When I was researching my recent trip to Bahrain, I had one main question on my mind. Is Bahrain expensive?
We were only staying in the nation for two days, but we were keen on making our dinar stretch as far as possible, while still seeing everything we wanted to!
With this in mind, I decided to create this Bahrain travel costs post after my trip to inform future travellers to the Middle Eastern country.
So, is Bahrain cheap or expensive? Here’s exactly what I spent, and my thoughts on the costs!
Bahrain currency
Bahrain’s currency, the Bahraini Dinar (BHD), is one of the strongest in the world.
At the time of writing, 1 BHD is approximately equivalent to 2.65 USD, 2.40 EUR, and 2.10 GBP.
Throughout this post, I will use BHD for all costs, so you can convert these amounts into your currency.
What we spent
Here’s a table with everything we spent in our two days in Bahrain
| Item | Cost (BHD) | Price per person (BHD) |
| Visa | 5 | 5 |
| Accommodation per night | 49 | 24.5 |
| Uber rides (total for 2 days) | Approximately 21 | 10.5 |
| National Museum Entry | 2.2 | 2.2 |
| Fort Museum Entry | 2.2 | 2.2 |
| Souvenirs | 6 | 3 |
| Buffet breakfast at Elite | 5.5 | 5.5 |
| Lunch at Darseen Cafe | 11 | 5.5 |
| Lunch at GB Cafe (for 2 people) | 22 | 11 |
| Dinner at Palestine Nights | 21 | 10.5 |
| Meal at Shake Shack | 10 | 5 |
| Coke at hotel | 3 | 3 |
| Total per person | 87.9 |
Per person, we spent 87.90 BHD which is £183.81 GBP, $233.21 USD or €217.37 EUR.
Visa
The first thing that you’ll buy in Bahrain (after flights, that is!) is a visa. Most of the world can apply for a visa on arrival.
Online, the visa process seems complicated. But actually, it’s very straightforward – we just paid contactless to the immigration staff when we arrived. Totally hassle-free!
The visa costs 5 BHD and is valid for two weeks.
Accommodation
For our stay in Bahrain, we chose the Elite Resort and Spa, which cost 49 BHD per night. This was a bargain considering we were upgraded to a two-bedroom flat AND were allowed to check in when we arrived at 7am!
The hotel’s home to a pool, gym and spa. WiFi is good and there’s also a beach club on site!
Some five-star hotels, such as the Hilton Bahrain, aren’t too expensive – but the prices can go up to over 150 BHD per night for hotels like the Ritz-Carlton Bahrain, largely thought to be one of the best in the country (just look at its pool!).
If you’re on more of a budget, there are a few cheaper options. The best budget hotel I found was Capital O 111 Infinity Suites, which is about 25 BHD per night. There’s even a small pool here!
Transport
Getting around Bahrain was mostly hassle-free, thanks to ride-hailing apps like Uber and Careem.
We used Uber frequently, paying between 2 to 3 BHD per ride. Over our two-day stay, we took around seven Uber rides.
Careem, another popular option, sometimes offered cheaper fares than Uber – we actually ended up using Careem when we travelled to the airport, as Uber wasn’t finding us any cars.
While public transport does exist in Bahrain – the metro system hasn’t yet been built, but there are buses – we opted for ease as we were only there for two days.
Activities
There are plenty of things to do in Bahrain to pass a couple of days!
The Bahrain National Museum had an entry fee of 2.2 BHD; it’s a fantastic place to begin your time in the country.
We also visited the Bahrain Fort Museum, another fascinating site which also had an entry fee of 2.2 BHD.
Other attractions, like Al-Khamis Mosque (allegedly the oldest in Bahrain) and the Al-Fateh Grand Mosque, along with walking around Manama Souq, were free.
There are also free attractions out of Manama, including the Royal Camel Farm and the Tree of Life – but you’ll need to pay for car hire, a tour or a taxi to visit these. If you’re not a confident driver, I don’t recommend self-driving – while Bahrain is very safe, drivers can be on the aggressive side!
If you’re booking tours, I’d recommend using Get Your Guide for reliable booking and free cancellation. Here are a few Bahrain tours on Get Your Guide:
- Traditional Bahrain Food Tasting Tour
- Desert tour of Bahrain (with Tree of Life)
- Bahrain city and desert tour with transfers
- Bahrain Bay kayak rental
- Discover Manama
We spent 6 BHD on souvenirs; a (fake) Bahrain football shirt and an ornament.
Food
Breakfast at the hotel, Elite Resort and Spa, was a buffet that cost 5.5 BHD per person. I love Middle Eastern breakfasts, and this was not a disappointment – falafel, tahini, hummus, foul, olives… I was in heaven!
On our first day, we headed to Darseen Cafe and spent 11 BHD on a meal and coffee. The falafel wrap here was possibly the best I’ve ever had! Darseen Cafe is actually inside the Bahrain National Museum, but it’s a beautiful cafe with a tranquil atmosphere.
We went to the Bahrain Fort Museum cafe on day two – GB Cafe. This country definitely knows how to do museum cafes, as GB Cafe felt more like a high-end brunch spot!
Here, we spent 22 BHD for lunch, coffee and water for two people – I had a tofu bowl with rice, kimchi and vegetables, and my partner had a pizza. The water was shockingly pricey here, setting us back 5 BHD (£10!) for a 750 ml bottle.
We struggled to find corner shops in Bahrain where we could stock up on water (you can’t drink the tap water here), but there were a few in Manama Souq. The bottled water here was 400 fils for two bottles (84 pence in UK money!).
My favourite place we ate at in Bahrain was Palestine Nights, where we enjoyed a Palestinian dinner – with hummus, labneh, fattoush, bread and potatoes – for 21 BHD for two people. The meal was a huge spread and the portions were very generous. I also had a refreshing mint lemonade.
On the last night, we were at the City Centre Mall (which is part of modern Bahraini culture) and went to Shake Shack, where a meal cost us 10 BHD for two veggie burgers, chips and a drink.
Although beer is not widely available in Bahrain, it was on sale at our hotel, costing 5 BHD for a pint. I think these prices are pretty universal throughout Bahrain.
Lastly, we spent 3 BHD on a coke at the hotel – a bit pricey, but we were lounging by the pool all afternoon and needed some refreshment!
So, is Bahrain expensive?
Bahrain is certainly not cheap, but a two-day trip here is pretty similar to Western Europe. We did find some parts to be very good value – such as the museum entry – whereas the cafes were pretty pricey!
I’ve been sharing videos of Bahrain on my YouTube and TikTok, so check them out for more!
