Places to Explore in Qatar

Qatar Is an Arab Nation

Qatar is an Arab country located in the Middle East. Qatar is a monarchy. It is rich in oil and gas. Doha is the capital of Qatar. Qatar is smaller than the state of Connecticut, USA!

Islam Is the Main Religion of Qatar

Summers in Qatar are hot and humid and winters are mild. Islam is the main religion of Qatar, with a more than 77.6 per cent of the population practicing this religion. Most part of the country is covered by sand. Qatar currency is Qatari Rial.

Qatar Flag

Qatar Started Welcoming Foreign Tourists in 1989

Qatar opened its doors to foreign tourists in 1989. Qatar has modern luxury hotels, places of historic significance, sand dunes, desert safari, seascapes and many other tourist attractions. Here is a list of a few of them:

Doha Is the Capital of Qatar

Capital of Qatar | Source

Museum of Islamic Art

Opened on 22 November 2008, this museum is located on one end of the seven kilometers long Corniche in Doha. The architectural style of the building is Islamic. Exhibits include ceramics, glassworks, manuscripts, metalworks and textiles.

Khor al Adaid

This famous beach is 78 kilometers from Doha. Khor al Adaid beach is famous for its sand dunes, some of which are as high as 40 meters!

Katara Mosque

Located at the center of the Katara Cultural Village site, this beautiful mosque's outer surface is garnished with turquoise and purple mosaic. Superb interior design adds glamour to the building.

Souq Waqif

Souq Waqif is a market in Doha. If you intend to buy traditional garments, spices, handicrafts, or souvenirs, visit this market. You will also find many restaurants and outdoor cafés here.

Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art

First of its kind in the region, this boundary-breaking museum offers an Arab perspective on modern art. It houses art created in Qatar, the Middle East and the international Arab diaspora

Oryx Farm

Oryx (antelope species) is the national animal of Qatar. They can be found in large numbers in their natural surroundings in this farm, which is located at Shahaniya. Pure bred Arabian horses can also be found here.

Desert safari

This is one of the main attractions of Qatar. Sand dunes, some of which are 60 meters high, look beautiful. One can also hear the sound of the shifting sands, which seem to have a tune of their own! Air conditioned vehicles are available for taking tourists to desert safari.

Aladdin's Kingdom

This entertainment center offers more than eighteen play features for all age groups. It also has a cafe, theater and an artificial lagoon.

Zoo

Located on Salwa Road, this famous zoo houses various animals, birds and reptiles. It also has an amusement park.

Al Jassasiya

This rocky hill range is located between two villages, Fuwairit and Al Huwailah. This place is famous for its pre-historic stone carvings.

Al Rumaila Park

This popular park has many restaurants, shopping areas and lawns. It also offers exclusive entertainment for children.

Doha City Center

It is the largest shopping complex in the Middle East region. It offers products of various reputed brands. It also has ice skating rinks and bowling alleys. Doha has many shopping malls.

Al Bidda Park

This park is well known for food joints, shops and sports enclosures.

Old Palm Trees Island

Located in Doha, this amazing place is full of sandy beaches. Tourists can also find rides, shops and restaurants here.

National Museum of Qatar

It is the second largest museum in Doha. One can find collection of Islamic artifacts, furniture, jewelry, traditional dresses and ancient relics. It also includes a maritime museum and a small lagoon (with a dhow).

Ethnographic Museum

Also known as Wind Tower House, this huge tower with open arches has exhibits depicting the evolution of Qatar and Doha.

Doha Fort

Built in 1880, this fort is serving as a museum today. It offers a really interesting collection of traditional crafts, wood carvings, gold works and attractive paintings.

Doha Corniche

It extends for 7 kilometers along Doha bay and is popular among walkers, bikers and joggers. One gets a beautiful view of Doha city from here.

Cruising and other water sports

Many private companies offer dinghies for rent. Tourists can also go for fishing trips. Sunset cruise on a traditional dhow offers an amazing view of Qatar at night. It is very popular among tourists. Tourists can also opt for pedal board, para sailing, wind surfing and water cycling.

Qatar offers something or the other for people belonging to various age groups with varying interests. It is a nice country to visit.

Source

Cities in Qatar
Doha
Al Rayyan
Umm Şalāl Muḩammad
Al Khor

Qatar Visa

Tourist visas are granted to tourists through hotels or tourist agencies that offer such a facility, on prior approval from authorities. It is also granted to relatives of residents of Qatar through Qatar Airways. This visa is valid for one month. It is not extendable.

To obtain tourist visa, you need to fill in the application form and submit it through hotel manager or his representative. Attach other relevant documents like a copy of your passport, original establishment ID card of hotel or tourist agency, and your ID.

Tourist visa issuance fee is QR100 for a visa and QR50 for accompanying person. Overstay will be charged a penalty of QR200 per day.

Safety Tips

Crime rate is low in Qatar; however incidents of violence are on the rise. Monitor media broadcasts. Be aware of your surroundings. Call police at 999. You may also call Protection and Social Rehabilitation Centre hotline number 6693-3999, 6693-3108, or 6693-3919 for information on local resources and assistance.

As of June 16th 2017, eight nations (Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Egypt, Libya, Mauritania, the Maldives and Comoros) have placed a diplomatic embargo between them and Qatar.

Seven nations (Jordan, Djibouti, Chad, Gabon, Niger, Eritrea and Senegal) have downgraded their realtionships with Qatar. Entering or exiting Qatar is very complicated or even impossible, with no land access being possible.

Flight routes are undergoing major changes. There are no scheduled commercial ships between Qatar and other nations in the Persian Gulf.