Doha is the modern capital city of Qatar, located on the Persian Gulf. Doha’s airport is one of the busiest in the world and is a popular spot for long-haul international connections. Mike and I had a 36-hour stopover there on our way to Thailand.
Qatar Airways Stopover Program
Qatar Airways, the main airline of Qatar, offers a stopover program where they heavily discount hotel stays to encourage tourism. Your Qatar layover must be between 12 and 96 hours to take advantage of this program. You can get a hotel room for as little as $14 USD per person per night! You can either book this as a package when you book your flights, or book the hotels later. We stayed at the Souq Waqif Boutique Hotels and paid about $200 USD total for two nights, which was about half the price compared to booking the same hotel elsewhere.
Itinerary
Day One
Check into Souq Waqif Boutique Hotels
Souq Waquif Boutique Hotels is right in the heart of Souq Waqif, the authentic marketplace in central Doha. I thought this location was perfect to stay in, because it is centrally located and there are tons of restaurants and shops within walking distance. This hotel chain is made up of eight distinct hotels, all located within the Souq.
If you book through the Qatar Airways Stopover Program, you will most likely not find out which hotel you’ll be assigned to until check in. Our Uber from the airport dropped us off at the main taxi stop for the Souq (cars are not allowed to drive within the Souq). One of the hotels is located right by this taxi stop, and someone was waiting outside to greet us. He loaded our bags onto a golf cart and whisked us away to the check-in location, which was at another of the hotels located in the Souq. We found out we would be staying at the Musheireb Boutique Hotel, which is on the northern edge of the Souq. Any of the locations of the hotels would be good – it is only about a ten minute walk from one edge of the Souq to the other side.
We were escorted to our room and we were blown away by how nice it was! It was a huge room with beautiful decor. Our window overlooked the Camel Souq across the street, which was so fun to watch them throughout the day. We got unpacked and showered after a long flight from the US.
Camel Souq
Before heading to dinner, we stopped by the Camel Souq across the street. The camels from the Royal Guard are kept in a pen here. It offers visitors a chance to see and interact with them. It was in the low 70s F at the time, and we found it interesting that they were all wrapped in blankets for the night. I guess they get cold easily!
Dinner at Berenjak
We walked to dinner at Berenjak, a highly-recommended Persian restaurant in the Souq. We’d made reservations ahead of time because it was Valentine’s Day. We didn’t seem to need them though – we arrived at 7:30pm and the restaurant wasn’t very full. We sat upstairs on the balcony which overlooked the Souq below. It was a lovely atmosphere and the weather was perfect. We ordered the sangak bread, chicken kebabs, lamb kebabs, crispy fried potatoes, and saffron rice. Everything was incredible! It was our favorite meal in Doha. The service was also fantastic.
Al Aker Sweets
After dinner, we stopped by Al Aker Sweets for some baklava. There was a line out the door, so we knew it would be good. There were rows and rows of pastries, all unlabeled. Everyone in front of us seemed to know what they wanted to order. When it was my turn to order, I asked for baklava and the guy said all of it was baklava (all different flavors)! I asked for a variety to sample some of the different kinds. He asked the quantity and I asked for ½ kilogram, not really knowing how much that would actually be. We got a massive plate full, which cost about $20 USD. I’d recommend getting a little less – we were unable to finish them all in the two days we were in town. They sure were delicious though!
Day Two
Breakfast at hotel
We were surprised to learn at check-in that our stay included a buffet breakfast at one of the other boutique hotels! We arrived at the breakfast spot around 7am and were one of two groups there. The food was pretty good for a buffet and they had an omelette station if you wanted fresh eggs. By the time we left, there were several people eating there.
Metro to Katara Cultural Village
We took the metro to our first sightseeing stop of the day. The metro stop is about a 15 minute walk from the Souq. We rode 15 minutes north to Katara Cultural Village.
Katara Cultural Village
The Katara Cultural Village was built in 2010 and was designed to resemble a traditional Qatari village. The complex holds mosques, an amphitheater, restaurants, and some beautiful architecture. We visited the amphitheater, which seats 5,000 spectators and has views of the ocean and city skyline. It has a Greek feel to it.
Then, we walked around a little more and saw the mosques and Pigeon Towers. We arrived at the complex around 9am and there were already several tour groups walking around. If you want to visit when it’s a bit quieter, I recommend coming early.
View of the Katara Towers
Next, we took an Uber a little further north to see the Katara Towers, a U-shaped building holding two towers, each with a five-star hotel. This is one of the most interesting modern buildings I’ve seen, so I absolutely wanted to see it in person. There is a good viewing spot next to the I Love Lusail Statue.
