Things to Do in Doha

Sex and the city part 2 has been successful enough in publicizing the concept of Souqs worldwide. Even otherwise Souqs have this very old world charm associated to them. Souq Waqif is no different. In a particular street, you are sure to find a lot of traditional items, condiments, spices, handicrafts and a big list of souvenirs to take back with you. The best part is that you can absorb the Middle Eastern experience completely with the help of all the restaurants and shisha lounges. Doha even otherwise is known for unparalleled local as well as mainstream shopping and a very main contributor behind that is the Souq Waqif.

The Qataris have more than one reason to thank the architect of the Museum of Islamic Art - I.M. Pei. The architecture of this beautiful museum is completely unmatched and is impeccable. Situated in one of the most frequented areas of Doha, this museum is a perfect place to visit specially for the followers and lovers of Islam. The documentation and other sources that highlight the cultural side of Islam are definitely worth exploring. Apart from this there are also prayer rooms situated inside for Muslims who visit. One of the biggest highlight of this place definitely is the high end restaurant that serves some exquisite French cuisine with a tinge of Arabic flavours. You must also check out the MIA Park here which is simply breath-taking.

Katara Cultural Village is definitely one of the best places to get a peek at the beautiful culture of Doha. It also has a very prominent place on the cultural map of Doha. While it is open for 24 hours, even a week of all these hours would not be enough to soak in the complete experience that Katara Cultural Village has to offer to you. The place is full of art galleries, shops, cinemas, music halls, performing arts regions and everything that you need to see to keep yourself entertained. Made with the purpose of giving Doha a cultural hub by itself and for itself, this place has become all the more successful since the penetration of performing arts in the society. The mosque here is one of the biggest highlights of the place as well and you should completely witness the picturesque location.

Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum is also commonly known as Sheikh Faisal Museum. The museum basically aims at preserving the art, culture and traditions of the people from Qatar. For visitors, it is a beautiful insight into how vast, amusing and interesting is the culture of Qatar. The architecture of the museum as well has an old school charm to it with a tinge of modern architecture. It is definitely a must visit when in Doha and you are sure to learn a lot from all the sources available here.

The Pearl Qatar is one of the unique islands in the city of Doha. Unique because it is open for sale to the residents of foreign nationalities. It aims at creating about 32 kilometres of new coastline by the time it’s completed. The Pearl also has about 12,000 residents already. The beach park and the spa here is a perfect cherry on top when it comes to making this island your next perfect destination for stay and visit. The restaurants here are also amazing and have various cuisines to offer to you. Apart from this, the coastline is simply breath-taking. So whoever said, that you cannot have the best of both worlds, here is Pearl Island in the middle of the city proving all of them wrong.

The Arabs are known to be admirers of art and people who keep culture really close to their heart. Mathaf Arab Museum of Modern Art is a representative of exactly that theory. It is basically a place where all the exhibits of modern art would inspire art lovers. It is Doha’s way of keeping the connect between its own cultural value with the changing patterns and trends of Modern Art. They are also known to inspire new ideas, activities, encourage dialogues between people who would like to explore a lot more in the field of contemporary art.

Waterfront promenades are amazing in any city. The fact that this one is situated in Doha makes it even better. The waterfront promenade that runs along the bay is one of the best points to relax at in Doha. The area that began with just Sheraton hotel as a highlight is somewhat of a commercial district amalgamated with beauty in Doha. Do not forget to visit the Al Rumaila Park along with the pyramid shaped Sheraton hotel. Also take a walk through the promenade just to marvel in the beauty of the Corniche.

Doha is a very lively city and sometimes can get extremely bustling for tourists. For such times, you have the best recreational spot in the city known as Aspire Park. It is the largest park in the city of Doha and stretches around 88 hectares. Even though, skateboarding, bringing of pets, bicycling and climbing on trees is prohibited- it still serves as a great spot for people to go and enjoy some relaxing time with themselves and their loved ones. Aspire Park is known for the beautiful species of trees that can be found here- rare and common. The greenery of this place might almost make you miss the amazing cafe that is one the side and has some awesome beverages to offer.

Named after Imam Muhammad Ibn Abdul Wahhab, the state grand mosque is perhaps the main mosque of Doha. Located at the South of Corniche, the place boasts of amazing architecture. With a number of domes inside the mosque, it is also somewhat of an architectural marvel. Imam Muhammad Ibn Abdul Wahhab was known to propagate only the original teachings of Islam. He was not a supporter of undesirable innovations in Islam and hence this Mosque came from a very strong school of thought. The mosque is made by Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani who made it in the memory of his father.

City Centre Mall is your one stop entertainment solution when in Doha. With about 64 food outlets in cafes and food courts, a lot of Asian flavors and Middle Eastern flavors are waiting to tingle your taste buds. The best part about this mall also is that it is open until 12:00 am unlike a lot of other places in the World. The cinema here also offers movies until midnight and during Ramadan even stretches that limit. With high end brands adorning the store and also reasonable products waiting to be picked up, no reason to not go and spend a day in the mall when you are at Doha.

Fanar- Qatar Islamic Cultural Centre is the basic cultural hub of the city. The main mission is to get Non Arab Muslims to understand how Islam is followed in Qatar and how prominent it is in the Middle East. It also hosts Arabic classes for people and gets them acquainted with the wide spread and interesting cultural side of Islam, the way it is followed in Qatar. Amongst the locals it is also commonly known as Arabic-Islamic Cultural Centre. There are also various lectures and tours you have for the understanding of the concept that has gone behind in making a place like this.

If you are a sports lover, you have to witness the magnificence of this amazing complex. Rated as one of the best in the Middle East, it is definitely the place to visit for Tennis lovers. The mission of this complex is to provide the Qataris with an opportunity to compete with the whole world in terms of international skill display of Tennis. Apart from that, the place boasts of 21 different grounds and is open for people to go and play at. You just need to book a day in advance. It is also the homeground to the Qatari national tennis team and trains people from an age of around 8 itself to train and qualify for the aforementioned.

Khor Al Udaid is basically the wonderful desert marvel hidden about 80 kilometres southeast of Doha. The gigantic sand dunes would make you feel like a really tiny person and would also give you a feeling of being protected by the golden sands. Apart from this the beach is one of a kind. The desert safari here is totally worth it. The best part about this place is the internal sea that starts to appear on the beach during the day-time. By the night however, the sea recedes. The view at night is completely breathtaking as the stars and moon light up your face just like they light up the rest of the surroundings.

Aqua Park Qatar is one of the very first theme parks to come up in Qatar. It is spread over 50,000 sq meters and everything is simply made for water based fun. There are a lot of things for you to enjoy with your kids, family or even friends. There is a long river which is about 200 meters and is a beautiful thing to sail through. The full wave pool is going to take you high and low just like the waves. There is also a 2,000 gallon tipping bucket. The water slides are so high that you would love to go onto them over and over again. If you want to have a fun filled day with your people, then Aqua Park Qatar is definitely the best place to be at!

This souk is a little different than the others. It is known to feature everything related to falconry. The biggest highlight of this place is the trained birds that you will find at every step. Bird lovers who want to take a break from their usual bird watching sites should definitely make a plan to visit this souq as it has a lot of interesting items related to birds to offer. It is also a slightly different activity to do when in Doha. While you absorb in the culture from the museums and the other local souks, this would show you a completely different side of Arabic traditions.