There are several airlines, especially in Asia, that offer free extended stopovers at their home city or major hubs. It’s a great way to get a flavour of a country or city that you might otherwise not visit without the cost of flying there. Sometimes you can even get a free hotel!
One of the best is the Qatar Airways Complimentary Stopover in Doha, capital of Qatar. It’s only available for your outbound leg from the USA and the airline will book your hotel. They will even arrange for you to take one of their 4 pre-arranged visitor tour itineraries. However, if you like to think of yourself as an independent sort of traveller, you might want to do this yourself.
If you stay for one night, Qatar Airways will often provide you with:
- A free hotel and they offer good discounts on stays of up to 4 nights. Remember that this is Qatar, so you won’t be staying in a Travelodge or roadside motel. It’s a great selection of 4- and 5-star hotels.
- A free short-stay visa courtesy of the airline. Just make sure that you have a passport from one of the 95 countries that are eligible for visa-free entry into the State of Qatar. To check if you are eligible for visa free entry into Qatar check here.
I decided to book my flights from Miami to Dar-es-Salaam though Qatar in such a way that I got almost 24 hours in Doha and a hotel night with the compliments of Qatar Airways. While, I had the choice of some pretty swanky hotels, I chose to follow the mantra of “location, location” and stayed the cute Najd – Souq Waqif Boutique Hotel.
It’s located right by Souq Waqif and Grand Hammad Street, and a 10-minute stroll from the Corniche. The airline claims that it is a 5-Star hotel but is really more like a decent 4-Star property. Of course, it is still very comfortable and a fantastic location for a flying visit to Doha.
One important thing to remember is that you won’t get access to your checked bags during your stopover, so make sure that you pack everything you need in your carry-on.
That said, if you only have one day, you need to get organized to make sure you get the best out of your limited time in Qatar. To help you do this, here is my list of 6 amazing things to do in Doha, Qatar.
Table of Contents
1. Souq Waqif
While Souq Waqif seems antiquated, it was actually largely rebuilt after a major fire in 2003. This was done with so much painstaking care that it is almost impossible to see where the old Souq ends and the much newer parts begin. That said, it does seem to be a slightly sanitized souq experience, rather different from Souqs in cities outside of the wealthy gulf states.
In the morning it is incredibly busy with locals, mainly women in traditional clothing, shopping for spices, clothes, pots and pans. Of course, there are lots of charming craft shops where you can buy gifts and souvenirs that are uniquely Qatari, with no “Made in China” plastic in sight. I picked up a couple of hand-painted plaster tiles, which I somehow managed to get all the way to Tanzania and then back to Jamaica with just minimal damage.
The selection of restaurants is fantastic, including some really fancy, modern eateries, with the prices to match. These are not my style, especially when dining solo and I stumbled onto a small place in a remote part of the Souq that sold just a single dish made from kuboos bread, grilled lamb, arugula and yogurt. This made choosing and ordering easy and it was absolutely delicious.
2. Falcon Souq
Located right next to Souq Waqif, and simply unmissable, is the Falcon Souq. Falconry is an incredibly important part of Qatari heritage and culture. It’s even on the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritages. The Falcon Souq also has a Falcon Hospital that puts to shame human medical facilities in many parts of the world.
The main activity is the sale of falcons, typically starting at US$3,000 and rising up to US$25,000 and higher. Most falcon sales are conducted as auctions, with the birds going to the highest bidder. You will also find falconry accessories for sale, such as hand-made hoods that are designed to keep falcons calm and comfortable when they are not hunting.
One of the most fascinating things to see are parked falcons that are perched in the open, wearing their hoods, calmly waiting for their owners to return.
3. Museum of Islamic Art
If you have ever visited The Louvre on a short stay in Paris, you will know the feeling when I say that I wish I had been able to spend more time in this astonishing gallery. Rather like the Guggenheim in New York, I was initially attracted by the building, but I was enthralled and stayed because of the artwork. The museum says it has the most important collection of Islamic art anywhere in the world, and it’s difficult to argue with this claim.
