Are you travelling to Doha?
If you only have one day in Qatar’s capital, you will need to plan well what to see and do. Doha has a lot to offer, and we guarantee that you won’t be bored.
We have put together this itinerary for 24 hours in Doha so you know exactly what to see and do and where to go.
Short on time but still need to book your trip? Then check out the following resources, which you will find useful:
Book a hotel in Doha:
- Souq Waqif Boutique Hotel (mid-range, heritage hotel in Souq Waqif)
- Alwadi Hotel Doha (a bit more comfort, fantastic pool and rooftop bar)
- Century Hotel Doha (as budget as you can get in Doha, this is where we stayed)
Here are some tours to see more of Doha and Qatar:
- Full-day tour to northern and western Qatar
- Adventure tour to the desert of Qatar
- Sunset dhow tour with dinner (any dhow tours without dinner are easy to arrange spontaneously at the Corniche for a lower price)
Compare flight prices to Doha on Aviasales.
One day in Doha itinerary
#1 National Museum
Start your day by visiting the National Museum of Qatar.
This museum is mostly famous for its interesting architecture, but it’s also a great place to learn more about the history of Qatar.
You’ll learn about the country’s origins and pearl diving, which, for a long time, was an important economic activity in Qatar. The exhibition covers archaeology, ancient times, modern days and everything in between.
For your one day in Doha, this is the perfect way to learn as much about the place you’re visiting as possible.
1-2h
#2 Mina District
The Mina District was once the old port of Doha.
After a few years of construction, it has transformed into a tourist hotspot with pastel-coloured houses and cobblestone streets.
Walking along the main street, you will come across lots of photo opportunities. You can turn into one of the side alleys and walk down to the waterfront to enjoy the view there, or you can stop at one of the many cafes and restaurants.
This neighbourhood is also a great place to look for souvenirs. If you can’t choose what to buy yet, don’t worry. You’ll have another fantastic opportunity to purchase souvenirs and gifts in Souq Waqif later.
1h
#3 Museum of Islamic Art
From the Mina District, you can decide whether you want to walk (it takes around 20 minutes) or take a quick taxi to the Museum of Islamic Art.
This excellent museum is one of Doha’s highlights and a must-see if you’re visiting Qatar.
This museum has fantastic exhibits of different types of Islamic art from around the world. I especially loved the calligraphy, as Arabic calligraphy can be absolutely stunning.
My other favourite was a 500-year-old copy of the Canon of Medicine by Avicenna, complete with an anonymous commentary.
There are lots of great pieces to discover in this museum, so make sure to allocate enough time to everything. Also, the building is interesting enough that it’s worth a visit just for the architecture.
From the museum, head down in the direction of the Corniche for the best views of the exterior.
1-2h
#4 Corniche & Dhow ride
As we just mentioned, you get the best views of the exterior of the Museum of Islamic Art if you walk in the direction of the Corniche. This works out well because the Corniche is your next destination on this itinerary.
From the Doha Corniche, you have great waterfront views of the skyline. See those traditional wooden boats in the water? Those are called Dhows, and the Corniche is the best place to organise a tour on one of them.
Walk along the Corniche until you reach the Pearl Monument. Here, you can see lots of people selling boat tours on dhows.
Dhow captains offer tours of various lengths. We went for a short one, which was enough to sail into the bay, enjoy the view, and come back. You can also go for a longer ride if you prefer.
1h
#5 Souq Waqif
Just south of the Corniche, you can find Souq Waqif, one of our favourite places in Doha. We loved it so much that we came back multiple times, at different times of the day.
The souq is most lively in the afternoon and evening. After sunset, you will see lots of locals out and about, mingling with the tourists who are enjoying the views.
One of the best things to do here is to stroll through the narrow alleys and look around. You’ll find souvenir shops here, but you can also come across plenty of shops that are clearly directed towards locals.
Souq Waqif is also the perfect location to enjoy traditional Qatari food. Shay Al Shomous is a famous restaurant often recommended by locals. We came here for breakfast, but the place also opens for dinner.
