Petah Tikva (פתח־תקוה) is an eastern suburb of Tel Aviv, Israel, population 248,000 (2019). Petah Tikva is not a significant tourist destination. Among Israelis, it has a reputation for being a boring place with nothing to do.

Understand

The String Bridge designed by Santiago Calatrava , over the Jabotinsky axis

Founded in 1878, Petah Tikva means "opening of hope", and was one of modern Israel's first agricultural settlements at the beginning of the Zionist movement. The early settlers drained the swamps in the area and planted orange groves in their place. For decades, it was a major exporter of Jaffa oranges. The orange groves have been mostly replaced by apartment buildings and industry, as the city grew into Israel's fifth largest city, and its second largest industrial concentration after Haifa.

For those into early Zionist history, a number of the old buildings have been preserved, though they can be hard to find, and the signs describing them are only in Hebrew.

Young single Israelis commonly make fun of it, saying it's a place nobody would ever want to live. However, when those same people get married and start families, Petah Tikva is one of the top places they choose. The city's population is generally middle to upper-middle class.

Petah Tikva has some of the best medical facilities in the Middle East (including Schneider, the best and biggest children's hospital in the region). Medical tourism to Petah Tikva is popular, especially from the former Soviet Union.

Get in

The road to Tel Aviv is often jammed.

Light Rail

The Red Line of the Tel Aviv Light Rail which travels from Bat Yam via Tel Aviv and Ramat Gan serves the Central and Northern sections of the city. The Red Line has two branch routes in the city. Route R1 serves the central parts of the city along Jabotinsky and Orlov streets and Route R3 has a sole station in the Northern sections of the city which is the terminus station at Kiryat Arye Railway Station.

Bus

Bus routes from Tel Aviv: 1, 50 and 51 from Central Bus Station; 1, 50, 51, 82, 138, 166, 238 from Tel Aviv Center Railway Station; 64, 66, 82, 128, 238 from the Carmel Market Terminal; 20, 49 from Tel Aviv University.

Bus routes from Jerusalem: 426, 950.

Shared taxis run along route 51, enter Petah Tikva along Jabotinsky road (via Ramat Gan and Bnei Brak) on a 24/7 basis.

Get around

By bus

Electra Afikim operates 15 internal bus lines within Petah Tikva (lines 10, 16, 22, 23, 25, 31, 44, 55, 62, 63, 88, 91, 97, 98, 99). Buses from the nearby cities such as Bnei Brak, Tel Aviv and Rosh HaAyin also can be used for intracity service within Petah Tikva.

By taxi

Gett, Uber and Yango ridesharing services are available.

See

Founders Square

• 1 Petah Tikva Museum of Art. Focuses on modern art. The complex also contains the city archives . (updated Mar 2017)
• 2 Petah Tikva city zoo, Moshe Sharet St 9, ☏ +972 3-740-5500. (updated Mar 2017)
• 3 Museum of Man and the Environment, Moshe Sharet 16. A museum about the human body, human health, and our impact on the environment. (updated Mar 2017)

Do

• 1 Petah Tikva City Market. Open 6 days a week, except Saturday. If you like the sounds, smells, colors and atmosphere of a tumultuous city market, visit the "shuk", located in the city center. This market has every imaginable food and vegetable grown this part of the world (season dependent). Look for figs, passion fruit and other exotic items, all fresh, colorful and tasty. (updated Apr 2016)
• 2 Tel Afek (Antipatris) Park. A nature and historic site, including a fortress built in the 16th century. Not to be confused with the Tel Afek which is located northeast of Haifa. The site is adjacent to the national reserve "Mekorot Hayarkon" which has beautiful views of a pond and the Yarkon stream. (updated Apr 2016)
• 3 Yad LeBanim Park (Gan HaAtzmaut, Independence Park). A park which is surrounded by all of Petach Tikva's museums. The park contains a Syrian T-62 tank you can climb on. It was captured in the 1982 Lebanon war, and is part of a memorial for soldiers who died in that war. (updated Mar 2017)
• 4 Baptist village. Has some hiking trails and baseball fields. The Israel Baseball League plays here. (updated Apr 2016)

For other trails around you can contact the Yarkon Field School (Beit Sefer Sadeh Yarkon, ☏ +972 3-9301112) which is in charge of the trail marking of this region.

Buy

• 1 City center. A very urban, active area which is the main shopping area in Petach Tikva. Located in the rectangle between the following streets: HaBaron Hirsch/Stampfer; Haim Ozer; HaHistadrut; and Rothschild. (updated Mar 2017)
• 2 The Large Mall (HaKanyon HaGadol, Kanyon Ofer, Kanyon Ovnat). A large indoor shopping mall on the Tel Aviv-Petach Tikva road. (updated Mar 2017)
• 3 Sirkin Mall. An indoor shopping mall. (updated Mar 2017)
• 4 Yachin center. An outdoor retail center. (updated Mar 2017)
• 5 Yarkonim retail center. (updated Mar 2017)
• 6 Segulah retail center. Outside the city, but next to the Petach Tikva-Segulah train station. (updated Mar 2017)

Eat

Like elsewhere in Israel, restaurants that serve kosher food should have a Kashrut certificate issued by the chief Rabbi of the city. If you are seeking authentic Jewish cuisine that has been prepared in accordance with the Kashrut laws, you should seek out an appropriately certified eatery.

• Paprika, a chain located in more than one place in Petah Tikva, open 24/7. An Israeli improved version of an American diner with international food.
• Uzbekistan, Slor Street (next to the City's fresh produce market). An authentic folkloristic gastro-experience (non-kosher; menus available in Russian too). Try fillet mignon on a skewer with Kavkaz-mountain spices for ₪15.
• Pizza USA, in front of the city hall on the Chaim Ozer (חיים עוזר) St. is a modest local pizza place which has become, through the years, a kind of famous local institute, because of the unique and delicious taste and texture of its pizzas.
• Shawarma There are many great stands at the center of the town, and they are all great tasting, so if you ever visit Petah Tikva, you should visit one of the kiosks and enjoy the taste of Israel.

Drink

Most of the pubs and bars in Petah Tikva are in the Segula and Ramat Siv industrial zones. Petah Tikva has a popular local brewery with an attached pub called Jem's, but it is closed on Shabbat. Other establishments include Infinity (bar) and HaTzrif (club) in Segula. Many bars are open all week at Ramat Siv district, mainly around Hashacham street.

Sleep

There is an HI Hostel & guest house hidden away at Yad Labanim park.

Go next

Routes through Petah Tikva

Haifa ← Hadera, Ra'anana, Kfar Saba ←	N  S	→ Holon, Rishon LeZion → Ashdod, Ashkelon
Kfar Saba ←	N  S	→ Ben Gurion International Airport, Lod, Ramla → Rehovot, Beer Sheba
(Highway 4) ← Ramat Gan ←	W  E	→ (Road 40, Highway 6)
Tel Aviv ← (Highway 20), Bnei Brak ←	W  E	→ (Road 40)
Ra'anana, Kfar Saba ←	N  W	→ Bnei Brak → Tel Aviv