I love receiving messages on Instagram from people, asking about what there is to do in Qatar. There was keen interest on my Instagram about ‘Weekends in Doha’ so I decided to put a little post together, outlining some of the things you can do when you’re not teaching. Or alternatively, if you’re traveling to Doha.
Remember: the weekend in Doha is Thursday to Saturday.
Explore Souq Waqif
In the heart of Doha city is a vibrant, cultural Souq, which allows you to explore a quality Arabic experience. Souq Waqif is a bustling market place that comes alive in the nighttime, speckled with restaurants serving different types of Arabic cuisine. ‘Damasca One’, a Syrian restaurant, is a particular favorite of mine, with an added bonus of traditional dance performances throughout the evening.
There are different areas in the Souq, such as: the Gold Souq, the Spice Souq, the Animal Souq, the Falcon Souq and lots of different souvenir shops too. If you like to haggle, you’ve come to the right place! Walk, talk, sit or stand and enjoy what’s on offer. I visit the Souq monthly to soak up the cultural experience- I love it! However, if you’re an animal lover, avoid the pet souq- the conditions that the animals are kept in are not good.
Best time to visit: definitely in the evening time, once it’s dark. The Souq comes alive at night time.
How to get there: like anywhere in Doha, you’ll need to get a taxi.
Visit the Desert
It’s certainly a highlight of my weekend, for sure! The best thing about the desert is that you can drive as far or as near to the entrance point as you like, to find your perfect spot! If you’d like a secluded, private section of the desert, then you can drive until you find it! There is an app to direct you through (and back out of) the desert, which is key to anyone looking to go exploring. I’d definitely advise going with another person (ie another vehicle) as if you get stuck in soft sand, it’s VERY difficult to come unstuck without shovels and if you’re very stuck, without another jeep to pull you out. While you’re there, you can sunbathe, fish, swim, read a book, have a BBQ, whatever you’d normally do at a beach. You won’t regret it.
Best time to visit: End of February to May and from the middle of October to end of November too. Parts of May, June, July, August and September are too hot! December and January are probably too cold. (But you could still go then). AM is probably the best time to go as it’s not too hot in the morning time.
How to get there: your own transport. Sealine beach (the desert) is an hour away from Doha, which would be too expensive in a taxi. Also you’d struggle to get a taxi home from there. You’d definitely need you own vehicle. A Jeep to be precise. Using the ‘Waze’ application, Sealine (the desert) is easy to get to.
Join a Club
Recently I’ve joined TriClubDoha and it’s the most enjoyable exercise I’ve ever done! There’s different types of training almost daily, but at the weekends there’s an open water swim and a 5km run to follow on a Saturday morning. As my weekdays are so hectic, I like to enjoy my weekend workouts and spend 2 hours with the TriClub. I’m by no means super fit, and quite probably one of the slowest/unfit there but it’s the sense of being part of a club that I love. There’s no pressure, you do whatever you’re capable of and the coaches improve your technique where they see necessary. Being part of a club makes Doha feel like a home to me so it’s something I look forward to each week. If TriClub isn’t your scene, there’s plenty of other clubs you could join if you’re interested that also train at the weekends:
GAA
Soccer
Netball
Ballet
Ice Skating
Hockey
Cycling
Running
Salsa
And of course there’s the gym if you’d rather that and much, much more!
Sample Deliciously Diverse Cuisines at Brunches
‘Brunching’ is a term used to describe an ‘all you can eat and drink’ event in 5 star hotels. It’s as luxurious as it sounds! They’re super expensive (some can be up to 450QR/€110) but super extravagant for those special occasions. I must be honest, we’re over here to save so don’t go very often at all, but in the three years, I have been to a few and they’re out of this world. Particularly, the Friday Brunch at the St Regis hotel! There’s a multitude of different types of cuisines and as it’s ‘all you can eat’ it’s hard not to sample lots of different types. To add a cherry on top, you sit with this view and listen to a live band while you dine, socialize and get merry- whooo! Some other brunches/ Thursday night Duppers that I’ve been to and loved where:
‘Bubbalicious’ in the Westin (Friday)
BBQ brunch in the St Regis (Thursday)
Barefoot BBQ at the Four Seasons (Thursday).
