Are you planning a flight with Qatar Airways but weighing up whether it’s worth doing a Doha stopover? It could all come down to how many hours you have to spare, and the season you are visiting in.
What can you do in Doha during a short stopover?
What can you see and do if you have a stopover flying through Doha airport (DOH) – which means more than 5 hours and less than 24 hours – in Doha?
In this post, we will cover several Doha layover and stopover options, including:
- Staying in the airport – how long can you spend at DOH?
- Sleeping at or near the airport – which hotels are closest to DOH?
- Take a guided tour – what are the best Doha transit tours?
- Self-explore around Doha – airport transit options and biggest city highlights to see.
Option 1 Doha Layover: Stay at the Hamad International Airport (DOH)
On the scale of things, Doha’s Hamad International Airport (DOH) isn’t too bad an airport for a long layover. There are plenty of family-friendly touches, eateries and rest areas.
In partnership with Qatar Museums, transiting passengers can enjoy artwork – including various children’s playgrounds, which themselves are artwork!
Let’s take a run through all the facilities you will find at DOH.
Airport lounges in DOH
If you have a longish transit stop but not enough time to leave the airport (under 5 hours), we suggest this is an airport you might want to invest in lounge access (or check if any of your credit cards gives you access). You will find:
- Al Safwa First Lounge
- Al Mourjan Business Lounge
- Al Mourjan Business Lounge – The Garden
- The Business Class Lounge
- Platinum Lounge
- Gold Lounge
- Silver Lounge
- Al Maha Services Lounges
- The Oryx Lounge
- Unaccompanied Minors Lounge – strictly only children who are being transitted as Unaccompanied Minors
It’s important to note that First Class and Business Class lounges are only available to those who are flying First Class or Business. Similarly, the Platinum, Gold and Silver Lounges are only available to Qatar Airways Club Platinum, Gold and Silver members.
Doha Airport is well-equipped for families. You can find family bathrooms, parents rooms for changing and feeding, plenty of play spaces, and activity nodes. Seeking out the giant teddy bear art instalment is always a winner!
Option 2: Sleeping in and near DOH airport
If you’d rather get some shut eye during a long layover in Qatar, there’s a few options:
Sleeping at Hamad International Airport
There are limited sleeping options within DOH, but plenty nearby.
There are two hotels located on the airside. The first is Oryx Doha Airport Transit Hotel. With 100 rooms of varying sizes from one beds to suites, they are suitable for families (quads offer 2 single beds and 1 double). With a minimum 5-hour stay, you’ll find complimentary water, wifi and discounted access to the Vitality Wellness Centre. You can also order room services at the hotel. You’ll find this hotel quite centrally in Concourse B.
Another newer option that has opened is Oryx Garden Hotel, in the North Node (end of Concourse C).
You can also pay by the hour to use one of the sleep ‘n fly Lounges (available in North Node and South Node). These are fairly snug and basic accommodations, offering cabins and sleeping pods. There is a minimum two-hour stay and various options available, such as Bunk Cabin, Family Bunk Cabin, and FlexiSuite Pod.
Guests can also just pay to use the Vitality Wellness Centre. This includes a 25-metre pool, gymnasium and hydrotherapy tub for 175QAR ($48 USD). Massages and treatments at the Spa cost extra. Open 24/7.
Quiet Rooms at Doha International Airport
If you want a quiet place to rest, there are dedicated “Quiet Rooms” on Concourse A, B, and C—but if you’re travelling with kids, these are not really realistic options. Firstly, they separate men and women—and well, kids and quiet? BYO blanket from off the plane during transit, as the aircon can be fierce.
Hotels near Doha Airport
Hamad International Airport sits on its own little peninsula, and strangely, they seem to have built the entrance at the furthest possible point away from the city, so there are no hotels immediately near the airport.
