there, getting into the city is easy:
A short taxi or rideshare
A direct train into central Tel Aviv
Or a private transfer for the smoothest arrival
The airport is located about 20 km from Tel Aviv and serves flights from all over the world.
Why would you travel here?
This is the part that surprised me most.
Tel Aviv isn’t about monuments you rush through or boxes you check. It’s about everyday life.
Morning swims in the Mediterranean. Long café conversations. Markets full of color and noise. Evenings that stretch late because no one is in a hurry to leave.
It’s a city that feels:
creative
youthful
expressive
lived-in
hopeful
If you’re someone who loves traveling to feel a place — not just see it — Tel Aviv makes a lot of sense.
A few places that keep pulling me in
Here are some spots that make this city feel alive — places I can already imagine exploring slowly.
Carmel Market
A huge, bustling open-air marketplace where food, spices, flowers, and energy collide. It’s one of the best places in the city to experience local life and flavor firsthand.
Neve Tzedek
One of Tel Aviv’s oldest neighborhoods, now a charming cluster of boutique shops, cafés, and art studios — quietly creative and utterly walkable.
Old Jaffa
Cobblestone streets, historic buildings, art galleries, and views over the sea. You can stroll ancient pathways that have seen millennia of history, from trade routes to modern cafés and galleries.
Nahalat Binyamin Street
A short walk from the Carmel Market, this pedestrian street turns into an arts & crafts fair on Tuesdays and Fridays, full of local makers and vibrant energy.
Independence Park
A green space overlooking the sea — perfect for a picnic or a slow reflection after wandering the city streets.
Is it safe to travel here?
Tel Aviv is widely considered a safe city for travelers, including women and solo travelers. It’s walkable, well-lit, lively late into the evening, and used to welcoming visitors from all over the world.
What gives people pause is that Tel Aviv is in Israel, a place we often hear about only through headlines. And it’s fair to acknowledge that context.
What surprised me as I learned more, though, is how normal daily life in Tel Aviv feels. People swim before work. Friends linger over dinner. Cafés spill onto sidewalks. Security exists, but it’s woven quietly into everyday life rather than dominating it.
Like anywhere, smart travel applies:
stay informed about current events
follow local guidance
avoid border regions during times of tension
Most travelers who visit Tel Aviv say the same thing afterward:
it felt calmer, more welcoming, and more alive than they expected.
And maybe that’s part of why places like this matter — they remind us that the world is more complex, more human, and more livable than the simplified stories we’re often given.
Why I’m sharing this
The WildHer Journal is a place for curiosity.
Sometimes that means sharing trips I’ve already taken. Other times, it’s about naming places I am learning about.
Tel Aviv feels like one of those discoveries.
A reminder that the world is bigger, more nuanced, and more interesting than we’re often taught — and that paying attention is the first step toward meaningful travel.