There are a few points of interest in Souq Waqif that you should check out:
Bird Souq
Right in the middle of Souq Waqif, you can find the bird souq. You can hear the birds chirping from a distance already, so follow their noise to find it.
Be warned that the conditions for the birds sold here are not the best! We guess that many have their wings cut because they were outside and still didn’t fly away.
Falcon Souq
Qataris love falcons, and there’s no place where it becomes as obvious as in the falcon souq.
Many of the falcons are kept inside, and you’re free to head into one of the buildings to see them.
While passing through the area, you’re going to see the Souq Waqif Falcon Hospital. It’s exactly what the name says: a hospital that specialises in treating falcons. It’s a great example of the importance Qataris place on their falcons, and how far they’re willing to go to ensure that their falcons do well.
Camel Souq
While in the area, don’t miss the camel souq. West of the main souq area, you can find a camel pen. It’s great for photos of camels in the middle of the city. When we arrived, a caretaker had opened the gate. If we had wanted to, we could have gone inside to pet the camels, but even when it isn’t open, it offers fun picture opportunities.
2-3h (for all of the souqs and a nice meal)
If you have more time
The above itinerary should be enough to keep you busy for a day. If you’re rushing it, though, you can squeeze in one or two more things into your one day itinerary.
We have some suggestions for you on other great things to do in Doha.
The first one is heading to Villaggio Mall. We would usually not suggest malls in our itineraries, but this one is special. It’s built like a mini-Venice. You won’t just find storefronts in this mall, you’ll see houses lining a main street.
You can stroll along a canal, cross the bridges and even go for a gondola ride on the canal. All of this is indoors, so you can enjoy it even on hot summer days.
It’s one of the strangest malls we’ve ever seen, so we recommend checking it out.
If you’re interested in sports, nearby you can find the 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic & Sports Museum. It has an interesting exhibition about the Olympic Games, plus a section where you can test your fitness. This museum is very popular with children, but it’s also lots of fun for adults.
Finally, we can also recommend the Msheireb Museums. These relatively new museums to the west of Souq Waqif showcase parts of Qatari culture, heritage and history. They’re made up of multiple houses with distinct themes.
Practical Information
How to get to Doha
The easiest way to get to Doha is to fly. The Qatar airport is home to Qatar Airways, and it has connections to almost all parts of the world.
Plus, it’s connected to the city centre by metro, which makes it super easy to get from the airport to the city.
A new ferry now connects Bahrain to Qatar, so this is another option if you’re coming from Bahrain. It goes to northern Qatar, so you would need to organise transport from up there. Flying is faster and more convenient, but the ferry is something you could check out if you prefer travelling overland.
Getting around Doha
Thanks to the Doha metro system, getting around the city is very easy. The best option is to get a day pass, which allows you to travel on the metro as many times as you want in one day.
Metro stations connect all major sites except for the Mina District. To get there, you can either go for a 20-minute walk from the closest station or take a taxi.
Uber is a great option and easily available throughout Doha. If you’ve been using Careem in other Gulf countries, note that it doesn’t operate in Qatar. Uber is your best choice.
Best time to visit Doha
The best time to visit Doha is from autumn to spring. Late October until April are the best months with pleasant temperatures.
In summer, temperatures can reach up to 50°C, which makes exploring anything outside very difficult. Qatar is the first country we’ve ever been to with outdoor air conditioning, where some streets have floor vents that blow out cold air. Nevertheless, if possible, avoid summer and try to travel during the colder months.
There you have it, your itinerary for visiting Doha in one day. We’ve spent a couple of days exploring this fascinating Gulf country and loved it.
If you’ve been or if you’re planning to go, leave us a message below. We’d love to hear from you.
While you’re here, make sure also to check out the following posts, which you’re going to find interesting:
- Is Kuwait worth visiting?
- Travelling to Kuwait? This is the perfect two-days itinerary.
- Visit Wadi Shees, one of our favourite places in the Gulf countries
Until your next adventure!
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