Start your Tel Aviv adventure by exploring the ancient port city of Jaffa, which Tel Aviv grew up around. After breakfast by the port, shop the Jaffa Flea Market, with its cafés, bars, boutiques, and restaurants, as well as street stalls packed with everything from junk to vintage gems. Lunch on seafood on the beach.

Tel Aviv is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its sinuous white buildings designed in an adapted Bauhaus style. Check off highlights of the White City on a walking tour. Next, soak up the world-class art collection at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, with works by Van Gogh, Picasso, Gauguin, Matisse, and more.

Dine early on hearty Israeli fare around the Carmel Market produce market, then discover a different side of Tel Aviv: the hipster district of Florentin. Admire the colorful street art, pop into independent galleries, then sip and snack your way through the area’s bustling bar and café scene.

If you only have a short time in Israel, spend your second day checking off the Holy Land’s signature sites. Start in Jerusalem, touring sacred sights such as the Mount of Olives, the Dome of the Rock, the Wailing Wall, and Via Dolorosa and strolling the streets of the Jewish Quarter.

Cross into the West Bank to visit Bethlehem, where Christians and Muslims believe Jesus was born. Tour highlights of Manger Square, including the Church of the Nativity, built on Jesus’ birthplace; see the Shepherds’ Fields; and learn about the long history of the Mosque of Omar.

Back in Tel Aviv, spend your last night discovering the city’s vibrant nightlife. Start by exploring Dizengoff Street, with its bustling beer gardens and stylish cocktail bars, then wrap up the night at one of the rooftop party bars that appear across Tel Aviv each summer.