Qatar

Qatar is a small nation that borders Saudia Arabia on the South and the Arabian Gulf (also known as the Persian Gulf). While it might be small in size there is a lot to do and see in this country that is seeing large increases in tourism. Qatar Airways is the national airline of Qatar and is consistently rated as one of the World’s best airlines if not the best in many ratings. The capital city of Doha has world class museums, unique architecture, cultural centers showcasing the nations people and history, and a wonderful historic marketplace that makes you feel like you are in an adventure movie. The city is a blend of very modern luxury and it’s history of seafaring and pearl diving. We visited Qatar in June of 2025 as part of a stopover tour that is offered by Qatar Airways and we are Qatar Travel Specialists. We hope to go back again to stay in the country a few days.

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How to get to Qatar and Transportation

The best way to get to Qatar is to fly to Doha to the amazing Hamad International Airport that is the best airport we have been to. It has a variety of great restaurants, shops and things to do. In the center you will find the famous giant Lamp Bear and plenty of great shops. There is a train that will take you to different areas of the terminal to save walking. There are giant sculptures and art throughout the airport, and I found it very easy to transit through. There are multiple Asian, Middle Eastern, and European Airlines that service the airport. American Airlines also offers flights to Doha. The main carrier that serves Qatar is Qatar Airways with their over 170 international destinations. We flew Qatar from Alexandria, Egypt at the end of our Egypt trip to Doha and then Doha to Dallas, Texas. We found Qatar Airways to be an excellent airline of extremely high quality. See details about our experience flying Qatar Airways in the link below. Qatar Airways offers great layover and stopover options on their flights. If you have an over 6-hour layover you can take a discover tour of Doha. You can also choose to stay up to 4 days in Doha exploring Qatar on the way to another destination. We used a layover tour to see Doha.

Book a Qatar Airways Flight Below:

Click here to book with Qatar Airways!

Hamad International Airport Services and Transportation Options:

Click here for Airport Services and Transportation Options

Another way to visit Qatar is by cruise ship as cruise lines such as Norwegian and others have some cruises that stop in Qatar and other Middle Eastern and African nations.

As for transportation Doha has many options to get around and is very modern. They have a new metro system that will take you from the airport to many of the sites and hotels in Doha. Qatar greatly added to their public transportation options before the 2022 FIFA World Cup. There are also busses, and taxis available as well. You could rent a car as the highways and roads are just a good as the roads in the US but it’s not really needed, and we personally prefer guided tours.

Country Information

Qatar is a relatively new independent country which gained full independence in 1971 from the British. It’s relatively small in both size and population. It’s a little smaller than the state of Connecticut and has around 3 million people. The country has a Monarchy and is ruled by it’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. Like in the United Kingdom and other monarchy’s it is passed down in the family. They also have a Prime Minister and a single chamber assembly called the Consultative Assembly. The official language is Arabic but English is widely spoken and we had no problem while there speaking to others. The official religion is Islam and it is illegal to proselytize in Qatar. Qatar is a very safe country and as of this writing in June of 2025 it is rated 1 out of 4 (the safest level) by the US State Department. Qatar follows Islamic law in many cases so it is wise to familiarize yourself with some of the laws like you would going to any other country as it might differ from your country. For women, we saw some wearing a head scarf (hijab), others wearing a burka (full covering) and others wearing no covering at all. It is one of the few countries in the region that currently allow visa free (they stamp your passport on arrival, and you do not have to apply and pay ahead of time) for many countries including the US. Our entry process was no different than many countries we have visited. These polices can change so research before visiting. The currency is the Qatari Riyal and currently 1 Riyal is equal to $ .27 USD so the USD is worth more. Qatar is one of the wealthiest countries in the world mostly due to the vast oil and gas reserves the country has.

Doha

Doha is the capital city and has over 80% of the Qatari population with a population over 1 million in the city not counting the surrounding metro area. It is a very modern city with towering skyscrapers, large museums about Qatar and Islamic Art, and areas built to showcase Qatari culture and education and research. There are large stadiums that were used during the 2022 FIFA World Cup games and is used for other things today. There are large shopping malls and districts and plenty of great dining options. While the city is modern and luxurious there are areas that pay homage to its past with the dhow boats that have been used for years for fishing and pearl diving and Souq Waqif (a traditional marketplace) that originated in the late 1800s where you can buy many different souvenirs and head to the many restaurants and cafes. There is a lot to see in Doha and we got to get a glimpse of it on our first trip to Doha.

Doha Corniche

The first place we visited on our discovery tour was the Doha Corniche. The Corniche welcomes most visitors to Doha and does so in modern/traditional way of palm branch lamp posts paying tribute to a traditional welcome in Qatar. It is the main promenade around Doha and has places such as the Dhow Harbor, National Museum of Qatar, Museum of Islamic Art, palaces and businesses. It is around 4 miles long and has greenery and a place to walk around the beautiful bay and sites in Doha. We stopped in a viewpoint near the port filled with Dhows to get pictures of the skyline and the National Museum of Islamic Art on our tour.

The National Museum and Museum of Islamic Art

The National Museum is on the Corniche and like many buildings in Doha has a very unique design. It is designed to look like the Desert Rose Crystal that is a type of rock that looks like a flower found in the desert of Qatar. Since I was on a short tour, I only got to see the outside of the museum and the Sheikh Abdullah Bin Jassim Al Thani Palace that is part of the museum. From my training the museum goes over the history, culture and the future of the State of Qatar. It looks to be an amazing museum that I want to see the next time I am in Qatar.

