Qatar is world famous for so many things including hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the F1 International Race Track, historic pearl diving, falconers, and its incredible airport. If you get the chance to book a layover here, do it! Step into Doha, the capital, and the city itself will blow you away. The use of art installations throughout the city along with gorgeous architecture really makes for a stunning visual experience all throughout the city. With less than 3 million people on this small peninsula, it’s definitely worth a visit but not somewhere you need to spend weeks exploring. See our suggestions below for getting there, getting around, and having a wonderful long weekend in Doha.
Getting to Doha
Doha’s main airport is Hamad International Airport and it’s stunning. I kid you not, it has a full garden with tall trees. It’s honestly breathtaking and almost shocking as it’s not typical for airports to be this lush and beautiful. It’s very peaceful just to walk around the garden area, shop at the range of stores, and eat at some amazing restaurants, all centered around this greenery. Seriously, make sure you have time to explore the airport.
Leaving the airport you have a few options: you can get downtown via taxi in about 15 mins but it’s pretty pricey. However if you have time and want to save money, take the Metro. It’s absolutely beautiful, very clean and so cheap. At 6 QAR (~$1.65 USD) for an all day pass, it’s the best way to get out of the airport and have a ticket to go wherever you want for the rest of the day. Also the signs are super clear and very easy to follow from the airport terminal to the metro. It’s great!
Visa
Qatar is a very welcoming country for visitors. Nationalities from 102 countries can enter visa-free, and all others can apply for an e-visa using the Hayya platform online. When you arrive at the airport, standing in the immigration line is the hardest and most time consuming part. But after scanning your passport and inquiring on the length of stay, you’re good to go! The immigration line took us almost an hour. I’m not sure if it was extra busy that day but it was definitely one of the slower ones we’ve been through recently.
Cellphones And Money
We love the ease of using an app like Airalo to buy our eSims before we land in a country. For this short trip we bought a 1GB 7 day plan for just $5 USD. It was perfect for getting around town. You can do it without a cellphone plan if you’re savvy. A lot of parks, restaurants and malls have WiFi but we love the peace of mind to always be connected on a trip if we need it. We noticed that in the city, many people were trying to sell us SIM cards and there is always a cellphone store near the mall areas so you can buy one in town if need be as well.
Everywhere we went took credit cards so unless you’ll be there a while, I wouldn’t recommend pulling out cash. Only for a few small vendors in the market it would have been helpful to have cash but even the convenience store guy let us charge 2 QAR for a water on a card.
Where to Stay
This all depends on what you are coming to Qatar for. If you want to experience the exciting nightlife and city charm, staying downtown anywhere from the Msheireb neighborhood to the harbor water is the best bet. Here you will find a range of hotels to fit your needs. If you want the high rise, financial district, fancy hotel vibe, check out the West Bay Area. If you are looking for beach resorts, stay up north on any of the waterfront properties like: The Pearl, Katara, or Lusail. If you’re here for an event like F1 Racing or any football/soccer game, you can stay anywhere in the city as getting around is pretty easy.
How to Get Around
Doha is a relatively smaller city which means that getting around is decently easy. Most of the tourist attractions are along the coast which can get pretty spread out. It’s about 14km from Souq Waqif to The Pearl and we were able to walk the entire thing thanks to an amazing sidewalk and bike path. Seriously, we were blown away at how well laid out the sidewalks are and how integrated into the road system it is. You can always grab a cab/taxi, use the metro system, or even rent a bike or scooter. We loved the ease of using the Uber app for hailing taxis quickly and not having to worry about agreeing to a price. Careem is a ride hailing app used in all the other Middle East countries but not available here so make sure to have a different app installed like Uber. Qatar has created a very efficient and easy to use metro system. The signs for the Metro are clear, easy to navigate and the employees super friendly to help you out. It only costs 6 QAR ($1.65) for a day pass with unlimited rides. There are easy to use ticket kiosks at every station that take all major credit cards. The metro runs every day from 5:30am to midnight except on Fridays when it doesn’t start until 2pm so don’t get stuck like us. Plan ahead to do something near your hotel if you’re there on a Friday!
Food
You can literally find any type of food here: Qatari, Arab, Turkish, Japanese, Chinese, Thai, literally it has it all. One thing we noticed was that everything was more expensive than we are used to. A coffee is around $7-8 USD, a meal is $25+. We found a few cheaper options like $10 for a burger but it wasn’t the best. There is a popular All You Can Eat and Drink brunch option at many hotels that are $70-110 per person. So definitely do your research as the range of options is there.
