The basic

On our way to Bali in September 2022, Khaled and I had a 9-hour layover in Doha. We landed at 5pm and our flight was at 2am. Instead of just staying at Hamad Airport (which is an attraction in itself), Khaled and I wanted to see the beautiful architecture Doha has to offer. We went 2 months before the World Cup 2022 was going to take place so there was a real sense of excitement and anticipation in the air.

As we just had our backpacks on us, we landed on time and then went through immigration. Make sure you check your government’s advice if you need a transit visa. Currently, there are 95 counties that are eligible for visa-free entry by using the Qatar ETA – UK is on that list.

We passed through immigration quite smoothly and then went to the ATM which was just after the ‘nothing to declare’ area. The exchange rate wasn’t great, but we only took out £25 for food/gifts/train tickets etc.

One thing to note is that Qatar is quite a religious Muslim country. Women don’t need to cover their hair but its respectful if you wear tops that cover your shoulders and chest (nothing too revealing) and skirt/ trousers that cover your knees.  For men, shorts that cover the knee and wear a top!

If your transit is 8 hours or more, the tourist board of Qatar arranges a 2-hour city tour of Doha. It used to be free, but now it’s around £15 pp – which is still a steal as it includes pick up and drop off at Hamad International Airport and includes all of the stops below with a tour guide. We didn’t end up going for this option because Khaled wanted to stop off at other architectural sites that weren’t included in this tour. You can find more information on the tour here: https://www.discoverqatar.qa/transit-tours/

You can take the bus 777 which will take you to all of the main tourist’s spots from Hamad International Airport. It is just 20 Qatari Rial (£4.44) for an all-day bus pass and they run every 20 minutes – the last bus back to the airport is at 11pm. However, as we were tight on time, we opted for an uber. It cost £6 to get to our first destination – the National Museum of Qatar. The second we stepped outside, the heat hit us but luckily the sun was starting to set.

The National Museum of Qatar

The first place we went to and what we were most excited to see was the National Museum of Qatar, located at the southern end of the Corniche. Shaped like a desert rose, its innovative architecture alone is a reason to visit this museum. It was built to commemorate Qatar’s historical richness and features exhibitions on the natural history of the desert and Persian Gulf. It was designed by a French architect and Pritzker prize-winner, Jean Nouvel and it took him 8 years to build. We didn’t have time to go inside (and I think it was also closed), but it was beautiful being here during sunset and just walking around the building.

From here, we walked 20 minutes to the Museum of Islamic Art.

Museum of Islamic Art

The Museum of Islamic Art is where you’ll get to see marvellous art pieces from 3 continents dating back from 1400 years ago. It has a wonderful collection of metalwork, ceramics, jewellery, woodwork, textiles and glass. The structure of the museum is a work of art in itself as it is shaped like a post-modern fortress designed to conserve energy. We loved the palm-tree lined driveway. It was still being renovated when we went so we didn’t go inside, but if you have time, it’s definitely worth visiting!

Stroll along the Corniche

From the art museum, we then had a relaxing stroll along the Corniche. The Corniche is a 7km stretch of road that hugs the bay and continues all the way around the traditional dhow harbour. You can actually take a ride on the long dhow boats, but we didn’t have time. We later learned that these traditional vessels were used for everyday life before Qatar discovered oil.

We walked past Abdullah Bin Zaid Al Mahmoud Islamic Cultural Centre (Fanar Masjid) – a beautiful mosque where Muslims can pray and where you can learn about Islam. We loved the unique spiral building popping out behind the Souq streets.

Qatar prides itself as the Pearl of the Gulf and we stopped to take photos of its huge pearl and oyster fountain which symbolises its famous pearl diving industry.

We stopped to enjoy the views of the beautiful West Bay Skyline with its huge skyscrapers.

Souq Waqif Old Market

Sadiq Waqif is the oldest part of town – we loved walking around the narrow streets with its stone cream washed wall and tiny alleyways that were just buzzing with activity – we felt like we stepped back in time.

We walked through some interesting places including Falcon Hospital and Medical Museum. The man inside explained how Falconry is the ancient tradition of hunting hawks/falcons and has been instrumental to Bedouin desert survival. Falcons are such prized possessions in Qatar that every small village has its own falcon hospital! The Falcon Souq has narrow alleyways that are lined with benches for falconers and tourists to sit and enjoy the visit. My husband asked why all the falcons’ eyes are always covered by a leather hood in which the man answered that it leaves the in complete darkness, which calms the bird when it’s not hunting. They sell anywhere between 5k – 20k USD depending on condition and skill level of the bird.

Before heading to the next attraction, we decided to sit down, regroup and drink their national Karak Tea. It was so delicious and so sweet!

Msheireb Downtown Doha

After drinking some karak tea, we continued on our short layover tour of Doha by paying a visit to Msheireb Downtown Doha. This was influenced by my architect husband whose former company designed this area. Msheireb is the world’s first sustainable downtown regeneration project which aimed to revive the old commercial destination with a modern appearance. Influenced by the Qatari heritage and architecture. I loved the simplicity, space and layering of the area.

Katara Cultural Village

We then took the metro from Msherieb to Katara. We just asked a staff members how to buy a ticket and they helped us buy a single ticket. Katara Metro Station will take you right into Katara Cultural Village and the area is open all day and free to enter.  

Once we left the station, we noticed complimentary golf buggies that were on hand to transport visitors around the village – so we asked the gentlemen to give us a tour of the entire village in time for us to catch the last train back to the airport.

One of the main attractions was the iconic Katara Mosque. Designed by Zainab Fadil Oglu, the façade features beautiful blue and gold tiles that were inspired by the Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul.

The Katara Amphitheatre was built in the traditional Greek Style and can host up to 5000 people at a time. As we were there quite late, we had the whole amphitheatre to ourselves – it was very impressive.

Another attraction that is also worth visiting is the Pigeon Tower – they were designed to collect pigeon droppings which were then used as a fertiliser for farming. We had the most amazing ice cream in a food stall near here.

The gentlemen riding the golf buggy then drove us to the train station where we caught the last train to the airport! We had such an incredible evening exploring Doha and though we only touched the surface of what the city offers, it definitely left us wanting to return!

Is it worth leaving the airport if you have a 9-hour transit – Yes. 100% Yes.