Curated guides · 2026
The best of Israel,
city by city
Top hotels in Tel Aviv. Top cafes in Jerusalem. Top beaches in the country. Hand-picked guides to the places actually worth your time — and the ones worth skipping.
Hand-picked guides to every city in Israel — updated through 2026
What you'll find here
Lists you can actually plan a trip around
Every city, every category
From the obvious — hotels in Tel Aviv, restaurants in Jerusalem — to the specific: hummus in Akko, springs around the Kinneret, bookshops worth a detour.
Written for who you are
Every entry says who it suits — couples, families, solo, groups — plus the price band and one thing worth knowing before you turn up.
Kept current
Places open, close and change hands constantly here. Every guide carries the month it was last updated, so you know how fresh it is.
Start with a city
Where are you going?
Tel Aviv
Israel's restless coastal capital of food, design and nightlife — Bauhaus streets, a 14km beach promenade and the country's densest concentration of great kitchens.
Jerusalem
Three thousand years of history stacked on a hilltop, plus a food scene that has quietly become one of the most interesting in the Middle East.
Haifa
A working port city climbing Mount Carmel, home to the Baha'i Gardens and the country's best Arab-Jewish food crossover in Wadi Nisnas and the German Colony.
Eilat
Red Sea reef diving, year-round sun and Israel's biggest concentration of resort hotels, at the southern tip of the Negev.
Tiberias
The Sea of Galilee's main town — hot springs, lakeside promenades and a base for the whole Lower Galilee.
Netanya
Thirteen kilometres of cliff-top beach, a large French-speaking community and a quieter, cheaper coastal alternative to Tel Aviv.
Or start with a category
What are you looking for?
Food & Drink
Where to eat and drink across Israel — from hummus counters open since the 1950s to tasting menus that book out a month ahead.
ExploreStay
Hotels, boutique stays and resorts across Israel — where to actually book, and who each one suits.
ExploreThings to Do
Attractions, museums, tours and nights out — what is actually worth your time in each city.
ExploreWeddings
Where to get married in Israel — from vineyard estates and clifftop gardens to grand hotel ballrooms and intimate boutique venues, by region and by style.
ExploreBeaches & Nature
Beaches, hikes, national parks and springs — Israel is small enough that the coast, the desert and the Galilee are all a day trip apart.
ExplorePesach Programs
The best Pesach programs in Israel — hotel packages, resort stays and family retreats, with what's included, where they are and who they suit.
ExploreSukkot Programs
Sukkot programs across Israel — hotels with a sukkah, resort packages and family retreats for chol hamoed and the whole festival.
ExploreOther Holidays
Rosh Hashanah, Shavuot and Chanukah programs at hotels and resorts across Israel, plus year-round family retreats.
ExploreShopping & Local
Markets, design studios, bookshops and the souvenirs actually worth carrying home.
ExploreFresh off the press
Latest guides
The 8 Best Restaurants in Tel Aviv (2026)
The best restaurants in Tel Aviv in 2026 are Port Said, OCD and HaBasta. Tel Aviv's dining scene is built on a vegetable-forward, market-driven style …
Read the list Tel Aviv · HotelsThe 8 Best Hotels in Tel Aviv (2026)
The best hotels in Tel Aviv in 2026 are The Norman, The Jaffa and The Setai. Tel Aviv's finest stays split between two worlds: restored heritage build…
Read the list Jerusalem · AttractionsThe 8 Best Attractions in Jerusalem (2026)
The best attractions in Jerusalem in 2026 are the Western Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Old City itself, explored from the Tower of D…
Read the list Tel Aviv · HummusThe 8 Best Hummus Spots in Tel Aviv (2026)
The best hummus in Tel Aviv in 2026 is at Abu Hassan in Jaffa, followed by Hummus HaCarmel and Abu Adham. Real Tel Aviv hummus is a lunchtime affair: …
Read the list Tel Aviv · BeachesThe 8 Best Beaches in Tel Aviv (2026)
The best beaches in Tel Aviv in 2026 are Gordon, Frishman and Hilton. Tel Aviv's beauty is that its beaches form one continuous, walkable promenade al…
Read the list Jerusalem · RestaurantsThe 8 Best Restaurants in Jerusalem (2026)
The best restaurants in Jerusalem in 2026 are Machneyuda, Azura and Eucalyptus. Jerusalem's food scene has grown from a market-and-institution town in…
Read the listFree tools
Two tools that do the planning for you
Israel Itinerary Builder
Pick your cities, how many days you have and what you're into. Get a day-by-day plan that links straight into our guides — and a URL you can share.
Build an itineraryTaxi Fare Estimator
Know what a ride should cost before you get in. Common intercity routes, Ben Gurion airport transfers, and how Gett and Yango compare to a street taxi.
Estimate a fareWhat readers say
Built to actually be useful
DR
I planned five days in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem straight off these lists and didn't have one bad meal. The 'best for' line on every entry is what made it actually usable.
AS
Finally a guide that tells you who a place is actually for instead of just listing names. Sent it to my parents before their trip and they used it the whole way.
TB
We shortlisted four Pesach hotels in a single evening. Having the kashrut and what's-included details in one place saved us a dozen phone calls.
Common questions
How this site works
What is Top in Israel?
A guide to the best of Israel, city by city. We publish curated lists — the best restaurants in Tel Aviv, the best beaches in the country, the best Pesach programs — so you can find the good stuff without wading through a dozen tabs.
Who is it for?
Three groups, mostly: tourists planning a trip, new immigrants finding their footing, and locals who want to know what's worth their time in a city they already live in.
How often are the guides updated?
Continuously. Each list shows the month it was last updated, and we revisit them as places open, close and change hands. The year in every title tells you which edition you're reading.
Why does every guide say 2026?
Because these lists are refreshed each year, and the year in the title tells you how current the edition is. If a guide is out of date, you'll spot it at a glance.
How are the holiday program guides put together?
From the operator and hotel listings themselves — location, kashrut supervision, board basis, price band and what's actually included in the package. Programs change year to year, so always confirm the details directly before booking.
I run a business in Israel. How do I get considered?
Send us the details through the partnerships page. It puts you on our radar for the next time we compile or refresh the relevant guide.
Run a restaurant, cafe or hotel in Israel?
Tell us about it — it puts you on our radar for the next time we compile or refresh the relevant guide.
Submit your business