Best areas and getting around Bahrain

Which area is best to stay in Bahrain?

Bahrain Bay or Seef for comfortable hotels close to the sights, the Manama centre if you want to walk to the souq, Juffair or Adliya for restaurants and evenings out, and the Amwaj Islands for a beach feel near the airport.

All six areas work for a short trip, because taxis and ride apps make every sight in Manama a short hop. The table compares the feel of each area, who it suits, and whether you can walk to the souq behind Bab Al Bahrain, where the food and evening walks start.

Is the Manama centre a good place to stay?

Yes, if you want to walk: Bab Al Bahrain, the souq and the Gold Souq form one walkable quarter, and the food and evening walks start under the arch. Hotels here are simpler, and the streets are busier and louder than in the newer districts.

Staying in the old centre means you can step out in the evening, when the souq is at its best, and walk back without a taxi. Beit Al Quran, the museum of Qurans and manuscripts in Hoora, is close by, although it opens only in the mornings and closes on Fridays. The trade-off is comfort: rooms are smaller, parking is harder and the lanes are noisy until late.

If you stay here, the Manama Evening Souq Walk starts at your door: three hours from 5 pm through the souq, the Gold Souq and Little India, with pearl stories and halwa on the way. Its dinner at a traditional café is optional and costs extra.

Bahrain Bay, the Diplomatic Area or Seef: which is better?

Bahrain Bay and the Diplomatic Area for waterfront hotels close to the National Museum and the World Trade Center; Seef for malls, business hotels and the shortest ride to Bahrain Fort. Both are a short taxi ride from the souq.

Bahrain Bay is a reclaimed waterfront district beside the twin sail-shaped towers of the World Trade Center, with a promenade that is pleasant at sunset. The Four Seasons stands on its own small island there. The Diplomatic Area next door has large business hotels and is close to the National Museum on the waterfront. Both suit a first visit with a tour, because pickups start from the hotel door.

Seef, further west, is built around shopping: City Centre Bahrain and Seef Mall are here, with hotels attached or close by. It is the best base for families who want air-conditioned space in the hot months, and Bahrain Fort is only a few minutes away. The Manama city tour with a boat ride collects you from hotels in Manama, and its short boat ride shows you the skyline of this side of the city from the water.

Should you stay in Juffair, Adliya or on the Amwaj Islands?

Juffair suits longer stays and eating out, with many hotels, serviced apartments and restaurants near the Grand Mosque. Adliya is the place for cafés, galleries and dinner. Amwaj, on reclaimed islands off Muharraq, feels like a beach resort but is further from the sights.

Juffair is one of the busiest hotel districts in Manama, with a wide choice of rooms and restaurants and the Al Fateh Grand Mosque close by. Adliya has fewer big hotels, but it is where many residents go out in the evening, around the cafés and galleries of Block 338; staying nearby means dinner is a short walk away. Both are more relaxed about dress than the souq, though the dress advice in the guide to dress and customs still applies in the souq and at heritage sites.

The Amwaj Islands are a different kind of stay: resort hotels with beaches and pools, close to the airport on Muharraq. Plan for longer rides to the sights, and check tour pickup terms before you book: some tours, including the half-day desert tour, charge extra for pickup from Amwaj and Diyar Al Muharraq.

What are the best ways to get around in Bahrain?

Careem, Uber and metered taxis for trips around Manama and to Muharraq, and a hire car or a guided tour for the southern desert. There is no metro or tram, and the buses are slow for sightseeing.

• Ride apps: Careem and Uber both operate across the island, and they have designated pickup points at the airport.
• Taxis: taxis are metered; ask the driver to use the meter.
• Buses: a public bus network links Manama, Muharraq, Isa Town, Riffa and other towns, with its own app, but journeys to the sights are slow.
• On foot: the souq quarter behind Bab Al Bahrain is walkable; the rest of the city is built for cars, and summer heat makes long walks hard.
• Hire car: the easiest way to see the south on your own.

The table gives approximate driving distances and times from central Manama in normal traffic.

Do you need a car to see the south, or is a tour easier?

You can drive yourself, since car hire is straightforward and the Tree of Life, the First Oil Well and the circuit lie 30 to 40 km south. A tour with hotel pickup is easier if you would rather not navigate, and it adds a guide who knows the closing days.

The southern sights are spread out and hard to reach by bus, and taxis would have to wait for you at each stop. For one or two travellers, a shared tour usually works out cheaper than several separate taxi journeys, and a private tour costs more than the shared ones. Jebel Dukhan, at 134 m the highest point in Bahrain, is seen from the road, and the Bahrain International Circuit, home of the Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix in normal years, is usually a photo stop at the gate.

Pickup terms differ. South to North: Bahrain in a Day collects you in selected areas, Bahrain in a Day: City to Desert picks up in Manama around 9:45 am, and the full-day highlights tour drops you anywhere in Manama at the end. The half-day desert tour picks up in the Manama area, and pickup from Amwaj, Diyar Al Muharraq and outside Manama costs extra.

The south only, in a group of six at most, with hotel pickup in the Manama area: the Tree of Life, the First Oil Well, a camel farm stop when it is open to visitors, a pottery workshop and the A'ali burial mounds.

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Explore the half-day desert tour →

Do you need a visa for Bahrain?

Most visitors can get a tourist visa online or on arrival. Many nationalities, including UK, US, EU, Australian and Canadian passport holders, qualify for a visa on arrival, and the eVisa covers more than 200 nationalities.

Check the rules for your passport on the official Bahrain eVisa site before you travel, and apply online in advance if you prefer to have everything settled before you land. Make sure your passport is valid for at least six months, and check the length of stay your visa allows. UK travellers can find entry details on the FCDO page for Bahrain.

Bahrain International Airport is on Muharraq, across the causeway from Manama. Metered taxis wait outside arrivals, and Careem and Uber have their own pickup area. Cruise calls at Khalifa Bin Salman Port are paused for now, so plan to arrive by air.

Is Bahrain expensive to visit?

Not by Gulf standards: hotels and eating out are generally cheaper than in Dubai or Doha. The local currency is strong, though, so Bahrain is not a budget destination compared with much of Asia.

Where you save: street food, karak and bakery snacks, short taxi or ride-app journeys, and the many sights that need no ticket, including the souq, the Bahrain Fort grounds, the Tree of Life, the Pearling Path walk and the guided visit to the Grand Mosque. The National Museum and the fort's site museum sell their own tickets. Where you spend more: hotel restaurants, alcohol, private tours and tour pickups outside Manama.

A simple rule for a short trip: stay central, use ride apps for the city, and book one tour for the south rather than paying for several long taxi rides. What to eat on a small budget is covered in what to eat in Bahrain.

Frequently asked questions