The Museum of Islamic Art is also a unique project that is on an island of reclaimed land that overlooks the port that houses the Dhows of Qatar. The museum has a unique architecture as well. The museum chronicles Islamic art throughout thousands of years and on multiple continents. Islamic Art does not depict people but has elaborate geometric shapes and colors. Handmade carpets, gold and jewelry, mosaics, and grand tile work is some of the grand Islamic art we have encountered in our travels. There is so much more than that and it is showcased at the museum. We would love to go back and visit the museum as well!

Dhow Harbor

The Dhow boat is a type of sailboat that has been around for hundreds of years in different parts of the world. In Qatar, they have been used for years for pearl diving and fishing. Pearls have been a major industry for Qatar before Oil and Gas with many making a living from pearls. While today Oil and Gas is king there is some pearling that goes one. You can go on a dhow ride while in Doha. We saw many lined up and ready to take people out for a night on the bay. We could hear some in the distance playing party music for people enjoying a night out. You can take sunset and daytime cruises as well. While we did not get the chance to take a ride, we did see the many boats ready to take people out.

Dhow Tour Options:

Doha Dhow Boat Cruises (Click Here)

Central Business District

We had the chance to drive on the Corniche and head into the Business District of Doha. It has massive and colorful skyscrapers that lit up with brilliant lights that had shows such as a firework show on the side of one building and another pair of buildings messages wishing everyone “Eid Mubarak” for the Eid Al Adha that is a holiday celebrated in the Islamic world. There are shopping centers and building like the Tornado Tower with unique architecture. It’s a very modern area full of luxury and commerce. It’s a large skyline that rivals many US cities in size. It was nice driving through the area and getting see it all up close.

Katara Cultural Village

The Katara Cultural Village was originally part of our tour but due to a large celebration for the Eid Al Adha holiday in Qatar we instead went to another area of Doha. The Katara Cultural Village is a place built to showcase Qatari Culture with architecture through their history, art galleries, cultural restaurants and a chance to visit two mosques. While I am not Muslim, it is great to learn about other’s beliefs and to break down stereotypes. They also have an amphtheater that is used for a variety of events. We did get to see the firework show at the village from across Doha Bay. The next time we go to Qatar we will for sure visit here to learn a bit more about Qatari culture.

Parks

As we were touring Qatar we saw many green parks with people exercising and enjoying an evening walk. With the high temperatures during the day during the summer it’s nice to get out at night when the desert cools off. The Al Gharrafa Park our guide told us about is an air-conditioned park with shade tunnels so people can be more comfortable outside. So there are a decent amount of nice green space even in the Arabian desert!

Msheireb Downtown Doha

The Msherireb Downtown Doha is a brand-new community that has been noted as one of the smartest cities in the world and is a work to become a sustainable community. It is an area where people can go to enjoy restaurants, shopping, residents, hotels and open space for people to enjoy life. We visited a portion of the area instead of the Katara Cultural Village. We walked through modern buildings with nice hotels and residences. There was a fountain that was acting as a splash pad for children. A local tram/light rail headed through the area offering good transportation. The area is a great concept as the world tries to build smarter and more sustainable cities. I am hopeful to see more areas built around the world like this that are very livable, well-built and sustainable!

Souq Waqif

The very last stop on our tour was to Souq Waqif. After we walked through the Msheireb Downtown district and through a tunnel we ended up in a much different area. Souq Waqif or standing market is the traditional marketplace of Doha. It is full of traditional restaurants, shops, hookah lounges and art. It was very crowded due to the holiday but that wasn’t a big deal to be able to join locals celebrating. We found it very safe and were never worried about being out there. We walked past the famous Golden Thumb statue in the center of the market. It’s a large golden thumb made by a French artist as Qatar continues to add public art pieces around the city of Doha. We walked into the traditional portion of the marketplace that reminded me so much of movies with small corridors with shops selling souvenirs, cloth and scarfs, metalware like tea pots, spices and more. The vendors were very kind and patient and many of the stores were airconditioned which was nice on a hot evening. I bought many souvenirs from one store, and they haggled on the pricing but were not intense and pushy. I brought my dad back to shop and I went to buy a magnet, and the owner gave it to me for free as a thank you for my purchases. There are other marketplaces we did not get to see like the Falcon Market as Falconry and Falcon racing is a major pastime in Qatar and other Middle Eastern Nations. If we had more time we would have explored the winding market, but we had to head back to the airport. The restaurants looked great and varied there as well. The architecture was unique and different than the modern areas of Doha. From the market we could see the Abdulla bin Zaid Al Mahmoud Islamic Cultural center that has a spiral minaret for the mosque inside. It’s a beautiful building and the last unique building we saw before we headed back into our nice bus and headed back to the airport to fly back to the US.

Doha City, Night and Food Tour Options:

Doha City Tours (Click Here)

Food Tour Options (Click Here)

Doha Night Tour Options (Click Here)

Tips and Conclusion

Qatar might be a small country but there is a lot to see and do there. It’s a very safe country and has a top-of-the-line airline you can travel on to Qatar and beyond. While no nation is perfect and there have been plenty of issues discussed, we really enjoyed our visit and seeing the city of Doha where modern and luxury meets Arabian tradition. At the bare minimum if you have a long layover like we did you should take a Discovery Tour to see Doha. We want to go back to be able to truly see the country by visiting the museums, heading out to the different regions of Qatar by day trip and visit more of Doha itself. As with any Middle Eastern Country be prepared for high heat in the summer and to keep hydrated as the low humidity will dry you out quicker. Transportation is very well done in Doha so renting a car is not needed. Qatar is an Islamic country so brush up on Middle Eastern Culture to be respectful guests in their country especially when visiting a mosque. They are a more open society where women were covered as much as they wanted to be but I still recommend dressing modestly to be respectful.

There is so much more to do than the short trip we did. When we come back I am hopeful to see much more of the country and be able to write more in the future! Give Qatar a visit and you will not be disapointed!