Tel Aviv on the Mediterranean — long beaches, the Bauhaus 'White City', ancient Jaffa port, great food and nightlife; within an hour lie Jerusalem's Old City (Western Wall, Church of the Holy Sepulchre), the Dead Sea and Masada. Mongolian citizens need no visa (30 days) but must get an ETA-IL online authorisation before flying. No direct flights from Ulaanbaatar — connect via Beijing, Bangkok or Seoul + Abu Dhabi. WARNING: in 2026 the conflict with Iran has brought missile alerts and sudden airspace closures — always check the latest safety advice before you go.
🛂 Visa: Visa-free · 30 days✈ Flight: 20h☀ Best months: March, April, May, October
Orange — daytime average, blue — night, grey bars — rainfall, green — sea temperature. Best months: March, April, May, October, November.
Things to see (12)
🧸 for kids
Tel Aviv beaches and the Tayelet (Gordon, Frishman)★ 4.6 (20,000)
BeachFree (chair and umbrella rental extra)24 hours; lifeguards usually by day, April–October
14 km of sandy beach along the city and the Tayelet promenade from Jaffa to Tel Aviv Port. Gordon and Frishman beaches have playgrounds, water sports and sunset views. Swim only at lifeguarded beaches — currents are strong — and never leave belongings unattended.
Like a well-travelled friend for a first-timer: before you go, landing, SIM, transport, money, food, safety, manners, apps, leaving — step by step.
🧳Before you goMongolian citizens need no visa for Israel but must get an ETA-IL online authorisation before flying. The regional situation changes fast, so re-check the safety advice in the last days before you leave.+
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ETA-IL electronic authorisation
Since 1 January 2025, visa-exempt nationals must get an ETA-IL before flying to Israel. Apply only on the official israel-entry.piba.gov.il site: the fee is 25 ₪, it is valid for 2 years and the answer comes within 72 hours. Under the Mongolia–Israel visa waiver you may stay up to 30 days.
Tip: Beware of pricier 'agent' sites — use only the gov.il domain.
In 2026 the conflict with Iran repeatedly closed Israeli airspace and set off missile sirens. The UK FCDO advises against travel to Gaza, the Lebanese border area and most of the West Bank. Get insurance covering cancellations, medical care and evacuation, with no war-risk exclusion.
Tip: Choose refundable or free-change tickets and hotels.
From Friday evening to Saturday evening (Shabbat) trains, most buses and Tel Aviv's light rail stop and many shops close. On Yom Kippur the whole country shuts down, airport included. Check your travel dates against the holiday calendar.
🛬Arrival and getting to the cityBen Gurion Airport lies between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem; the train is fastest but does not run on Shabbat.+
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Border, ETA and security questions
Have your passport, ETA-IL, return ticket and hotel booking ready. Israeli border control does not stamp passports — you get a small blue entry card instead; keep it, as hotels and car rental desks ask for it. Detailed questions about your trip are normal.
Israel Railways trains leave from below Terminal 3 every 30 minutes: 15–20 minutes to Tel Aviv, about 25 minutes to Jerusalem's Yitzhak Navon station. No trains from Friday afternoon to Saturday evening — then take a taxi or a sherut (shared minibus).
There is an official taxi rank outside arrivals — meter or set tariff; prices are higher on Shabbat and at night. Booking a licensed taxi through the Gett app keeps the price transparent. Turn down private drivers approaching you inside the terminal.
Tip: Landing at night, a hotel pickup is the most relaxed option.
📶Phone and internet+
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eSIM or tourist SIM
If your phone supports eSIM, install an Israel plan from Airalo, Holafly or similar before flying. Otherwise buy a prepaid tourist SIM from Partner, Cellcom, Pelephone, 019 or Golan Telecom at the airport or city shops with your passport.
Tip: An Israeli number helps with some apps and restaurant bookings.
The Pikud HaOref (Home Front Command) app alerts you instantly when missile or drone sirens sound in your area and tells you how quickly you must reach shelter. Keep location permission on.
🚇Getting aroundTel Aviv has the Red Line light rail, buses and bikes; trains and buses link the cities. Public transport almost stops on Shabbat.+
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Rav-Kav card and fares
Buses, light rail and trains use the Rav-Kav card (anonymous card 5 ₪) or the Rav-Kav Online app — no cash on board. Up to 15 km costs 8 ₪, up to 40 km 14.5 ₪; the daily cap within 15 km is 17.5 ₪.
Fast trains run from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem's Yitzhak Navon station and along the coast line to Haifa; from Navon take the Jerusalem light rail towards the Old City. Check times in Moovit.
Tip: Central Tel Aviv is flat — Tel-O-Fun bikes and walking are the most pleasant.
For the Dead Sea and Masada, an Egged bus from Jerusalem or an organised tour is easiest. The route from Jerusalem on Road 1 and Road 90 crosses the West Bank; Israeli rental-car insurance is void in Palestinian cities such as Bethlehem and Jericho, so check the FCDO advice.
$1 ≈ 3.05 ₪. Cards are accepted almost everywhere (except small market stalls) and ATMs are plentiful. Exchange bureaus ('change') give better rates for US dollars than banks.
Tel Aviv is one of the world's most expensive cities: a cheap restaurant meal is ~70 ₪, a mid-range dinner for two ~400 ₪. Market falafel, sabich and hummus are cheap and delicious.
Tip: Tipping is customary in restaurants — check whether service is already on the bill.
🍜FoodIsraeli food: hummus, falafel, sabich (pita with fried aubergine and egg), shakshuka, fresh chopped salads and Mediterranean fish.+
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Markets and street food
Try hummus, falafel, bourekas, halva and fresh juice at Carmel Market, Sarona Market and Jerusalem's Mahane Yehuda. Mahane Yehuda turns into bars and music at night.
