What should I pack for Tel Aviv?

Walking shoes that grip polished stone. That is the item people most regret leaving home without. Jaffa's alleyways south of the Clock Tower have been worn slick by roughly 4,000 years of foot traffic, and flip-flops will betray you on the downhill stretches toward the port. Most first-time visitors take the fast train from Tel Aviv HaHagana to Jerusalem for a day trip. If that is your plan, pack one pair of long pants and a shirt that covers your shoulders. The Western Wall plaza and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre both enforce modest dress, and scrambling to buy a cover-up on arrival is a hassle you skip by packing one from home.

Tel Aviv in August sits at about 30°C with humidity around 70%, and the air feels closer to 34°C by mid-afternoon along the tayelet, the beachfront promenade. Three light cotton or linen shirts will get you through a week with hotel laundry rotation. One long-sleeve layer is worth the suitcase space for the aggressive air conditioning inside Dizengoff Center and restaurants along Rothschild Boulevard, where indoor temperatures can drop 15 degrees below the sidewalk. Swimwear is non-negotiable. Gordon Beach and Frishman Beach sit a 10-minute walk from most Lev HaIr hotels, and you will end up in the Mediterranean by day two. A rashguard beats constant sunscreen reapplication in the salt water.

Israel uses Type H outlets, a 3-pin plug found almost nowhere else. Type C, the slim European 2-pin, also fits Israeli sockets, so travelers from Europe might already have the right adapter. From the US, you need a Type H adapter. The voltage is 220V. Check the label on your hair dryer before packing it. A portable charger matters more here than in most cities. Google Maps drains battery fast when you're navigating the grid of numbered streets between Ben Yehuda and the waterfront. Pack a hat with a brim. The midday sun on the beachfront in August is a physical weight you can feel pressing on the top of your skull within 10 minutes of exposure.

Skip packing sunscreen, deodorant, and mosquito repellent. Super-Pharm, Israel's main pharmacy chain, has locations every few blocks in central Tel Aviv, and a 50ml SPF 50 tube runs about 35 ILS, roughly 12 USD at the current exchange rate of 2.95 ILS per dollar. Dead Sea mineral products cost a fraction of their export price at any branch. The tap water is safe and cold from the city's public fountains, so a reusable bottle saves you the 5-7 ILS per 1.5L at a makolet corner shop. The one item to bring from home is over-the-counter pain medication. Ibuprofen and paracetamol tend to cost more in Israel than in the US or most of Europe.