Before leaving a destination, I like to pass on some ideas for places that I found particularly interesting, and didn’t cost this frugal traveller anything. This amazing city offers a multitude of these and I was never once out of options. Here are 10 free things to do in Doha Qatar that I hope you enjoy as much as I did.
Lusail
Located just north of Doha, take the metro here and see all sorts of jaw dropping sights. The first is of course the Fairmont Hotel. While you cannot enter, enjoy walking around all sides to see this magnificent structure.
Next walk along the Lusail promenade. It is quite extensive and full of beautiful views of West Bay and further north. There are trees for shade, benches, small playgrounds and all sorts of interesting little vistas.
Place Vendome
At the far end of Lusail promenade is Place Vendome, an incredible mall filled with designer and luxury brands. Its not those I come to see, instead I am curious about the architecture. The large domes are particularly striking and the interior décor is absolutely gorgeous.
Head outside to the inner courtyard and there find turquoise blue canals and a massive fountain that will display lights and music at night time. Reminiscent of European styling and design, its such a beautiful place to walk around.
National Museum
I did not pay to enter the museum and I understand it is definitely worth the price. Instead, I was interested in the architecture of the structure itself. Built to resemble a desert rose, it is truly and wonderous structure.
The desert rose crystal is formed trough the evaporation of salty water, when sand gets trapped in the crystalline structure. This building, designed by French architect Jean Nouvel opened its doors in 2019. Its huge, breathtaking and surreal to see in person. Take your time and explore if from all angles, its truly one of the most amazing modern structures I have ever seen on my travels.
Qatari Majlis
In the middle of Souq Waqif, is the Qatari Majlis, a hospitality suite akin to what a standard home here has. Similar to what we have in our western homes referred to a ‘living room’, a majlis is a place to welcome visitors, friends and family in a Qatari home. One has been created from an unused space in the souq, and inside are these lovely gentlemen.
As I was admiring the vintage display at the door, a man came out and beckoned me inside. I followed him and was greeted by another gent. They explained what the place was and invited me to take a seat. I was able to ask all sorts of questions about Qatar while they had fun dressing me in a local dress and taking photos. It was a wonderful morning and I highly recommend stopping in to say hello.
Gewan Island
An artificial piece of land that was used as the staging ground for the construction of The Pearl, Gewan Island has a lot to offer. I entered the island by food after exploring a small portion of The Pearl. It begins with a beautiful beach and a causeway.
Once over, walk the perimeter and take in the seaside views and the sculptures that decorate the walkways. Stay until night time and all of this area is alight with colour, even the palm trees are wrapped with lights. Next head over the suspension bridge; it’s a wonderful way to see the island and appreciate the vast size of the infrastructure.
Crystal Walk
Located on Gewan Island in the middle, is a magical place called Crystal Walk. Find a towering artificial forest that not only provides shade during the day, but this outdoor space is air-conditioned to a stable 21 degrees Celsius all year round! Yes, even in the middle of summer when the temperatures soar above 45!
Solar panels provide the electricity needed to continually pump out cooling air which gets trapped by the canopy that contains over 10 tonnes of crystals! See those rectangles on the ground? There are 180 of them and they are filled with miniature crystal scenes, everything from camels and desert to underwater and snow scenes with penguins.
Of course, you must stay for the evening when the entire structure lights up and is absolutely dazzling. Lined with cafes and restaurants it’s the perfect place to come for a meal.
Military Camel Parade
One day as I was exploring Souq Waqif, I spotted a train of camels! I took off towards them, crossed a major road, and found myself standing at the edge of a large lawn in front of Amiri Diwan, the governmental palace.
What you can see every morning (8am) and late afternoon (4pm) are the palace guards riding their camels in a loop in front to the Emir’s office. This is a ceremonial display designed to show Qatari culture and its ties to historical Bedouin traditional. The guards with their uniforms and camels against the backdrop of the modern city is truly an incredible sight.
Qanat Quartier
One area of The Pearl is called Qanat Quartier, a Venice inspired residential area that makes up one of the 12 distinct districts on the man-made island. In Qanat the buildings are pastel colours and a romantic canal connects them all. During the day it’s a lovely area to take a stroll and get lost in a riot of Easter basket colours.
The Pearl as a whole is the first place in Qatar where foreigners can purchase property freehold. It’s a large island and covers a space of four square kilometers. Little Venice or Qanat Quartier is a small portion of that, and definitely worth a metro ride out to see.
Katara Cultural Village
A large manicured area created to showcase the Qatari culture and heritage, blended with arts and shopping. Head deep into the site to find reproduction pigeon towers, two beautiful mosques and an array of murals.
Walk around and find the 5,000-seat roman amphitheatre and Planetarium and then head to either side to take in large parks, filled with green grass, flowers, seating areas and relaxing places to unwind and escape the desert heat. This is a gorgeous extensive area to explore and enjoy.
Old Doha Port
There is a lot going on in this part of the city. Walk in from the main road and your first sight will be the Flag Plaza. Past this find a beautifully landscape green space and then don’t miss the Box Park. It’s an area made of shipping containers and houses the marina for yachts too.
On the left now across a small road, find the largest outdoor model representing the various states of the growth of Doha. Enter this for free, and walk around, marvel at the miniature people, animals and cars.
Next walk further down and you will undoubtedly see the Mina District, one of my favourite places to walk in Doha. A small village filled with beautiful colours, art work, statues, a promenade and even the famous fish market.
There is so much to keep visitors occupied and entertained while in Doha. I feel like I barely scratched the surface of what this city has to offer. And these are the stationary things to see. Ongoing are a constant lineup of events, food festivals, music, currently a Hot Wheels event. It’s a city that never rests, always having a finger on the pulse of activity and fun.
