Summer
© Summer

A complete Tel Aviv guide to summer survival

The sun doesn’t lie, it’s summer. Time to brave the heat with our summer survival guide

Written by
Time Out Israel Writers
Advertising

Get excited! Summer is finally here, which means extremely high temperatures, beautiful weather all month long, and beaches, beaches, beaches galore. We’ve already helped you find the best beaches in Tel Aviv; we’ve found the ideal outdoor spots for napping, picnicking, and all-day patio drinking; we’ve even found you the best beachside hotels. Now it’s time to put all of them together for a full Tel Aviv guide to things to eat, drink, wear, and do this summer to relish every sunburnt second of sunshine, lollipop(sicle)s and rainbows.

A Tel Aviv guide to summer fun

  • Attractions
With a welcoming coastline and a selection of some of the best beaches in Israel, we’ve highlighted the most happening Tel Aviv beaches spanning from Jaffa in the south to Tel Aviv Port in the north. For your sand-filled pleasure, spend the day like a local sweating through an intense matkot session, play some volleyball on the Gordon Beach strip, or just lay down and soak up the sun. You don't have to spend a shekel at these beaches; they offer some fun in the sun things to do in Tel Aviv at zero cost. After dark, head for a quick shower at your Tel Aviv boutique hotel or hostel and hit the town for a post-beach bite at some of the best Tel Aviv restaurants serving everything from seafood to Italian. 
  • Hotels
When tourists come to the White City and are looking for things to do in Tel Aviv, their number one destination is usually the same: the beach! The endless sand strip that starts by the Tel Aviv Port and seems to trail on to infinity (but, actually just to Jaffa) offers the perfect weekend activity when looking to surf, play matkot or just plain relax. Why book a hotel in the middle of the city when there are a plethora of five-star quality Tel Aviv hotels just seconds from the ocean? Maximize your tan time with these places to rest your head. If location alone doesn’t sell you, the hotel restaurants certainly will.
Advertising
The best picnic spots in Tel Aviv
  • Things to do
It only takes one summer weekend in Tel Aviv to understand that Saturday picnics are not just an outing, they’re a lifestyle. Save your boozy brunch money for a good ol’ fashion Yogi Bear style picnic in Park Hayarkon, (though the red and white checkered blanket may be slightly more elephant-printed from the Carmel Market). If you’re a fan of those nostalgic lunches that give a whole new meaning to the word 'sand'-wich, head to one of Tel Aviv’s beaches for an ocean-side bite. And when all that homemade food makes you sleepy, it’s time for a quick catnap before continuing the outdoor fun at one of the best outdoor patios or rooftop bars in Tel Aviv.
  • Bars
Tel Avivians wait anxiously all winter long for those suffocating plastic patio covers to come down and the fresh White City air to flow in. With the sun shining bright and the rain out of the picture, there is nothing more satisfying than soaking up some rays while drinking the day away on a patio. Watch the people walk by on Rothschild Boulevard, experience front row seats to the new kikar Dizengoff in the making, hipster it up happy hour style around the Great Synagogue, or sip veuve clicquot at Neve Tzedek’s Parisian-packed Israeli wine bars. There’s no going wrong with our list of the best bars in Tel Aviv with outdoor patios.
Advertising
  • Things to do
There's nothing better than some quick shut eye to get through an active day in the nonstop city. Since field studies are the most reliable forms of research, I studied the fields of Tel Aviv (both figuratively and the grassy kind), letting its most enticing nap spots call out to me. After much deliberation and some surprising scientific discoveries, which both supported and rejected my hypotheses, the results are in. Behold! The best places in Tel Aviv to take a nap – from the best parks in town to hotel rooftops, beachside parks, and a very suggestive slide inside Dizengoff mall. 
  • Restaurants
‘I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream’. When it comes to the frozen dairy treat that every kid loves, Tel Aviv has got the best of the best. With exotic flavour combinations like cardamom to those unique to Israel like halva and even vegan options, we’ve got it all! Try the trending dessert option that is ice cream sandwiches...especially delicious after a night out in the White City. You don’t have to be a child to enjoy the creamy deliciousness topped with mounds of fruit, nuts and chocolate, drenched in streams of sauces and sprinkled with rainbow jimmies and love. It’s all right here in our sweet-tooth’s guide to ice cream parlours in Tel Aviv.
Advertising
  • Things to do
  • City Life

Tel Aviv is a city that truly comes alive once the summer hits, but the heat in the Middle East is no laughing matter. Staying cool under the hot sun can be trickier than you think. We’ve got you covered (and not just with umbrellas) with a complete play-by-play to make the most of your Tel Aviv summer's day while not melting away. 

  • Restaurants
  • Drinking

Fresh juices and smoothies have long been a staple in Israel, but they’re now getting a glamorous makeover. In fact, the juice stands you find on so many corners are increasingly being sidelined as the Nike and yoga pants wearing crowd clamor over this new status symbol for healthy living. Here’s a look at where to indulge your taste buds with this growing wellness trend.

Advertising
  • Sex and dating
  • Sex & Dating

It's hot. You're bothered. The insatiable Middle Eastern heat has not only put a damper on your style, it has put a damper on your relationship as well. While these may not be relationship deal breakers, you're puppy love is bound to be interrupted by casual 'tiffs while braving Israel's long, drawn-out summer. Don't ditch your partner just yet. Buckle up, and take a deep breath because you're in it for the long haul. Just remember: what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger. 

The future looks bright at these top Tel Aviv sunglasses boutiques
  • Shopping
The sun shines bright in Israel, that is a fact. And while sunglasses aren't going to help anyone in the cool-down category, they do offer some major cool factor of the style variety. Head to these sunglass boutiques for some surefire eye candy, and while you are shopping the Tel Aviv circuit, get in some quality time perusing the ever-talented Israeli jewelry designers, indie fashion designers and pick up a range of Israeli vacay essentials...all worth the stops for updating your wardrobe come summa, summa, summa time.
Recommended
    You may also like
    You may also like
    Advertising