Qatar Holidays

From aromatic spices in age-old souks to artificial islands, discover Qatar, one of the wealthiest countries in the world.

Your first sight of Doha will be its ambitious skyline with stained glass towers and cylindrical masterpieces that light up gold come evening. The second may be the extraordinary sunset view over West Bay from the Museum of Islamic Art and then a peek at the brightest stars piercing a midnight sky over moored yachts. Chanel and Prada boutiques are tucked inside glamorous malls and drum roll signals the start of a mighty Arabian sword dance. Qatar holidays may be more of a stopover than a stay-put, but this super wealthy city of glamour, gold and pearls is the perfect way to break up a journey.

We’ve been to Qatar and can tell you the best places to build up a bank of impressive photographs – try the helipad at Shangri-La for incredible city views, a sunset shot of the sparkling half-moons and domed roof of the State Grand Mosque and where to capture a glittering restaurant decorated with a thousand tiny Iranian mirrors in the Souk Waqif. Holidays to Qatar are a whimsical blend of old and new taking you dune bashing through the desert, sailing by dhow across the Persian Gulf and kayaking in The Pearl.

Get in touch with us and we can tell you everything you need to know to plan your Kuoni holiday in Qatar.

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Perfect for

  • **The Pearl – Qatar** Discover ‘Arabia’s Riviera’ with a yacht-filled marina, designer boutiques and fashionable restaurants.
  • **Art & culture** Visit the Islamic Museum of Art, the urban Garage Gallery and Katara Cultural Village.
  • **Family fun** Sun, sand, sea and theme parks – there's plenty of fun for all of the family
  • **Souk shopping** Loose yourself amongst the spice-infused narrow alleyways of Souk Waqif.

Qatar Hotels

Our recommendations for the best places to stay in Qatar

Sharq Village & Spa, a Ritz-Carlton Hotel

An indulgent hotel in the style of an Arabian palace, with a sumptuous spa and private beach.

Grand Hyatt Doha Hotel

Grand Hyatt Doha is an easy-going sandy escape with a private beach and a great choice of restaur...

Sheraton Grand Doha Resort

This striking waterside resort, still close to the city centre, has a private beach, restful room...

Banyan Tree Doha at La Cigale Mashaireb

Serene urban retreat in an exceptional setting for exploring Doha.

Highlights of Doha

Join a half-day private tour of Doha to see two celebrated highlights — the Katara Cultural Village and Souq Waqif. You’ll be collected from your hotel to visit the Katara Cultural Village, celebrating Middle Eastern art, theatre, literature, and music. Here, you’ll see the splendid Masjid of Katara, the Public Art Centre, the Greek-inspired amphitheatre, the Golden Mosque, Pigeon Towers and Katara Plaza. Next is the Souq Waqif, a busy marketplace where you’ll tour the stable, camel pen, falcon souq, and the spices and dry fruits market. You’ll see handicrafts and textiles and catch the intoxicating scent of the perfume market.

• Daily departures
• Operates year-round
• Private experience

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Explore Qatar

Discover The Pearl, a magnificent artificial island, and the city of Lusail on a half-day private tour. You’ll be collected from your hotel and taken to The Pearl. On arrival, you’ll tour the island, visiting its main areas, including Porto Arabia, the central shopping area based on a modern Mediterranean district. The Qanat Quartier evokes Venice with its canals and piazzas, and there are even more shops and restaurants to find at Medina Centrale. Next, you’ll tour Lusail, the second-largest city in Qatar. You’ll see the Katara Tower, stroll along the Marina Promenade, and see where the World Cup action unfolded in 2022 at the city’s stadium.

• Daily departures
• Operates year-round
• Private experience

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Desert Safari

Explore the Qatari desert on an exhilarating half-day Land Cruiser tour. You’ll be collected from your hotel and head towards the dunes, stopping to deflate the tyres in preparation for the sandy terrain. Over a couple of hours, you’ll take a thrilling adventure over the dunes to the Inland Sea, stopping for photos and refreshments. The Inland Sea lies at the entrance to the Persian Gulf Sea, a desert landscape where dunes meet azure waters and a unique ecosystem where sea turtles, ospreys, cormorants, flamingos, desert foxes and oryx stop by.

• Daily departures
• Operates year-round
• Private experience

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Desert Safari & BBQ Beach Dinner

Spend an afternoon and evening on a dune-bashing adventure in the magnificent Qatari desert. Your Land Cruiser will collect you from your hotel, and you’re bound for the dunes, stopping to deflate the tyres to get your vehicle ready for some dune bashing. After an exhilarating thrill ride over the desert, you’ll visit the place where the sands meet the sea and spend time at a beach camp where there’s time for swimming before a BBQ dinner.

