While we love flying Qatar for the service and comfort, one of the drawbacks on many itineraries from Miami are the long layovers in Qatar.
Don’t get me wrong, the airport is beautiful and has many wonderful lounges and shops, but, when you have 8 or 10 hours like we did recently on our trip to Bali it’s nice to have a small distraction to break up the time.
Qatar offers a transit tour program where they have multiple tours at very reasonable prices. Visitors from 150 countries can now visit Qatar visa-free. While you can book ahead, you can also just show up at the Doha tour excursion desk about two hours before tour time and book on the spot.
Tip: You can check your luggage in a locker (for free if you have access to one of the many lounges) and not have to drag it in and out through security. That said, the tour bus did have a secure storage area and was equipped with cameras so we’re sure your luggage would be safe regardless of what you decide.
Just be sure to bring your passport and boarding pass as you’ll need these to book the tour and of course to exit and reenter through immigration. They gave us a 30-day stamp and a visa on arrival (on our Canadian passports). It took us less than 30 minutes to clear customs each way.
You can find smiling Eiman at the tour desk right by the huge Teddy Bear. He’s actually the one on the official Qatar Airways promotion poster too!
Because of our late afternoon arrival time, our choice of tours was limited. The museums were closed but the city tour was offered right up to 9:30pm. We managed to get onto the 7pm tour which lasted three hours and made three stops. You should ensure you have a layover of at least 6 hours to include two hours before the tour and at least one hour after (and a little extra buffer to get to the gate for boarding of course).
See all the tours they offer here: Discover Qatar Transit Tours
Discover Doha City Tour
The tour desk walks everyone up to immigration and after clearing customs we headed out to another tour desk outside the secure zone where we briefly waited for the tour to begin.
Doha’s beautiful skyline
The luxury comfortable bus took us first to a beautiful vantage point where we could get skyline photos of Doha. With over 150 high rises in all kinds of modern shapes decorated with bright lights it is quite spectacular to see at night. We were given just 10 minutes for pictures.
Katara Cultural Center
Next, we went to the Katara Cultural Center where we had 15 minutes to shop at the Galeries Lafayette. These luxury stores and fancy cafes were beautiful to see. The streets were adorned with elegant glass statues and air-conditioned!
Souk Waqif
Then they took us to the Souk Waqif where we had an hour to shop and look around. Unlike many of the dirty souks we’d seen in Cairo and elsewhere in the world, this one was pretty spotless. We even found some traditional baklavas, so delicious…
We loved all the cats roaming around. It reminded us of Turkey.
Scenic tour
As we toured the city, we drove by the numerous beautiful hotels and buildings. The skyline is a mixture of architecture merging traditional styles with newer construction. The various embassies and multiple stadiums (from the FIFA World Cup that Qatar hosted) were impressive.
What to wear
To be respectful of the conservative culture in Qatar we suggest you wear attire that covers your shoulders and knees. One nice flight attendant from Kenya that helped us find the tour desk said that she had been living in Qatar for a while and had seen many norms changing with more and more women wearing shorts.
In fact, our guide explained to us that Qatar was actually one of the most progressive countries in the Middle East when it came to equal rights for women.
Temperature
When we came in May it was already 40°C (104°F). Doing the tour in the evening was probably a blessing as it cooled off to a nice 35°C (or 95°F). In July and August temperatures get up to 50°C (122°F) or more.
Qatari population
Qatar has just 3 million inhabitants, and its primary language is Arabic. We were told that it’s simply not possible to get a Qatar citizenship regardless of moving there, investing there, or anything else. In fact, if a Qatari woman marries a non-Qatari, she must give up her citizenship.
Workers from many nations do live there but without citizenship. There’s no taxation and free healthcare. We couldn’t figure out who paid for the roads to get fixed, but they were all new so it’s definitely being taken care of somehow.
Back at the Doha Airport
After returning to the airport, we also had a chance to check out the new Garden Lounge near the Orchard Garden.
The Doha Airport is getting even more spectacular. And it’s also a good place to transfer as the airport was designed with travelers in mind. No carpet, free carriages, plenty of restaurants and shops, even a small souk.
If we have the good fortune to travel through Doha’s Hamad International Airport again, we would like to add a day or two to explore more of Doha and Qatar. I’ve been intrigued by the National Museum of Qatar which is shaped like a desert rose! We also managed to find some chocolate covered dates. Mmm!