What To Do
Working your way from Doha Old Town up north to the Pearl, here are our suggestions on things to do and things to pass.
Mina District is a gorgeous brightly colored adobe style district of restaurants and shops. Most don’t open til after 2pm and it’s harder to get out here due to no public transportation but you can walk from the city or take a cab. It’s definitely adorable with amazingly colorful murals. It felt a little like a ghost town when we were out here but at night this place is hopping. With lights strung across the streets, it makes a beautiful walk with the modern skyscrapers across the water front. You’ll see cruise ships docking nearby as well. If you happen to be out here for breakfast, we recommend Bayt Al Waldah Restaurant for a delicious Arabic breakfast. Also walk through the Fish Market for the cleanest, most beautiful fish market you’ve ever seen. The stained glass ceiling makes you feel like you’re underwater!
Box Park is a pass for us. You’ll walk past it on your way from Mina District back to the city. It seems like a cute idea to stack colorful shipping containers on top of each other to make a cute mall on the port on the water but it’s too niche for our taste. It seems to be serving the personal boats that come to dock here with very few restaurants, more marine stores like upholstery for your yacht and boat rentals. MIA Park was under construction while we were there but it seems to be another waterfront walking area.
If you’re looking for an elegant Qatari meal on the water, we highly recommend Belhambar Qatari Restaurant. It’s got the old world charm of Qatar in a high end restaurant with picturesque views of the water and the modern skyline. We enjoyed their Al Hamsat breakfast platter and Karak tea. The flavors were out of this world, delicious, spicy and so good!
Souq Waqif is a must see stop for anyone coming to Doha. It’s absolutely beautiful and a great place to walk around at night. This Souq may be one of the bigger ones in the Middle East. While you can tell it’s newer, they kept the old charm of the narrow alleys and the original sandy facade. Most of the restaurants have patios with outdoor seating which makes for a great dinner and people watching. It’s honestly enchanting to walk around at night with the white lights. As for souvenirs, the products they sell on the main streets of the market are pretty cheap, dime a dozen souvenirs like camel magnets, Qatar flags, t-shirts. If you are looking for these things though, this is the best place to buy. All the other stores in other parts of the city are more regular malls so get your goods here. To find the good stuff, venture farther back into the winding alleys. There is a section selling traditional dresses and abayas so if you want the long beautiful dresses the women wear, you can find it in the tailor shops. Also there is only one section that sells authentic hand made goods. Here you can get handmade pottery, leather goods, swords, daggers, silver and copper goods. If local art is what you’re looking for, take a walk through the air conditioned sections called Souq Waqif Art Center. Here local artists are at work showing you their process, talking about their art and letting you experience it all. This is a great place to buy a piece of local art to take home. Don’t forget to look up because the lighting in this building is just as impressive as their artwork. For restaurants in the Souq, we recommend: Layali Al Qahira restaurants for some delicious Egyptian food with great outdoor seating. If Thai food is what you’re craving, check out Jasmine Thai on the second floor for real authentic flavor! Usta Turkish is a great Turkish restaurant serving authentic flavors with a great corner spot for wonderful people watching.
Walk west from the Souq Waqif under the most beautiful walking tunnel and you’ll emerge in Msheireb Downtown Doha. This planned city of the future is stunning. Each building is perfectly designed with accent lighting, intricate decor that highlights the minimalist feel to create a stunning experience. It’s so elegant at night too. We recommend a visit at different times of day to get the full experience. With high end shopping, gorgeous hotels and fancy restaurants, this area is so fun to explore. The sidewalks are impeccable and it’s honestly a delight to take it all in. We learned it’s a sustainable, smart city with many amazing features: solar panels on roofs to heat water, 70+ Platinum and Green LEED certified buildings, smart waste collection, public WiFi, and electric charging stations. It feels like a city of the future while still being rooted in Qatar history and charm. We were really impressed with the blend of new and old in this gorgeous city!
Heading north, stop in West Bay. This is the tall high rise section of the city with fabulously nice hotels. It’s like walking the streets of New York or Chicago. You see all the ministry and government buildings. The sidewalks are so well built out here that you can walk from the waterfront to the malls to the hotels all with ease. Take time to explore all the hidden gems and great restaurants here. Also don’t forget to look up. Every high rise is a work of art and honestly just beautiful!
