Asia
Doha's museums and old souq, a metro to the sights and an inland sea in the dunes. About 7 hours non-stop from London, best November to March.
The FCDO has no advisory against travel to Qatar.
Source: UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office — the definitive source. Check it close to your travel dates.
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Doha is built around a bay. Its 7 km Corniche curves from the towers of West Bay to I.M. Pei's Museum of Islamic Art, standing on its own island, and in the evenings the dhows moored along it light up. Behind the waterfront, Souq Waqif's mud-rendered lanes sell spices from jute sacks, and there is a whole souq for falcons.
Leave the city and Qatar is quieter. Al Zubarah, a pearling town abandoned and buried by sand, is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the south-east, Khor Al Adaid's dunes reach 40 metres and run down to the Inland Sea. We'd go in winter, ride the metro between museums, and give at least one day to the desert with a proper 4x4 and guide.
The capital and the base for nearly everyone. The Museum of Islamic Art and the National Museum of Qatar sit near the Corniche, Souq Waqif and Msheireb Downtown fill the old centre, and the Doha Metro's three lines connect the airport, West Bay, Katara and Education City.
A new city north of Doha, built around the 86,000-seat stadium that held the 2022 World Cup final. Come for Place Vendôme mall, the Marina Promenade, the Qetaifan Glass Bridge and Lusail Boulevard's winter lights. The Red Line reaches Lusail QNB, though the tram is only part-running.
An old fishing town on the coast south of Doha, at the southern end of the Red Line. Souq Al Wakrah sits by the sea, and the beach is a family favourite: shallow, calm water, shade, playgrounds and a promenade of cafés behind the sand.
Qatar's best-known landscape, about 80 km south-east of Doha. The sea pushes deep into the desert between dunes up to 40 metres high, and flamingos, ospreys and migrating birds visit. Reach it only by 4x4. Most visitors go with a licensed safari operator from Doha or Mesaieed.
A UNESCO-listed pearling and trading town about 105 km north-west of Doha, abandoned in the 20th century and preserved under the sand. Its 1938 fort is now a museum of pearl-diving weights, pots and coins. Nearby is Qal'at Murair, an older walled enclosure.
A coastal town north of Doha; Visit Qatar puts the Al Thakira mangroves about 40 minutes' drive from the capital. Kayak through the Al Thakira mangroves, a protected reserve since 2006, or walk on Purple Island (Bin Ghannam), named for the purple-dye industry it held in the second millennium BC. There's no shade on the island, so take your own.
Qatar's western desert, near the oil town of Dukhan (access to the town itself is limited). Zekreet is where Richard Serra's steel plates, East-West/West-East, stand in the sand, alongside Film City. Visit Qatar runs desert safaris out this way too.
The single reason many travellers come back — the food culture worth reshaping a trip around, and the dishes to seek out region by region.
Karak tea by the roadside and rice perfumed with dried lime — Gulf home cooking behind a glittering skyline.
Start where Qataris actually gather: a roadside cafeteria at midnight, engine running, a paper cup of karak passed through the window — black tea boiled thick with evaporated milk, sugar and cardamom, sweet enough to lean on. It is Qatar’s everyday drink, and the most democratic thing in Doha.
The food itself is quieter and mostly homebound. Machboos is the centrepiece, spiced rice cooked with meat or fish and sharp dried loomi, eaten by hand from a shared dish; around it circle madrouba, rice beaten creamy with butter, and thareed, torn bread soaked in a rich stew. The everyday streets, though, taste of Kerala and Lahore — biryani, fresh naan, kebabs — the food of the workers who built the towers. Save room for warm luqaimat, little fried dumplings drowned in date syrup, and a tiny cup of cardamom gahwa.
British Airways and Qatar Airways both fly non-stop from London Heathrow to Hamad International Airport (DOH), and BA puts the flight time at about 7 hours. Qatar Airways also has route pages from London Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham and Edinburgh. Doha is three hours ahead of GMT. From the airport, the Red Line metro runs from its own station at Terminal 1 into the city, and Karwa taxis wait at the Taxi Pavilion at the left end of the Arrivals Hall. The FCDO warns that regional tensions can cause flight cancellations and airspace closures, so check with your airline before you travel.
