Sunset Dhow Cruise with Dinner Doha

The dhow harbour on the Doha Corniche

Your cruise starts at the dhow harbour on the Doha Corniche, a sheltered marina near the Museum of Islamic Art where traditional boats still moor side by side. For centuries this stretch of coast was the working heart of Doha: fishermen landed their catch here, and pearl divers set out for months at a time to the oyster banks offshore. Today the harbour is a calm spot of painted wooden hulls, ropes and flags, with the city towers rising behind.

Our driver brings you to the boarding point and the crew welcome you on board. If you choose the option without transfers, the meeting point is a café on the Corniche close to the museum. Arrive a few minutes early to take photos of the harbour before departure; the Doha Corniche boat trip is one of the easiest ways to see the city from a new angle.

The traditional dhow of Qatar

The dhow is the boat that built life on this coast. Made of wood with a high curved bow and a broad deck, it carried pearl divers, fishermen and traders between Qatar, India and East Africa for hundreds of years. Pearling was the main source of income in Qatar until the 1930s, and the skills of dhow builders are still honoured in festivals and in the heritage boats you see along the Corniche.

The dhows used for this cruise keep the classic shape and are fitted with comfortable seating on deck and soft lighting for the evening. Majlis-style cushions, carpets and low tables set the mood, and the gentle motion of the boat makes the experience relaxing rather than adventurous. It is a traditional dhow boat in Qatar adapted for a comfortable dinner cruise, ideal for families and couples alike.

West Bay skyline by night

The highlight of a Doha dinner cruise is the view of West Bay after dark. From the middle of the bay you see the whole skyline at once: the slim cylindrical Doha Tower, the twisting office blocks and the tall hotels, all lit in changing colours and reflected on the calm water. Thirty years ago much of this land was empty sand, and seeing it from the sea makes the scale of Doha's growth easy to understand.

The boat follows the bay at a slow pace so you have time for photos from every side of the deck. On cooler winter evenings many travellers sit on the open deck for the full hour. If you want the sunset itself, choose one of the earlier departures in the booking panel, when the sky turns orange behind the towers and the lights come on one by one.

Museum of Islamic Art and the Corniche lights

On the way out and back, the dhow passes close to the Museum of Islamic Art, which stands on its own island at the end of a short causeway. Its stacked limestone blocks glow softly at night, and from the water you can appreciate the geometric design that makes it one of the most recognisable buildings in the Middle East. The landscaped park beside it often hosts evening markets and families enjoying the breeze.

Along the seven-kilometre Corniche, palm trees, fountains and the lights of the old centre around Souq Waqif complete the panorama. After the cruise you can ask our driver to drop you at Souq Waqif instead of your hotel if it is on the way, as the market is at its liveliest late in the evening. Doha at night from the water is one of the top things to do in Doha at night for every age.