The Museum of Islamic Art was designed by Chinese-American architect I. M. Pei, who was responsible for many spectacular modern buildings, including the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston Massachusetts. The clean lines of the exterior set on an island off an artificial projecting peninsula at the end of The Corniche, provide a breath-taking approach, especially near sunset.
Once you are inside, it’s difficult to tear yourself away from the main atrium, but it is worth to view the collections, which are themselves in rooms that are all models of gorgeous simplicity.
Throughout the museum are permanent exhibits of beautiful tapestries, glasses, jewels and mosaics.
There are always several temporary exhibits, although it may be tough to find the time to visit these. For younger visitors, and some of the not so young, there are some fantastic interactive and immersive exhibits too.
Maybe the best thing about the museum is that entry is free!
4. The Corniche
The Corniche is a beautiful waterfront promenade that runs along the Bay of Doha. As the daytime heat can be oppressive, most of the foot traffic can be found around dawn and in the late afternoon/early evening. At around sunset and for the hour or so that follows, it can be quite busy. And why not, sunset on The Corniche is stunning.
Its total length is about 7km (or 4 miles), and you start your walk facing north and at the end you will face south-westerly direction, so the view changes significantly from one end to the other. Sights include the Pearl Monument, the Emir’s Palace, the Dhow Harbour, the National Museum of Qatar and Al Bidda Park.
You can, if you wish, take a trip on one of the many tourist dhows and if there is a group of you, you should be able to haggle for a decent price. The gleaming modern buildings at the northern end of the Corniche offer a major contrast to the more traditional charm of the southern end, which is close to the Souq Waqif.
You should note that there are few facilities and I regretted not taking a bottle of water with me. I will confess that I didn’t return to my hotel on foot, I took a taxi which cost me about $5.
5. Katara Cultural Village
Katara Cultural Village was another attraction that made me wish that I was staying longer in Doha so that I could enjoy it more fully. It sits a little incongruously between gleaming modern skyscrapers, and is a sprawling space that celebrates both Qatari culture and those from other civilizations.
Katara has two stunningly different mosques, a Greek amphitheatre, art galleries and various heritage centres. It even has a public beach where you simply laze around or take advantage of the rentals and activities such as water-skiing and parasailing.
In the area that they call 21 High Streetm, you can shop at several quite pricey, high-end shops. You’ll also find various great little eateries, some of which are surprisingly affordable.
6. State Grand Mosque
The Qatar State Grand Mosque, or Imam Abdul Wahhab Mosque, is a huge modern mosque in the centre of Doha. I originally planned on only taking a few snaps of the exterior as after visiting historic places of Islamic worship in Cairo, Istanbul and Lahore, I thought that this would be a bit dull. Boy was I wrong! I am so glad that I took part in a tour of the building as it’s stunning in a minimalistic way.
It’s an extremely impressive building inside and out. My visit was outside of prayer time and the building was almost deserted, which only seemed to emphasize its sheer size. Our guide was a pleasant woman who spoke excellent English and told us about her faith and how it impacts all aspects of her life.
It’s important to know that to gain entry you will have to comply with a dress code that seemed stricter than any other mosque I have visited. This is particularly important for women, although appropriate headscarves were available for women to borrow when I visited.
My 24 hours in Doha was enough for me to know that next time I have to stay longer. Not only to spend more time at virtually every place I was fortunate to visit, but to travel slightly further afield. Next time I want to visit the Qatar Pearl, go on a sand dune tour, explore the Al Zubarah Fort, see the vintage car exhibition at Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum and visit the National Museum, which opened its doors a few weeks after I left Doha.
What did you think of this article on Qatar, did I miss anything you needed to know? Let me know below in the comments. Check out some of some related posts below.
Author
Nick Abbott
Hi, I’m Nick. Visiting foreign countries has been an important part of my life since my parents moved to Kano in Nigeria in 1977. Since then, as both a military officer and in later jobs I have enjoyed the huge privilege of being exposed to many different countries and cultures.
I am delighted to be able to support my wife Monique and Yes2Yolo primarily by contributing travel articles, providing editing and proof-reading services and being a general sounding board.
A very interesting piece – DRC.
Thank you DRC!