In Doha, the metro does most of the work. Its three lines, Red, Green and Gold, meet at Msheireb. The Red Line runs from Al Wakra through the airport and West Bay to Lusail. The Gold Line stops at the National Museum and Souq Waqif, and the Green Line goes to Education City. Buy a Qatar Rail Travel Card at a station machine. When we checked in October 2026, a standard single was QR 2 and a day's travel was capped at QR 6. Free metrolink buses link stations to nearby districts. Turquoise Karwa taxis, booked through the Karwa Taxi app, and Uber fill the gaps. The Lusail Tram is only part-running for now. Outside Doha you need a car, and for the Inland Sea a 4x4 and a guide. To drive, bring a 1968 International Driving Permit with your UK licence. The FCDO warns that speeds are high and accidents common.
Doha's rebuilt old centre, next to Souq Waqif and on top of the one station where all three metro lines meet. Visit Qatar lists four hotels here, including the Mandarin Oriental and Park Hyatt, plus the free Msheireb Museums.
Good for: first visits, the metro, walking to Souq Waqif
The tower-lined business district at the north end of the Corniche, with big hotels, the West Bay Qatar Energy metro station on the Red Line and a paid beach. You get the skyline views, but the souq is a taxi or metro ride away.
Good for: business trips, skyline views, Corniche walks
A man-made island near West Bay with yacht marinas, the Venice-inspired Qanat Quartier and Porto Arabia's waterfront restaurants. It is calm and polished but not on the metro: ride to Legtaifiya and take the M110 metrolink bus.
Good for: couples, marina dining, a quieter stay
A new city north of Doha with marina hotels, Place Vendôme mall and Lusail Stadium. The Red Line reaches Lusail QNB, but the Lusail Tram is only part-running while works continue.
Good for: big events, new hotels, shopping
An old fishing town south of Doha with a family beach and Souq Al Wakrah by the sea. It is at the southern end of the Red Line.
Good for: families, beach time, a slower pace
Best Dec–Feb · Shoulder Mar–Apr, Nov
Units
Forecast · Met Office · updated 13 Nov · Powered by Met Office data
Typical · climate data
November – March
Units
What to expect — Daytime highs average about 32°C with overnight lows near 22°C, and it stays largely dry.
What's best — Warm & dry, then Shoulder season, then Peak heat. Mar is among the best months here (warm & dry, sunny).
What to expect — Daytime highs average about 41°C with overnight lows near 31°C, and it stays largely dry.
What's best — Peak heat.
What to expect — Daytime highs average about 35°C with overnight lows near 26°C, and it stays largely dry.
What's best — Peak heat, then Shoulder season.
What to expect — Daytime highs average about 24°C with overnight lows near 16°C, and it stays largely dry.
What's best — Warm & dry, then Warm. Dec, Jan and Feb are among the best months here (warm & dry, sunny).
Go November to March.
Qatar is a winter-sun trip. Visit Qatar calls November to February 'Qatar at its finest', when you can walk the Corniche at midday and eat outside in Souq Waqif. January is usually the coolest month, and the little rain that falls comes in winter. March is still good for the desert. From May to October the average daily high peaks at 41°C, and summer brings humidity on the coast. If you do go then, plan around air-conditioned museums and malls, stay in the shade at midday, carry water and wear sunscreen.
| Area | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doha | 22 | 24 | 28 | 32 | 37 | 41 | 41 | 41 | 39 | 35 | 30 | 25 |
Colours as on the month tiles above. Bold: hot, 32°C or more (go early or late in the day). Outlined: very hot, 35°C or more. Wet: 150 mm of rain or more.
Heat: Skip May–Oct: average 41°C
To read what you're looking at — the empires and eras that shaped Qatar's food, art and streets.
Qatar asks visitors to dress modestly in public. Both the FCDO and Visit Qatar advise men and women to cover their shoulders and knees. The FCDO says the rule is strictly enforced in government buildings, healthcare facilities and banks. Swimwear is for the beach or pool, and museums publish their own dress codes.
Ramadan moves about 11 days earlier each year, so check the dates for your trip. During daylight hours, visitors are expected not to eat, drink or smoke in public. Hotels keep restaurants open out of public view. Evenings come alive after sunset. Eid al-Fitr marks the end of the month, and many businesses close for three days.