Tip: Hummus is a morning or lunch dish — the famous places sell out by afternoon.
Kosher restaurants never mix meat and dairy (no milky coffee after a meat meal) and usually close on Shabbat. Tel Aviv has plenty of non-kosher places open on Shabbat; Jerusalem has few.
Tip: Stock up on groceries before Friday afternoon.
🛡️Safety and health+
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Emergency numbers
Police 100, ambulance (Magen David Adom) 101, fire 102, Home Front Command 104. Hospitals are excellent (Ichilov, Sheba, Hadassah) but expensive — carry your insurance documents.
When a siren or app alert comes, go straight to the nearest shelter (your hotel's mamad, a building's miklat or a public shelter) and stay inside until Home Front Command gives the all-clear. If you are outdoors, lie flat and protect your head. Never touch missile or drone debris. When choosing a hotel, ask whether it has a protected room.
The UK FCDO considers terrorist attacks 'very likely': avoid the Damascus Gate area of Jerusalem's Old City, big crowds and demonstrations. Stay away from the Gaza, Lebanese and Syrian border areas. Theft of passports, phones and cards from beaches is common.
At the Western Wall, churches and the Temple Mount cover shoulders and knees; men cover their heads at the Western Wall (free kippahs are provided). In ultra-Orthodox neighbourhoods (Mea Shearim) avoid taking photos or driving on Shabbat.
Don't photograph soldiers, police, military sites or checkpoints. Always carry your passport — checks are frequent. Avoid public arguments about the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.
📱Useful apps+
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Safety
Home Front Command (Pikud HaOref) for siren alerts and shelter instructions. Keep notifications on for the whole trip.
Ben Gurion's security is among the most thorough in the world — expect an interview before check-in and a detailed bag search. Arrive well ahead of an international flight, and remember there are no trains on Shabbat.
The regional situation can cancel flights and close airspace at short notice — check status in your airline's app before leaving and make sure your connection times are generous.
AI answer: double-check anything beyond our researched facts with an official source.
24 hours; shops and galleries ≈10:00–22:00
A 4,000-year-old port town: the Clock Tower, stone alleys, St Peter's Church, the Wishing (Zodiac) Bridge and the Flea Market (Shuk HaPishpeshim). Fish restaurants in the old port warehouses; the hilltop gives a fine view of the Tel Aviv shoreline.
Tel Aviv's biggest, liveliest market: fruit, spices, halva, fresh juice, falafel, sabich and bourekas. The Nahalat Binyamin crafts fair next door runs on Tuesdays and Fridays. Closed on Saturday (Shabbat).
Rothschild Boulevard and the White City★ 4.5 (15,000)
CityFree (Bauhaus Center walking tours paid)24 hours
A UNESCO-listed district of more than 4,000 white Bauhaus (International Style) buildings. The tree-lined boulevard has cafés and a bike lane down the middle, and Independence Hall stands here. Walk on through the Bialik and Neve Tzedek neighbourhoods.
Israel's largest indoor food market, set among restored 19th-century German Templer houses: 90+ stalls and restaurants. Lawns and a playground outside; one of the few places open over Shabbat.
Culture55 ₪ (under-18s free)Tue, Thu 10:00–21:00; Wed, Sat 10:00–18:00; Fri 10:00–14:00; closed Sun and Mon
Israel's top art museum: Monet, Van Gogh, Picasso, Chagall, modern Israeli art and a striking 'twisted' new wing. A good pick for a hot or rainy day; has a children's art room.
Jerusalem Old City: Western Wall and Church of the Holy Sepulchre★ 4.8 (60,000)
CultureFreeWestern Wall 24 hours; Holy Sepulchre ≈5:00–20:00; Temple Mount (Al-Aqsa) for non-Muslims Sun–Thu ≈7:30–11:00, 13:30–14:30
Jewish, Christian and Muslim holy places in one walled city: the Western Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre where Jesus is believed to have been crucified and buried, the Via Dolorosa and the Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount. Non-Muslims enter the Temple Mount only through the Mughrabi Gate at set times, with shoulders and knees covered and no religious items. About 30 minutes from Tel Aviv by fast train.
The world's Holocaust memorial: the Holocaust History Museum, the Children's Memorial and the Hall of Names. Moving and heavy — children under 10 are not admitted to the main museum. Allow at least 3 hours.
The Shrine of the Book holding the Dead Sea Scrolls, a large model of Second Temple Jerusalem, archaeology and art, plus a youth wing and art garden. One of the few sights open on Saturday.
NatureMasada 37 ₪ (cable car extra); Ein Bokek public beach freeMasada summer 8:00–17:00 (Fri 16:00), winter 8:00–16:00 (Fri 15:00)
King Herod's desert clifftop fortress Masada (UNESCO) — ride the cable car or hike the Snake Path at dawn. Then 15 km south, float in the salty water at the lowest point on Earth on Ein Bokek's free beach. Keep your face out of the water and hold children's hands. The road from Jerusalem crosses the West Bank, so check the FCDO advice.
Herod's Roman port city: a seaside theatre, hippodrome and aqueduct (on a free beach). Films and multimedia displays make it fun for children; about an hour from Tel Aviv on the way to Haifa.
NatureFree (free English guided tours, book ahead)Viewpoints 9:00–17:00; Shrine and inner gardens 9:00–12:00; closed on Bahá'í holy days and Yom Kippur
UNESCO-listed gardens falling down Mount Carmel in 19 terraces to the golden-domed Shrine of the Báb, with superb views over Haifa Bay. The best view is from the top looking down to the German Colony. About an hour from Tel Aviv by train.
