How to spend a layover in Doha, Qatar
Next time if you are flying by Qatar Airways, take advantage of their generous layover program to explore Doha. Be it a layover of 5 hours or a long one of 20 hours, you can pace your itinerary accordingly. Moreover, its absolutely pocket friendly and you may end up getting free accommodation as well!
Things to do and places to visit during a layover in Doha, Qatar
Souq Waqif
Souq in Arabic means a marketplace. Souq Waqif is the traditional market of Doha and probably the best place to experience the Qatari culture. The souq is a network of narrow alleys with numerous shops. This is the place if you want to buy anything traditional like dates, oud and local souvenirs. Apart from the shops there are plenty of restaurants to savour variety of cuisines and enjoy the shishas. I will recommend having food at either Parisa (Persian restaurant with probably the best interiors you have ever seen!) or Damasca One (Syrian restaurant). If you want to experience both then have food at Parisa and smoke a shisha at Damasca One (they have a great first floor seating)
Most shops in the souq are open from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. They close during the afternoon before opening once again from 4:00 pm to 10:00 pm. Nonetheless, the area and the restaurants are open to explore. The famous Falcon Souq, which is right next to Souq Waqif, is open till 6:00 pm (closed on Fridays) and hence would recommend to time your visit to experience both of them (5:00 pm – 6:00 pm visit the Falcon Souq and 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm visit the shops and dine at one of the restaurants). Ofcourse, everything will depend on the timing and length of your layover. We had a layover of 20 hours and hence could visit the souq twice: in the morning as well as in the evening.
Falcon Souq
Falcon Souq in Doha is definitely the most fascinating market you will ever see in your life. The shops sell falcons and its accessories. My wife and I entered one of the shops where the owner greeted us and was really kind enough to explain us the history of falconry and its importance to Qatar’s culture. He also offered us to hold these birds for a pic, that too without the hood!
Read: My experience at the Falcon Souq and some really cool facts
Next to the shops is a special hospital for falcons. The owners bring their birds for a periodic check-up, sometimes for a vaccination or an x-ray. The birds are issued an identity card which helps the vets to check their medical history on their computer system.
Doha Corniche
The corniche is a 7km long promenade alongside Doha Bay which offers stunning view of the majestic Doha skyline. You wouldn’t want to miss capturing the dhow boats against the backdrop of the skyscrapers. Infact ride the dhow boats to get a better view of Doha and escape the afternoon heat. Prices for a basic dhow ride is 20 QAR per person (6 USD)
Museum of Islamic Art
At one end of the corniche is the Museum of Islamic Art. It’s a treasure of Islamic Art which includes ceramics, textiles and manuscripts. Definitely a must visit for all the museum lovers.
The museum is open everyday from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm except on Fridays when it is open from 1:30 pm to 7:00 pm. Every Thursday and Saturday there is a free guided tour at 2:00 pm. The entrance was free when we had visited but currently there is a fee of 50 QAR (14 USD) per person.
The Pearl
The Pearl is a man-made island built on a previous pearl diving site, hence the name. Foreigners are allowed to buy properties here. I would recommend visiting this only if you have enough time since its 20 kms from Souq Waqif. It is my least favourite in this list since it’s a residential area and as a traveller there is nothing much to explore.
How to explore Doha
Book a tour with Qatar Airways
If your layover in Doha is more than 6 hours, you can book a city tour with Qatar Airways under their Discover Qatar initiative. It’s a 3 hour tour which starts at the airport, covers all the highlights mentioned above and drops you back at the airport. The tour costs 75 QAR (20 USD) per person. You can read more about the tour here.
Please read the terms and conditions carefully especially regarding the timings for your onward flight.
The Doha city tour is a basic overview tour and you don’t spend much time at each of the highlights. Nonetheless, it’s a great option if you are short on time.
Take a self-guided tour
Thanks to their wonderful public transport system, going on a self-guided tour of Doha is extremely easy. Bus 777 starts from Hamad International Airport, crosses Souq Waqif and takes you all the way to The Pearl. These are the stops where you should get down:
- Al Bidda Street for Souq Waqif
- Pearl Boulevard 3 for The Pearl
For the complete schedule of bus 777, visit this link. Scroll down and under Route to HIA you will find a PDF map for bus route 777.
You can board 777 from the bus pavilion at the Hamad International Airport. It is located to the right of the arrivals hall. You will need a smartcard to ride the bus. You can purchase one at the airport, but the vending machine only accepts cash, that too Qatari Riyal only. Would highly recommend buying an unlimited card which cost 20 QAR (6 USD) and allows you unlimited travel for 24 hrs! So basically your complete transport cost in Doha will be 6 USD per person. The buses are very comfortable and let you store your luggage as well.
The self-guided tour works really well if your layover in Doha is greater than 12 hours.
Qatar Transit Visa
If you belong to these 80 nationalities, you don’t even require having a visa. If not, then you have to apply for a pre-approved visa here, but it’s completely free of cost.
Free accommodation during layover
You may be eligible for a free accommodation under the STPC program (stopover for the purpose of connection) if Qatar Airways considers your itinerary eligible. This also includes free meals and airport transfer (to and fro). Since we had a layover of 20 hours while flying from Mumbai -Doha-Helsinki and 14 hours while coming back, we were eligible for a free accommodation on both the occasions.
To find out whether you are eligible or not, you can either contact your local Qatar Airways office or the transit hotel counter (ask any helpdesk and they will guide you to the counter) at the Hamad International Airport.