The Bahrain International Airport is located about 5 miles away from the city center on the nearby Muharraq Island. This is a premier airport hub in the Middle East located in the Northern Persian Gulf between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

If you have not booked a private transfer with us you have a few options for connecting from the airport to the city center including taxis, rental cars, and buses.

Taxis are readily available at the airport and can be found outside the main terminal of the Arrivals Hall in the ground transportation area. The ride takes around 15 minutes to reach the city center and will cost around BD6. Taxis are white and orange in Bahrain.

Five bus lines connect from the airport to the city, buses are found outside the main terminal at the Arrivals Hall in the ground transportation area. There are lines A1, A2, Line 10, 11, and 12 that connect to different areas of the city, and typical bus fare is around 0.3 BD.

There are several rental car companies found at the airport including international names like Avis, Budget, Hertz, and Enterprise. The rental car office is found in the Arrivals Hall on the ground level of the main terminal.

The main form of transportation in Manama is buses with a large fleet of buses run by Man buses the Ministry of Transportation. The bus routes are extensive and extend across Bahrain and Manama with daily service from Khobar in Saudi Arabia to the bus terminal in Manama. The buses run daily connecting major towns and residential areas starting at 6 am and ending at 9 pm with buses every 15 minutes. Bus fares BD0.200.

Renting a car when visiting Manama is a great way to explore the city and surrounding area. Manama connects to Saudi Arabia via the King Fahd Causeway (however the border cannot be crossed by rental car or without a driver`s license). Driving around the city is simple and parking is free all over Bahrain, all foreign drivers must have an International Driving Permit.

There are taxis available in Manama, but they can be expensive, however other than buses or a rental car they are the only way to get around. It is advised to ask the driver to always use the meter and agree on a price before taking a ride. Fares begin at BD1.000 and increase by BD0.200 every 0.6 miles and a typical fare for a ride around the city can cost at least BD5-10.

The city of Manama is pretty small, but it's not a walking city with a lot of traffic and not many sidewalks built for pedestrians. It is also extremely hot during the summer and walking around can be unbearable, stay hydrated and don`t go out during a dust storm.

There are many hotels in the city of Manama that have bicycles to offer for rent for their guests. Bicycle paths in the city do not exist, but pavements are used.

Three boat services are offered in Manama and are all available to the general public. The small Qalat Bu Mahir ferry transports passengers from Bahrain National Museum to the fort and two other services take passengers to Al Dar Islands and the Hawar Islands.

Manama is remarkably safe and the Cape Verde archipelago is considered to be a safe holiday destination. The crime rate is relatively low and crimes against visitors are practically unheard of but petty theft is becoming more common in the built-up areas. Keep your wits about you and practice street smarts when out sightseeing.

The Manama Souq, Bab Al Bahrain is a multi-ethnic market and the best-known shopping destination in the city. It means the `gateway to Bahrain` where shoppers can find everything from thobes (long gowns worn by men), Arabain sweet shops, quaint cafes, and Indian restaurants. The souq is filled with souvenir shops where visitors can pick up unique traditional items, there are spice shops and fabric shops too.

Gold in Bahrain is some of the best in the entire world, there is an abundance of gold shops dotted along `temple lane` in the Mamama souq where pure 22 and 25-carat gold can be purchased. Gold City is another building where several souqs are under one roof with many selling modern and traditional diamond and pearl-studded gold jewelry.

There are many modern shopping malls in Manama, many located near Government Avenue and near the Sheikh Khalifa Bin Salman Highway near the waterfront.