Nestled between the lush green Katara Hills on the west and the waterfront on the east, Katara Beach is a well manicured beach that is set into a cove for a beautiful beach experience. Cabanas are offered for rent so it makes for an easy swim day! This beach is more modest than other resorts in the area so dress modestly to respect the local culture. One nice touch is that all the public restrooms are so clean and they all have showers in them so you can clean up after swimming to enjoy a lunch or dinner. All the shops, cafes, and restaurants are set in Souq like buildings for a truly stunning look. It reminded us of Al Seef in Dubai. These restaurants are much higher end so be prepared to spend some money here.
21 High Street is a high end shopping street. With the first air conditioned outdoor walking street, it’s fascinating to walk through. You feel like you’re in Europe with the architecture of the buildings but the walk through takes less than 5 mins. There is a gorgeous Snan Food Hall which is just a grocery store but the stained glass ceiling took our breath away!
Katara Multi-Purpose Hall is a gorgeous amphitheater built into the center of Katara Beach and its restaurants. While we didn’t find events going on, it is striking to walk through as it opens up to a beautiful water view.
If you’re looking for a truly odd experience, the street behind Legtaifiya Metro Station is basically a hundred small restaurants that have no seating. They seem to be takeaway only with lots of delivery drivers riding around. The food is just ok but you can find lots of burgers, fries, late night food. Some restaurants don’t even open until after 4pm. It’s an odd place to walk around. People visiting here pull up and order from their car and then drive away.
The Pearl is a massive man made island with shops, restaurants, resorts and residential buildings. The yacht clubs are perfectly circled by gorgeous buildings that really come to life in the sunset glow. The outdoor walkways showcase the water at all angles and it’s just a fancy place for a stroll. Fun fact: it was the first place in Qatar that allowed foreigners to own property. You’ll see an abundance of foreigners out here and many shops, products and restaurants serving foreigners’ tastes. There are so many good places to grab a coffee or tea and sit along the water. When the weather is nice, the restaurants open up alfresco dining along the canals and waterways. The sidewalks make it accessible to walk around. There is also an easy to use bus system throughout the island.
Qanat Quartier is on The Pearl and it’s a colorful Venetian like city complete with canals, water taxis to show you around, walkways on both sides of the water and gorgeous cafes to eat and drink at. It’s very charming and makes for some great pictures as the reds, oranges, blues, and pinks of the buildings really pop!
It gets hot here in Qatar so if you need a break from the sun and heat, head indoors to either a museum or mall.
Msheireb Museums are amazing. It’s four old family houses that have the history of Qatar. And it’s free to enter. Definitely very well done and a good stop to learn about the country’s history.
Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art is another free museum that’s easy to get to on the green metro line. The art is very thought provoking and original. Highly recommend you make a stop out here.
Museum of Islamic Art showcases over 1,400 years of Islamic history. The building is stunning and the views of the modern skyline across the water are worth the walk out there.
National Museum of Qatar is a fascinating building from both the outside and inside. Every detail pays homage to Qatar from the desert rose shape of the building to the exhibits on ancient history, animals in Qatar and of course exhibits on the country’s rich history.
Al Hazm Shopping Mall is a true masterpiece in Doha, offering a shopping experience like no other. We were captivated by the opulent architecture and the refined ambiance that exudes luxury at every turn. Don’t miss out on the McLaren showroom or the European marble architecture!
City Center Doha Mall is right in the middle of the financial district of West Bay. It’s got every store you could want from high end to local boutiques. It also has a theme park, many amazing restaurants and a food court. It’s a great place to beat the heat if you need a break.
Lagoona Mall is a beautiful mall with nice indoor seating and just a pleasant experience. The stores are high end and the cinema is an excellent experience.
If you have time, head out west on the green line to gaze at the College of Islamic Studies. This futuristic building is sleek in design and so gorgeous. The Qur’anic Botanic Garden is a beautiful green space with lots of trees and shade. It’s such a nice reprieve from the desert sands. The fountains double as a children’s play place which is a great way to cool down. If you’re there on a Saturday, check out Torba Market سوق تربة a weekend farmers market selling organic goods. It’s a great place to grab a cup of coffee and a light sandwich.
All in all Doha, Qatar is a great stop for a few days. With so many things to do and see, they are always hosting world sporting events so find something you enjoy and see the city while there. It won’t disappoint!
