The 8 Best Yacht & Sailboat Charters in Herzliya Marina and Tel Aviv (2026)

1. A private catamaran from Herzliya Marina — Herzliya Marina

The default choice, and the right one for a group of eight or more.

The workhorse of the Israeli charter fleet is a 38 to 40-foot Lagoon catamaran sailing out of Herzliya Marina, licensed for up to fourteen passengers and bookable from two hours upwards.

A catamaran beats a monohull for almost everything a charter group actually wants: it barely heels, so nobody feels ill and drinks stay upright; there is deck space fore and aft for a dozen people to spread out; and the bathing platform between the hulls turns a swim stop into a proper part of the day rather than a scramble down a ladder.

Herzliya is about twenty minutes north of central Tel Aviv, next to the Arena complex, with parking and restaurants around the marina for before and after.

Good to know: For groups over eight, price the catamaran before anything else — per person it usually undercuts a monohull despite the higher headline rate.

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2. Sailing Israel — Herzliya Marina

A named Herzliya operator with a veteran skipper running the charter side.

Sailing Israel offers yacht chartering out of Herzliya Marina, with its charter department run by Mark Abrahamson, a veteran skipper, on modern yachts.

Booking with a named operator rather than through a marketplace has one clear advantage: you know in advance who is taking you out and what the boat is. Ask about the skipper's qualifications — Israeli commercial skipper's licence and an International Certificate of Competence are the credentials to expect from a professional charter operation here.

Good to know: Ask which specific boat you are getting and how old it is — charter fleets vary far more than the listing photos suggest.

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3. The sunset sail — Herzliya Marina

Two hours, wine on deck, and the best light Israel gets all day.

The sunset charter is the most-booked slot in the marina and deserves to be: a two-hour late-afternoon sail, often with wine included, timed so the sun goes into the Mediterranean somewhere around the halfway point.

It is the cheapest way into a private yacht — two hours rather than a full day — and it is the one that photographs. Book the departure so you are on the water at least forty minutes before sunset; leaving at sunset means you watch the good part from the car park.

Bring something warm. The temperature drop once the sun is down surprises people every single summer.

Good to know: Check the sunset time for your date and book the departure ninety minutes before it — not at it.

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4. A skippered monohull yacht — Herzliya Marina

For people who actually want to sail rather than to sit on a floating terrace.

Alongside the catamarans, the Herzliya fleet runs 41-foot Beneteau and Hanse monohulls, licensed for up to eleven passengers and available with a skipper.

A monohull heels, and that is the point — under sail it is a completely different experience from a catamaran, and a good skipper will hand over the helm and the sheets to anyone interested. If half your group wants to learn something and the other half wants to sunbathe, this is the compromise that works; if everyone wants to sunbathe, take the catamaran.

Good to know: Say at booking that you want to steer — skippers are generally delighted, but only if they know before the day.

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5. South to Jaffa and the Tel Aviv skyline — The Tel Aviv coast

The best view of Tel Aviv is from three kilometres offshore.

Turning south out of Herzliya takes you down the length of the Tel Aviv seafront — the hotel strip, the promenade, the port — and on towards the ancient harbour of Jaffa.

It is the route to ask for on a first charter. Seeing the city from the water reorganises it in your head, and the light on the Jaffa skyline in the late afternoon is genuinely worth the diesel. Ask the skipper to cut the engine somewhere off Gordon Beach for a swim; the water two kilometres out is a different colour from the water at the beach.

Good to know: A four-hour charter is the minimum for Jaffa and back with a swim stop — two hours only gets you partway.

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6. North to Apollonia and the Crusader coast — Arsuf / Apollonia

Cliffs, a Crusader fortress and far fewer boats.

Head north instead and the coast turns to sandstone cliffs, the clifftop houses of Arsuf, and the ruins of the Crusader fortress at Apollonia National Park standing directly above the sea.

It is the quieter direction and the better one for swimming and anchoring, because you leave the Tel Aviv boat traffic behind within twenty minutes. Families with children generally prefer this run: less wake, calmer water for a swim stop, and a castle to point at.

Good to know: Ask for the northern route if anyone in the group is prone to seasickness — it is noticeably calmer.

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7. A short cruise from Tel Aviv Marina — Tel Aviv Marina, between Gordon and Hilton beaches

No taxi to Herzliya — walk from your hotel and be on the water in ten minutes.

Tel Aviv Marina sits right on the promenade between Gordon and Hilton beaches, and runs shorter cruises and small-boat hire from the middle of the city.

It is a smaller and shallower marina than Herzliya and the fleet reflects that, so this is the option for an hour or two on the water rather than a day on a yacht. What it buys you is zero travel time — for anyone staying on the hotel strip without a car, that trade is often worth making.

Good to know: Best for a short outing between other plans — for a full day on a proper yacht, make the trip to Herzliya.

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8. Booking through a charter marketplace — Herzliya and Tel Aviv

How most Israeli charters are actually booked — with a few things to check first.

Most of the Herzliya and Tel Aviv fleet is listed on international charter marketplaces, where you can see the boat, the year, the skipper's profile, the passenger limit and the hourly or daily rate side by side before committing.

It is an efficient way to compare, but read past the headline price. Check whether fuel, the skipper and end-of-charter cleaning are included; confirm the passenger limit against your group; and confirm the minimum charter length, which is usually two hours and sometimes four in high season. Message the owner before booking — the speed and clarity of the reply tells you most of what you need to know.

Good to know: Confirm in the message thread whether fuel and the skipper are in the price — that is where the surprises live.

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