Nightlife · Doha · Qatar
Doha nightlife
Where the evenings happen in Doha, from early drinks to late nights.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: km2bp @ Mapillary.com, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Doha's nightlife is low-key: hotel lounges and rooftop bars, waterfront restaurants and late-night shisha cafés in Souq Waqif rather than clubs. Alcohol is limited to licensed venues, mostly in hotels. The main areas are West Bay hotels, The Pearl and Souq Waqif.
Key facts
- Nightlife areas
- 3
- Local drink
- Karak chai
Where to go out
West Bay hotels
Rooftop and lobby bars in the high-rise hotels, with skyline views and live music on some nights.
The Pearl
Waterfront restaurants and lounges around Porto Arabia, some with licences, popular with residents.
Souq Waqif
Alcohol-free shisha cafés and restaurants open late, busiest on Thursday and Friday nights.
Nightlife tips
- Carry your passport or photo ID to enter hotel bars; age checks are common.
- Drinking alcohol in public and being drunk in public are offences; keep drinking inside licensed venues.
- Take a taxi or ride-hailing car back; there is zero tolerance for drink-driving.
Evening sights
Market · Souq Waqif and Old Doha
Souq Waqif
Come after sunset, when the souq is at its liveliest, and eat at one of the grill restaurants on the main lane.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Food
- Shopping
- After dark
Waterfront · Corniche
Doha Corniche
Walk the stretch from MIA Park to the Sheraton Park in the early evening, then take the Red Line back from West Bay.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Views
- Kids
- After dark
Experience · Corniche
Dhow cruise on Doha Bay
Agree the length of the trip and the price before boarding shared dhows on the Corniche.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes to 2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Couples
- Kids
- Views
- After dark
Street · Lusail
Lusail Boulevard
Ride the Lusail Tram between the boulevard, the marina and the mall instead of walking in the heat.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- After dark
- Shopping
- Architecture
What to drink
- Karak chai — Black tea boiled hard with evaporated milk, sugar and cardamom, sold for small change and drunk at any hour.
- Qahwa with dates — Pale, cardamom-spiced Arabic coffee poured into small cups as a sign of hospitality. Shake the cup gently from side to side to show you have had enough.
Evenings through the year
Sunset and the overnight low decide how long the outdoor part of a night lasts. June has the warmest evenings, with lows around 30°C (86°F).
| Month | Sunset (15th) | Overnight low | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | About 17:05 | 14°C (57°F) | 2 |
| April | About 17:56 | 22°C (72°F) | 1 |
| July | About 18:27 | 32°C (90°F) | 0 |
| October | About 17:07 | 26°C (79°F) | 0 |
Getting home late
- Metro — Buy a rechargeable Travel Card at any station rather than single tickets if you will ride several times.
- Tram — The Lusail Tram links Lusail's marina, boulevard and Place Vendôme mall; a free tram loops around Msheireb Downtown; and the Education City tram connects the campus buildings, library and Mathaf.
- Bus — Free Metrolink feeder buses connect many metro stations with surrounding neighbourhoods, and Mowasalat (Karwa) runs public bus routes across the city.
- Taxi — Karwa taxis are metered and can be booked by app or found at ranks at malls, hotels and the airport.
- Ride-hailing — Uber and Careem both operate in Doha and are popular for areas the metro does not reach, such as The Pearl and Katara.
- Walking — The Corniche, Souq Waqif, Msheireb and Katara are pleasant on foot from November to March; outside those months, limit walking to early morning and evening.
Staying safe at night
Street crime is low, and the main risks are heat and road traffic. Drink plenty of water, limit midday walking from April to October, and cross roads at signals. Laws on public behaviour, alcohol and drugs are strict and enforced.
- Emergency number
- 999 (police, ambulance and fire)
Where to stay for nightlife
Questions travellers ask
+Where is the best nightlife in Doha?
West Bay hotels, The Pearl and Souq Waqif. Rooftop and lobby bars in the high-rise hotels, with skyline views and live music on some nights.