Doha Guided City Tour with Hotel or Airport Pickup

Souq Waqif, the old market of Doha

Souq Waqif, the standing market, takes its name from the traders who once stood along the banks of a seasonal stream to sell goods brought in from the desert and the sea. The market was carefully restored in the 2000s with mud-plastered walls, exposed wooden beams and shaded alleys, so today it looks much as old Doha did. Shops sell spices, dates, frankincense, oud perfume, textiles and handicrafts, and a dedicated falcon souq shows the birds that are still prized in Qatari culture.

On this Doha city tour you have about an hour here with your guide, enough to wander the main lanes, see the falcon shops and pick up a few souvenirs. Many visitors ask whether Souq Waqif is worth visiting: it is the most atmospheric place in the city, especially in the late afternoon and evening, when cafés and halal restaurants fill the courtyards and the lamps come on.

Museum of Islamic Art and MIA Park

The Museum of Islamic Art stands on its own small island off the Corniche, a pale limestone building of stacked geometric blocks inspired by classical Islamic architecture. Opened in 2008, it holds one of the finest collections of its kind in the world: manuscripts, ceramics, metalwork, glass, jewellery and textiles spanning more than a thousand years, from Spain to Central Asia and India. The great atrium with its tall window looks straight across the water to the towers of West Bay.

The tour stops at the museum and the landscaped MIA Park beside it, one of the best viewpoints of the Doha skyline. Entry to the galleries is not part of the price, so you can decide on the day. Check the Museum of Islamic Art opening hours before you travel: museums in Qatar stay closed on Friday mornings, and the building closes in the evening, so late departures visit another landmark instead.

Doha Corniche and the West Bay skyline

The Doha Corniche is a palm-lined promenade of about seven kilometres that curves around Doha Bay, linking the old centre near Souq Waqif with the modern district of West Bay. Wooden dhows rest at their moorings along the water, joggers and families use the paths in the cooler hours, and every few hundred metres a new angle opens on the skyline. The panoramic drive here is one of the classic Doha sightseeing moments.

Your guide stops for photos where the view is best, then continues into West Bay, where the city grew from almost nothing into a forest of glass towers in barely two decades. You pass the slim cylindrical Doha Tower, the twisting shapes of the office blocks and the diplomatic area, and hear how gas wealth transformed Qatar since the 1970s. In the evening the whole bay is lit up and the reflections on the water are spectacular.

The Pearl-Qatar and Porto Arabia

The Pearl-Qatar is an artificial island of nearly four million square metres built on the site of one of the old pearl-diving grounds, a reminder of the trade that sustained Qatar before oil and gas. Its centrepiece is Porto Arabia, a horseshoe-shaped marina lined with yachts, Mediterranean-style towers and a boardwalk of cafés and shops, while the nearby Qanat Quartier copies the canals and pastel facades of a Venetian district.

On the tour you have about thirty minutes at The Pearl-Qatar to walk part of the boardwalk and take photos of the marina. It is a relaxed contrast to the souq and shows the modern lifestyle of Doha. If you want to come back later, the island is easy to reach by taxi from West Bay in about fifteen minutes, and the boardwalk is pleasant for an evening stroll.

Katara Cultural Village

Katara Cultural Village opened in 2010 as a district dedicated to the arts, on the coast between West Bay and The Pearl. Its sand-coloured lanes hold galleries, cultural associations, a theatre and an opera house, a large open-air amphitheatre in classical style looking out to sea, traditional pigeon towers and a public beach. Two mosques stand out: one covered in blue and turquoise tiles, the other clad in shimmering gold mosaic.

The tour includes about thirty minutes here for photos and a short walk to the amphitheatre and the mosques. Katara often hosts exhibitions, festivals and craft markets, so there may be something extra to see on the day. It is a good place to understand how Qatar invests in culture, and it makes a calm final stop before our driver takes you back to your hotel or to the airport.