Qatar: Travelling

Transportation From Airport to City Centre:

Airport	Distance	Taxi	Bus	Train	Car Rental
Hamad International Airport (Doha)	15 km/9.3 miles	QAR 40-50/15-25 min	QAR 5/20-30	Not available	Available

Major airlines

You Can Consult The EU Air Safety List. Look Also at the rating of the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Different Forms of Tourism

Historical

The four main historic sites of Qatar to visit are the Barzan Towers, Al Wajba Fort, Al Koot Fort and the Al Jassasiya rock carvings. The Barzan Towers, built in the early 20th century, is believed to have served as a lookout location to protect the water source from the Ottomans. The Al Wajba Fort, built in 18th or early 19th century, served as residence for sheiks in the past and is best known as the location of the battle in 1893 where the Qatari forces defeated the Ottomans. The Al Koot Fort, built in 1927, served as a police station and a jail. The Al Jassasiya rock carvings, discovered in 1957, is composed of 874 carvings dating back to the Neolithic time.

Cultural

With an extensive portfolio of fine museums and galleries, Qatar ranks among the Gulf's leading centres of art and culture. The main museums include The Museum of Islamic Art, Msheireb Enrichment Centre, Mathaf Arab Museum of Modern Art, Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum, Al Markhiya Gallery, Al Riwaq Doha, Souq Waqif Arts Center and the Doha Fire Station artists’ community.
The Al Zubarah archaeological site is Qatar's only UNESCO World Heritage Site. A coastal town along the Persian gulf  that served as a trading centre from the 18th century to the early 19th century, and is a excellent example of a centre that served as an independent state outside the control of large empires like the Ottoman.
The Katara Cultural Village - built in traditional architectural style - offers theatres, galleries and performance venues stage a varied year-round programme of concerts, shows and exhibitions.

Nature

Qatar has a lot to offer in nature tourism. The most popular is the Doha desert that remains largely untouched by human interactions and is often toured in the form of a desert safari. The Aspire Park in Doha is the largest park in the country, with much to offer in terms of tracks for outdoor activities and open space for sports. Tourists can visit the high dunes of the desert, the beaches and the coastal mangrove lagoons, and wind sculpted rock formations.

Religious

The major religious sites to visit are the Qatar State Mosque, Fanar-Qatar Islamic Cultural Center and the Katara Mosque. The Qatar State Mosque, officially known as the Iman Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab Mosque, opened in 2011 serves as the country's national mosque. The Fanar Qatar Islamic Cultural Center, known also as Bin Zaid, is a Islamic cultural centre that provides a wide variety of services. The Centre provides lessons in Arabic and Islam, hosts a library and publishes studies. The Katara Mosque is found in the Katara cultural centre, that provides an opportunity to experience different cultures. It is advised that one dress conservatively to visit the Mosques as the Mosques have strict dress codes.

Thermal

As other Arab countries, Qatar has a large number of “hammam”, a traditional type of public bathing.

Beach

Qatar is host to 560km of coastline and several beautiful beaches. The most popular tourist beaches are the Al Ghariya beach, Khor Al Adaid, Ras Abrouq, Maroona and Fuwayrit. The Al Ghariya beach is located just 4.5 kilometres from Fuwairit. The Khor Al Adaid beach is located at in the south eastern part of Qatar and shares a coast with Saudi Arabia.  It is unaccesible by road and the journey to get there is quite difficult, there are guided tours that make day and night trips there. Ras Abrouq located 70 kilometres west of Doha is frequented by weekend campers. Maroona beach is located 80 kilometres south of Doha. The Fuwayrit beach is located 80 kilometres north of Doha and is home to beach side cliffs.

Winter Sports

Being a desert country, Qatar does not offer winter sports activities. However, the City Centre Mall has an ice skating rink.

Outdoor Activities

Qatar's outdoor activities range from spending the day at the beach to riding a 4x4 across the desert. However, during the summer season the weather is often very hot and it is unadvised to walk long distances.
The Katara Cultural Village offers a public beach with water sports.

Shopping

Doha offers a wide array of shopping outlets, including the “souqs” (local traditional markets) with their multiple small shops, stand-alone retail outlets, showrooms and several shopping malls. The latter feature department stores, brand name boutiques and individual shops offering a vast range of both regional and international products.
The main shopping malls are Mall of Qatar, Villaggio, Doha City Centre Mall and Doha Festival City Mall.

Tourism Organisations

Visit Qatar website by the Qatar Tourism Authority

Health and Safety

Health Precautions

No specific vaccination is required, though vaccines for Hepatitis A and Typhoid are recommended. Since 2012, MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome) has been identified in multiple countries in the Arabian Peninsula, including Qatar, and in travelers to the region.
If undertaking adventure activities (for example tours in the desert) is important to always check weather conditions and ensure that safety standards are met.

International Hospitals

Qatar's health-care system is of high quality and the country is the largest health-care spender in the Middle East. Health-care is free for Qatari nationals and the responsibility of employers for foreign workers. There are a range of private and public hospitals in the country and a foreign tourist or national can use any of them. As English is widely spoken in Qatar,  finding someone that speaks English at the hospitals is relatively easy.

For Further Information on Sanitary Conditions

List of major hospitals, medical centers and clinics located in Qatar
U.S. State Department travel information for QatarWorld Health Organisation's list

For Further Information on Safety Conditions

US Department of State's Travel Warnings
Canadian Government's Travel Warnings
United Kingdom's Government Travel Warnings

Time Difference and Climate

Time and Time Difference

It is %T:%M %A In Doha (GMT+3)

Summer Time Period

Qatar does not apply any Daylight Saving Time clock changes.