Trip Planner
Out of Doha
While tourism beyond Doha is still in its infancy, there are a number of interesting places outside the capital which are worth exploring. For a weekend break within the country, many residents head south for a night or two at the Sealine Beach Resort. This small resort, run by Qatar National Hotels, is a peaceful patch right on the beach that offers watersports and a variety of sporting activities. For others, camping in the desert, or on a remote beach, is the perfect antidote to city life. Residents are excited, too about the redevelopment of Banana Island, where Anantara is building a luxury fivestar resort. Most Qatar residents make the trip at least once to the Inland Sea (Khor Al Udeid) in the southeast, which provides an opportunity to drive through the mountainous dunes and witness the impressive waterway as it meanders like a river through the desert with Qatar on one bank and Saudi Arabia on the other.
While there are plenty of ways to spend your weekends within Qatar’s borders, if you feel like a change of scenery, a true getaway will involve a flight and Doha is within easy reach of some interesting places. The five other GCC countries warrant some exploration while you’re living in the region too, so whether you’re after the big city lights, diverse nightlife and limitless shopping of Dubai, high octane excitement at the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix race, the untamed beauty of Oman or simply a relaxing getaway in a five-star resort, there is plenty of choice accessible in under 90 minutes by air.
Because Qatar is essentially a one-city state with almost all the commercial, ceremonial and sporting activities taking place in the capital, the names Doha and Qatar have become almost interchangeable. Despite Doha’s dominant position in the country, there is much more to the rest of Qatar than meets the eye. Indeed, for some things such as beaches, unless you want to pay to sit on one belonging to a five-star hotel, you have to go outside of Doha to find them.
The interior of the country varies between barren desert plains and impressive sand dunes; along the coast you’ll find rocky outcrops, mangrove swamps and remote beaches. For many residents, weekends during the cooler months are spent pursuing outdoor activities such as camping, dune driving and watersports. If history and heritage are of more interest to you, Qatar has a number of archaeological sites and a collection of forts scattered around the country. Beyond Doha’s city limits the isolated farms, desert terrain, salt flats (sabka) and small villages provide a complete contrast to city life and afford a glimpse of how life in the country used to be.
For those interested in exploring beyond the capital, the country can be split into three distinct land areas, which radiate out from Doha to the north, the south and the west. Each of these areas can feasibly be covered in a day trip or a two-day camping trip, but there are also a number of towns and villages that, due to newly constructed roads, are within easy reach of Doha, both as interesting places to visit and as satellite commuting towns. Located within a 40km radius of Doha, these locations are attractive to commuters, as they offer lower rents and more space, and to weekend visitors looking to sample a different pace of life to the city. For more information on living in these areas, see Residential Areas.
Beyond Doha, the country’s attractions and places of interest are easiest to visit if you have your own vehicle and some areas, particularly Khor Al Udeid (the Inland Sea), the Ras Abruk Peninsula and desert regions, require the use of a 4WD. Alternatively, tour companies based in Doha visit a number of locations – Khor Al Udeid being one of the most popular destinations. Other tours include desert safaris, dhow cruises, taking in the oryx farm and camel racing, a northern tour going up to Zubarah Fort and the nearby excavated ruins in Al Ruwais and Al Khor, fishing, diving trips, kayaking in the mangroves, watersports, sand boarding and quad biking, as well as Doha shopping. Tour companies can be flexible in arranging whatever you want to do. Most trips have a minimum number, and the bigger your party the cheaper it will be per person (see Main Tour Operators). It’s worth finding out about the activities of social organisations and clubs as some of these organise regular picnics and camping trips around the country for members (see Social Groups; Activities & Hobbies). The Qatar Natural History Group organises excursions to remote areas for those interested in local flora and fauna, archaeology and geology.
While there are plenty of ways to spend your weekends within Qatar’s borders, if you feel like a change of scenery, a true getaway will involve a flight and Doha is within easy reach of some interesting places. The five other GCC countries warrant some exploration while you’re living in the region too, so whether you’re after the big city lights, diverse nightlife and limitless shopping of Dubai, high octane excitement at the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix race, the untamed beauty of Oman or simply a relaxing getaway in a five-star resort, there is plenty of choice accessible in under 90 minutes by air.
Because Qatar is essentially a one-city state with almost all the commercial, ceremonial and sporting activities taking place in the capital, the names Doha and Qatar have become almost interchangeable. Despite Doha’s dominant position in the country, there is much more to the rest of Qatar than meets the eye. Indeed, for some things such as beaches, unless you want to pay to sit on one belonging to a five-star hotel, you have to go outside of Doha to find them.
The interior of the country varies between barren desert plains and impressive sand dunes; along the coast you’ll find rocky outcrops, mangrove swamps and remote beaches. For many residents, weekends during the cooler months are spent pursuing outdoor activities such as camping, dune driving and watersports. If history and heritage are of more interest to you, Qatar has a number of archaeological sites and a collection of forts scattered around the country. Beyond Doha’s city limits the isolated farms, desert terrain, salt flats (sabka) and small villages provide a complete contrast to city life and afford a glimpse of how life in the country used to be.
For those interested in exploring beyond the capital, the country can be split into three distinct land areas, which radiate out from Doha to the north, the south and the west. Each of these areas can feasibly be covered in a day trip or a two-day camping trip, but there are also a number of towns and villages that, due to newly constructed roads, are within easy reach of Doha, both as interesting places to visit and as satellite commuting towns. Located within a 40km radius of Doha, these locations are attractive to commuters, as they offer lower rents and more space, and to weekend visitors looking to sample a different pace of life to the city. For more information on living in these areas, see Residential Areas.
Beyond Doha, the country’s attractions and places of interest are easiest to visit if you have your own vehicle and some areas, particularly Khor Al Udeid (the Inland Sea), the Ras Abruk Peninsula and desert regions, require the use of a 4WD. Alternatively, tour companies based in Doha visit a number of locations – Khor Al Udeid being one of the most popular destinations. Other tours include desert safaris, dhow cruises, taking in the oryx farm and camel racing, a northern tour going up to Zubarah Fort and the nearby excavated ruins in Al Ruwais and Al Khor, fishing, diving trips, kayaking in the mangroves, watersports, sand boarding and quad biking, as well as Doha shopping. Tour companies can be flexible in arranging whatever you want to do. Most trips have a minimum number, and the bigger your party the cheaper it will be per person (see Main Tour Operators). It’s worth finding out about the activities of social organisations and clubs as some of these organise regular picnics and camping trips around the country for members (see Social Groups; Activities & Hobbies). The Qatar Natural History Group organises excursions to remote areas for those interested in local flora and fauna, archaeology and geology.
