Before I went to Israel, the country was a huge question mark on my mental map. What’s over there? The only nationally Jewish country in the world, Israel is the center of debates, seemingly endless elections, and polarized world views. It’s intimidating and getting a handle on the country seemed nearly impossible. Even after 5 days in Israel, I can’t say that I came to understand the country much. But with my few days there, I learned as much as I could, ate more than I could, and truly enjoyed my time. If you’re like me, with no clear grasp on what Israel means as a tourist, here’s how to have a fascinating 72 hours in the city of Tel Aviv.

What to Eat (besides everything):

• Sabich: The name of both the sandwich and the (apparently best) shop that serves it, sabich is a Jewish-Iraqi sandwich of sorts. And it’s incredible. Eggplant, veggies, and sliced boiled egg in a pita sounds simple, healthy and maybe even bland. But don’t get it twisted – it’s covered in tahini and yogurt sauce, and oh my god, it’s good. Perfect for a cheap, quick lunch. (If you’re still hungry after eating one of these, a pretty tasty kebab shop is next door.)

• Shakshuka: We came here based on a friend’s recommendation, with the promise of the best shakshuka in Tel Aviv. This tiny restaurant did not disappoint. The shakshuka is delicious, coffees are strong and service is fast. It’s right next to the Carmel Market, so you can fuel up for a serious shopping experience.
• Arte Italian Ice Cream: On Nahalat Binyamin Street, Arte is one street over from the chaos of Carmel market, and it is a sugary, air-conditioned haven. We lucked out and not only escaped the crowds but also got to watch the gelato being made. (I loved this.)
• Abdu the Fisherman: This small, humble restaurant feels like visiting someone’s home for dinner. It’s a local spot, but far from locals only. Tourists stumble in here if they aren’t inclined to visit the more commercial seafood restaurants at the port in Jaffa. The food is delicious but the experience is even better. Our server was (we think) also the owner and she treated us like her children. She knew what was best and she wanted us to be happy. We really, really were.
• Goldman’s Backyard: Right off the boardwalk of Alma Beach, we came here to watch the sunset. A little pricey, but the mezze were delicious and the view was unbeatable.

• Hamalabiya: This place, as far as I can tell, exists to provide people with joy in the form of malabi. It’s a dessert I discovered in Amman, Jordan, and I was elated to find that it existed elsewhere. A subtly rosewater flavored milk pudding, the variation here in Israel was topped with pomegranate syrup, peanuts and coconut. I have already looked up the recipe for how to make this at home.

What to do:

• Tour the Old City and Explore the Port of Jaffa: A quintessential cute, picturesque old town to meander and a beautiful seaside port. Perfect if you’ve been running yourself ragged as a tourist and want to see something amazing without putting in much effort.

• Spend a day at the beach: We spent a day at Alma Beach, about a 20 minute walk from the Port of Jaffa. There were volleyball courts and people running and working out along the boardwalk. (We chose not to work out and instead talk about what else we were going to eat in Tel Aviv.) The beach is beautiful, the sand impossibly soft, and the water so, so warm. Heavenly.

• Carmel Market: This is overwhelming if you’re not good with crowds but super cool if you are. Stall after stall with spices, sweets, snacks and knick knacks. Pro tip: the further down you go from the main entrance, the better the prices are.
• Nahalat Binyamin Street: A pedestrian only street full of handmade jewelry and art, you’ll find much more unique souvenirs than you would in the Carmel market. Forunately, it’s next to the market, so you can easily do both in a day.
• The Flea Market and the Greek market: This is where Hamalabiya is, so you already have a reason to be in the area. The flea market has loads of cool, kitschy stalls with everything from vintage Levi’s denim jackets to on-trend furniture. The Greek Market, just a few blocks away, is more a street than a market, and features local artists selling their work, alongside loads of street art.

• Day trip to Jerusalem: A must do if you have the time. A few tips on that:
  • You can take a bus to Jerusalem and a tram to the old city – easy peasy.
  • Close to the central bus station in Jerusalem is a restaurant called Ima. That lunch was phenomenal.
  • I went without a guide, and in hindsight, this was not a great call. I wasn’t familiar enough with the history of the city, or the religions so heavily tied to it, to fully appreciate where I was. If you’re like me, I’d suggest getting a guide. Just do yourself a favor and DO NOT do this on a holiday. We thought it would be a cool cultural experience and instead found the intense crowds to be totally overwhelming.

Pro Tips:

• Weekends are Fridays and Saturdays, rather than the Saturday and Sunday that most tourists are probably used to. Party accordingly.
• Security is tight: This really took some getting used to, but we saw military men and women with m-16s (read: big guns) all over the place. A lot of important sites, such as in Jerusalem, were heavily guarded by actively military. But we also saw that people were just casually walking around with guns in…strip malls?
• Looks are deceiving: Despite the common presence of weapons, Tel Aviv residents are so kind. We didn’t find that English was spoken in many places outside tourist hot spots, but people were almost always warm, welcoming and we were never made to feel like intruders.

You can easily spend more than three days in Israel, or even cram more into your days there. There are awesome museums in Tel Aviv dedicated to art, history and religion. There are all kinds of tourist experiences. And there is so much good food. But I really liked approaching Tel Aviv as a place to sit back, relax and absorb the energy.