2 days in Doha

Day by day

1. Day 1: Museum of Islamic Art and National Museum of Qatar

   Museum of Islamic Art, National Museum of Qatar, Doha Corniche and Old Doha Port, then Souq Waqif in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Museum of Islamic Art

      M. Pei designed this geometric limestone museum, opened in 2008, on its own promontory off the Corniche. Inside, a soaring atrium leads to galleries of manuscripts, ceramics, metalwork, textiles and jewellery spanning more than a thousand years from Spain to Central Asia. The surrounding MIA Park has lawns, cafés and Richard Serra's steel sculpture '7'.

   2. Late morning

      National Museum of Qatar

      Its immersive galleries move from Qatar's geology and Bedouin life to pearl diving and the oil era, with large-scale film projections.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Machboos

      Qatari restaurants in Souq Waqif and Katara, and home-style kitchens that serve traditional platters.

   4. Afternoon

      Doha Corniche

      Families, runners and cyclists fill it from late afternoon in the cooler months, and the skyline is lit up after dark.

   5. Late afternoon

      Old Doha Port

      It is a relaxed spot for a coffee and a walk by the water.

   6. Evening

      Souq Waqif

      Come after sunset, when the souq is at its liveliest, and eat at one of the grill restaurants on the main lane.

2. Day 2: Falcon Souq and Katara Cultural Village

   Falcon Souq, Katara Cultural Village, The Pearl and Qanat Quartier and Msheireb Museums, then Dhow cruise on Doha Bay in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Falcon Souq

      A specialist falcon hospital is next door. It is one of the most authentic glimpses of a living Gulf tradition.

   2. Late morning

      Katara Cultural Village

      Katara Beach has calm water and water sports for a fee.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Madrouba

      Qatari restaurants and Ramadan menus; Souq Waqif's traditional restaurants are a good place to try it.

   4. Afternoon

      The Pearl and Qanat Quartier

      It is a pleasant place for an evening walk and waterfront dinner.

   5. Late afternoon

      Msheireb Museums

      Four restored heritage houses in Msheireb tell Qatar's modern story: Bin Jelmood House on the history of slavery in the Indian Ocean world, Company House on the first oil workers, Mohammed Bin Jassim House on the district's rebuilding and Radwani House on family life before oil.

   6. Evening

      Dhow cruise on Doha Bay

      Agree the length of the trip and the price before boarding shared dhows on the Corniche.

Before you go

If it rains

• Swap in Qatar National Library (Education City): Combine it with a ride on the Education City tram and a visit to Mathaf nearby.
• Swap in Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art (Education City): Check what exhibitions are on before you go; the museum changes its displays regularly.
• Swap in 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum (Aspire Zone): Leave time for the interactive Sports Zone at the end, where children can try different sports.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 17–24 hours of visiting over 2 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 10.6 hours in December to 13.7 hours in June.

Getting between stops: Metro. Driverless trains run on the Red, Green and Gold lines with clean, air-conditioned stations.

More or fewer days

• One day in Doha
• 3 days in Doha
• 4 days in Doha
• 5 days in Doha

Questions travellers ask