Travel Guide Qatar
This tiny country in the Persian Gulf is incredible! That is to say that you have to see it to believe it. See its energy and wealth. To see the capital Doha and its breathtaking forest of towers that sparkle in the sun and light up at night. Formerly fishermen and pearl farmers, the Qataris won the goose that lays the golden eggs after the discovery, in 1949, of the resources of their subsoil. The ruling families of the emirs have amassed colossal fortunes. If the country is now focusing on developing tourism, it is because the resource will soon run out. Qatar, a permanent construction site under the heat wave, 24 hours a day, invests in ever more luxurious hotels. No limit! From seminars to festivals, from prestigious museums to sporting events, Doha attracts a hand-picked clientele. Each district is an attraction in itself: from Pearl, a magnificent marina on the water, to the new Lusail district, from Aspire, to the sports district, with its Torch, a superb tower and luxury hotel, flanked by the Villagio, a shopping mall with a canal and real gondolas, or Katara, the cultural district, and always coming back to West Bay, at the foot of the magical forest of golden buildings with their fascinating play of light at night. One comes to see and be seen in Doha, a glittering and hot destination, under perpetual air conditioning, except for diving into the sea, where the national sport is shopping, interspersed with jet-skiing or 4x4 sessions in the desert, where the non-alcoholic cocktails are divine and the best restaurants have a French chef.
What to visit Qatar?
Suggested addresses Qatar
When to go to Qatar?
Between November and April, temperatures are pleasant, nights are cool and showers are light. From the end of April to the end of October, the heat is torrid and suffocating because of the humidity. In summer, the Shama, a hot and violent wind, causes sandstorms. The sea temperature varies from 20°C in January to 30°C in June. The tourist peaks are during the big scheduled events, the end of Ramadan, the cool season, and throughout the year under air conditioning. In Doha, in the summer, residents move from an air-conditioned car to an air-conditioned apartment, from an air-conditioned restaurant to an air-conditioned mall. And tourists adopt the formula of moving from an air-conditioned car or metro to an air-conditioned hotel. However, the transition months between the hot and cool seasons, March and November, are to be preferred, being hot but not excessive. One can also arrive in Dubai for an event or a scheduled stay and rent a car to explore Doha.
Weather at the moment
With an arid subtropical climate, Qatar is a desert country. It is very hot and humid in summer and mild in winter. Winter showers are minimal and rainfall does not exceed 75.2 mm per year. There are two main seasons: a cool season from December to February, and a hot season from April to October, in which we can distinguish a very hot period from May to mid-October, with temperatures exceeding 40 ° C, even approaching 50 ° C.
Doha
The local currency is the Qatar riyal (QAR), which is pegged to the USD and has the same value as the United Arab Emirates dirham (AED). This destination is not as unaffordable as the surrounding luxury might suggest. Hotels and restaurants are as good as those in European capitals and flights are very affordable.
No more visas to travel to Qatar as a French, Belgian, Canadian, Swiss or Schengen citizen. Presenting a passport valid 6 months after your arrival day and a return ticket will allow you to reside 180 days without any further formalities. The traveller must refrain from arriving in Qatar in possession of alcohol or other prohibited products.
No special instructions in this extremely healthy and polished country. However, at this latitude there is a risk of sunstroke and it is advisable to protect yourself from the sun, especially when it is at its peak, and to drink plenty of water in the desert. It is better not to walk or sleep in the desert without a guide.
Practical information
- When to travel?
- Weather forecast
- Budget
- Formalities
- Health
- How to travel by yourself?
- How to get organized?
- Getting around
Media
How to go to Qatar? Our advice & tips
More and more tour operators are putting Qatar in their catalog. The destination is safe and attractive, and the negotiated rates are interesting. In association with local agencies, excursions in the desert and to the inland sea are scheduled.
Discover our selection of travel agencies for this destinationIt is possible to organize your stay in Qatar by yourself. The airport of Doha has become a hub, planes come from all over the world. You can book your hotel on the Internet. On the spot, many small local agencies will give you a hand to rent a car, to organize a barbecue evening in the desert under a Berber tent, for example. And don't be a smart ass. Offences against good morals are very severely punished.
We can do the tour during the day, or almost. The tarred network is built in a star shape from Doha, to the south, west and north. The northern axis, with its modern highway, is the most fluid. Mooring in Qatar with your multihull is possible. Qatar is developing its marinas, including those in Pearl, to accommodate yachts and sailboats. In Doha you take the metro and taxis
