🛫 Single Terminal — Qatar Airways Hub + oneworld

Carriers: Qatar Airways (the dominant carrier — oneworld member, Skytrax World’s Best Airline 8 times since 2011), American, British Airways, Iberia, Finnair, JAL, Cathay Pacific, Sri Lankan, Royal Jordanian, Air France, KLM, Lufthansa, Turkish, Singapore Airlines, ANA, Korean Air, Qantas (codeshare network).

Concourse layout: A and B (original), C and D (Phase B), E (added). Al Safwa First Lounge and Al Mourjan Business Lounge South at the original duplex; Al Mourjan Garden Lounge (“The Garden”) in the new C/D/E area.

🌴 The Orchard + Lamp Bear

The Orchard (opened 2022) — 10,000 m² indoor tropical garden with 300+ trees and 25,000 plants. The world’s largest indoor airport garden. Sustainably forest-sourced flora; significant cooling and air-quality benefit. Genuinely worth the walk on any layover >90 minutes.

Lamp Bear (Urs Fischer, central node) — the iconic 7m-tall yellow teddy bear sculpture under a desk lamp, the de-facto rendezvous landmark for locals and frequent travellers.

Visa-Free / VOA for 100+ Nationalities — 30 Days

EU-27, UK, US, Canada, Australia, NZ, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and 80+ others all visa-free 30 days for tourism. Extendable 30 more days online via the Ministry of Interior portal (~QAR 100 fee). GCC citizens visa-free 30 days with no application needed. Verify on the official Visit Qatar portal before booking — eligibility is updated periodically.

Hayya A1 e-Visa — Visa-Required Nationals Only

Since 2024, all Qatar visitor visas process through the Hayya platform as the Hayya A1 e-visa — QAR 100 application + mandatory MOPH-approved health insurance ~QAR 50 for 30 days. If you’re from a visa-free nationality (EU/UK/US/CA/AU/NZ/JP/KR), you do NOT need a Hayya A1 — the Hayya transformation only affects visa-required nationalities. Verify on the Visit Qatar portal; this is the most-confused-about Qatar entry rule in 2026.

Qatar Customs Reality

Alcohol is restricted — only at licensed hotel bars and restaurants. No alcohol allowance for non-residents arriving (unlike Dubai); do not pack alcohol in checked or carry-on baggage for arrival. Vape devices and e-cigarettes are restricted; some categories prohibited. Pork products, religious materials face additional inspection. Drone declaration required. For Ramadan visitors: respect daytime fast in public.

⭐ Doha Metro Red Line — QAR 2, ~15 Min to Msheireb

The Doha Metro Red Line directly serves DOH (Hamad International Airport station integrated into the terminal). QAR 2 single ticket, QAR 6 day pass, QAR 10 reusable smart card. ~15 min to Msheireb (the main interchange station downtown), 20–25 min to West Bay area. Operates 05:00–01:00 Sat–Thu, 09:00–01:00 Fri. Last airport departure 22:19 / 23:19 Thu–Fri. This is the locals’ default for solo / duo arrivals.

🚕 Karwa Taxi (Turquoise) — Official, Metered, ~QAR 50–80 to Centre

DOH’s official taxi rank uses Karwa — Qatar’s national taxi service in distinctive turquoise vehicles. Metered, with airport surcharge included. ~QAR 50–80 to most central Doha hotels (West Bay, Souq Waqif, The Pearl). Cards accepted in most Karwa taxis; cash QAR works everywhere. Tipping standard 10%.

📱 Uber + Careem — Both Operate, Designated Pickup Zones

Uber and Careem (Uber-owned super-app) both operate at DOH with designated pickup zones signposted from arrivals. Roughly comparable pricing to Karwa taxi; surge can be slightly higher than Karwa during evening rush, but ride tracking and in-app payment are advantages. For 2+ travellers with luggage, either app or Karwa works comparably.