Best time to go: Friday! The brunches tend to be on Friday from 12-4pm. An unusual time in my opinion to start drinking/eating so much, but that’s the way it is! There are some ‘duppers’ on Thursday evenings (mentioned above), which are similar to the whole brunching experience, but maybe more low key. I.e. less food/alcohol selection. If you’d rather a more low key event, then maybe this is more your scene!
Wander around MIA (Museum of Islamic Art)
The Museum of Islamic Art is one of the most beautiful museums I’ve ever been to. From the unusual architecture to the views to the artifacts on display, it’s beautiful! Not everyone’s cup of tea, I’m sure, but the Museum of Islamic Art offers a capture of different classic Islamic Art.
MIA PARK IS A DYNAMIC PLACE FOR CHILDREN, FAMILIES AND ART ENTHUSIASTS, WITH CULTURAL, EDUCATIONAL AND RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES TO ATTRACT ONE AND ALL.
It’s surrounded by the sea and views of the city of one side, and the vast MIA park on the other side. MIA park is also a lovely place to go for an evening walk, as it’s home to the most beautiful, quirky cafe with the best views in Doha! A great day out and also a lovely place to take the kids on a school trip! (The park outside being a nice treat after the Museum).
How to get there: Again, until the train line is up and running, taxi/your own car is the only way you can get here.
Shop ‘till you Drop
If you like shopping, then Doha’s your place. There’s gigantic, modern, top class shopping malls popping up all over Qatar in the last 3 years that I’ve been here, each with their own unique feature. As a Kildare woman, Liffey Valley and Dundrum are big shopping center to me. Doha Festival City Mall and Mall of Qatar could eat Liffey Valley for breakfast, they’re HUGE! Filled with all of the well known high street shops and speckled with designer shops too. There’s 7 star cinemas (regular cinemas too) if you feel like splashing out and watching a movie in style! The shopping malls are also filled with a wide variety of restaurants, so if you’re a shopper and you’ve the money, you could spend hours upon hours in these shopping malls!
How to get there: Again, until the train line is up and running, taxi/your own car is the only way you can get here.
Walk around/dine in the Pearl
The Pearl is the glitz and glam area in Qatar! You can see the wealth oozing from all directions, from the types of cars/jeeps, to the designer shops, to the beautiful yachts, to the classy restaurants. You get my gist, it’s a very nice area! Granted, dinner is expensive here and the traffic to get to the Pearl is often chronic! But definitely a place not to miss! It’s the only place in Doha that feels like a town or village as such as you can walk around outside from shop to shop, restaurant to restaurant. Whereas anywhere else in Doha, you cannot walk to!
Best time to go: not in the evening time (6 onwards) as the traffic is way too intense! Either before 6 or after 8.
How to get there: Again, until the train line is up and running, taxi/your own car is the only way you can get here. Just type ‘The Pearl’ into Uber or Waze and off you go.
Wonderful Water Sports
If you’re an outdoorsy, water loving type, there’s plenty of water sports for you to do. You can kayak in the mangroves, paddle board in the pearl or jet ski along the corniche. Jet skiing is great fun on the Qatari waters, as they’re generally calm, giving you opportunities to nip around quickly. Paddle boarding at the pearl is a lovely experience. We did it at sunset in a group led by an instructor and it was very enjoyable. I’ve yet to kayak in the mangroves, but it’s something I hope to do really soon!
Some weekends, I’m genuinely so tired from teaching and tutoring that I crash on the couch for Thursday and usually surface to do something on a Friday and/or Saturday! I hope reading this gave you an insight into some of the activities you can get up to at the weekend here in Doha. Some of these activities are pricey! I’m not shying away from that fact, just collecting together some of the activities you could do at the weekends! If you’ve any recommendations yourself, or you have any questions, please message me on Instagram or send me an email.
