Four days in Doha in January 2026 (page 2 of 4)

Hi Catherine,

Thanks for this great write-up on DOHA. Have a lovely evening! Guylène

Hi Catherine, A little detour to Doha before heading to the Seychelles... We had a long layover there (for the Seychelles too) but stayed inside the airport. A few years earlier, we’d spent a night (well, half a night really 🤪) during a layover to Tanzania, so we didn’t see much at sunrise. After reading this travel journal, I regret not spending an extra day or two there 😉

Thanks, Guylène

Hi Muriel, Doha is gorgeous and definitely worth spending a few days in—plus, it makes the flight to a farther destination way more pleasant.

Saturday, January 17, Katara Cultural Village - Crystal Walkway - The Pearl (continued)

The Crystal Walkway and The Pearl-Qatar are located on an artificial island north of Doha. To get your bearings, here’s an aerial view I found online where I marked the position of the Crystal Walkway. You can also easily spot the bridge we walked across to reach the island.



The Pearl is a crescent-shaped marina. Finding the pedestrian access isn’t very easy—we’re in the kingdom of cars, and the wide, fast roads often impossible to cross force us to take big detours. But with a bit of persistence and the help of a kind local who sees us searching, we manage to get there by walking along a waterway. The path goes under a bridge—you just had to find it.







Its Mediterranean-style marinas lined with yachts, residential towers, villas, hotels, boutiques, exhibition halls, and Michelin-starred restaurants aim to make it an "Arabian Riviera."







On our way back, we stop again at Katara for a comforting drink in the main square, hoping to find a sunny spot. But the sun has shifted, and everything’s in the shade. It’s not very warm. To counter the slight chill, gas braziers are lit, and it’s really nice with a hot tea.



Next to the terrace where we’re sitting, a huge Food Hall under a stunning glass roof offers food products whose quality doesn’t quite match the decor, but the place is worth a visit just for the view.



We wanted to visit the Katara Plaza shopping center—it offers high-end shopping with international brands—but we found it small and a bit disappointing, except for this lovely patisserie.



We thought we’d find the same buffet at the restaurant tonight, but no—yesterday was a one-off. Today, it’s à la carte. The dishes are delicious and very generous. The manager is incredibly attentive, offering us drinks, teas, coffees—anything we want, and way more than we can actually consume.

Sunday, January 18: Souk Wakrah, National Museum, Al Aziziyah, Aspire Park, Villaggio Mall

We order a taxi to take us to Souq Wakrah, south of the city, a bit farther than the airport. It’s known for being more traditional than Souq Waqif and has the advantage of being right by the sea. We make the mistake of arriving too early, just after 10 a.m., its official opening time. Most of the shops are still closed.





Only one is open.



The alleys are charming, even though everything is recently built. It must be really pleasant to stroll around when the shops are open and there’s more life and activity.





The long beach next to it has a nice promenade and plenty of bars and restaurants that are just starting to wake up. It’s best to come here later in the day—definitely not before noon. We’re a little disappointed.





Since everything’s closed, we quickly walk around and head back to our waiting taxi.

Sunday, January 18, National Museum, Al Aziziyah, Aspire Park, Villaggio Mall (continued)

Back in Doha, at the National Museum of Qatar. The very original and imposing building is a gigantic sand rose brought to life by architect Jean Nouvel’s imagination and set on the sand near the port.





The entry price is very reasonable, 6 €, and the visit traces the country’s history and progress through the centuries.





The visit left me a little disappointed. I recently watched a show on LCP channel where I learned much more about the country, its rapid development, the Emir of Qatar and his family, than during this visit. The most breathtaking part was definitely the building’s exceptional architecture.



In the early afternoon, we decide to visit Aspire Park. It’s one of Qatar’s largest and most popular parks. It features vast green spaces set within the huge green oasis of Aspire Park.

Access is easy—it’s the metro line’s terminus, right next to our hotel. Great! We’ll take the metro again!

This driverless metro runs very fast, and we quickly arrive at Al Aziziyah. Exiting the metro, we find ourselves in a large commercial area, with the park behind it. Knowing that distances here are long, very long...



Aspire Park is a vast expanse of grass dotted with a few rare trees, with a pond in the middle.







Swan-shaped pedal boats and various games await families, who must gather here in large numbers on days off. I’m not convinced this park, recommended by ChatGPT, was worth the trip.

Hi Catherine,

Too bad about the souk at opening time. Overall, I think Doha’s architecture is really cool.

Hi Catherine,

Your report is always so interesting, and your photos are gorgeous.

Too bad about the disappointment with the museum. On the other hand, the architecture is truly stunning—just seeing the outside is amazing.

