Doha

Jean Nouvel's museum, opened in 2019, is built from hundreds of interlocking curved discs inspired by the desert rose, a crystal formation found in Qatar's salt flats. Inside, a single looping route of galleries tells the story of the peninsula from its geology and Bedouin life to pearling, the discovery of oil and the modern state, using vast wall projections, films and objects. At the heart of the complex stands the restored early 20th-century palace of Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani, once the seat of government.

TipThe museum is closed on Tuesdays and opens only in the afternoon on Fridays; some galleries have been closed in rotation for upgrades, so check the website before you go. The National Museum metro station on the Red Line is next door.

Standing on its own artificial island off the Corniche, I. M. Pei's pale limestone building, completed in 2008, is a modern take on classic Islamic architecture, with a geometric form that shifts in the light. The collection spans some 1,400 years and three continents: manuscripts and Qurans, Iznik tiles, Mughal jewellery, Persian carpets, astrolabes and metalwork, displayed in hushed, dark galleries. The museum was refurbished and reopened in 2022. Beside it, MIA Park is a long green crescent with cafés, palms and the best view of the West Bay towers across the water; a weekend bazaar runs on Fridays and Saturdays in the cooler months.

TipMIA is closed on Wednesdays. Non-residents pay an entry fee, while Qatar residents and children usually go free; book through Qatar Museums and check the current price. Late opening on Thursdays is the quietest time.

The Corniche is a seven-kilometre seafront promenade that follows the crescent of Doha Bay from the Museum of Islamic Art round to the West Bay skyscrapers. Walk or cycle a stretch at sunset, when the towers light up across the water. Near the museum, wooden dhows, the traditional sailing and fishing boats of the Gulf, moor in the old harbour; many now take visitors on short cruises around the bay, especially in the evening, and they are a pleasant way to see the skyline from the water.

TipAgree on the price and length of a dhow cruise before boarding. In summer, walk the Corniche only after dark.

Souq Waqif, the "standing market", grew up where Bedouin traders once sold goods by the wadi that ran into the bay. By the 1990s it was crumbling, and it was rebuilt in the 2000s using traditional methods of mud render, exposed timber beams and shaded lanes. It is partly a reconstruction, but it works: the alleys are full of spice and perfume sellers, textile shops, birds, pottery and cheap restaurants, and it comes alive after dark. At its western edge, the Falcon Souq sells hoods, perches and the prized birds themselves, and a specialist falcon hospital treats them nearby.

TipVisit in the evening, when it is cooler and families come out to eat. Bargaining is expected in the smaller shops but not in restaurants.

Just west of the souq, the old Msheireb neighbourhood has been rebuilt as a walkable, low-rise district of pale buildings designed to stay cool, threaded with shaded lanes and squares. Four restored heritage houses form the Msheireb Museums. Bin Jelmood House is one of the most important, confronting the history of slavery in the Gulf and the Indian Ocean world; Company House tells the story of the first Qatari oil workers; Radwani House shows family life before and after oil; and Mohammed Bin Jassim House explains the regeneration project itself.

TipThe museums are closed on Sundays and open only in the afternoon and evening on Fridays. Msheireb station is the metro's main interchange, where all three lines meet.

Built into the Khalifa International Stadium complex in the Aspire Zone, this museum opened in 2022 and is one of the largest of its kind. Galleries trace the history of sport from the ancient Olympics to the present day, with a strong section on Qatar's own athletes and the 2022 World Cup, and interactive zones where you can test your sprint start or reaction time. It is particularly good for families.

TipClosed on Tuesdays. Combine it with a look at the stadium and the Aspire Park lawns next door.

Rem Koolhaas's practice OMA designed this library in Education City as one vast, light-filled room, with stepped white marble shelving that rises like terraces on either side. Sunk into the floor at its centre is the Heritage Library, a collection of rare manuscripts, maps and early printed books about the Arab and Islamic world. Visitors are welcome to wander, and it is one of the most striking modern interiors in the region.

TipOpen daily, with shorter afternoon hours on Fridays. The Qatar National Library station on the Green Line is right outside.

North of West Bay, Katara is a purpose-built cultural district of galleries, concert halls and restaurants in a mix of traditional styles. Look for the Greek-style amphitheatre facing the sea, the blue-and-gold tiled Katara Mosque, and the curious pigeon towers, modelled on traditional dovecotes. A public beach with water sports runs along the shore, and the district hosts festivals, including a traditional dhow festival.

