Manama Souq Cultural Walking Tour

Highlights

Inclusions

Itinerary

1. Bab Al Bahrain is a historical building located in the Customs Square in the central business district of Manama. It marks the main entrance to the Manama Souq. Opened in 1949 and designed by the British adviser to the emir, Charles Belgrave, Bab Al Bahrain once stood on the Manama coastline.

   5 minAdmission included

2. The original post office of Manama, situated directly behind Bab Al Bahrain, is now the location of a newly renovated museum that documents the history of postal services of Bahrain in all its eras. With content from Ministry of Transport and the Philatelic Bureau, the museum is home to an archive of photographs from the postal service since its inception, a complete catalogue of Bahraini stamps as well as stamps from all over the world, and a collection of vintage cancellations, scales, and franking machines. The museum includes a philatelic bureau counter where people can purchase new and collectible stamps and a café with a terrace that overlooks Bab Al Bahrain.

   5 minAdmission included

3. Little India covers an area of 5000 sq m spread over three streets (Bab Al Bahrain Ave, Al Tijjar Ave and Al Hadrami Ave) where historically many houses were built using Indian wood.

   5 min

4. Shrinathji Temple is a heritage Hindu temple in Manama established in the year 1817. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shrinathji,[1] a form of Krishna, manifested as a seven-year-old child.

   10 minAdmission included

5. The Showaiter is an Arabic Sunni family based in the Arabian Peninsula, especially the Arab States of the Persian Gulf. In Bahrain, the family is based in Muharraq, and its name is synonymous with a traditional sweet confection produced by the family for the past 150 years. It is popular, in the Persian Gulf region, as "Halwa Bahraini", while in Bahrain it is commonly referred to as "Halwa Showaiter".

   5 minAdmission included

6. Dating back to the 1880s, the Bahrain Jewish community is the only indigenous Jewish community in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and has the only operational synagogue (House of Ten Commandments) and Jewish cemetery in the region.

   10 min

7. At this stop, we will enjoy a delicious Bahraini samboosa with potatoes. This restaurant has been in Bahrain for over 100 years. Young and old generations of Bahrain definitely love this place.

   5 minAdmission included

8. A stop in a traditional Bahraini coffee shop to rest and drink some tasty traditional tea before continuing the tour.

   20 min

9. One of Manama’s most unique houses, Khalaf House exemplifies the city’s strong ties to the history of pearls and trade. The building was donated by the Khalaf family to be a cultural landmark, honoring the significant role of pearling merchants in the history of Bahrain, and is now affiliated with the Shaikh Ebrahim Centre for Culture and Research.

   5 minAdmission included

10. “Manamat Al Gossaibi” is a tribute to Saudi beloved public figure Dr. Gazi Abdul Rahman Al Gosaibi in the heart of Manama. Housed in a traditional Bahraini house in Al Gosaibi’s childhood neighborhood – Fareej Al Fadel – the cultural center includes various displays and artistic expressions that celebrate Gazi Al Gosaibi; the poet, outspoken liberal, reformist, minister, and ambassador.

    5 minAdmission included

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.

Reviews

Ratings come from 9 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.

Know before you go

How it compares in Manama

• Its from-price is 17% below the median of the 93 experiences we list in Manama.
• It is shorter than most of them.
• By number of reviews it ranks 22 of 93.
• The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Manama

Manama, Bahrain's capital, is a Gulf waterfront city where glass towers stand beside an old souq, grand mosques and relics of the pearling trade.

Manama sits on the north-eastern coast of Bahrain's main island, where the old gate of Bab Al Bahrain opens into the souq's narrow lanes of spices, gold, fabric and household goods. The Bahrain National Museum on the waterfront follows the island's story from the Dilmun civilisation to the pearl trade, and the Al Fateh Grand Mosque, with its large white dome, is one of the biggest in the Gulf.

Top-ranked sights in Manama: Al Fateh Grand Mosque, Al Areen Wildlife Park & Reserve, Shaikh Isa Bin Ali House.

See all 93 experiences in Manama