Alcohol is legal but limited. The FCDO says only licensed hotels, restaurants and bars can sell it, and they will ask for your original photo ID (copies are not accepted). Residents buy it on a permit system, which is not open to visitors. Drinking or being drunk in public is illegal, with up to six months in prison or a fine of up to QAR 3,000. There is zero tolerance for drink-driving.
The FCDO says any intimacy in public can lead to arrest, and that covers all couples. Ask before you photograph anyone: taking or sharing images of people without consent can lead to prison, and drones are regulated. Swearing and rude gestures count as obscene acts. Vaping is illegal, smoking is banned in public places, and drug laws are zero-tolerance. Same-sex relations are illegal. Some Qataris don't shake hands with the opposite sex, so wait for a hand to be offered.
Qatar's weekend is Friday and Saturday. Embassies and government offices open Sunday to Thursday. On Friday mornings, business stops for prayers between about 10am and noon. Malls open in the afternoon, and the Museum of Islamic Art and the National Museum don't open until 1.30pm.
Visit Qatar names machboos as the national dish. We'd also look out for saloona, a tomato stew spiced with cardamom, ginger and black loomi, and margoog, a lamb and vegetable stew cooked with discs of wholewheat dough. In Doha, eat in the courtyards of Souq Waqif, then buy saffron and coffee beans in its spice lanes. In Lusail, the Marina Food Arena gathers about 65 food trucks, cafés and street stalls. At the Museum of Islamic Art, IDAM by Alain Ducasse cooks on the fifth floor. For a gentler introduction to Qatari hospitality, Fanar, across the road from the souq, runs Qatari majlis sessions.
27 NOV The FCDO says you can get a tourist visa on arrival with a full British Citizen passport, and that you must extend through the Ministry of Interior before it expires if you need more than 30 days. Overstaying brings a fine, which you must pay before you leave. Your passport should be valid for at least six months from the day you arrive. Any purpose other than tourism needs a visa in advance.
A single tourist visa covering all six Gulf states has been approved in principle. It is not open to applicants yet. The latest official word we found came from the GCC Secretariat in June 2025: launch 'in the near future', with no date. For now, enter each country on its own rules. One thing you can use now: UK citizens can get the Qatar-Oman joint tourist visa on arrival, valid for 30 days in both countries.
The currency is the Qatari riyal (QR), fixed by the Qatar Central Bank at QR 3.64 to the US dollar. ATMs are easy to find in malls and hotels. Cards work widely, and Karwa airport taxis are cashless. Most restaurants add a service charge. Visit Qatar says a 10 to 15% tip is appreciated, so carry some cash for it. Declare QAR 50,000 or more in any currency when you arrive.
From May to October the heat is serious: the hottest month averages 41°C. Even in winter the midday sun is strong. Wear light, loose clothes, keep to the shade at the hottest time of day, use sunscreen and carry water. For the desert, the FCDO advises a properly equipped 4x4, travelling in convoy with water and a phone. That's why we'd book a licensed safari.
The FCDO warns that some prescribed and over-the-counter medicines are controlled in Qatar. The Ministry of Public Health's list includes codeine, tramadol, pregabalin and diazepam. Apply in advance through the ministry's online permit system for controlled medicines (fli.moph.gov.qa). Carry your prescription and a medical report in English or Arabic, both issued within the last six months. The ministry caps narcotics at 10 days' supply and psychotropics at 60 days'.
The FCDO updated its Qatar advice on 27 October 2026. It does not advise against travel, but it says the context in the Middle East 'remains deeply unpredictable and the risk of sudden escalation is high'. Be ready for possible flight cancellations, airspace closures and travel disruption, and check with your airline before leaving for the airport. Sign up for FCDO email alerts, follow local authorities' advice and buy insurance that covers your whole trip.
We write this guide from official sources only: GOV.UK, national immigration portals, tourism boards, airports and operators, central banks and met services. Rules change, so check the linked pages before you book.
The practical back-matter — safety, drones and the essentials, in one place.
Official UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office guidance is the definitive source — check it close to your travel dates.
National parks, protected sites and religious/heritage venues often have their own rules and permits — always check the specific site before you fly.
