Doha Delights – Quickie Transit City Tour

By Pamela Nandi | Sep 03, 2019

Doha, in Arabic ‘Al-Dawḥah’, the modern and rapidly developing, the most populous capital city of the State of Qatar, located on the east coast of the Qatar Peninsula in the Persian Gulf has a population close to 2.4 million. Sandwiched between the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia, the city is ringed by the West Bay district and Corniche on the way to Katara marvelling modern skyscrapers, architecture, gastronomy, culture, and much more to discover.

TIME OF VISIT: JULY

MY ARRIVAL: Flew from Athens to Doha by Qatar Airways (24-hour transit at Doha due to the delay of luggage arrival) on my way to India after a spending a leisure vacation at Greece.

TIPS: Free 24 hour City Tour Visa issued by the immigration team of Hamad International Airport. The airline staffs were extremely friendly to make the arrangements. My first day city tour was arranged by the hotel – a private car for sightseeing stops at all the city’s landmarks and highlights.

Doha Skyline and West Bay – the central business district of Doha. An area that encompasses the city’s east coast districts, namely, Al Qassar, Al Dafna, West Bay Lagoon and Onaiza crowned by many modern buildings, bold architectures, tallest skyscrapers.

The Pearl-Qatar – The artificial island spanning nearly four square kilometres. A great place to take a stroll on the waterfront, enjoying yachts while soaking up in the mesmerizing views.

The Corniche – One of the most popular tourist and leisure attraction with the waterfront promenade that runs for seven kilometres along Doha Bay offering spectacular vistas of the city. The place boasts celebration of Qatar National Day and National Sports Day. The Corniche was constructed to reach from one end of the city to the other.

Burj Tower – Burj Doha (Doha Tower). An iconic high rise super-tall 46-storey skyscraper with a roof height of 400 m (1,300 ft) located in West Bay, built-in 2012. The tower received the CTBUH Skyscraper Award for the Best Tall Building Worldwide. The award-winning tower uses “ancient Islamic patterns” in its cylindrical design that enthrals a unique identity to the skyline of the city.

**Burj Tower ( Burj Doha or Doha Tower )**

Aspire Tower – Also known as The Torch Doha, is a 300-metre-tall skyscraper hotel located in the Aspire Zone complex in Doha that served as the focal point for the 15th Asian Games hosted by Qatar in December 2006.

Katara Cultural Village – The name ‘Katara’ inspired by the historical name of the country, Catara. A wonderful area of history and heritage that graces traditional Islamic architecture located on the coastal edge of Doha – eastern coast between West Bay and south of the Pearl. Comes with an amphitheatre, museum & convention centre, plus shops, eateries and a well-maintained beach.

Katara Beach – Pleasant sandy 1.5km beach at Katara Cultural Village. It’s dry and dusty during the daytime, and due to its scorching heat, the life begins in the evening.

**Katara Beach – tough to tackle the scorching heat**

Pigeon Towers Katara Cultural Village – One of the most photographed tourist attractions in Doha designed to collect pigeon droppings used as fertilizer for farming.

**Pigeon Towers at Katara Cultural Village**

Museum of Islamic Art – One of the many treasures to discover in this dynamic Middle Eastern city. A majestic structure located on one end of the seven-kilometre-long Corniche in Doha, near the traditional dhow harbour.

Doha Skyscrapers and Buildings – Another side of Doha to discover is its impressive skyscrapers. The city ranks fourth in the world and second in the Middle East in terms of the number of new skyscrapers.