The closest hotels to transit to by taxi about 10 minutes away are:
- Sharq Villa & Spa – a Ritz Carlton Hotel – a beautiful luxury option
- Oryx Rotana – good midrange option
- Fraser Suites Doha – if you need a larger room
Plentiful hotels are available closer to the city; we will cover these in our next Qatar series article.
Option 3: Doha Sightseeing Tour With Qatar Airways
If you are in Doha for more than five hours, leaving the airport is well worth exploring the city’s major attractions.
Note on Qatar Airways Tours: At one point, these used to be free, but this is now a paid service for all passengers.
Whilst no longer free, the range of tours offered directly by Qatar Airways is expansive and includes options such as:
- Discover Doha – classic shared sightseeing tour (Tour is 3 hours: suits a 6-hour transit)
- Shuttle Service – direct transfer to either the National Museum of Qatar, Museum of Islamic Art or Doha Beach Club (for 8-hour+ transits)
- Private Vehicle & Driver Tours – chose a standard car or luxury car (3 & 5 hour options)
You can see the complete list of options to book directly with Qatar Airways here
Getting your Doha Transit Visa
In late 2016, the QTA (Qatar Tourism Authority) introduced FREE 96-hour transit visas with layovers of 5 hours or more for nationals of over 80 countries.
A multi-entry waiver is now issued at the airport on arrival. The visa waiver categories are found here.
To be eligible, you must have an onward ticket, hold a valid passport for at least 6 months, and share an email address to process the visa. Note there are separate rules for Indian and Pakistani nationals. If you are not one of the 80 nationalities, you can still apply for a Qatar Tourist Visa.
Some reading ideas for your Stopover in Doha
Option 4: Arrange Your Own Tour or DIY Doha Itinerary
Whether you like to take comfort in having all the arrangements and transport taken care of for you, or you like to plot our your own itinerary and move at your own pace, there are plenty of ways to tour Doha city on your stopover.
Doha Transit Tour
Doha is a great sightseeing city and one of those places where taking a small guided tour or joining a tour bus is an ideal way to get around and see all the highlights. You can try one of these organised tours:
Self-tour Doha during a layover
If you prefer to grab a taxi or even a hire car and self-tour (Be prepared for the urgh, unique driving style of the Middle East), these are some of the major Qatar attractions you will want to include:
- Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) – free entry (closed Tuesday)
- The Pearl – an artificial island of residences and shops intertwined with canals and plazas – the “Arabian Riviera”
- Souq Waqif – beautifully restored from the original markets that stood for over a century – the traditional city hub of trade and entertainment
- Katara Cultural Village – “Valley of Cultures” is home to the city’s cultural events, traditional handicrafts, restaurants and plenty of green areas to run around
- Traditional dhow cruise – for beautiful skyline views, best in the cooler weather
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Visiting with Kids? Check out our kid-friendly Doha suggestions for plenty of places they can run about between flights, indoors and outdoors
If you have a longer layover that will last into the night, we recommend adding a desert safari to get a taste of Bedouin life and Qatari hospitality – as well as some thrills and spills to keep you going until that next long flight!
You may also squeeze in a visit to the al Zubarah Fort to the north or the Inland Sea to the south (NB, some operators may cater to small private groups, but most run at a designated time over the evening). Why not try:
- 5-hour safari, camel ride, sandboard, inland sea. Airport pick up possible.
- 5-hour sunset safari – camel ride & sandboarding. Airport pick up possible
You can also check out these stopover guides for neighbouring Abu Dhabi and Dubai
More Qatar Visitor Guides
And don’t miss these further Doha guides to help you decide if you are ready to leave the airport!
This page contains affiliate links which may earn us a small commission at no additional cost to you. None of the airlines, hotels, or tour companies mentioned have sponsored this post, all opinions are our own. Our full terms of use can be found here. Information last updated in January 2024.
The Family Travel in the Middle East team of travel writers are all parents based in the Middle East, sharing first hand experiences and reviews from across the region to help you plan your next family adventure.
