Officially the Kingdom of Bahrain since February 2002, Bahrain is a country located on an archipelago of more than 30 islands in the Persian Gulf, right in the middle of important trade routes since ancient times. To the west is Saudi Arabia, a country to which it is connected by a 26 km bridge called the King Fahd Causeway. To the southeast is the Qatar Peninsula, a country from which it is separated by the Gulf of Bahrain and to which it is expected that in the not too distant future it will be connected by a bridge. Bahrain is believed to have been the cradle of the Dilmun civilization in ancient times. In later times the islands came to be ruled by the Persian empires of the Parthians and the Sassanians. Its inhabitants were among the first to convert to Islam, in 628 AD. C. After spending the entire Middle Ages under Arab rule, the Portuguese occupied the islands in 1521, but were expelled in 1602 by Shah Abbas the Great of the Safavid Empire. In 1783, the Bani Utbah tribe seized control of the islands from the Qajar dynasty, and they have been ruled by the Al Khalifa dynasty ever since. At the end of the 19th century, after several treaties were signed with the British, Bahrain became a protectorate of the United Kingdom, a situation that lasted until the European country withdrew from the region in the 1960s. In 1971, the country declared its independence, initially forming a state, and finally in 2002 Bahrain declared itself a kingdom. Today, Bahrain has a high level of human and economic development.

Programs at Bahrain

Bahrain Island in full

6 nights

Essences of Bahrain

5 nights

Useful information for traveling to Bahrain

- Passport with a minimum validity of 6 months and at least one blank page, and must not have visas or stamps from Israel.

- Demonstrate sufficient funds for the trip.

- Have a return flight ticket to the city of origin or for the continuation of the trip.

- Visa: 5 BD with direct payment at the Bahrain International Airport, when passing through the Immigration counters. Amount subject to change without notice) (https://www.evisa.gov.bh/)

The official language is Arabic, although English is also very popular.

Islam is the official religion of the country, with the predominance of the Sunni sect in urban areas and the Shiite sect in rural areas.

The climate is warm, semi-humid and very hot in summer and temperate dry in winter. As in the rest of the Gulf countries, the best time to travel to Bahrain is the autumn and winter months (from November to March), thus avoiding the high temperatures recorded during the summer.

The Bahraini Dinar (BD) is the legal currency of Bahrain. It is divided into 1,000 fils and its ISO 4217 code is BHD.

Credit cards are generally accepted in hotels, restaurants and shops.

Although there is an extensive network of public buses, the easiest way to get around Bahrain is by renting a car or hiring a private chauffeur-driven transport service.

Bahraini cuisine is influenced by Arabic cuisine, with dishes consisting mainly of lamb and chicken, with plenty of spices, and fresh fish. The local yoghurt is delicious and is part of the traditional breakfast along with hot Kaboo (bread), eggs and tea or coffee. Halwa is a traditional sweet from the region, which can be bought hot in any confectionery and enjoyed while walking or eaten later cold as a snack, as it keeps well enough to be consumed for a long time. Cheeses are also typical and very appetising.

A peculiarity of Bahrain is that food is served on a carpeted floor and eaten with the right hand, even if the person is left-handed. It is considered rude to offer or accept something using the left hand.

The time zone in Bahrain is UTC/GMT +3 hours.

Alcohol consumption is only permitted for non-Muslims and can be purchased in some 5-star hotels and in some restaurants. In addition, there are two shops where alcoholic beverages can be purchased daily except on Fridays when they are closed.

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