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Herzliya (הרצליה, also Herzliyya, Herzlia) is a city on the Mediterranean coast of Israel, directly to the north of Tel Aviv.

Understand

Herzliya (population 88,734 in 2011) consists of two parts which are separated by the main roads and rail line that cut through it. To the east of the highways is Herzliya, the city itself, often referred to by locals as "the city". This is mostly a residential area that doesn't usually get many tourists, although travelers wanting to step away from the beaten path and see authentic urban life in Israel could find it very interesting. To the west of the highways, right on the coastline, lies an upscale suburb called Herzliya Pituach (הרצליה פיתוח), home to many beachfront hotels and expensive residences. This is a big industrial and commercial center, home to many high-tech companies, decent beaches, good restaurants and lively night clubs, and most tourists to the city find themselves in this area. the main road is named Ben Gurion (בן גוריון).

Get in

The main transport lines that pass through Herzliya cut through it from south to north on their way along the Israeli Coastal Plain.

By train

Herzliya train station: entrance to the station in the top right, parking area on the left, taxi station in the middle, and bus stations on the right edge of the picture

1 Herzliya train station.  is on the main Tel Aviv-Haifa train line. From the train station you will likely need a bus or taxi to your destination. Bus 29 has two directions, one goes to Herzliya Pituach area (including the beach, marina, "Arena" mall, and Hi-tech commercial zone); the other direction of bus 29 goes through the city, including "Sokolov" Street, central bus station, and on to the cities of Ra'anana and Kfar-saba.

By car

Herzliya can easily be reached by driving via one of the two major highways that cut through it. The Coastal Highway (Highway 2) that runs from Tel Aviv to Haifa has two exits in Herzliya: HaSira (lit. The Boat) and Rabin. Ayalon Highways (Highway 20), which runs along the Tel Aviv district, also has two exits in Herzliya, one of which is its northern terminus.

Alternatively, it is possible to drive into Herzliya directly from its surrounding cities - Ramat HaSharon in the south and Ra'anana in the northeast.

By bus

Bus 90 meanders past the seafront and through the leafy streets of Herzliya Pituach on its way to central Tel Aviv. The trip takes 30 minutes in good traffic. Shared taxi vans ("sherut") cover the same route on the Sabbath.

Among many other bus connections are the 501, 502, 47, 48, and 247 which connect Tel Aviv with Herzliya City.

By boat

Marina of Herzliya

There are no ferries or cruises to Herzliya, but you can bring your own boat into the marina. From abroad, call ahead before entering Israeli waters to arrange immigration and customs clearance. Large vessels should head either for Ashdod to the south or for Haifa to the north, both of them large commercial ports with 24 hour entry facilities.

By plane

Herzliya Airport is a small airfield mostly for flight instruction and recreational flying. This airport is specifically designated with a Hebrew speaking tower when acceding to international aviation agreements, you can speak English on the radio forcing all other pilots to also do so but you might get some sour faces and comments at the FBO, you will need to enter the country through Ben Gurion Airport which also has an English speaking tower. Air taxis can be hired to and from Herzliya.

Get around

Buses are the cheapest way to get across large distances in Herzliya, although there is no lack of taxis either, if you want to pay extra. Walking can sometimes be a good option within a specific area, but to walk the gap from Herzliya Pituach and the city can take twenty minutes or more. Bicycles and electrical assist bicycles are also popular and many areas have designated bicycle lanes.

See

In Herzliya City

In Herzliya Pituach

  • 3 Sidna-'Ali Mosque. A beautiful mosque on a cliff at the northern end of the beach. 
  • 4 Apollonia (Arsuf) National Park, ☏ +972 9-9550929. An excavated ancient city from the Greco-Roman period (about 2000 years ago), with a Crusader fortress on top. To the north of Herzliya. For more information see the site's leaflet [formerly dead link]  

Do

In Herzliya City

Sokolov street

The center of the city is filled with falafel stores, banks, coffee shops and other stores ranging from Korean objets d'art to grills and guitars. Sokolov, the main street in Herzliya, is known as being clean, colorful and filled with lights.

It's a great place to go if you want to have something good to eat while enjoying a calm environment.

In Herzliya Pituach

Herzliya beach is the perfect place to sunbathe, play matkot (Israeli paddle ball) and engage in watersports. The water is fine and the food prices are reasonable.

