A long layover on a journey to Barcelona gave me the opportunity to experience the Discover Doha Transit Tour by Discover Qatar and Qatar Airways. This was a paid service, and I was able to register for the 8:00 AM tour online and had paid in advance. The flight from Mumbai to Qatar was nice, but short. They had a breakfast service after takeoff and it was not long before we began our descent into Doha.
I reached the Discover Qatar desk at Hamad International Airport around 6:00 AM. They confirmed my reservation and payment for the tour, and I had to apply for a transit visa for USD 27. There were some issues with my credit card, but then I used my debit card, and the issue was resolved. The staff completed the e-visa process and asked me to return in 15 minutes at 6:30 AM. It wasn’t too long, and soon there were others assembling there as well.
We were instructed to go through immigration, pass baggage claim, and go to the information desk. The staff there asked everyone to come back at 7:50 AM to start the tour. Around 8:00 AM, we walked out of the terminal building and boarded the bus. It was air-conditioned and comfortable. They also handed out water throughout the trip.
Our first stop was the Dhow Harbour, which offered panoramic views of the Doha skyline. It was amazing to see the variety of skyscrapers there, in all shapes and sizes.
The next stop was Katara Cultural Village. We walked from the bus to see the Pigeon Towers and the Katara Mosque.
The Katara Mosque was was beautiful to see from the inside. We had to remove our footwear and keep it outside when we entered. There were a couple of people there who also told us about Islam.
We then drove to the last stop of the trip, Souq Waqif. This was a local market for traditional clothing, handicrafts, spices, and perfumes. There were also lots of eateries and cafés.
We had free time to walk around, shop, and eat as we wanted. I visited the Souq Waqif Art Center. It houses various art presentations, exhibitions, etc., representing traditional Islamic and Middle Eastern art.
I saw the Golden Thumb sculpture, created by French sculptor César Baldaccini as part of his Le Pouce series, installed in February 2019 to mark Qatar’s first Asian Cup football victory. We were told to assemble near the Police Station, and once everyone was there, we walked back to the bus. We got to see the Abdullah Bin Zaid Al Mahmoud Islamic Cultural Center (Fanar Masjid) on the way to the bus.
We were dropped off at the airport after the drive back, and I think this transit tour was a good way to get a glimpse into Doha and Qatar. My initial impression was that it felt similar to Dubai. But I’m sure there’s more to discover in Qatar with more time.
I already had my onward boarding pass so I directly went through immigration and security check. I had some time before my next flight to Barcelona, so I visited the Al Mourjan Lounge. The lounge was huge and spread out over multiple areas.
There was a great selection of food from buffet counters and also a variety of drinks on offer at the bar. There was also an à la carte menu from which items were made-to-order as requested. I settled in and had a late lunch.
The flight to Barcelona was comfortable. There was a nice meal service onboard.
