Is it safe to visit Tel Aviv?
Tel Aviv is the second-largest city from Israel and one of the most liberal city from the entire world is known also as „The Miami of the Middle East”.
Among the first question, you ask yourself when planning a trip to Israel how safe the country is and if is Tel Aviv safe to visit.
In this article, I will tell you how safe this city seemed to me and if there is something you should take care of when visiting it.
Let’s start with the beginning and discuss the situation from Tel Aviv at this moment to see how safe it is.
What’s the situation now?
Is safe to visit Tel Aviv today and what you should be careful at when travelling to this Middle East country?
The conflict with the Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Hamas in Gaza is still ongoing. From time to time, the conflict erupts and rockets are fired at Israel causing a short but pretty violent war.
Tel Aviv is protected against these rockets not only because of its location but also because it has one of the best defence systems in the world.
Tel Aviv is located on the central coastal plain about 15 kilometres of shoreline and the rockets are usually fired at the south or northern part of the country, depending on if the conflict is with Hamas or with Hezbollah groups.
Like I said earlier, even if a conflict is in place you don’t have to worry about anything especially if you are in Tel Aviv.
This city has one of the best defending systems in the world, a system is known as the Iron Dome and its main role is to intercept the rockets, so yes is safe to visit Tel Aviv today.
As an extra safety precaution measure, there are sirens in specific areas and when danger is detected the sirens start to ring and warn people to take cover in a bomb shelter known in Israeli language as „miklat”.
Is Tel Aviv safe to visit?
If you watch the news you probably see from time to time that attacks were launched over Israel, but there is nothing to worry about.
I’ve been to this country and I can tell you that not even for a second I did not feel unsafe because I did not go to unsafe areas.
Don’t forget that in Israel there are two types of areas: one for tourists where you can go without any problem and another one for locals, where tourists are not very welcomed.
I recommend you to plan your itinerary taking these things into consideration and to limit your visit to tourist areas like Haifa, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Dead Sea, Galilee and the Negev.
These places are and will always be safe places to visit for tourists from all over the world interested in exploring Israel.
To be honest with you, personal safety in Israel is incredibly high and the crime rate very low, especially if we compare the numbers with most Western countries and cities.
There are police officers and the army all over the place and this makes from Israel a very safe and secure country.
The chances of being rubbed or something bad happens to you are higher if you stay at home in the UK, the United States or most other Western Countries than travelling to Israel.
That being said, the answer to the question if is Tel Aviv safe to visit is yes, it is extremely safe to visit this amazing city!
And about pickpocketing risks, I would say that this risk is as higher as it is in all major cities from the US or Europe.
You have to be careful and keep an eye on your belongings especially when you are in crowded spaces, in markets, bus stops or when you walk on the beautiful promenade on Tel Aviv.
Crime rates and street crime is pretty rare in Tel Aviv and in Israel in general mainly because of the abundance of the police officers and army spread all over the place.
Is safe to visit Tel Aviv for a solo woman?
A solo woman who travels to Tel Aviv has no reasons to feel unsafe in this city even if she uses public transport, especially during daytime.
There is one thing you should keep in mind as a woman travelling to Israel: dress properly, in accordance with local religion and this means to have long skirts, long-sleeved shirts and trousers.
If you plan to visit a Holy site then you should have your head covered with a scarf according to the tradition which should be respected by anyone!
If you are wondering if travelling to Israel is a smart decision, it is a personal decision which should be taken exclusively by you.
There are thousands of tourists who visit each day this magnificent country and spend unique and safe moments there!
I hope you will have a wonderful trip to Tel Aviv and understand that is safe to visit Tel Aviv even though the terrorism risk is pretty high and there are some travel restrictions in place!
Most travel advisories tell you not to travel to Gaza as West Bank and Gaza are considered really unsafe territories and to stay within the main cities like Haifa, East Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Eilat in southern Israel.
In all major cities, security forces are everywhere and the state department forces give you a huge feeling of safety.
The best thing you could do before travelling to Israel is to book travel insurance which covers you against any unforeseen event that might occur while you are abroad.
We always buy travel insurance before travelling abroad and when we went to Israel we did the same; my advice for you is to be prepared for any event and buy travel insurance, too.
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Whether you prefer to do summer and water activities or winter and snow activities, you should have a travel insurance.
Just think about any activity you wish to do on your holiday and this travel insurance will cover it. Don't take my word for it, check and see for yourself!
I hope that when you come back you will share with us your impressions and tell everybody if is Tel Aviv safe to visit and how did you feel there!