A Tel Aviv city guide for people landing at Ben Gurion
Ben Gurion sits south-east of the city, about twenty kilometres away. This guide covers what the drive in looks like, which part of Tel Aviv to head for, and how to get around once you are here.
- The drive in: distance, time and the road
- Four parts of the city, and how they differ
- Four places worth the first day
The first drive
The airport is south-east of Tel Aviv, so the city opens out to the north-west of you — along the coast to the west, and inland to the north. The run is 20–25 km, about 20–25 minutes in free-flowing traffic, on Route 1 west and then the Ayalon (Route 20) into the city.
The Ayalon is Tel Aviv’s bottleneck. Outside the morning and evening peaks the run is predictable; inside them it is not, and we do not publish a peak-hour figure because we have never verified one. A number we cannot stand behind is worse than no number.
The city-centre run is ₪250–300, including VAT and two standard bags, agreed before you get in. How the Tel Aviv transfer works →
Which part of the city you land in
Four parts of Tel Aviv matter to a visitor, and they differ less by distance than by how you get into them and what is there when you arrive.
- The seafront, to the west. The promenade runs the length of the city’s western edge, and Gordon, Frishman and Aviv beaches sit along it. This is the hotel strip, and the walk along the water is continuous.
- The city centre, just east of it. Rothschild Boulevard runs inland from the seafront, and the squares around it — Dizengoff, Habima, Magen David — are the centre of the city’s daytime life. The Tel Aviv Museum of Art is on Shaul HaMelech Boulevard.
- Jaffa, to the south-west. Older than the city beside it and separate from it: the old port, the flea market by the Clock Tower, and lanes too narrow for through traffic. This is the one part of the city where a driver may have to stop short and leave you to walk the last stretch.
- The north. North of the centre the city runs out along the coast to Tel Aviv Port, at the mouth of the Yarkon estuary.
Four places worth the first day
These four come from our own verified place records, so each one carries a note about how you actually arrive at it — including the places where you cannot drive to the door and the streets that are pedestrian-only. Opening hours and renovation status change; we publish what we have verified and let you check the rest.
Carmel Market
Kerem HaTeimanim, city centre
An outdoor food and goods market on Carmel Street, established in the 1920s, with a crafts fair alongside it on Nahalat Binyamin Street.
Carmel Street is pedestrian and no car can enter it. We drop at the ends — Magen David Square or the Allenby Street side — and you walk in. The market is closed every Shabbat and busiest on Tuesdays and Fridays, when the crafts fair runs.
Old Jaffa
Jaffa
The historic hilltop quarter of Jaffa and the oldest part of Tel Aviv-Yafo, holding galleries, restaurants, museums and churches in restored stone buildings above the sea.
The core is a hill of alleys and steps and is largely impractical by car. We drop at the foot of the hill by the clock tower, on Yefet Street, and you walk up.
Tel Aviv Port
Yarkon estuary, north
A former working port at the mouth of the Yarkon, closed in 1965 and rebuilt as a seafront shopping and entertainment district on wooden boardwalks.
Vehicle access is only through the complex entrances on Sha’ar Zion Street and Tel Aviv Port Street — the boardwalks themselves are for walking. Worth knowing: the port has no bathing beach, so a swim is not the reason to come here.
Tel Aviv Museum of Art
Shaul HaMelech Boulevard
Israel’s principal museum of modern and contemporary art, with large Israeli and international collections on Shaul HaMelech Boulevard.
A real street address, so this one is straightforward: 27 Shaul HaMelech Boulevard. Note that the museum currently admits visitors through the Herta and Paul Amir Building because of renovation work, so it is worth checking which entrance is in use before you travel.
Getting around once you are here
The airport is not the hard part. These are the honest options once you are inside the city.
- The train. Israel Railways runs from the station under Terminal 3 to Tel Aviv in roughly 11 to 20 minutes, stopping at HaHagana, HaShalom, Savidor and Tel Aviv University. It is cheaper than any taxi and, in heavy traffic, often quicker.
- Buses. City buses run along the main arteries.
- Taxis and pre-booked transfers. A transfer booked in advance is the answer when you are not making for a station, when there is more luggage or more of you than a bus is convenient for, or when you are travelling at hours the trains are not running. The price is agreed before the ride.
- Shabbat. Trains and most buses stop from Friday afternoon until Saturday nightfall. Taxis keep running through Shabbat.
Questions about arriving in Tel Aviv
How far is Tel Aviv from Ben Gurion Airport, and how long is the drive?
About 20–25 km, and roughly 20–25 minutes in free-flowing traffic — Route 1 west, then the Ayalon (Route 20) into the city. The Ayalon is Tel Aviv’s bottleneck and can make it much longer at peak, which is why we do not publish a peak-hour figure: we have never verified one.
Should I take the train or a taxi from Ben Gurion to Tel Aviv?
Both are correct answers, for different journeys. The train leaves from the station under Terminal 3, reaches Tel Aviv in roughly 11 to 20 minutes, costs less than any taxi and is often quicker in heavy traffic. A pre-booked transfer is the better answer when you have more luggage or more people than a bus is comfortable for, when you are going to a hotel door rather than a station, or when you are travelling at hours the trains are not running.
Which part of Tel Aviv should I stay in?
It depends what you are here for. The seafront is the hotel strip and the longest continuous walk in the city. The centre is where the squares, the museum and the market are. Jaffa is the oldest quarter and the least convenient to drive into — the lanes are narrow and part of the old port has no through road at all.
How do I get around Tel Aviv once I have arrived?
The train stops at HaHagana, HaShalom, Savidor and Tel Aviv University, so the four main arrival points are covered, and city buses run the main arteries. Trains and most buses stop from Friday afternoon until Saturday nightfall; taxis keep running.
Ben Gurion Airport to Tel Aviv
Call or message with your flight number, pickup address and the number of passengers. We confirm the price and the pickup time before the ride — and the driver follows your flight from then on.