If you’ve only got one day in Doha, read on for an efficient itinerary to get a good sense of the city in that short time. We’ll make our way round the coast from the Old Doha Port to the Al Corniche Waterfront.
I spent a day in Doha on my way back to London from Vietnam. As we were travelling that way, we thought we might as well drop into Doha! It turned out to be a great decision.
What is Doha like?
I found Doha a really pleasant place. I went in March and it was sunny but not too hot. One side of Doha is completely open to the sea and that open horizon transforms what would otherwise be quite a built-up city.
Despite all the skyscrapers, Doha is still a colourful and characterful place. Although it’s very westernised compared to other places in the Middle East, Doha still divulges many visible elements of traditional Qatari life.
Let’s get going!
Old Doha Port
Your first stop of the day is the Old Doha Port. Catch the train to the National Museum stop and walk half an hour to the Old Doha Port peninsula.
I’ll interject here to say that Doha is not very walkable. It was seemingly designed with pedestrians as an afterthought as there are hardly any crossings across busy main roads. It’s not unsafe to walk but if you’d prefer to get to the Old Doha Port by car then you can hail a taxi when you get to the metro station.
The Old Doha Port has two sets of buildings I recommend seeing. First, you’ll see an area where the buildings are made from converted shipping containers. This gives it a slight hipster feel, especially as all the containers are painted in bright colours. It’s also nice to see materials being repurposed in this way rather than thrown away.
Then walk a bit further through and you’ll reach an area where the buildings are in a traditional Middle-Eastern style: square and flat-roofed. These ones are all painted in different pastel colours with a liberal scattering of wall-art. Looking east you get a lovely view out over the harbour across to Mwani Qatar (the aquarium).
The Old Doha Port area is something of an Instagram hotspot, except it was practically empty when I went because it was Ramadan.
Museum of Islamic Art
Sadly the Museum of Islamic Art was closed on the day I was in Doha (a Wednesday) so I didn’t get to visit. But this is your next stop along this route.
The Museum of Islamic Art is home to art spanning over fourteen centuries. Even if that doesn’t pique your interest, the building itself is worth seeing – its design is inspired by the beautiful geometric patterns of traditional Islamic architecture. I was sad to miss this!
National Museum of Qatar
Next is the National Museum of Qatar. This is an interesting building: its design based on a desert rose crystal. Light, thin rounded parts interlock to make up the shape of the whole structure.
The museum takes you through the entire history of the land that is now Qatar, including animals, plants, people, government, the oil industry, right up to the present day. It’s actually the most futuristic museum I’d ever been to – gigantic videos of Qatari life are projected onto the walls, accompanied by unintrusive but realistic sound effects. It’s all extremely well-done and really brings the exhibits to life.
Souq Waqif
Next, head to Souq Waqif. This souq is open in the morning and then reopens mid-afternoon, so you’ll need to time your visit around this.
Wander round the shops in the souq which sell everything from clothes to spherical Middle-Eastern hanging lamps. If you’re curious, go and see the bird market. There were too many birds in each cage, in my opinion, but it’s still quite a sight to see so many brightly-coloured birds and hear them all making such a racket!
Return to Souq Waqif to eat in the evening. But read Google reviews of the restaurants carefully as many of them didn’t seem to be very high!
Al Corniche waterfront
Having said above that Doha isn’t aimed at pedestrians, the Al Corniche waterfront actually is. It has a lovely wide walkway alongside the seafront.
Men will hail you to ask if you want to go on a dhow tours (wooden boats traditional to Qatar). I didn’t do one but I’m sure it would be a pleasant way to spent an hour in the evening. I was happy to sit on the waterfront’s low wall and watch Doha’s lights turn on as the sun set.
Should I stop for a day in Doha?
Even if it isn’t really on your radar as a destination, if you have the opportunity to stop for a day in Doha I really recommend it, especially if you’ve never been to the Middle East before. Doha will ease you in gently as it’s so westernised.
It’s easy to book a stopover in Doha. You can book flights and hotels in one package with Qatar Airways. If you’re travelling to Doha in Ramadan, you can get some very good deals.
You’re not going to see everything in one day in Doha. But it’s a nice amount of time to get a sense of the city and have something to look forward to on the last day of your trip.