Imam Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab Mosque
Our next stop was the national mosque of Qatar. This mosque is massive – it can hold a congregation of 30,000 people! The courtyard in front has a beautiful view of the city skyline. I knew that women must be covered head to toe and men must wear long pants. We were dressed appropriately. However, we were greeted at the entrance by a tour guide telling me I needed to put on a robe, which was provided for free. They also did not allow backpacks inside, so we had to store ours in a cubby.
Our tour guide then took us inside the mosque and gave us some information on the Islamic religion and details about the mosque. The tour was free and we were the only ones with our guide. She also offered to take our pictures inside. I thought this was a worthwhile stop and very nice that the entrance and tour were free.
Lunch in the Souq
From the mosque, we took an Uber back to the Souq for lunch. We ate at Sama Beirut because I really wanted shawarma. They have a cute little courtyard in front of the restaurant that we sat in to eat. The service was slow and when we were finally able to order, they told us that the shawarma wouldn’t be ready until dinner time. That would’ve been nice to know! The meals we ended up getting were okay but I wouldn’t recommend this spot.
Hotel to nap
We were feeling pretty jetlagged, so we headed back to the hotel for a nap. It was also getting pretty hot at this point of the day, so it was nice to cool off in the AC.
Camel Souq
We stopped by the Camel Souq again on our way back out. This time, the pen was open, so we were able to go inside and say hello to the camels. The guard let us know which ones were friendly and we were allowed to pet them. This was a highlight of our day!
Mina District
We headed to the Mina District, which used to be the Old Doha Port, but has been transformed into a tourist attraction. We popped into the fish market to see the gorgeous stained glass ceiling. It is so beautiful!
Then, we wandered around the district admiring the colorful pastel buildings. There were a few murals that I recognized from Instagram that had tourists lined up to take photos. And then there were several quiet alleyways with no one else around. I really enjoyed taking photos here.
Corniche
We Ubered down to the Corniche, the 7-kilometer long waterfront promenade with views of the skyline. We watched the sunset here and took some photos before traveling back to the Souq.
Souq Waqif
The Souq comes alive after dark, and it’s a great time to shop for souvenirs or spices. I got some cinnamon and cumin at a spice shop.
Falcon Souq
At the Falcon Souq, you can admire falcons up close and take a photo with one perched on your arm if you wish. Falcons were used in Qatari history to hunt for food. Today, owning a falcon is a status symbol, representing wealth and prestige. These trained birds can cost thousands of dollars to purchase.
Dinner at Dokya
We ended our evening having dinner at Dokya. The outside ambiance is excellent, but I also recommend at least checking out the inside as well. We chose to eat outside. It was cooling off a little, so it felt nice to sit by one of the heaters and cozy up under a blanket. The food was really good. We got the chicken majboos, chicken kebabs, shrimp, and minced meat pastries.
Entering Qatar
As a US citizen, you don’t need to do much to prepare for entrance into Qatar. Your passport must be valid for at least six months. You do not need to pre-arrange a visa. A visa is issued upon arrival for about $21 USD per person. This is good for 90 days, so if you stop in Qatar on your way home, you will not need to pay this again. If you do not exit the airport and go through customs, you will not need to pay this visa fee.
Getting Around Doha
We took Ubers pretty much everywhere. It was so cheap compared to the US! Going to and from the airport only cost about $10 USD. And to get around town, it only cost a few dollars per trip.
The metro was even cheaper than Uber! They didn’t have a single ride ticket option at the station we got on, but the day pass was only about $1.60 USD each. The metro was clean and efficient. It was crowded when we were there at around 8:45am. We did not get on the first train we waited for, but the trains are only about six minutes apart.
Where to Stay in Doha
We really enjoyed staying at Souq Waqif Boutique Hotels. I loved staying right in the Souq and the architecture and vibe of the hotel. The staff was also super helpful and friendly.
An Alternative for a Quicker Layover
We had a 10-hour overnight layover in Doha on our way home. We stayed in the Sleepover Pods inside the airport for about 7 hours. We’d booked a room ahead of time, which was good because they were fully booked when we arrived. The pods are located within the airport, so you don’t have to go through customs or security. Our bags were checked straight through to our final destination. The bunk bed room we booked was tiny, but was adequate for our one night.
The Doha airport is also really nice! Make sure to check out The Orchard if you have time. This is a 6,000-square-meter indoor tropical garden in the middle of the airport.
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