Doha, Qatar

I’ve had my fair share of experiences in the desert inside and outside the military. I never thought to visit Qatar until I noticed I would spend eight hours in Doha during my layover on the way to the Maldives. When you arrive at Hamad International Airport and want to explore the city, I suggest heading toward baggage claim as quickly as possible so you can clear customs swiftly. I made the mistake of walking around the airport for at least half an hour before deciding to head into the city of Doha. I also didn’t realize how early the sun would set. After spending 40 minutes in the customs line, I hastily found my way to the taxi stand, which was not a long walk away.

Once you exit the baggage claim area, the taxi stand, Karwa Taxi, is to the left and the end of the airport. You’ll be directed to the first available taxi and headed on your way into the city. I told the taxi driver to take me to the National Museum of Qatar, which closes at 7 p.m. When I arrived, it was 6:50 p.m. Since I was limited on daylight hours, I was more interested in capturing photographs of the outside of the building and its architecture than going inside. The architecture of the NMoQ is stunning. It doesn’t look as big as it truly is until you head towards the entrance of the building. Their current building opened on 28 March 2019, replacing the previous building from 1975. Check out the National Museum of Qatar for ticket prices and updated hours.

Since the sun had set while I was touring the outside of the National Museum, I decided to kill some time by walking around the city. About a 15-minute walk from the Museum, I stumbled upon the Museum of Islamic Art Flag Plaza. The plaza displays 119 flags that represent nations with diplomatic missions in Qatar. Please visit MIA Flag Plaza for more information.

Another place I wish I had time to visit was the Museum of Islamic Art, which also closes at 7 pm. Imagine my dismay when I realized I didn’t have time to visit either museum during my layover. However, I was lucky enough to find MIA as I wandered behind a family with small kids through an opening you wouldn’t know existed as an entrance to MIA Park was not lit up by any form of light. Check out the Museum of Islamic Art for ticket prices and updated hours. 

Unfortunately, the sunset was around 6:30 pm, so I didn’t want to stay out too long at night solo. I used Uber to catch a ride back to the airport instead of a taxi, which was much more convenient. The ride from MIA to Hamad Airport was 15 minutes and was 31 QAR (8.51 USD). Had I landed in Doha earlier in the day, I would have visited many more places before nightfall. I love to explore cities on foot, so I won’t forget to bring my walking shoes next time.