3. 3
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF QATAR
Admission
QR 50 for adults (standard ticket)
Free for children under 16
QR 25 for students (50% discount)
Opening hours
Sunday to Wednesday: 9am - 7pm
Thursday and Saturday: 9am - 9pm
Friday: 1:30pm - 9pm
Last ticket:
One hour before closing from Sunday to Wednesday.
One hour and a half from Thursday to Saturday.»
Jutting out at the start of the Corniche is Qatar’s extraordinary new national museum
created by the famous architect Jean Nouvelle. It is symbolically placed at the starting
point of your journey into the heart of downtown Doha. The site also hosts the previous
historic home to the son of the founder of Qatar, Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani.
The museum opened its doors to the public on March 28 of 2019. A portion of the site of
the new museum is dedicated to the extensive restoration of the former palace of Jassim
Al Thani, built in the early 1900s.
The interior of the national museum tells the story of Qatar in three distinct chapters: Begin-
nings, Life in and Building the Nation. Presented across 11 galleries, the visitor’s chronological
journey, which extends on more than 1.5km, starts in the geological period, long before the
peninsula was inhabited by humans, and continues to the present day.
The museum also hosts a number of special programmes and events.
Cultural Attractions
Address
Museum Park St, Doha, Qatar
The National Museum of Qatar is located on
Museum Park Street across from the Corniche in
Doha, Qatar. Limited parking is available on-site
on a first come, first served basis.
Tel: +974 4452 5555
More infos
4. 4
Address
Education City - Qatar Foundation
Gate 1, off Al-Luqta Street, Doha, Qatar
Tel: +974 4402 8855 / 8830
Admission
Free admission to the permanent
collection exhibition.
QR25 for temporary exhibitions.
Free entry for students and children
under 16 to all exhibitions.
Opening hours
Monday: closed
Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday,
Saturday: 11am - 6pm
Friday: 3pm - 8pm
The Mathaf Museum of Modern Arab Art opened in 2010 in Education city and hosts regular
exhibitions of contemporary art with a permanent collection of regional art and design.
The museum is part of Qatar Museums, led by H.E Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al
Thani. Mathaf hosts exhibitions, education programs and events that explore and celebrates
modern and contemporary art while offering an Arab perspective on international art.
The Mathaf collection includes over 9000 works today, making it the world’s largest specia-
lised collection of its kind.
More infos
ARAB MUSEUM OF MODERN ART
MATHAF MUSEUM
Cultural Attractions
5. 5
Msheireb Museums includes four restored heritage houses in the Msheireb reconstruction
area of Doha: Bin Jelmood House, Company House, Mohammed Bin Jassim House and Radwa-
ni House. These are all located within easy walking distance of each other. Each small museum
has a different focus.
Bin Jelmood House focusses on the history of the Arab slave trade. Company House has arti-
facts, videos and information about the start of the oil and gas trade in Qatar.
Mohammed Bin Jassim House gives the history of Msheireb and plans for the future.
Radwani House is a traditional home.
MSHEIREB MUSEUMS
Cultural Attractions
Address
Mohammed Bin Jassim Street, Doha, Qatar
Tel: +974 800 3642
Admission
Free admission
Opening hours
Monday to Thursday: 9.00am - 5.00pm
Friday: 3.00pm - 9.00pm
Saturday: 9.00am - 5.00pm
Sunday: Closed
More infos
6. 6
MUSEUM OF ISLAMIC ART
Cultural Attractions
The stunning Museum of Islamic Art, designed by I.M. Pei, famed for his modern wing of the
Louvre in Paris, is an icon for art, culture and heritage, housing precious works from more
than 200 years of Islamic civilization.
The Museum of Islamic Art represents Islamic art from three continents over 1,400 years. MIA
is the flagship of Qatar Museums, which under the leadership of its Chairperson H.E. Sheikha
Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, is transforming the State of Qatar into a cultural
capital of the Middle East.
MIA sheds light on our origins to illuminate our future. Through safeguarding masterpiece
collections of Islamic art and showcasing extraordinary exhibitions, MIA shares knowledge,
spreading curiosity, understanding, and joy.
