1 destination · 10 things to do

Qatar

Doha is the Gulf capital that rewards curiosity: a city of world-class museums, a lantern-lit old souq and a waterfront that glows after dark, with the desert and the sea a short drive away. In a single generation it has built an extraordinary cultural line-up. The Museum of Islamic Art, by I. M. Pei, stands on its own island at the end of the Corniche; Jean Nouvel’s National Museum of Qatar unfolds like a desert rose around a restored royal palace; and the 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum sits beside the national stadium. In between, Souq Waqif keeps the old trading life alive with spice stalls, falcon shops and cafés open late into the night, Msheireb’s heritage houses tell the stories behind the skyline for free, and Katara Cultural Village mixes galleries, mosques and a beach. Beyond the city lie the dunes of the inland sea and the UNESCO-listed ruins of Al Zubarah. This guide books the tickets worth booking, points you to the free sights that matter most and matches you to the right hotel, from a Msheireb splurge to a heritage stay in the souq.