What crew need on the ground
A single-hub city built around one airline, with the strictest public-conduct rules of the major Gulf layovers.
Karwa taxis from the Taxi Pavilion, or the Metro from the station at Terminal 1.
Uber, Badrgo and Ryde are the only authorised airport pickups; the zone is in the car park via Gate 3, not at the kerb.
Updated information about bringing prescription and controlled medication into Qatar, including the Ministry of Public Health's online permit application system ('Health' page).
Read the full advice at UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office →Souq Waqif and back on the Metro, and not much else.
The old city or the waterfront, one of the two, chosen before you land.
Both ends of the city, with the road time between them budgeted rather than assumed.
The traditional market quarter and the eating district, with its own stop on the Gold Line.
The rebuilt downtown next to the souq, and the interchange for all three metro lines.
The tower district: most of the international hotels and the business end of the city.
The bay-front promenade linking the souq end to West Bay.
Cultural village and beachside restaurant cluster, between West Bay and The Pearl.
Reclaimed island of marinas, apartments and waterfront dining at the northern end.
Public drunkenness carries up to six months in prison, and photographing someone without consent can cost you QAR 100,000.
It is illegal to drink alcohol or be drunk in public. The penalty runs to six months' imprisonment or a fine of up to QAR 3,000. Alcohol is sold only at licensed hotels, restaurants and bars, and the drinking age is 21.
Public displays of intimacy can lead to arrest. Cohabitation and sex outside marriage are illegal, for same-sex and opposite-sex couples alike, with fines, imprisonment and deportation among the penalties.
Taking a photograph of someone without their consent can carry imprisonment or a fine of up to QAR 100,000. Photography near religious, military, government or construction sites needs permission, and drones need a permit.
Zero tolerance on drugs, including residual amounts. Penalties are a long prison sentence, heavy fines and deportation.
UK FCDOchecked Aug 2026
The long travelator towards arrivals inside Hamad International Airport, Doha.Chris Hoare / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0Karwa, operated by Mowasalat, is the official taxi service. The Taxi Pavilion is at the left-hand end of the arrivals hall.
Getting out of the airport in full
A turquoise Karwa taxi, Doha's official taxi service, parked at the kerb.errorval01 @ Flickr / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0Only three ride-hailing operators are authorised to pick up at Hamad International: Uber, Badrgo and Ryde. Pickups are allowed exclusively from the designated ride-hailing location, per the airport operator. Careem is not on the authorised list.
Ride-hailing in fullOoredoo sells a Visitor SIM (physical or eSIM) on arrival: at the Qatar Duty Free store in baggage claim, at kiosks by Exits 2, 3 and 4 in the Arrivals Hall, and online with the eSIM issued instantly. Tiers run 7, 14 or 30 days; the data allowance is local-use only, not valid while roaming.
Staying connected in full
The West Bay towers of Doha lit at night, seen across the water from the Corniche.Alex Sergeev (www.asergeev.com) / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0June to September is hot desert summer: temperatures can reach 45C or higher, with humidity spiking to 40-60%. November to February is mild, averaging 15-20C. The comfortable outdoor windows are roughly April to early May and late October to late November.
Weather in fullMost hospitality outlets in Qatar include a service charge in the bill, per the national tourism board, so check before adding anything.
Tipping in fullVisit Qatarchecked Aug 2026
Souq Waqif, on the banks of Wadi Musheireb, is the traditional-market food area: everything from sit-down restaurants to street vendors, plus roadside cafes doing Arabic coffee, fresh juices and shisha into the late evening. It has its own metro stop, Souq Waqif on the Gold Line.
Eating near the crew hotels in fullGold jewellery is the signature purchase at Souq Waqif's gold shops, from intricate head pieces and multi-tiered necklaces to everyday items; the tourism board notes gold jewellery remains widely popular throughout the Middle East.
What to buy in fullVisit Qatarchecked Aug 2026
Save the guide and its 8 sections now, and read them on the crew bus before you have a SIM.
Fares, timetables and rules change. Where a figure matters to your plan, the publisher above is the one to check.