Tourist Attractions

Museum of Islamic Art

Distance to HIA: ~15 minutes

Open Hours: Sunday/Monday/Wednesday 10.30am-5.30pm, Thursday & Saturday 12pm – 8pm, Friday 2pm – 8 pm. (closed Tuesday)

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.

Visit Website: http://www.mia.org.qa/en/

Mathaf Museum

Distance from HIA: ~33 minutes

Open Hours: Sunday/Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday/Saturday – 11am-6pm; Friday – 3pm-9pm; closed Monday.

The Mathaf Museum of Modern Arab Art opened in Education City in 2010 and hosts regular exhibitions of contemporary art with a permanent collection of regional art and design.

Visit Website:http://www.mathaf.org.qa/

Katara Cultural Village

Open 24 hours

Distance from HIA: 30 minutes

Katara Cultural Village is the focal point for arts and culture in Doha and has art galleries, an amphitheater for opera, drama and concerts performance as well as restaurants and a beach and water sports facilities.

Visit Website: http://www.katara.net

Fort Zubarah

Distance from HIA: ~1.5-2 hours

A trip to the ancient 18th century Fort Zubarah in the North of the country is a must for visitors wanting to explore Qatar’s historical landmarks.

Souq Waqif

Distance from HIA: 15 minutes

Souq Waqif offers the bustle and vitality of old traditional souq with perfectly replicated buildings featuring traditional architecture. There you will find handicrafts on display as well as traditional foods and spices, perfumes, fabrics and art. Young Qataris are being encouraged to set up businesses promoting old crafts and traditional wares.

Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum

Distance from HIA: ~15 minutes

Open Hours: Monday to Wednesday – 9am-6pm, Thursday – 9am-8pm, closed Sunday and Monday

Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani has built his own museum at his farm in Al Sheehaniya located 20km west of Doha. This private museum comprises of more than 15,000 pieces, collected during his worldwide travels. The museum has a varied collection of artifacts including fossils, manuscripts, textiles, weapons, ceramics, woodwork, contemporary art, pre- and Islamic coins and foreign currency. There is also a section devoted to Qatari and Bedouin heritage, including fishing boats and traditional Qatari houses. The facility also has an attached farm housing more than 1,000 Arabian onyx, gazelles, and peacocks. Entrance is free.

Barzan Tower

Distance from HIA: ~40-45 minutes

Located in Umm Salal, this building was previously built as a watchtower in the 19th century.

Natural Landmarks

With the sun shining every day and a surprisingly rich ecology, Qatar offers an engaging natural environment to explore. The surrounding desert provides a great deal of interest and adventure with such natural landmarks as the Dhal Al Misfir, Desert Roses and the Singing Sand Dunes.

Dhal Al Misfir

Distance from HIA: ~1 hour 10 minutes

Dhal Al Misfir is a 40-meter deep cave formation located north of the Salwa Road, with fibrous gypsum crystal.

Desert Roses

Distance to HIA: ~1 hour 5 minutes

The low salt flats near Al Shahaniya and north of the Saudi border are collecting grounds for those willing to dig for the attractive gypsum formations known as ‘desert roses’.

The Singing Sand Dunes

(40 km Southwest of Doha)

Distance from HIA: ~50 minutes

There are certain conditions in which the movement of sand grains can create a low murmur or ‘singing’ – a phenomenon often reported 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.

Al Dakhira Natural Reserves

Distance from HIA : ~1 hour 10 minutes

Turn right at the northern end of Al Khor Corniche towards Al Dakhira. At the next roundabout, turn right; take the first left and pass through the gap in the houses. Heading left away from the village, pass the car park and jetty, onto a track across the salt marsh, leading eventually to a small wadi (desert ditch) and then the beach.

Park near the wadi unless you are in a four-wheel-drive. Rich in mangroves and popular with ornithologists, this stretch of coast is mainly sabkha (salt flats) and treacherous to cross.

When wet, the sabkha are like quicksand; vehicles settle down in the sticky ‘mud’ and can become impossible to move. Keep to dry, well-defined tracks.

Ras Abrouq Natural Reserves

Distance from HIA: ~1 hour 5 minutes

Ras Abrouq or Bir Zekreet, a favourite spot for weekend campers, is at the very tip of a peninsula northeast of Dukhan (four-wheel-drive is required). Follow the main Doha-Dukhan road, and several kilometres past the turnoff for Al Jumailiya (about 5 km before the flyover) is a fork where the old Dukhan road veers off to the right – look out for this as there is only one sign, in Arabic. After 1.5 km, turn right onto the road that heads up the northeastern side of the Ras Abrouq peninsula, follow for about 21 km and then branch off to the left, heading up and onto the top of the jebel (hills). The track passes the wild deer reserve set up by the Ministry of Environment and through an area that looks like a deserted village but was actually built as a film set. Notice the trees: the lower branches are ‘cropped’ in a straight line where the camels have eaten them!

After almost 9 km, an abandoned police post can be seen on top of a jebel. Go around the base and head out over the causeway on the left, leading to the tip of the peninsula. The area is full of interesting coves and bays, but the best is at the far end: a sweeping half-moon bay flanked at both ends by rocky outcrops.

Khor Al Adaid -Natural Reserves

(80 km south from Doha)

Distance from HIA : ~2.5-3 hours
Also known as the Inland Sea, this breathtakingly beautiful area, surrounded by crescent-shaped sand dunes, is one of Qatar’s finest treasures and a prime tourism asset. A shallow tidal lake with a narrow outlet to the sea, the many-lobed Khor Al Adaid lies between Qatar and Saudi Arabia and has shores in each country.

Four-wheel-drive vehicles are necessary and only experienced drivers should attempt the journey. Alternatively, local tour operators organise day trips and overnight camps, providing exhilarating drives along the dunes, with barbecues, entertainment and the opportunity to ride camels or sand ski.

Four-wheel-drive vehicles are necessary and only experienced drivers should attempt the journey. Alternatively, local tour operators organise day trips and overnight camps, providing exhilarating drives along the dunes, with barbecues, entertainment and the opportunity to ride camels or sand ski.

Umm Tais-Natural Reserves

Designated as a nature reserve and protected area at the time of the 15^th Asian Games in 2006, Umm Tais has small islets and sand bars with mangrove forests, beaches, geological structures, a varied habitat teeming with marine and bird life, and an important turtle-nesting beach. The ruins of the ancient village of Al Mafjar are nearby on the mainland. The Qatar Museums Authority plans to reconstruct the existing houses and mosque, as well as develop parts of the area into a visitor centre, ranger station and research area. For further information and directions, please contact one of the local tour companies.