I’d seen it last time but didn’t have time to visit. Noted for next time—I’ll definitely check it out just for the architecture.

Looking forward to the rest! !

Hi Jérôme,

The architecture in Doha is much less vertical than in Dubai, at least in the Old Doha district—that’s what makes the city feel accessible and pleasant (in my opinion). We’ll keep coming back to the souk, again and again. 😉

Hey Alfred,

The disappointment I felt about the museum was just a tiny one, and it’s only because I’d seen a really interesting show about it before coming. We’re lucky to have such fascinating programs on some channels.

The architecture of this museum is stunning and impressive in size when you get close to it. It’s also surrounded by small gardens designed as Bedouin life scenes.

Hi Catherine,

Thanks for this report and the great photos. It gives us an idea of what we could visit during the cruise planned for February 2027 if our health allows it. However, given our ages, it would be an excursion with Celestyal, including the Souq Waqif, the Pearl, and the Katara Cultural Village. We’re waiting for flight sales to see whether we’d take direct flights or ones with a layover, depending on price and the plane’s comfort. Have a great weekend! Guylène

It would be an excursion with Celestyal, including the Souq Waqif, the Pearl, and the Katara Cultural Village.

That already makes for a packed day. 😉

A rather sad day for the Persian Gulf… But let’s carry on.

Sunday, January 18: Souq Waqif, National Museum, Al Aziziyah, Aspire Park, Villaggio Mall

While looking for a shortcut to the metro, we enter Villaggio Mall to cut through instead of going around it. And what a pleasant surprise! We discover a massive mall in the pure Emirati tradition—slightly kitsch, sure, but with tons of stores in stunning settings.







Venice gets its moment to shine with a canal featuring clear, blue water, where electric gondolas take visitors for a ride.



A huge ice rink is surrounded by a variety of cafés and restaurants from all over the world, each one more beautiful than the last.



An entire street—no, an avenue—is dedicated to luxury in a lavish setting that perfectly matches the high-end brands.



This mall was exactly what I was missing—something we hadn’t seen yet during this trip.

Sunday, January 18, Souk Wakrah, National Museum, Al Aziziyah, Aspire Park, Villaggio Mall

On the metro ride back, two young guys board the Gold compartment with us. Like yesterday, an inspector comes by to check tickets… and they get fined.

The metro takes us back to Souq Waqif near our hotel, which is much nicer to explore today with fewer people than on Friday.





A long street is dedicated to bird shops, reminding me of the bird market in Hong Kong. I’m always surprised by how fascinated people are with little birds in cages—I love them, but only when they’re free.







Night falls gently, and the lights start to twinkle. There’s no sense of insecurity here—the atmosphere is peaceful.



This souk is huge; we’ll definitely be back to explore other sections.

Hey. I’ve been lurking since the start, but this… the gondolas, the fake sky… I just had to surface. You sure you weren’t at the Venetian in Las Vegas?

Hi Catherine!

I’ve been following your posts with interest because I visited Doha last year and I’m planning to go back to see the places I missed. Yeah, that mall does ring a bell—I spent a few hours there, and it’s really nice. It’s not the Dubai Mall, but it’s still a great spot. And then there’s the little Venice—it felt like we were in Las Vegas! It’s such a fun memory. Can’t wait to go back!

As you said, it’s a sad day for the Persian Gulf. In less than three weeks, I’m supposed to leave from Dubai, and I’m not calm at all. When I say *not at all*, I mean it—I’m really uneasy. I’m keeping my fingers crossed, but I’m worried about the worst.

Looking forward to what’s next.

Alfred

Hello again Catherine,

A little thought also for all the cruise travelers who are currently in the UAE. It’s not easy to manage when you’re far from home. I keep reading your report, and "Venice" in the Mall reminds me of Venice in a casino in LAS VEGAS. Have a great weekend! Guylène

Hi. I’ve been lurking since the start, but this... the gondolas, the fake sky... I just had to surface. You sure you weren’t at the Venetian in Las Vegas?

Hi Eric,

Sure enough, there’s also a "kitschy Venice" in Las Vegas—and in other places too. Venice is a theme that’s often used, with varying success. 😉 It’s kind of funny how everyone wants their own Venice.

Hi Catherine,

Such a sad day for the Persian Gulf... But let's carry on.

Yes, my thoughts are with everyone there, including the cruise passengers 😢. Airlines are in crisis since the airspace is closed and there are no more flights to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, or Bahrain, with thousands of passengers stranded all over the world and planes and crews far from their bases. I haven’t seen anything like this since COVID 😢.



I’ll be keeping a close eye on this, especially since I’m planning to transit through Doha in three weeks on my way to Australia. We’ll see how it goes 🤷‍♂️.

Doha keeps surprising me with its kitschy side too.