Address
Doha Port, Corniche, Doha, Qatar
Tel: +974 4422 4444
Admission
Free admission
Opening hours
Tuesday: closed
Sunday, Monday, Wednesday:
10.30am - 5.30pm
Thursday, Saturday: 12pm - 8pm
Friday: 2pm - 8 pm
More infos
7. 7
KATARA CULTURAL VILLAGE
Cultural Attractions
Katara Cultural Village serves as a guardian to the heritage and traditions of Qatar and en-
deavours to spread awareness about the importance of every culture and civilization and as
such, Katara hosts international, regional and local festivals, workshops, performances and
exhibitions.
The Cultural Village Foundation is an exceptional project of hope for human interaction
through art and cultural exchange. Keeping pace with the emerging global culture that em-
phasizes the importance of diversity in human development, Katara Cultural Village is the
largest and the most multidimensional cultural project of Qatar.
Address
Al Moasses street, Doha, Qatar
Tel: 974 4408 0000
Admission
Village: Free entrance
Katara beach n°3 (Gate 1&5): Adults - 25 QR,
Children below 16 - Free
Katara beach n°4: Families only - free entrance
Opening hours
Exhibition: 9am - 11pm
Katara Beach: 9.30am - 5pm
More infos
8. 8
SHEIKH FAISAL BIN QASSIM AL THANI MUSEUM
Cultural Attractions
The Sheikh Faisal Museum holds a large diversified collection of unique and extraordinary
artefacts from over 4 continents. The world class collection contains pieces from the Jurassic
age through to the early Islamic period and up to the present day, across four themes: Islamic
Art, Qatar Heritage, Vehicles, and Coins & Currency.
This Museum holds enormous cultural importance in Qatar and internationally as it reflects
the journeys taken by Sheikh Faisal, as well as his passion for creating a fascinating experience
for the public to enjoy and a valuable resource for education.
Address
Al Samariyah, Doha, Qatar
Tel: +974 4486 1444
Admission
Free admission
Opening hours
9am - 5.30pm
Closed on Fridays and Sundays
More infos
(28km from Doha City center)
9. 9
BARZAN TOWERS
Cultural Attractions
(23km from Doha City center)
Barzan Towers, known as the Umm Salal Mohammed Fort Towers, are watchtowers that were
built in 1910 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Jassim Al Thani. They are located at the southern side
of the defensive system established at the end of the 19th century and start of the 20th cen-
tury to protect the ‘Raudah’, a valley where precious rainwater is collected when it flows down
from higher ground.
Address
Located in Umm Salal, Doha, Qatar
Opening hours
24 hours and visitors just need
to sign in at the gate.
10. 10
Address
Brouq nature reserve, Qatar
Admission
Free entrance
Opening hours
All day
Richard Serra’s public art has always been driven by a desire to take sculpture off the pedestal
and on to the streets.
This breathtaking sculpture in the Brouq nature reserve spans over a kilometre and comprises
four steel plates, each over fourteen metres in height. To guarantee perfect alignment, Serra
examined the topography of the land and beautifully enhanced the vast, desolate space in the
heart of the desert. The result is spectacular and although modern, timeless.
EAST-WEST / WEST-EAST BY RICHARD SERRA
Cultural Attractions
(80km from Doha City center)
11. 11
Address
Madinat Ash Shamal, Qatar
Tel: +974 4442 4771
Admission
Free admission
Opening hours
8am – 4 pm
Closed on Friday mornings
Al Zubarah was a thriving pearl fishing and trading port. Now it’s Qatar’s largest heritage site,
with its impressive city wall, ancient residential palaces and houses, markets, industrial areas
and mosques.
It’s one of the best-preserved examples of an 18th and 19th century Gulf merchant town and
in 2013 was named a UNESCO World Heritage site.
More infos
AL ZUBARAH FORT
Cultural Attractions
(100km from Doha City center)
12. 12
AL KOOT FORT
Cultural Attractions
Al Koot Fort, most commonly known as Doha Fort, lies in the center of the city of Doha and
was built in 1880 by the Ottomans as a police post. It was built on a slight elevation in the
proximity of a dry waterbed known as Wadi Musheireb. This waterbed used to be a gathering
place where Bedouins and locals would trade a variety of goods, primarily livestock goods.
