Qatar Itinerary

 

Travelling during the start of Ramadan was an exciting time for me.  I got to see how the Muslim countries like UAE and Qatar celebrate this occasion.  Coming from the western world, there really isn't much of a celebration other than with families and within the local Muslim communities.  So, not only did I get to see how the countries celebrate the month of Ramadan, I also got to participate in it.  

I was warned that the restaurants and hotels would stop serving food during Ramadan until it was time to break the fast.  I found out this is true.  The hotel I stayed at, closed the dining area to discourage foreign guests to eat in public.  If they wanted to eat food, they could order but it would only be from room service. Restaurants were closed in the city until Iftar prayer time in the evening. Water bottles were hard to come by unless you asked the front desk for it as you wouldn't be able to purchase one anywhere, as my non-Muslim friend found out.

Qatar was a beautiful place to discover; from the people to the landscape to the food.  There was so much to see and do.  I had a wonderful itinerary planned and only got to do some of them as I sprained my ankle at a mosque on the second day.  However, I did manage to get in a few things.  I'll also include some of the places I would have gone to discover if I had been more mobile.

DAY 1

I flew into Doha, Qatar around noon and was shortly picked up at our hotel by the desert safari I had booked with; Ocean Desert Safari.

DOHA: SAFARI, CAMEL RIDE, SANDBOARDING AND INLAND SEA (Get Your Guide)

My friend and I were picked up in a van at our hotel by the safari company and we were taken to the sand dunes for a camel ride.  We drank tea and took photos on our short guided camel ride.

After our camel ride excursion, we were shuffled into a different vehicle that would be used for the rest of the duration of the safari.  We were in a large SUV, along with three other vehicles and proceeded to ride deeper into the desert.  If you have never experienced dune bashing in vehicle, I can tell you nothing can prepare you for it.  It was thrilling, exciting and sometimes even terrifying as the vehicle would feel like it was about to flip over at times. Because of the dangerous nature of the ride, they go in groups of SUV's to keep and eye on the other cars for safety reasons.  Our driver was Abud, and he had been driving for a few years and he was a confident driver, thankfully.

All the vehicles meet up at one point and then the opportunity to sandboard down a hill was given to everyone to try. My friend went and she volunteered to be the first one to show the group how it was done. 

She said it was fun going down but it was much harder to come back up, especially carrying a sandboard.  The wind was also kicking up the sand in everyone's face as they were coming back up, which also make the trek harder.  

After everyone was done with sandboarding, we got back into the SUV's and headed to the Inland Sea.  From this point, you could literally see Saudi Arabia across the sea.  It was quite close.  We stayed until sunset and then headed back to our hotel. 

I highly recommend the desert safari in Qatar.  It was different from my desert experience in Abu Dhabi, as that one was in an open land rover and there was no dune bashing involved. It was a completely different experience and vibe from this one.  Both were wonderful though.

SOUQ WAQIF - BASTA RESTAURANT

We were hungry when we got back as it was late evening.  We hadn't eaten since morning.  The hotel suggested we walk towards the Souq Waqif for dinner.  We found a place called Basta.  They had a lovely menu and the food was tasty. I had biriyani with karak (masala) chai and my friend had the lamb chops.

After dinner, we walked around the Souq Waqif and explored some stores.  We came across a giant thumb.  It was installed for having just hosted FIFA 2023 just a month before.  It was the golden thumbs up.

Location: Souq Waqif, Doha, Qatar

DAY 2

It was the first day of Ramadan in Doha.  I observed the fasting this day.  I had something ordered to my room for 3am for suhoor (breakfast) before I started my fast. 

THE METRO CORNICHE - RAINBOW UMBRELLA WALKWAY

I walked to the Qatar National Museum Station and took the red line on the subway to get to The Metro Corniche Station.  There are several colourful umbrella tunnels to shade you from the scorching sun as you walk across the park.

Location: Metro Corniche Station

MUSEUM OF ISLAMIC ART

The Museum of Islamic Art is located by the harbour and is situated on a pier overlooking the water.  Don't miss out on seeing the artifacts on display here. It's a short distance from the Souq Waqif Station.

Location: Museum of Islamic Art, Doha

EDUCATION CITY MOSQUE 

This mosque is located a little out of the way from the city centre.  I took a Karwa cab to the mosque.  I wanted to explore the beautiful mosque and capture the beauty of the futuristic architecture. It looked more like the Starship Enterprise (Star Trek reference) than a mosque. Unfortunately, here is where I got injured.  I was not looking where I was walking while taking a picture and stepped into a water drain in the courtyard and sprained my ankle badly.  I had to call for the cab again and head back to the hotel as I could barley walk on the ankle.  

From here on, I was mainly staying in bed with my ankle elevated and iced.  However, I will share what I had planned in my itinerary for the remaining time I was there.