Herzliya Pituach is also home to more than a 100 different restaurants, bars and nightclubs operating 7 days a week. Many of the restaurants serve mainly the local hi-tech industry employees during day time and random visitors at night, these restaurants are mostly located within the office district while others operate along the beaches and in the adjacent marina.

Water sports

Eat

In Herzliya City

  • 1 "Jamil" ("Mifgash Hasharon"), Sokolov 29. National renowned "Shawarma" place 
  • 2 Haim's Falafel, Sokolov 66. In addition to Falafel, also serving Schnitzel and Humus 
  • 3 Cafe Gorilla, Sokolov 17 (In from of city's municipality building), ☏ +972 9-9556656. Closed during Shabbath. 
  • Mifgash Hasharon, Sokolov 20, ☏ +972 9-9543629. Serves shawarma and falafel. A local favorite eatery. (updated Jun 2015)

In Herzliya Pituach

  • [formerly dead link] Herzliya Marina. The Marina and nearby shopping mall offer a wide assortment of trendy restaurants. 
  • Joe Cafe. an American style diner, that does American style breakfasts, burgers and usual diner fare, plus coffee and it has a retro arcade machine and a pinball table! 
  • 4 Zozobra, Shenkar 7, Herzliya Pituach, ☏ +972 9-9577077. Noodle bar (think Wagamama but far better quality) 
  • 5 BBB (Burgus Burgers Bar), Shenkar 11, Herzliya Pituach, ☏ +972 9-9586787. 11:30 - 03:00. 
  • 6 Tavola, Hanasi 75, Herzliya pituach. Italian cuisine 

Drink

In Herzliya City

Two pubs opened Herzliya City in 2010 following the renovation of the city center. They are about 7 minutes walk from each other.

  • Theodore. named after Theodor Herzl (who also gave his name to the city and is portrayed on the pub's logo), this pub can be a little hard to find if you don't know it, so asking a local in the area might be necessary. The entrance is located on Harishonim Street, a small street coming out of the traffic circle between Chen Blvd and Tchernichovsky Street. The place is designed as a pickup bar and serves mostly alcohol and some light food. It was built inside of a small old movie theatre, and has a large screen on which major football games are often shown. 
  • MacLaren's. - this is the cosier of the two, located on 33 Ben Gurion street (near the courthouse) and named after the bar from the American TV series How I Met Your Mother. It has two small stories and a few tables outside. Good music, good beer, and good food. 

In Herzliya Pituach

The inimitable Caveman Cafe

The Herzliya beachfront has a number of laid-back open-air bars. Drinks are surprisingly expensive though; figure on ₪30+ for anything alcoholic.

At night, Herzliya Pituach can be more crowded and popular than Tel Aviv. Some of the best bars are located in the industrial area on Maskit Street and Shenkar Street, while you can also go and enjoy a cocktail, a beer or even a little dancing on the beach between the hotels.

  • [dead link] Bourbon Street. Is a New Orleans themed restaurant and bar, hosting live music performances and live sports broadcasting (usually soccer). They serve 17 beers from tap (incl. one Israeli microbrew), and specialize on deep fried dishes. 
  • Caveman Cafe also known as Hermit House. If you hike northward along the beach from the hotels towards the Sidna Ali Mosque, you will encounter the bizarre residence of the Caveman (his real name is Nissim Cachlon), carved out of the sand dunes in defiance of zoning regulations and common sense, decorated with anything and everything he can get his hands on. Open randomly whenever the more than slightly eccentric owner is around and in the mood, but worth a look any time.

Sleep

Herzliya has a slew of expensive beachside hotels.

Splurge

Connect

The Interdisciplinary center (IDC) Herzliya operates a local radio station on 106.2FM. Some of its programs are in English. The radio's English website provides a program schedule [dead link], and marks English programs with "EN".

Go next

Nearby cities of Ra'anana, Ramat-Hasharon, or watch a movie in "Cinema City" Gelilot.

Routes through Herzliya
Haifa ← Caesarea, Hadera, Netanya ←  N  S  → Tel Aviv
Nahariyya, Akko, Haifa ← Hadera ←  N  S  → Tel Aviv, Ben Gurion International Airport


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