The hippest, most vibrant city in the Middle East has something for everyone – from its rich history, to fantastic gastronomy and endless beaches that stay busy almost all year round, you can be sure you will never be bored in Tel Aviv.

Achingly trendy yet relentlessly laid-back, cosmopolitan yet distinctly Israeli, modern yet steeped in history, Tel Aviv is a city of contrasts. There is no end of exploring to be done, from the learning about the country’s fascinating history, to discovering its distinct Art Deco architecture and tasting its unique brand of Middle Eastern cuisine. Maybe that’s why so many visitors find themselves leaving Tel Aviv with a sense of wanting more.

While summers in Israel tend to get unbearably hot, Tel Aviv is blessed with glorious weather in spring and autumn. In fact, the Tel Avivians will confirm that the climate here is at its best when their neighbours across the pond in southern Europe are already bundled up in their winter woollies.

Where to stay

The Norman

Set in two adjacent 1920s townhouses just off glamorous Rothschild Boulevard, The Norman is Tel Aviv’s most elegant boutique hotel. It boasts 30 rooms and 20 suites, all of which are designed with a contemporary urban loft feel, featuring hardwood floors, pastel hues, floor-to-ceiling windows and bespoke artwork. While the immaculate bathroom designs are enough to make you want to move in here and never leave, the property also features a spectacular roof terrace, complete with infinity pool and views of the Tel Aviv skyline, a spa, sushi bar and cocktail bar.

www.thenorman.com

Day one

Hit the road

What better way to check out the city than with your own local expert? Pomegranate Travel (pomegranate-travel.com) will connect you with one of their experienced guides, selected according to your areas of interest – from history, to religious heritage, gastronomy, art, adventure or something completely different.

We suggest kicking things off with a crash course in Israeli history, whilst strolling down emblematic Ben-Gurion Boulevard, named after the country’s first Prime Minister, before heading over to the up-and-coming Levinsky neighbourhood to sample Jewish cuisine from around the world. Stock up on spices with Iris at Tavlinski Spices, before moving on to sample the savoury Turkish pastries at Burekas Levinsky (en.shuktlv.co.il/category/levinsky-burekas), the pickled Polish herring at Bar Mati (en.shuktlv.co.il/category/mati-bar), and the mind-blowing array of preserves at Yom Tov Deli (en.shuktlv.co.il/category/yom-tov-delicatessen). Finally, get lost in the winding alleyways of the ancient port town of Jaffa – a guaranteed delight for Instagrammers and history buffs alike.

Lunch with a view

All that walking will undoubtedly have worked up quite an appetite. Just a short walk from Jaffa, Manta Ray (mantaray.co.il) is a great place for lunch. With its unbeatable location right on the promenade between Jaffa and Tel Aviv, Manta Ray offers an unbeatable combo: great fish and a spectacular sea view. Start with a selection of delicious mezze (small dishes like tapas, meant for sharing), before indulging in some fish and seafood so fresh it practically swims onto your plate. Don’t miss the sautéed shrimp with gnocchi, spinach and creamy crab sauce, and the fillet of tuna in carrot and ginger sauce.

Life’s a beach

Make like a Tel Avivian and hit the beach for the afternoon. The Tel Aviv coastal strip stretches from Herzliya to Bat Yam and is composed of 13 official beaches, each of which has its own charm and target audience. From the religious beach to the dog beach, surfer beach, nude beach and gay beach, there is something for everyone. If you don’t want to crawl too far after lunch, Alma Beach, right in front of Manta Ray, has gained a reputation as the beach of choice for visiting celebrities. If you’re willing to venture further afield, the Tel Aviv glitterati prefer the Hilton/Top Sea Beach, featuring the TopSea surf club and a great restaurant and beach bar, the latter of which even makes deliveries onto the beach.

Sundowners

Grab a cocktail and watch the famous sunset from the panoramic rooftop of The Poli House, one of Tel Aviv’s trendiest boutique hotels (brownhotels.com/poli) . This is where the city’s beautiful young people congregate for a spot of pool-lounging and cocktail drinking, accompanied by a dish from the delicious raw bar, which serves an array of colourful, fresh salads and tasty ceviches and tartars.

Foodie paradise

After a quick freshen-up back at The Norman, you’ll be pleased to know one of Tel Aviv’s best eateries is just a stone’s throw away – or a 200-metre walk to be more precise. The sophisticated restaurant in the charming Montefiore boutique hotel (www.hotelmontefiore.co.il/restaurant) is the kind of place you could eat at every day and never get tired of the menu. Effortlessly blending Mediterranean ingredients, French recipes and Asian flavours is what this classy establishment does best, which is why we suggest kicking things off with some Vietnamese “nems” and the tomato consommé with crab tortellini, before moving onto the mouth-watering crispy chicken with lemongrass and the excellent sea bass fillet with morning glory and naam-pla.

