Tel Aviv-Yafo

Tours of Israel often stop at the exciting city of Tel Aviv, the first modern Jewish city built in Israel, is sometimes referred to as "the city that never stops". The center of the country's economic and cultural life, Tel Aviv is incredibly full of life with a vibrant nightlife, entertainment, festivals and more. Tel Aviv stretches 14 km along the Mediterranean, extending past the Yarkon River and Avalon River. The city is alive every day with people headed in every direction for every purpose, many of which are tourists on tours in Israel. Tel Aviv's history begins in Jaffa or Yafo, the 3,000 year old city that lies to the southwest. The Old City of Jaffa, built during the Ottoman Empire, is now the home to many artists as well as an impressive tourist center. One of the main tourist sites in Old Jaffa is the Church of Saint Peter, which dates back to the 17th century and honors the place where Peter had his vision of non-clean animals while on the roof of the house of Simon the Tanner. Tel Aviv was established when a group of 66 Jewish families formed a little neighborhood in 1909 called Akhuzat Bayit (homestead). It was renamed Tel Aviv in 1910 and grew as other neighborhoods became a part of the original one, becoming the center of the Jewish settlement in Palestine (at the time) called Yishuv. Tel Aviv is actually the place where David Ben Gurion declared the independence of the State of Israel on May 14, 1948. The history of Tel Aviv alone is enough of a reason to go there on a trip to Israel.

The architecture is very eclectic, having been influenced by many different types of architecture including the International Bauhaus style. "The White City" is the central portion of Tel Aviv and it contains the greatest number of buildings built in this style-a great stop on an Israel guided tour for architecture-lovers-which is why it has become a World Heritage site by UNESCO. The White City stretches from the Yarkon River to Allenby Street, and from the sea to the Begin Boulevard. Tel Aviv is absolutely ripe with culture and entertainment for those on tours of Israel. The city has over 20 museums including the Land of Israel HaAretz Museum, Tel Aviv Art Museum), Museum of the Diaspora, the Israel Defense Forces History Museum, the Etzel Museum, The Haganah Museum, The Palmach Museum, The Lekhi Museum, and The Nachum Guttman Museum. Tel Aviv's culture doesn't stop at the museums, however, as the city hosts numerous orchestras, national dance companies and theater companies. Tel Aviv has a great deal of nightlife (clubs, dancing, restaurants, etc.) and a number of different beaches. Because Tel Aviv has so much to offer tourists on tours of Israel that it's no wonder the city has had to build a number of different hotels and other types of accommodations over time, giving tourists many options, making staying in Tel Aviv an easy and pleasant experience.