DIY Tel Aviv – telling you where to go since 2010!
If you want to visit, live, work, or party in Tel Aviv like a local then this is the guide book for you.
DIY Tel Aviv is the only city guide grown out of Tel Aviv’s alternative scene. It doesn’t just tell you where the cool places are, it also helps you connect with and support independent local businesses, social enterprises, creators, and makers — those who make Tel Aviv what it is.
Find out everything you need to know about it here.
What is it?
DIY Tel Aviv is a 100% independent, alternative city guide to Tel Aviv, covering all the stuff the other guide books leave out. It’s the only truly underground guide to the city in the English language.
It has everything you need, from accommodation and transport to restaurants, bars, clubs, and shopping. It also lists cool hangouts, English language yoga classes, talks, tours, alternative co-working spaces, and much more.
The guide is not affiliated with any government department or organisation and receives no funding apart from book sales, advertising revenue (from advertising on this site, not inside the book) and occasional donations from readers of the blog.
You can download DIY Tel Aviv as an eBook or buy the physical paperback book right here, or from other places.
Why should you buy it?
Get all the local knowledge you need straight from the local scene and you can feel right at home in Tel Aviv, with the added benefit of using your money to benefit the local community.
DIY Tel Aviv offers:
170+ pages of pure Tel Aviv information – the coolest places and things to do in Tel Aviv, some not listed anywhere else (at least not in English).
New updates once a year (paperback) or more (eBook) to keep up with Tel Aviv’s fast-paced scene.
An interactive Google map associated with the guide. You can download it to your phone and use it to see what’s around you and navigate while in town.
The eBook version only costs $10! (pay via Paypal or with a credit card)
When you buy the eBook from this site, you get a year of free updates included in the price so you’re always up to date
DIY Tel Aviv is not sponsored and does not make its revenue from advertising in the book. Inside are unbiased reviews about what’s good in Tel Aviv. I work for my readers, not the businesses I write about.
DIY Tel Aviv is basically pure information. I leave the photos for this site and social media accounts to keep costs down and make sure you’re only paying for useful knowledge, not frills.
DIY Tel Aviv connects you with local independent businesses, NGOs, social enterprises, musicians and artists. Support local DIY culture while you travel, and make conscious, ethical choices about how your money affects the local community.
It’s not as boring and dry as other travel guides. Seriously, check out the testimonials at the bottom of this page. People actually enjoy reading this book for fun.
DIY Tel Aviv is (probably) the only travel guide in the world that calls out Elon Musk for being a Nazi-sympathising manbaby. That’s gotta be worth something!
Look inside DIY Tel Aviv
Still not entirely convinced you should buy this? See a sample of the book with full chapter list, contents and index. Sample is from 2015, but you’ll get the gist.
You can also check out the FAQ for more information.
Ready to buy? Click below.
For information about buying the guide from Amazon and other bookstores, you can click here.
Why shouldn’t you buy it?
No book is right for everyone and I’d rather you buy my guide and love it than buy a guide that’s wrong for you and feel disappointed as a result (and give me a bad review!). Here are some reasons that make DIY Tel Aviv unsuitable for some people:
There are no photos. I keep my photos to the DIY Tel Aviv instagram page and keep the guide informational only because it makes it better value for both me and my readers. I personally don’t get why anyone would want to pay extra and carry around a heavier book for the sake of some images you’d only look at once, but some people seem disappointed that the guide is photo-free.
There are no history lessons. DIY Tel Aviv offers information about local culture and things to do around town, and occasionally puts those in a light contemporary or historical context, but if you want a detailed history of Tel Aviv, this is not the guide for you.
The associated map is a virtual map. I personally prefer a map I can use to navigate around town with my smartphone. The paperback version also has a generic Tel Aviv map at the back, but the main map with all the places is one you access via Google Maps.
This is an alternative guide. Many obvious tourist attractions / traps are not included. On the other hand, lots of stuff that’s in this guide is not listed anywhere else (at least not in English).
This is not your traditional travel guide. My biggest fans are students, backpackers, hipsters, clubbers, and people who were all or some of these things at some point and have kept the spirit alive even though they’re now a bit older. You don’t need to be young to enjoy this guide, but it helps to be young at heart.
This is a pro-peace / openly anti-occupation guide. I believe my guide can be enjoyed by people with any political affiliation, because I list businesses based on their merit, rather than the political opinions of their owners. There is, however one chapter about activism, volunteering, and politics and it reflects my own left-wing political views (hey, it’s my guide, so I can put what I want in it.).
Some people get twitchy about things like this, so I’m letting you know in advance. If you want to read more about why I decided to include politics in my guide, you can read my FAQ.
About the Author
DIY Tel Aviv is (mostly) a one woman show – me! My name is Shimrit and my family has been living in the Tel Aviv and Jaffa area for over seven generations (yes, since before Tel Aviv was Tel Aviv, before Israel was Israel, and even before the British mandate took over from the Ottoman Empire).I grew up around Tel Aviv, and have been around long enough to see it grow, change and develop.
I am an award winning travel writer, and a travel and culture journalist / blogger. I was the London correspondent for Israel’s first electronic music magazine, Newzeek, and the nightlife editor for Time Out Israel.
I have also written about Tel Aviv, Israel, London, and European festivals for Vice.com, Underground.com, and various inflight magazines from Easyjet to Virgin Australia. I once wrote an online dating guide, too, but we don’t talk about that.
Even though I was born and raised in Tel Aviv, I’ve spent much of my adult life enjoying the underground party scene in London. I’ve also travelled all over the world — mostly on my own — and spent my time looking for the sort of things I write about in my guide. I’ve used these experiences and the skills they’ve taught me to find and curate the information in my guide. I know what it’s like to be in a brand new city and be on the hunt for cool stuff to see and do.
Before the pandemic, I started writing about the places I visit when I travel. If you like my writing, you can check out my other alternative travel blog. At some point I’ll have guides to other cities and they’ll be sold from there.
Stuff readers are saying
DIY Tel Aviv is much loved by backpackers, tourists, students, expats, immigrants, travel bloggers, and even editors of much more famous travel guide publishers! Here are some actual testimonials from people who used my book when visiting Tel Aviv.
“Thank you for “alternatively” guiding me through Tel Aviv. Your blog and guide are great providing a deep variation of places to check out in this fast paced city. Good job man!”
-Michael, Madrid
“This is very cool guide.”
– Diogo A
“Your guide is awesome, and thank you so much for all the cool stuff you post.”
– Claudio O
“…it’s the best guide I have had.”
– Cristina R
“Really enjoyed reading and exploring Tel Aviv and Jaffa with DIY Tel Aviv”
– Mary Horesh, London“Our trip was great and your guide helped us a lot!”
– Adrien, Paris
“Man Your city guide is AWESOME!”
– David, Brussels
“I used the guide and the online blog just about EVERY day I was living in Tel Aviv. No doubt in my mind that this is the best source for the best information on what to do in Tel Aviv. If you’re visiting Israel, this is the only thing you’ll need for Tel Aviv!”
– Adam Groffman