Drink the night away

Rumour has it Tel Aviv never sleeps. If you don’t either, the good news is that one of the city’s hottest nightspots is just a five-minute walk away. Eclectic and hip, Yavne features a bar space, as well as indoor and outdoor seating and a dance floor, and serves up cocktails, snacks, live music and DJs every night until late. Check it out on instagram @yavne_telaviv.

Day two

Fly like a bird

When you’re short of time and hungry for adventure, there really is only one way to explore a country. Israel Unlimited Boutique Tours (www.israelunlimited.com) arranges exhilarating helicopter tours over Israel. Have your private driver pick you up from the hotel right after breakfast and whizz you over to Rishon Airport where you will meet your pilot and have a safety briefing before taking to the skies.

Israel is a small country so, within only a few minutes, you will be flying over Jerusalem, where you will see Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum as it pierces out of the Jerusalem Hills, Israel’s Knesset (Parliament), and the Israel Museum with the famous Shrine of the Book. Before long, you will have a unique bird’s eye view of Jerusalem’s fascinating Old City, home to some of the world’s most fabled sites, including the Western Wall, The Temple Mount, the Walls of the Old City, Mount Scopus, the Garden of Gethsemane and the Mount of Olives. Continue east over the scenic Judea Desert and Marsaba Monastery, which is curved into the mountain, before flying low over Bedouin tribes and camels and landing in a cliff overlooking the Dead Sea and Jordan. Depending on the amount of time you want to dedicate to this adventure, Israel Unlimited can also arrange for you to explore Jerusalem or stop off at the Dead Sea to float in its legendary saltwater.

And if flying is not your thing, an electric bike tour around Tel Aviv is also a great way to explore the city.

Haute cuisine

Back in Tel Aviv, head over to the Sarona neighbourhood, where you will find Messa (messa.rest.co.il), one of the city’s most celebrated restaurants. Led by Chef Aviv Moshe, Messa has been redefining Israeli fine dining since it opened in 2004. Take a seat in the striking white-on-white dining room and order Moshe’s special “Shakshuka sashimi” with seared red tuna, or the sea bass served with shallot ravioli and porcini foam. Make sure you save room for one of the mind-blowing creations by Messa’s spectacularly gifted pastry chef Adi Sibrower. Her strawberry dessert is a notorious crowd-pleaser.

Shop till you drop

From Messa, you are just a short stroll from Sarona Market (saronamarket.co.il/en), an urban food market set in gorgeous Sarona Gardens, where you will discover the distinctive 19th-century architecture of the German Templars surrounded by ultra-modern skyscrapers. Next up, frantic Carmel Market (en.shuktlv.co.il/category/carmel-market) is a must for any visitor to Tel Aviv. Here you will find everything from fresh fruit and vegetables to bright, colourful spices, tasty street food and every kind of useless knickknack imaginable, although the real heart of Tel Aviv trinket-shopping is Jaffa Flea Market (en.shuktlv.co.il/category/jaffa-flea-market). Visiting fashionistas will be keen to head over to the frightfully trendy Neve Tsedek neighbourhood for some high-end shopping from local Israeli fashion designers, such as Alon Livne and Yigal Azroue. Other top spots include Boutique Elise (www.facebook.com/boutiqueeliseshabazi/) and Numéro 13 (www.numero13tlv.com)

Port of call

Hungry again? We have just the place for you. Situated above the farmer’s market in Tel Aviv’s Port Namal is Kitchen Market (www.kitchen-market.co.il), an eatery specialising in modern Mediterranean fusion food. Combining the extraordinary talents of Israeli chef Yossi Shitrit with the freshest ingredients from the market downstairs, it will come as no surprise that Kitchen Market has established itself as such a firm favourite with Tel Aviv locals and visitors alike. Menu highlights include the unforgettable egg with porcini mushrooms and the shrimp ravioli with seared scallops, mussels and crab stock.

Of all the gin joints

Located on an unassuming side street off Rothschild Boulevard, you might not expect the tiny Berdichevky Hotel (www.hotelbtlv.com) house one of the world’s best cocktail bars (www.worldsbestbars.com/bar/tel-aviv/city-center/bellboy). Nor would you think, on first glance, that the hotel itself is one of the most deservedly popular boutique properties in Tel Aviv. Turns out it is both. With its sultry lighting and velvet interiors, The Bellboy (www.bellboybar.com) transports you back to the secret speakeasies and hidden gin joints of old. And with a menu focusing almost exclusively on its own stunning signature creations, make sure you arrive feeling thirsty and ready for adventure.

As Hannah Blustin, founder and CEO of Pomegranate Travel, says “Tel Aviv is simply one of the most ‘alive’ places you could hope to visit – creative, playful and unpretentious”.