Desert Tour from Manama: Tree of Life & Oil Well

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.98 (105 reviews) 98% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/6

Duration4h

GroupUp to 6

LanguagesEN · AR

PickupAt your hotel

Four stops into Bahrain's desert: an oil well, a tree that has stood 400 years, camels at close range, and potters at work.

A half-day desert tour from Manama visiting the Tree of Life, the first oil well in the Arabian Gulf region, Bahrain International Circuit, a camel farm, and ancient pottery workshops, with hotel pickup and a local guide speaking English and Arabic. The tour runs four hours and suits all fitness levels; children from age 2 are welcome with an adult. Pickup from the airport or remote areas outside Manama center incurs an extra charge.

Step-by-step itinerary

Half day desert cultural tour

Drive through AWALI Village
Drive through WEST RIFAA area
Photo stop at Bahrain International Circuit
Visit first oil well in Arabian Gulf
See Tree of Life in desert
Visit Zallaq Camel Farm
Explore Dilmun civilization burial mounds
Attend Pottery Makers workshop
Visit Roman Catholic Church in Gulf

The Experience

The tour leaves Manama and heads into the desert to the first oil well drilled in the region, built in 1932 on the west side of the Arabian Gulf. From there you drive to the Tree of Life, a 400-year-old tree standing alone in the middle of the desert with no visible water source—a stop where most travelers pause to photograph. A photo stop at Bahrain International Circuit, the first racing circuit built in the desert, comes next, followed by a visit to Zallaq Camel Farm where you see the animals at close range and can walk through the endurance village.

The second half of the morning takes you through history. You pass Awali Village, home to the National Oil Company of Bahrain, and West Rifaa, the political capital, then stop at a pottery workshop where craftspeople still work using methods that trace back to Dilmun civilization. The tour also includes the region's largest and newest Roman Catholic Church. Throughout the four hours, you travel in an air-conditioned vehicle with a local guide providing live commentary in English or Arabic, bottled water included.

Hotel pickup and drop-off are included for selected hotels in Manama; pickup from the airport or areas more than ten kilometers outside the city center costs extra. The tour does not operate during Formula One race weekends when the circuit is closed, and there is no pickup from the port. This is a shared tour, though you can arrange a private version by contacting the operator directly.

What’s included

Hotel pickup and drop-off at selected Manama hotels.
professional local guide speaking English and Arabic.
transport in an air-conditioned vehicle.
bottled water.
live commentary on board.
face mask.
local fees and taxes.

Good to know

Easy physical level

Operated by Bahraintours Guide

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want to move through Bahrain's landscape without arranging your own transport—the guide handles the stops and the timing, and the shared format keeps the cost low. A private version is available if you prefer a dedicated guide and vehicle.