This gathering place grew into what is now known as the Souq Waqif.
From 1906 on the fort was used as a prison. In 1915 the fort was abandoned by the Ottomans.
In 1927, the dilapidated Turkish fort was rebuilt by Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani into
the Al Koot Fort we see today. As a result of the building activity, the inside of the fort might
not be accessible to the public.
Address
Ukaz St, Doha, in the Souq Waqif neighberhood.
13. 13
AL RAKAYAT FORT
Cultural Attractions
(94km northwest of Doha)
The fort of Al Rakayat, north west of Doha, is one of several desert forts dating back to the
19th century, and one of the few that were renovated during the 1980s.
A freshwater well sits in the fort and the scattered remains of a village can be found nearby.
Al Rakayat is the Arabic word for ‘well’ and it’s believed that the fort was built to protect the
essential sources of water in the area.
It is typical of desert forts, with three rectangular towers and one cylindrical one. Three sides
of the central courtyard are aligned with narrow rooms, without windows and doors, that
open onto the light and spacious courtyard.
Address
15 minutes away from Al Ruwais,
the most northern city in Qatar.
More infos
14. 14
SOUQ WAQIF
Shopping
At any time of day, Souq Waqif is always bustling with people walking around the alleys win-
dow-shopping or enjoying their shisha with friends and family at restaurants. It provides an
excellent place for people to gather, shop for traditional knick-knacks, spices or just enjoy a
good meal. It has a number of boutique hotels located around its premises that are part of
the Souq Waqif Boutique Hotels. There are also stables for horses and camels at the Souq.
Restaurants specializing in cuisines from different parts of the Middle East and North Africa
(MENA) region are located all along the souq with international cuisines such as Malaysian,
French, and Indian. Souq Waqif being an Ooredoo hotspot also allows visitors to log onto the
web with free wireless Internet. Live performances and seasonal festivals with street artists
and traditional folk troupes make it a one-of-akind cultural bazaar in Qatar
Address
Grand Hamed Street behind the
Corniche, Doha, Qatar
Opening hours
Daily 10:00 - 12:00 and 16:00 - 22:00
15. 15
The Gold Souq is a maze of shops specialising
in local and imported jewellery made from
gold or silver. Pieces including diamonds,
pearls and other stones are widely available.
All gold jewellery sold in Qatar has a govern-
ment stamp ensuring its purity. Jewellery can
usually be engraved on the spot. Many of the
jewellers are highly skilled and can make a
piece of jewellery to order; repairs and resi-
zing can be done. Qatari, European and Indian
styles are all avalable. Most shops are happy
for people to look around without making a
purchase. Most items are priced by weight,
depending on the value of gold that day. The
souq is particularly lively in the evening.
Address
Al Ghanim Central Bus Station, Doha,
behind the Alfardan Centre off Grand
Hamad St
SOUQ AL DIRA
Address
Al Ahmed St, Doha, Qatar
Lantern lights, smooth floors, stained glass
windows and arches invite visitors into this
souq. Most of the stores in this souq specia-
lize in high-end ‘designer’ fabric. Accessories,
shoes, and Arabian perfume are also retailed
here.
GOLD SOUQ
Shopping
16. 16
THE SINGING SAND DUNES
Address
15km off Salwa Road, towards
Mesaieed, Doha, Qatar
There are certain conditions in which the mo-
vement of sand grains can create a low mur-
mur or ‘singing’ – a phenomenon often re-
ported by desert explorers. Qatar is fortunate
in having sand with the right abrasive qualities
in an area that also experiences the necessary
wind and moisture conditions to create this
wonderful, if weird effect. While the ‘singing’
occurs naturally, it can be triggered by sliding
down the face of the dune or running along
its crest, whereupon each footstep creates a
humming that cannot only be heard but also
felt as a vibration through the feet.
