For most of us Qatar is the transit hall of Doha airport. On the way to Bangkok, Bali or Cape Town it means a three-hour wait, a coffee and a walk around. And yet turning those three hours into three days makes the country one of the most interesting trips in the Gulf. There is no visa, Qatar Airways gives transit passengers a cheap hotel, and Doha is a three-hour direct flight from Baku. In this article I have gathered Doha, the museums, the desert and the metro. The food, the season and the budget are explained both for a separate trip and for a transit.
Qatar in brief
| Capital | Doha; 90 per cent of the population live here |
| Language | Arabic; English works everywhere |
| Currency | Qatari riyal (QAR), 1 dollar = 3.64 riyals; cards everywhere |
| Visa | 30 days visa-free for citizens of Azerbaijan |
| Best time | November–March; June–September is 45 degrees |
| Flights | Baku–Doha direct, Qatar Airways, 3 hours |
| Daily budget | 500–800 riyals at a mid-range level |
Doha: Souq Waqif, the museums, the Corniche
Doha is walked in two days. Souq Waqif is a restored traditional market with spices, fabric and a falcon market, and in the evening the cafés and restaurants open. That is the heart of the city: empty at midday, full in the evening.
Beside it stands the Museum of Islamic Art. It is the masterpiece of the architect I.M. Pei, holds one of the world’s best collections of Islamic art and is free to enter, while the West Bay skyline shot from its park is the city’s most famous photograph.
The National Museum of Qatar tells the country’s history in a building shaped like a «desert rose» — and to be honest, the building itself is more interesting than the exhibition.
The Corniche is a seven-kilometre seafront walk, and an evening tour on a dhow boat is 30–50 riyals. The Katara cultural village has an amphitheatre, mosques and a beach. The Pearl artificial island means a marina and restaurants. Lusail holds the World Cup stadium, the boulevard and the Katara tower. Msheireb is the rebuilt old town. The canals of the Villaggio mall and the Mall of Qatar are for shopping. All of this fits into a transit passenger’s one-day «Doha tour».
The desert, the inland sea and Qatar outside Doha
Khor Al Adaid, that is «the inland sea», is an hour south of Doha on the Saudi border. It is the rare sight of sand dunes running straight into the sea.
A desert safari starts with dune bashing in a jeep, then you ride a camel, watch the sunset and have dinner at a Bedouin camp. Half a day is 250–350 riyals and with an overnight stay 600. If your time is tight on a transit, book the programme in advance; there are options that pick you up from the airport.
In the north the Al Zubarah fort is on the UNESCO list and is what remains of a pearl divers’ town. At the fishing harbour of Al Khor you kayak through the mangroves, while Al Wakrah with its old market and beach is twenty minutes from Doha. In the west the Zekreet peninsula has Richard Serra’s desert sculptures and the mushroom rocks. You reach the Banana Island resort island by ferry in twenty-five minutes, and the day entry includes the pool and the beach.
The country is small and everywhere is at most an hour and a half from Doha, so all of this fits even into a two-day transit.
The metro, taxis and the transit programme
The Doha metro has been running since 2019. Its three lines connect the airport, Souq Waqif, the Corniche, Katara and Lusail, and the trains are driverless and clean. A ride is two riyals and a day ticket six, and free «metrolink» buses run from the metro stations into the neighbourhoods.
Karwa taxis run on the meter, there are Uber and Careem as well, and from the airport to Souq Waqif costs 30–40 riyals. Car hire is 100–150 riyals a day, fuel is very cheap, and for the desert a jeep is taken with a driver.
Those who do not know about the transit programme lose a lot of money. The Qatar Airways «Stopover» programme offers transit passengers a four-star hotel from 14 dollars a night and a five-star from 35, it is bought online together with the ticket and you can stay up to 96 hours. The airport itself also gives passengers with a transit of more than five hours a free Doha city tour. Hamad airport has been voted the world’s best, it has a garden and a pool inside, and three hours fits in there too.
Food: machboos, karak and the Souq Waqif restaurants
Machboos is lamb, chicken or fish served over spiced rice and is the shared dish of the whole Gulf. Harees is a porridge of wheat and meat, and luqaimat are sweet balls served with honey.
Karak is a spiced milk tea, sold on every corner for 1–2 riyals and the country’s daily ritual; people buy it through the car window without getting out.
In Souq Waqif the Qatari, Iranian, Yemeni, Turkish and Indian restaurants stand side by side, lunch is 30–50 riyals, in famous places like Damasca 60–80, and at the Pearl and Katara the international restaurants take 100–150.
Everything is halal and alcohol is served only in hotel bars. The tap water is drunk, but bottled water is the custom. During Ramadan eating in public during the day is forbidden, the restaurants open after iftar, and the night life of Souq Waqif is at its liveliest exactly then.
Read next: Do you need a visa for Qatar? 30 days visa-free and turning a Doha transit into a trip
The season and the rules in Qatar
November to March is ideal at 20–28 degrees; in December-January the evenings are cool, so take a jacket, and the World Cup was held in November-December too. April and October are the shoulder months: hot, but bearable. From May to September it is 40–47 degrees and humid, life passes in air conditioning and the hotels drop to half price. The rules are a little stricter than in Dubai. In public places shoulders and knees must be covered, especially at Souq Waqif and the museums. Beachwear only works on the hotel beach. Alcohol and rude behaviour in public are punished. Do not photograph government buildings. Event and transit information is on the Visit Qatar portal.
Budget and tickets
Doha is an expensive city. A three-star hotel is 250–400 riyals and a four-star 400–700. With the Qatar Airways transit programme the same hotels come down to 50–130 riyals, and that is where the difference lies. If you fall outside the programme, check the prices.
The excursions are cheap. The museums are free, a dhow tour is 40 riyals, a desert safari 300 and the metro two. Excluding the flight, a three-day trip with a transit hotel fits into 600–1,000 riyals per person.
Qatar Airways flies from Baku to Doha every day. An air ticket to Doha bought as part of an Asian or African ticket with a «stopover» comes out almost free. Qatar transit tour packages fitting Doha, the desert and Al Zubarah into three days, meanwhile, are added to the start or the end of a long trip.
Frequently asked questions about Qatar
How many days are enough for Qatar?
On a transit one or two days for Doha, and on a separate trip three or four with the desert and the north. A week is too much; combine it with Oman or the UAE.
How does it differ from Dubai?
It is quieter, more cultural and its museums are free. Shopping and entertainment are in Dubai. The architecture, the market and the comfort of the transit are Doha’s advantage. The prices are similar, and the hotel works out cheap with the transit programme.
Is Doha good with a child?
Yes, in winter. Katara beach and the Villaggio canals are a good choice for children. The children’s section of the National Museum and Aspire park are on the list too. And a desert safari completes the trip. In summer only the air-conditioned places remain.
In closing
Qatar, visa-free, with a direct flight and its transit programme, is the most worthwhile addition to a long trip, and two days in Doha add value to any Asian ticket. The entry rules are gathered on the Qatar page, and to build the transit or the Gulf route together, fill in the application form.
Note: the prices here are as of the publication date and can change with the season.
