A layover in Doha: a guide to the city where a stopover turns into a holiday of its own

The airport as an attraction and the city beyond it

The capital of Qatar is served by Qatar Airways, which flies to more than 170 destinations, including several direct flights to Europe. According to Euronews, Hamad International Airport is a tourist attraction in its own right: it offers dining spots, public art — including Urs Fischer's 'Lamp Bear' — and free 20-minute mindfulness sessions in the 6,000-square-metre ORCHARD space. The guide's authors claim that a layover makes it easy to step beyond the airport and 'turn one holiday into two.'

What to see: from Souq Waqif to air-conditioned parks

Among the main stops on the route, the guide names the Msheireb district with its old port, the seven-kilometre Corniche waterfront, the Place Vendôme mall in Lusail with 580 shops across four floors, Pearl Island (the 'Arabian Riviera') and Gewan Island, where around 180 glowing panels with crystal artworks are installed along the Crystal Walk. According to the publication, the Gewan Promenade holds two Guinness World Records — as the longest air-conditioned open-air mall and the largest interactive outdoor light canopy. Air conditioning is also built into the pathways of the Rawdat Al Hamama, Umm al Seneem, Al Gharrafa and Oxygen Park — a solution for the summer heat, when temperatures in the region become extremely high.

Culture and gastronomy

The guide names the old Souq Waqif market, which comes alive in the evening, and the Katara Cultural Village with its 5,000-seat amphitheatre combining Greek style with nods to Islamic architecture as the city's cultural hubs. There you will also find Lorenzo Quinn's sculpture 'Force of Nature II.' The museums mentioned include the National Museum of Qatar, the 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum, the Lawh wa Qalam: M. F. Husain Museum and the Msheireb Museums; in the future, the Art Mill Museum, Lusail Museum and Qatar Auto Museum are to be added. According to the publication, Doha has more than 3,000 restaurants. The Michelin Guide was first published in the country in 2024 and includes 41 restaurants: three starred — Alain Ducasse's IDAM at the Museum of Islamic Art, the Italian Alba and the Indian Jamavar — and eight with a Bib Gourmand distinction.

Hotels and trips out of town

For accommodation, the guide names the five-star Mandarin Oriental in Msheireb (about 20 minutes from the airport, 117 rooms, 41 suites, 91 apartments and villas) and the Sheraton Grand Doha on the Corniche — a pyramid-shaped building that has been part of the city's skyline since the early 1980s, with 371 rooms and a 400-metre private beach. Out of town: the Inland Sea of Khor Al Adaid, an hour and a half's drive away — a lagoon among dunes up to 40 metres high, included on the UNESCO World Heritage tentative list, with the best season from November to April; the historic Al Khor, 45 minutes away, with early 20th-century towers; the mangroves of Purple Island; the late Richard Serra's installation East-West/West-East in the Brouq nature reserve; and the desert Regency Sealine Camp, an hour's drive away.

Practical entry requirements

According to the guide, holders of passports from all EU countries, as well as non-EU European citizens — including travellers from the United Kingdom, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Azerbaijan and Switzerland — can benefit from visa-free entry provided they have a confirmed hotel booking. Getting around the city is possible by rental car, taxi (including Uber), the metro, Karwa buses and three tram lines in Lusail, Msheireb and Education City. The article draws on data from Visit Qatar and the author-traveller's personal experience; the tafs.uz editorial team did not carry out independent fact-checking.