Natural landmarks
17. 17
People love to stroll and jog along the cor-
niche, especially during the balmy evenings,
taking in the twinkling sights of the city and
the Arabian Gulf.
It is lined with luxury hotels, clubs and apart-
ments; various fine, important government
buildings; lovely open, manicured parks with
family facilities and public buildings such as
museums and a library.
Doha Corniche is a seven kilometre (4.4 miles)
long, palm-fringed promenade and dual car-
riagway, which extends in a horseshoe shape
around Doha Bay and the city’s sea front.
Points of interest
DOHA CORNICHE
18. 18
Address
Al Rawabi Street #16
Muntazah, Doha, Qatar
Tel: +974 44553954
4 HOURS TRIP
4x4 Jeep with driver
Water and soft drinks
Insurance
Schedule:
9am - 1pm or 2pm - 6pm
FULL DAY TRIP
4x4 Jeep with driver
Water, soft drinks and BBQ Meal
Insurance
Bathroom with showers
Sand Skiing and Sand boarding
Bonfire, Music, Volleyball,
Snorkeling and Swimming (with
own equipment)
Schedule:
9am - 5pm or 2pm - 9pm
OVERNIGHT CAMPING
4x4 Jeep with driver
Water, Soft drinks and BBQ Meal
Insurance
Bathroom with showers
Sand Skiing and Sand boarding
Bonfire, Music, Volleyball,
Snorkeling and Swimming
(with own equipment)
Clean sleeping bags
Against Charge:
Quad biking
Shisha
Camel riding
Schedule:
9am - 5pm or 2pm - 9pm
A top place to visit while you live in Qatar is naturally the desert. The desert offers a challen-
ging terrain for those seeking adventure in Qatar. There are a number of desert-centric ac-
tivities that you can engage in. Some of them include renting a dune buggy on the beach
near Sealine Beach Resort as well as dune bashing, which remains a popular sport with both
Qataris and expatriates. A four whell-drive SUV is required.
Desert Trip
More infos
19. 19
DHOW CRUISES
THE DIPLOMATIC CLUB
Address
Al Istiqlal Street,
West Bay Lagoon, Doha, Qatar
Tel: +974 4484 7450
Email: spa.recreation@dclub.com
Opening hours
From 8am to 10pm
Looking to set sail on the Arabian Gulf, searching for an exclusive dining place or a fun expe-
rience? Also worth the experience is a ride on the BBQ Donuts at the Diplomatic Club, a ride
that takes you around the West Bay. Breakfast, lunch or dinner is provided for 8 persons depen-
ding on the time of the day you ride in it.
Address
Most often Doha Corniche or
Dhow Harbour, Doha, Qatar.
A must in Doha. For a chance to see the city from the sea, consider taking a dhow ride around
the Bay. These local fishing boats, legacy of Qatar’s seafaring nation, leave from the jetty in
front of the beautiful Museum of Islamic Art.
Water activities
More infos
More infos
All the tour companies offer a few hours dhow cruises with usually a meal and traditional mu-
sic for around QR300 per person.
20. 20
REGATTA SAILING ACADEMY
Address
The Academy is currently located
at the North Beach of Katara, Doha, Qatar
Tel: +974 4442 4577
Created in 1959, Regatta Sailing Academy
offers various sailing activities for children
and adults to discover or improve their sai-
ling skills as well as boat hire for experienced
sailors. The academy was founded in 1996
and is accredited by the Royal Yachting As-
sociation since 2012.
KAYAKING, SUP & KITE TOURS
Address
StrongBox Al Jazi Gardens Compound, Westbay, Doha
Tel: +97466963494
AquaSports offers kayak and SUP tours, expeditions as
well as PaddleFit classes and SUP lessons. Nestled along
the coast near Al Khor is a vast beautiful mangrove forest,
the best ways to access the forest is by kayak. Paddle
Qatar will take you through the network of channels that
have been carved out by tidal action. The area supports
a lot of birdlife and is a favourite destination for nature
lovers. Suitable for families and those looking for a re-
laxed easy paddle taking in the greenery and birdlife of
the nature reserve.
Sailing
More infos
Admission
QR 200
More infos
