Senior travel: Manama
An easier pace for an older traveller: how many stops fit in a day, which places are step-free, and what the guide says about getting around, medicines and stairs.
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Pace for a day
About 2 stops a day. 5 h out − 45 min rest, divided by an average visit of 79 min (from this city’s guide) + 30 min to move.
Places, easiest access first
- Bab Al BahrainStep-free: yes · about 25 minNone at the plaza.
- Beit Al QuranStep-free: yes · about 45 minNone at the entrance.
- Bahrain National MuseumStep-free: yes · about 105 minNone inside.
- Manama Souq lanesStep-free: partial (check before you go) · about 45 minSteps at some doors.
- Qal'at al-Bahrain (Bahrain Fort)Step-free: partial (check before you go) · about 120 minSteps and uneven ground.
- Adliya (Block 338)Step-free: partial (check before you go) · about 150 minSteps at some venues.
- Siyadi House (Pearling Path)Step-free: no (check before you go) · about 60 minSteps inside and at the door.
Getting around in Manama
Manama is car-based and mostly step-free indoors: malls, museums, hotels and the National Museum have lifts and ramps. Outdoors, pavements are uneven and broken in the old core, and the souq lanes have steps and crowds. Use ride-hailing door to door.
- Pavements:
- Wide and smooth in newer districts; narrow, uneven and blocked by parked cars in the old core.
- Getting around:
- Ride-hailing cars are the practical option; ask for a larger vehicle for a chair. Buses are limited for wheels.
- Hotels:
- Most international and mid-range hotels have lifts and accessible rooms.
- Toilets:
- Accessible toilets are common in malls, museums and hotels.
- Heritage sites:
- Old houses have steps and narrow doors; check with each site.
Medicines and health on the ground
- Prescriptions · carry: Letter and prescription for any controlled medicine, in original packaging.
- Sun and heat:
- Heat stroke is a real risk from May to September; use shade, water and rest indoors at midday.
- Food and water:
- Tap water is treated; most drink bottled. Food hygiene is high.
- Vaccination and clinics:
- Routine vaccines as advised; check with a travel clinic before you fly.
- MERS and respiratory illness:
- Follow current public health advice; wash hands and avoid contact with camels.
- Medicine:
- Bring prescriptions in original packaging; some drugs allowed elsewhere are controlled here, so check.
More: how much medicine to pack, medicine times across time zones.
Ask your insurer
Age limits and prices differ by policy and the guides do not hold them, so put these to the insurer before you buy.
- What is the oldest age the policy covers, at purchase and on the last day of the trip?
- Does the price or the cover change after a certain age?
- Are existing conditions covered, and what must be declared?
- Does the cover include medical evacuation and trip interruption?
Not medical advice. This page does not know anyone’s health. Ask a doctor before the trip, and carry a list of medicines and conditions.