How to Spend One Day (or More!) in Doha

The Qatari capital, Doha, is a city that presents many enticing attractions for travellers. During your visit here, you may experience its cultural highlights, sightseeing wonders, shopping opportunities and leisure options. Even if you just have a single day for sightseeing (ideally, you should spend more days!), you could visit some of its noteworthy attractions. Described below are some suggestions for making the most of this entrancing Middle Eastern city. 

Tour the Museum of Islamic Art 

You may commence your tour of the city by visiting the Museum of Islamic Art. Whilst Doha boasts its share of modern skyscrapers, the building that houses this museum may well be its most admired. You will see that this museum is situated in a central position on the Corniche amidst Doha Bay on an island of its own. Whilst this structure may be regarded as a piece of art in its own right, the artworks to be found within it are equally noteworthy, having been collected from across the Islamic world. If your exploration of the museum has given you an appetite, you could replenish your energies at the attractive café to be found here as well. 

Visit Katara Cultural Village 

A cultural attraction of a somewhat different kind is the absorbing Katara Cultural Village which boasts many features of interest. At this engrossing site, visitors will encounter an opera house, a heritage centre, an amphitheatre, libraries and art galleries in addition to restaurants, cafes and spaces of greenery. Perhaps, the most striking feature of the cultural village is its splendid stone amphitheatre, an arena that takes inspiration from Greek as well as Islamic tradition. Katara Cultural Village is situated at a picturesque location near a beach looking over the expanses of the ocean; visiting it will be an appealing experience irrespective of the time of the day. 

Explore Souq Waqif 

Your tour of Doha wouldn’t be complete without paying a visit to Souq Waqif, a traditional and historical marketplace where you will encounter many absorbing kinds of merchandise including fabrics, fragrances, ceramics, spices and much more. Here, you may also admire the alluring jewellery at the Gold Souq, view the majestic birds of prey at the Falcon Souq and observe horses and camels; you can additionally shop for fascinating items like rugs, woven fabrics, glass ornaments, furniture, musical instruments and so on. When seeking the best hotels in Doha for a short or long trip, consider an accommodation from which you could easily walk to this marketplace like Souq Waqif Boutique Hotels by Tivoli. 

Eat Qatari foods and chat with the locals 

Whilst at Souq Waqif, you could take the opportunity to enjoy the traditional Qatari foods to be found in abundance here. At the market’s central courtyard, you will encounter local ladies selling a variety of traditional foods such as samosas, stuffed vine leaves, sweet dumplings and meat stews. You could also try out specialities like crepes with karak tea, machboos (a dish of rice and meat) and typical Qatari sweets. Travellers will have the chance to mingle with locals as well and observe how they enjoy their leisure time.  

Take a ride on a dhow 

Another iconic Doha experience is taking a ride on a traditional dhow sailing vessel. To enjoy this experience, you would have to make your way to the Corniche, a popular promenade on the waterfront that extends around the picturesque Doha Bay. Berthed alongside the Corniche you will find a number of eye-catching dhow boats; some of these vessels offer excursions for tourists. As you might expect, it will be a captivating experience to head out onto the waters on one of these vessels in the evenings and admire the skyline of the city from a unique perspective.