TipKatara is best at the end of the afternoon, when you can watch the sunset from the amphitheatre and then eat at one of the restaurants by the beach.

This artificial island, reclaimed from the sea over an old pearling bed, is a showcase of the new Doha: marinas full of yachts, apartment towers and a waterfront lined with cafés and designer shops. Porto Arabia, the main marina, is good for an evening stroll, while Qanat Quartier, with its pastel houses, canals and little bridges, borrows openly from Venice.

TipIt is a long walk between districts. Take a taxi, or connect by bus from Legtaifiya metro station.

Lusail is a planned city built from scratch north of Doha, with marinas, towers and wide boulevards, and is still filling in. Its most popular visitor attraction is Place Vendôme, a huge luxury mall inspired by the Parisian square, whose canal-side fountain puts on music and light shows in the evening. Nearby, Lusail Boulevard and the marina promenade are pleasant on cooler nights, and the striking crescent-shaped Katara Towers stand on the waterfront.

TipThe Lusail Tram links the district's main areas with the Red Line, using the same travel card as the metro.

The largest of the 2022 World Cup stadiums, Lusail Stadium hosted the final in which Argentina beat France on penalties. Its golden bowl, patterned on traditional hand-crafted bowls and lanterns, is most impressive when lit up at night. Football fans can check for guided tours and events, but even from outside it is a striking sight, and it is easy to reach on the Red Line and the Lusail Tram.

A crescent-shaped island in the Gulf, about half an hour by boat from Doha, Banana Island is home to an upmarket resort with a sandy beach, pools and a water park. Non-guests can visit on a day pass that includes the boat transfer; packages and prices vary by day and season, and weekends sell out. It is the easiest way to swim in clear water close to the city.

TipBook the day pass and boat slot ahead online, and check which Doha terminal your boat departs from.

About an hour north of Doha, near the fishing villages of Al Thakhira and Al Khor, the Gulf's grey mangroves form a calm maze of channels and mudflats. Kayaking through them at high tide is one of the most peaceful experiences in Qatar, with herons, flamingos in winter and crabs scuttling among the roots. Several operators run guided paddles; tide times matter, as the channels drain at low water.

TipGo early in the morning or late in the afternoon, bring sun protection and water, and do not trample the young mangrove shoots on the shore.

On the remote north-west coast, about 100 km from Doha, Al Zubarah was a walled pearl-trading town that flourished in the 18th and early 19th centuries before being destroyed and abandoned. Its excavated remains, stretching some 2.5 km from the inland fort to the coast, became Qatar's first UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013. The square, crenellated fort itself dates from 1938 and holds displays on the town's history, while a boardwalk and shuttle lead to the ruined houses, mosques, market and town walls.

TipEntry is by ticket booked through Qatar Museums. The site opens daily, with shorter hours on Fridays, and there is little shade, so go in the morning.

In the Brouq Nature Reserve on the west coast, the American sculptor Richard Serra placed four steel plates, each more than 14 metres high, in a line over a kilometre long across a bare gypsum valley. Installed in 2014, the work changes completely with the light and the distance, and the silence of the desert around it is part of the experience. Nearby, the eroded limestone outcrops and film-set village of the reserve make a good add-on.

TipThe track to the sculptures is rough; a 4x4 is safer, especially after rain. Take plenty of water, and do not climb on or scratch the plates.

About an hour south of Doha, the town of Mesaieed gives way to Sealine, where tall, pale dunes run straight down to the sea. It is the jumping-off point for desert safaris, and the place to try dune bashing in a 4x4, sandboarding, quad biking or a short camel ride. Some resorts and camps here offer a beach day or an overnight stay in tents.

TipUse a licensed tour operator for dune driving. Quad bikes and dune bashing carry a real risk of rollover; wear the seatbelt and helmet you are given.

In Qatar's far south-east corner, near the Saudi border, a tidal inlet of the Gulf reaches deep into the sand sea, so that great crescent dunes slope directly into calm, turquoise water. This is the Inland Sea, the country's most spectacular natural sight and a protected nature reserve. There are no roads, so you reach it across the dunes from Sealine, usually on a half-day or full-day 4x4 tour, sometimes with an overnight desert camp. Swimming in the warm, shallow water with Saudi Arabia visible across the inlet is unforgettable.

TipNever attempt the crossing alone or in an ordinary car; go with an experienced driver and at least two vehicles. Tour prices vary widely, so compare what is included.