Vacation in Doha? Don’t worry, this travel guide will help you! I have to be honest, I did not have Doha, Qatar on my bucket list. Qatar is a place I never really thought of adding to our list of places to vacation, but because my Hubby and I initially had a layover there during our travels to Bali and Singapore we added it to our itinerary. Our vacation in Doha turned out to be a great experience. We flew Qatar Airways business class for this vacation.
The first impression of Doha is that there is nothing here to do. We managed to take a tour of the city, visit an art museum, go dune-riding, and eat really good food! So, yeah, there is plenty to do in Doha, Qatar.
As many of you know, Qatar is a very conservative country so making sure you are properly covered is essential while visiting this country especially touring the museums and sacred grounds. In the museums, if you don’t cover your knees, they provide a scarf for you which was great especially if you weren’t aware of the dress code.
Hotel Stay During our Vacation in Doha
If you vacation in Doha, Qatar, you should ensure your hotel of choice is a place you don’t mind spending a lot of time in. We did opt for a 5 – star hotel. The great thing about Doha is that you can get a great hotel for much cheaper than you can in the States.
Doha is dry so if you enjoy a good drink, you would want to stay at a place with a great Happy Hour. Our hotel stay at St. Regis was wonderful! We had 2 butlers named Wilmer and Nino and they were both wonderful! We also enjoyed the brunch and happy hours hosted at the hotel. St. Regis seems to be one of the happening spots in Doha. So many people from different cultures were there. As I mentioned, Qatar is a dry country but alcohol is served in the hotels. St. Regis Doha is beautiful!
Night Out in Doha
Our vacation in Doha started our pretty cool. After getting settled in our room, we knew we wanted to get out and try a local spot. Whenever we travel, we try our hardest to get a taste of the local food and culture. We heard so many good things about a local spot called Afghan Brothers. The food was delicious and authentic!
I do have to warn you that customer service at local spots is much different here than it is in other countries. We were unsure when we’d be seated. No one greeted us or anything. For us, this isn’t a big deal, but for some, it might be. After about a few minutes, we asked for a table and was eventually greeted by a waiter who escorted us upstairs to be seated. The waiter took our drink order (alcohol is not served in local restaurants). He then brought us back our drinks along with soup and salad.
“Travelers Tip: Whenever you are in another country, don’t compare it to your country. Traveling is a cultural experience so take everything in. Note the differences but don’t be overly critical.”
The Urban Elle
Adventures During our Vacation in Doha, Qatar
The next couple of days we took a tour of the city, spent a day sand duning (scary and fun), and spent some time at the museum.
Qatar is pretty new to the tourism scene, so things could have gone a bit smoother after our scheduled dune-ride. We booked it through Qatar Airways and it didn’t go as planned. A car did pick us up at the hotel which was great, but after our dune riding adventure (which was great), we were dropped off at the restaurant where we were scheduled to have lunch. No one (including management) knew where we were supposed to be there or if we were even supposed to have lunch there. Ultimately, we were actually in the right area, but the restaurant apparently did not know we were supposed to eat there. After about 30 minutes, we were seated and given our meal. It was frustrating. My husband was so upset. So, if you vacation in Qatar, I would do plenty of research to ensure the tourism aspect of Qatar has improved.
After we ate, we literally had to get the manager to call our driver because we could not find him. I must say that once the manager figured out how unorganized everything was, he tried his best to fix it and for that we were grateful.
We were just so happy to get back to our hotel. We enjoyed the views and Happy Hour after such a long and frustrating day. When in Qatar, St. Regis hotel should definitely be on your list as a viable option of places to stay. It definitely helped us enjoy this vacation in Doha.
Touring the city of Doha
We booked our City Tour through Qatar Airways but it was much better than our experience the day prior. We had great tour guides. They gave us the history of Qatar and what the future holds for Qatar. We saw great parts of the city. The architecture was beautiful. We were also able to visit Souq Waqi which is a market in Doha. It was closed when we walked through as the whole city shuts down for Friday service. We were able to walk by a Mosque briefly and see them worship. Hubby and I went back to the market later that evening. If you don’t visit the market, you haven’t seen Doha.
You will notice in Qatar that the city is pretty quiet during the day. There were not many people out, but it was lively and full of character during nightfall.
Souq Waqif during Mosque (Friday service) is pretty empty in Doha, Qatar
Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar
The Museum of Islamic Art is beautiful in Doha. There were many pieces of art that just wowed me! The architecture of the building is beautiful. As I mentioned earlier, especially when visiting amazing museums such as the Museum of Islamic Art, respectful clothing is advised. Hijabs are not required but you must ensure your knees and arms are covered. Basically, show respect to local customs, just as you would anywhere else. This isn’t required at hotels.
Qatar is still growing its tourist attractions but overall, we enjoyed this trip! If you are open to different cultures, then a vacation in Doha should be added to your list of places to vacation. I think over time Doha will definitely be a regular tourist attraction and a fun place to visit.
Traveling Tips
“Having an open mind and respecting the culture is key while traveling.”
The Urban Elle
- If visiting the Museum in Doha, be sure your shoulders and knees are covered. They will provide a scarf to cover them if you don’t.
- Doha, Qatar is dry but the hotels are not.
- The best time to shop is during the day. There are fewer crowds and the locals are rarely out during the day.
- The best time to visit the market is during the evening. It’s much lively during the evening. There are plenty of places to eat as well.
- Ensure you are modest at all times when out in the city. I didn’t always wear dresses that covered my knees but they were very close to my knees.
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