9 Things To Do In and Around Rishon Lezion, Israel

1. Superland

No doubt one of the absolute best family attractions in all of Israel, come check out the Superland theme park, if you’re visiting Rishon Lezion, to get all the thrills and spills you could possibly want! With countless thrill rides, lands to explore and of course, games to play and food to eat, you could spend an entire day here and not get bored.

Kids will be especially pleased and will almost certainly be spotted with smiles plastered on their faces, as they scream on the roller coasters and munch on the candy available from the roadside food stalls.

Superland

Address: 5 Maryland Ave., Rishon Lezion, Israel

Website: Superland

2. Peres Park

Check out Peres Park to the south, named after the former Israeli president Shimon Peres. It’s a lovely green park, with sand dunes, a water park, a lake on which you can rent a boat and take an afternoon ride, lovely footpaths for walking, a rock waterfall, an amphitheater that can accommodate up to 7,000 spectators, picnic areas, playgrounds, sports fields to play games such as soccer, basketball and roller skating, and even an ice peak! There’s something for everyone at Peres Park and is a must see if you’re in the area.

Peres Park

Address: Holon, Israel רח’ שדרות ירושלים 216-218,

3. Jaffa Port

An ancient port on the Mediterranean Sea, Jaffa Port is located close to Rishon Lezion, in the old city of Jaffa. With a history spanning three millennia, the port is a mainstay in ancient literary works, from the Hebrew Bible and plenty of other Jewish history books. It’s been in use for the past 7,000 years at least, predating Muslims, Christians, Jews, and even Egyptians, and is still functional even today, though it’s changed quite a bit.

These days, it’s a smaller fishing port and a recreational zone, with restaurants, cafes and a lighthouse. Jaffa Port still welcomes plenty of tourists and curious visitors yearly, and one can move on from the port itself to check out the countless art galleries, souvenir shops, restaurants, sidewalk cafes, boardwalks, and shops in the area.

Jaffa Port

Address: Old Jaffa Port, Namal Yafo

4. Ariel Sharon Park

Ariel Sharon Park didn’t always use to be green. A former waste dump in the southeast, the facility was eventually shut down after accumulating 25 million tons of waste in 1998, as the waste mountain was practically visible from the airport, looking like a flat-topped mountain. The area has since become more of a recycling hub, to promote less waste disposal and more reduce, reuse and recycle.

Meanwhile, the rest of the surrounding area has since become a large park and is close to an ancient biblical site. No longer a dump, the mountain of garbage has since been rehabilitated and turned into a positive landmark and has become a less terrifying image of human destruction to the environment, instead portraying our efforts to save it.

Ariel Sharon Park

Address: Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel

5. Israeli Children's Museum

Where does one bring a child to educate them while letting them have fun? The all famous Israeli Children’s Museum of course! First opened in 2001, the museum has since welcomed over a million visitors since and provides a truly unique experience, where all the exhibitions are very hands on for kids to learn through stories, imagination and sharing.

The museum also houses three interactive and experiential exhibits: Dialogue in the Dark (a social seminar on being blind); Invitation to Silence (simulating the sensation of being deaf) and Dialogue with Time (a multimedia educational exhibition on ageing), to teach children important lessons about certain members of society.

Israeli Children's Museum

Address: Sderot Yerushalayim 214, Holon, Israel

Website: Israeli Children’s Museum

6. Hai Kef

Hai Kef is Rishon Lezion’s very own zoo and contains plenty of animals to gaze at and consider. Not too crowded, it makes for a perfect afternoon getaway for all the family to enjoy together, as they learn about animals and the environment, with a few select rare species, among the usual zoo suspects.

Hai Kef

Address: Sderot Golda Meir 1, Rishon Lezion 75290, Israel

7. Rishon Lezion Museum

Established on the same site as where the first Jewish pioneers arrived in Israel, the small but informative museum contains information about the schools, synagogues, and settlers living on the site. You’ll find out all about Israel’s history here, and find yourself newly equipped with an education on Israeli history.

Rishon Lezion Museum

Address: 1 Sederot Rothschild Street, Rishon Lezion, Israel

8. Gan B'Ivrit - Rishon Lezion Park

One of the newer parks to grace Rishon Lezion, Gan B'Ivrit is a lovely space to spend an afternoon with the family, playing in the water, sipping on an ice cold drink, or simply sitting around and talking, maybe over a picnic? The world is your oyster and Gan B'Ivrit is a calm, zen weekend experience.

Gan B'Ivrit - Rishon Lezion Park

Address: Derech Haim Herzog, Rishon LeTsiyon, Israel

9. Hof Palmahim National Park

Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing

Tired of green parks? Why not try a beach park? Hof Palmahim has one of the absolute best beaches in all of Israel and you’d be kicking yourself if you didn’t check this one out. Golden sand, calm waters and what feels like an endlessly calming walk, this is the perfect place for families, lovers or friends to hang out and while the afternoon away.

Hof Palmahim National Park

Address: Palmachim Beach - Hof Palmahim National Park

An Israeli gem

Rishon Lezion has plenty of history and natural space, a good balance of both that will delight tourists and visitors to no end. The only way to get to know a place is to visit it, so start packing and making plans for your trip to Israel, now!