Location: 8C8W+MQ6, Georgetown Access Rd, Ar-Rayyan, Qatar

THE QATAR STATE GRAND MOSQUE

Not my photo.  Taken from ILoveQatar.net

This beautiful mosque is also known as Mohammad Ibn Abdul Wahab Mosque.  It's the largest mosque in Qatar with 93 domes and can host up to 30,000 people inside.  If you would like to have a look inside you are most welcome to do so outside of prayer time.  You can either go by yourself or opt for a tour guide.

Location: 7GQH+MCV, Doha, Qatar

THE AL FANAR MOSQUE TOUR

The Al Fanar Mosque is also known as the Spiral Mosque and  hosts tours in the afternoon around 2pm, where they would serve tea, give you a tour and you would receive a book about Islam as a souvenir.  Although I am also Muslim and I am able to access the mosque at anytime, I do like attending tours of mosques to understand the history of it. You can also visit outside of prayer hours if you do not want to attend the tour.

Location: 7GQP+G9J, Doha, Qatar

SHOP SOUQ WAQIF

This Souq has it all.  If you are looking for souvenirs to take back home or to have some experiences like holding a falcon or petting a camel, this place has it all.  It also has some great restaurants inside if you get hungry. There is also an art gallery, spice markets, perfume stores, carpet stores and traditional Emerati clothing you can buy here. It's located right across from the Al Fanar Mosque.  It can get a little confusing to find your way back out once you start wandering around. I followed the spiral of the mosque to find my way out of the Souq the first night.

Location: No formal Address

BARZAN TOWERS

They are also known as the Umm Salal Mohammed Fort Towers.  They are 19th century watchtowers built to monitor the Arab lands and wells in their surrounding area.  They are located on hill called the Jebel Lusail.  

Location CC96+FX8، Muhammed,، الشحانية, Qatar

DAY 3

KATARA CULTURAL VILLAGE

I loved visiting Katara Cultural Village.  I was determined to get out and see something on my last day there as I had spent the other day in bed with my ankle sprain. My friend and I arrived at around 8-8:30am, before the tour buses got there at 9am. It can get quite busy once the buses pull in.  We taxied it from our hotel to get there.  My friend, thankfully, was also able to secure a golf cart ride service for us so I didn't have to struggle hobbling around.  Katara Village is a large compound with an Amphitheatre and shops.  

In the picture above, those two large buildings are pigeon towers.  The pigeon fertilizer were collected and were used for farming.

The Katara Mosque is located directly across from the pigeon towers.  It's worth a look inside just to see the chandelier alone!  Please make sure you are dressed respectfully to enter a mosque, if you do decide to go in.  

Location: Katara Cultural Village, Doha, Qatar

THE PEARL

The Pearl is an island made of reclaimed land spanning 2.5 miles of the Persian Gulf.  Once this island is completed, it is expected to have 19,000 dwellings and 45,000 people living there.  It will have Arabic, Mediterranean and European cultural themes to the island.  

Location: Ad-Dawah Municipality, Qatar

CANON BLAST

It was traditionally used to announce the commencement of Ramadan with two cannon shots then later followed by a single boom to announce the closure of the fast of the day.  This was the best way to announce the close of fast for the day in the pre-loud speaker era. This custom is called Midfaa Iftar.

My friend was able to go to Souq Waqif in the evening without me and see the blast herself as I was still recovering in my hotel room.  

Location: Souq Waqif

AL MOURJAN RESTAURANT

My Iftari to break my fast; cheese ad spinach pide, minced meat pide, figs and dates

Al Mourjan Restaurant

Outside seating with a city view!

Had my iftari dinner at the Al Mourjan Restaurant on our last night.  I was able to hobble out of the hotel and was able to break my fast here.  They had a buffet menu for both the iftari and for the dinner portion.  The chef came out and spoke to everyone.  He loves Canada.  Really nice guy.  The whole staff were friendly and we got a table right by the water with a beautiful view of the city skyline.  I recommend this restaurant for a great night out.

They brought out the golf cart when they saw me struggling to walk and took me back to the street so I could wait for the cab to take me home.  They even called for our cab. Great service!

Location: 7GPJ+CJ6, Doha, Qatar

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF QATAR

On my last day in Qatar, I got up early and hobbled down the street to the National Museum of Qatar.  The building architecture is supposed to resemble the Qatari desert rose, designed by artist Jean Nouvel.  You can see the petals on the building.  It was opened in March of 2019.  

The Museum hosts mind provoking exhibits and a virtual museum experience.  It also has a Desert Rose Cafe, Jiwan Restaurant inside and a large park outside the building. Don't miss the museum experience in Qatar!

Location: Museum Pk St, Doha, Qatar

Doha is a beautiful city and I wished I was more mobile to see more of it's beauty.  One day, Insha Allah, I will go back.  If you have a few days to spend in the middle east, this is definitely a stop on your itinerary.  The people are friendly, the food is delicious and the culture is amazing.  

Please note that some locations have not been noted as they do not have a formal address.  Probably best to google it for a more accurate location.