Doha With Kids
Desert, dhows, a souq full of falcons and one of the easiest stopovers on the planet.
Nicole Damiano, ASTA Verified Travel Advisor with FG Luxury Travel
Is Doha good for kids?
Yes. It is safe, clean and easy to get around, and a lot of the best sights are indoors and air conditioned, which helps with heat and jet lag.
How many days?
Two days covers the museums and the souq. Add a third for a desert trip to the Inland Sea.
What is the one thing we cannot miss?
Souq Waqif in the evening, with the falcon souq. Pair it with the Museum of Islamic Art earlier in the day.
Can we leave the airport on a layover?
On a long layover many families can. Visa rules depend on your passport, so check before you go. A night or two on a proper stopover is better with kids.
When should we go?
November to March, when the days are warm instead of scorching.
The Stopover That Turns Into A Favorite
Most families end up in Doha because Qatar Airways routes them through it. Then they spend two days here and wish they had booked three.
The city is compact, clean and built for heat, so a lot of what kids love happens indoors in the middle of the day. Mornings and evenings are for the souq, the water and the desert. The big museums sit right along the Corniche, so you are never far from the next thing.
Getting Around
The Doha Metro is cheap, air conditioned and connects the airport, the Corniche, Msheireb and Katara. Taxis and rideshare are inexpensive for the rest, and the desert needs a guide with a 4×4.
Neighborhoods worth basing in
Msheireb and Souq Waqif
The old heart of the city, rebuilt with shaded lanes and courtyards. You can walk to the souq for dinner and the metro is right there.
West Bay
The tower district on the north side of the Corniche. Big hotels with big pools, beaches and kids clubs, and a view of the skyline at night.
The Pearl
An island neighborhood with marinas, apartments and easy restaurants. Good when you want a kitchen and a little more space.
Mandarin Oriental Doha
In Msheireb, a short walk to the souq. Rooms are big and the pool deck is a real reward after a hot afternoon.
A West Bay beach hotel
The beach resorts in West Bay give the kids sand, a pool and a kids club in the middle of the city.
A Pearl apartment
An apartment hotel on The Pearl gives you a kitchen, a washer and separate bedrooms for a lot less.
The Three I Build Every Doha Trip Around
Museum of Islamic Art and MIA Park
The building is a landmark on its own, sitting out on the water. Inside it is calm, cool and full of things kids can actually look at, like astrolabes, armor and huge carpets. Outside, MIA Park has playgrounds, open lawns and the best view of the skyline in town.
Souq Waqif and the Falcon Souq
Go in the evening when it wakes up. Spices, lanterns, toys, sweets and the falcon market, where you can watch birds get checked over at the falcon hospital nearby. Kids remember this one.
National Museum of Qatar
Shaped like a desert rose crystal and full of big screens, sound and space. It tells the story of Qatar from the desert and the pearl divers to now, and it moves fast enough to hold kids.
Family Time, Built In: Doha With Kids
Doha puts a lot of effort into families. The 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum is hands on, the parks are shaded and lit at night, and dinner in the souq after dark feels like an adventure without much effort from you.
A dhow ride at sunset
Camels on the Corniche at the souq
Katara amphitheater and beach
Dune bashing at the Inland Sea
PARK & DOWNTIME PICK
MIA Park, right beside the museum. Wide lawns, playgrounds and a breeze off the water. In the cooler months families picnic there until late.
Five Things To Eat In Doha
Machboos
Karak tea
Luqaimat
Chebab pancakes
Fresh datesNicole’s Perspective
The two day stop I build into Asia trips
I route a lot of families to Asia and the Middle East through Doha, and I always ask if they want to stop instead of just changing planes. Two nights here breaks up a brutal flight and the kids get a whole new country out of it.
Do the museums in the heat of the day, the souq at night, and save one morning for the desert. Get a dhow ride at sunset too. It is a simple thing and everyone loves it.
The Day Trip: The Inland Sea
About an hour and a half south of the city, at Khor Al Adaid, the dunes run straight into the sea. Go with a licensed desert guide in a 4×4. The ride up and over the dunes is a thrill for older kids, and you can stop for a swim where the sand meets the water. Ask the guide to take it gently if you have little ones.
Things I Would Tell A Friend Before They Booked
How Many Days
Two days covers Doha well with kids. Three gives you the desert without rushing anything.
Day one for the Museum of Islamic Art, the park and the souq at night. Day two for the National Museum and a dhow ride.
Add a morning out to the Inland Sea, or the 3-2-1 museum and an afternoon at Katara.
Doha pairs well with the Maldives, Sri Lanka, India or Japan. It breaks the long flight into two easy halves.
Doha With Kids, Answered
Is Doha good for kids?
Yes. It is safe, clean and easy to get around, and a lot of the best sights are indoors and air conditioned, which helps with heat and jet lag.
How many days?
Two days covers the museums and the souq. Add a third for a desert trip to the Inland Sea.
What is the one thing we cannot miss?
Souq Waqif in the evening, with the falcon souq. Pair it with the Museum of Islamic Art earlier in the day.
Can we leave the airport on a layover?
On a long layover many families can. Visa rules depend on your passport, so check before you go. A night or two on a proper stopover is better with kids.
When should we go?
November to March, when the days are warm instead of scorching.
Ready To Put Doha On The Calendar
Send me your dates and your kids’ ages and I will work out the stopover, pick the right base and line up the desert with a guide I trust.
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