• Daily departures
• Operates year-round
• Private experience

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Doha Sunset Cruise

Join a group for a tour of the waters that lap Doha aboard a traditional Dhow just as the sun melts away. Your afternoon begins at Box Park, a trendy shopping and dining spot made of colourful shipping containers. You’ll board a traditional Dhow for a cruise at sunset, admiring the skyline from the water aboard this elegant vessel.

• Daily departures
• Operates year-round
• Group experience

Good to know
This experience is subject to a minimum of 10 passengers and will be confirmed once the minimum number is reached.

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Dhow Dinner Cruise

Enjoy a memorable evening aboard a Dhow boat with an Arabian BBQ on Safliya Island. A transfer will collect you from your hotel in the late afternoon, where you’ll transfer to Box Park — a shopping and dining district created out of colourful shipping containers. You’ll board a Dhow, cruising the waters for around an hour before reaching Safliya Island, where you’ll disembark for a BBQ featuring authentic Arab dishes.

• Daily departures
• Operates year-round
• Group experience

Good to know
This experience is subject to a minimum of ten passengers and will be confirmed once the minimum number is reached.

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Explore the 3-2-1 Museum

Explore the sporting legacy of Qatar and the world on a half-day visit to the 3-2-1 Olympic & Sports Museum. You’ll be collected from your hotel and taken to the 3-2-1 Olympic & Sports Museum. There are seven galleries to explore, including World of Emotion, a Global History of Sport, the Olympics, and the Hall of Athletes. You’ll have the chance to visit the museum’s interactive Activation Zone, where you can track your fortitude, vitality, collaboration, control, and quickness.

• Daily departures
• Operates year-round
• Private experience

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Get to know Qatar and those important practicalities when planning your perfect holiday.

Capital
TIME DIFFERENCE

GMT +3

CURRENCY

Qatari Riyal

FLYING TIME TO DESTINATION

7 hours

RELIGION

Islam

LANGUAGE

Arabic

Where is Qatar? In the east of Arabia, Qatar is a small peninsula leaning out onto the Persian Gulf with the United Arab Emirates and Oman to the south.

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Water and desert adventures Try wake surfing, wakeboarding and stand-up paddleboarding at the Pearl-Qatar, kayak through the mangroves at Al Thakhira beach or learn how to kite surf at Fuwairit Beach. Set sail on a traditional dhow or explore Qatar’s underwater world with a shipwreck dive. Qatar’s sandy interior is the destination for an exhilarating 4x4 dune bashing adventure or head to Khor-Al-Adaid, an inland sea surrounded by a desert landscape and a great place for a refreshing dip.

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Multi-centre holidays Doha, the capital, is hub of Qatar Airways and has excellent connections to worldwide destinations. Qatar twin-centre holidays are a popular choice. Combine a stopover in Doha with temples in Thailand or shipwrecked luxury in the Maldives; or see more of Arabia with Qatar multi-centre holidays featuring the rugged mountains in Oman.

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Qatar with kids Qatar is perfect for a family holiday with plenty of beaches and theme parks to explore. Visit the Desert Falls Water and Adventure Park on Salwa Beach for waterslides, go-karting, surfing simulators and climbing thrills in the first man-made canyoning centre in the Middle East. If the heat of the day gets too much, head to Snow Dunes Theme Park for ice skating and slides down snowy tracks – jackets and gloves are available. Give your little ones the chance to meet the colourful characters at Angry Birds World where there are daily shows and plenty of rides for all of the family. The indoor theme park at Doha Quest has over 30 rides and attractions including EpiQ Coaster, the world’s tallest indoor roller coaster or, for outdoor thrills, head into the desert for 4x4 adventures in the dunes.

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Shopping Qatar has vast shopping malls filled with designer brands, food courts and entertainment zones. Shop inside the resplendent multi-billion marble-clad Al Hazm Mall or browse the fashion at Galeries Lafayette – one of the many international brands that has opened in Qatar. In sharp contrast to the polished glass and marble of the shopping malls, head into the labyrinthine alleyways of Souk Waqif to see the stalls selling saffron, textiles and handicrafts and browse the dazzling jewellery showcased in the Gold Souk.

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Getting around The most convenient way to get around is by taxi and they are metered and relatively inexpensive. Hotels can call taxis in advance and limousine services are also available. The Karwa Bus Service travels along most city routes and runs every 15-30 minutes and the complimentary West Bay shuttle takes you from one end of the bay to the other.

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