✨ Al Safwa First Lounge (Flagship — private suites + spa)

DOH’s genuine local food is Qatari + Levantine fusion. Madrouba (savoury rice porridge with chicken or lamb, Qatar’s comfort food) and Machboos (the Qatari national dish — spiced rice with meat / fish, similar to Saudi Kabsa) at airside Qatari restaurants for ~QAR 40–80. Karak chai (cardamom milk tea, ~QAR 5–10) is the universal Qatari beverage — try it. Levantine mezze (hummus, baba ghanoush, falafel, manakish) is also widely available. Skip airport McDonald’s — Qatari food at DOH is genuinely good.

DOH duty-free is smaller than DXB but more curated — focused on premium watches, fragrance, fashion, electronics, gold, and Qatari-brand luxury. Pearls (Qatar’s historic pearl-diving heritage; modern pearl jewellery is sold at premium boutiques airside), oud (agarwood) perfume (Ajmal, Al Haramain), Qatari-brand date chocolate (Bateel and Patchi at duty-free). Note: no alcohol duty-free for non-residents arriving in Qatar — alcohol is sold airside on departure to international destinations only.

Take-home picks at DOH duty-free: Pearl jewellery (Qatar’s historic pre-oil heritage; verify authenticity certificate), oud perfume (the Qatari-Emirati signature scent — expensive but iconic), Bateel premium dates (~QAR 100–300 per gift box), Patchi chocolates (Lebanese-Qatari favourite). For genuine Qatari souvenirs: visit Souq Waqif (Doha’s restored historic market, ~15 km / QAR 50 by Karwa from DOH) for spices, fabrics, small antiques — much cheaper and more authentic than airport retail. Skip airport gold — Souq Waqif is dramatically cheaper for similar designs.

Iranian missile barrage on Qatar 28 February 2026 (16 shrapnel injuries reported) and the subsequent 1 March 2026 airspace closure have left DOH operating with reduced capacity through limited corridors. EASA Conflict Zone bulletin 2026-03-R7 covers UAE / Qatar / Saudi / Israel / Iran corridors; advisory extended through April 24, 2026 and rolling. US/Iran ceasefire on 8 April 2026 (extended, fragile). Fresh Iran strikes on UAE on 4 May 2026 renewed regional volatility. For 2026 travellers: expect occasional schedule changes on Qatar Airways and partner-carrier flights through DOH; verify your specific route’s status before flying. This is also why DOH withdrew from Skytrax 2026 — Hamad management cited safety prioritisation.

DOH formally withdrew from the 2026 Skytrax World Airport Awards in March 2026, citing safety prioritisation amid the Iran-strike fallout. This is a deliberate exit from a competition DOH had won in 2021, 2022, and 2024 (#2 in 2025). Singapore Changi extended its winning streak in 2026. Qatar Airways World’s Best Airline is a separate competition — the carrier remains highly decorated with 8 wins (2011/12/15/17/19/21/22/24) — but the Hamad airport-specific recognition cycle is paused for 2026.

Ramadan 2026 falls ~18 February to 19 March. No public eating, drinking, or smoking before sunset in Qatar — restaurants daytime restricted (most close to public-facing service 06:00–18:00; hotel restaurants serve guests in private). Iftar buffets at sunset are major cultural events; book ahead. Entertainment is muted — clubs and bars often close or operate restricted hours. Airside food kiosks at DOH operate reduced hours daytime, full service overnight. Tourists are not expected to fast; eating discreetly indoors is fine.

Alcohol in Qatar is restricted to licensed hotel bars and restaurants — no public consumption, no liquor stores for residents (residents can apply for a permit and shop at the QDC store), no duty-free arrival allowance for non-residents. Do NOT pack alcohol in checked or carry-on baggage for arrival into DOH. Departure duty-free sells alcohol airside on outbound international flights only — for purchase to consume in your destination. This is more restrictive than Dubai, where DXB duty-free arrivals carry a 4L allowance.

Souq Waqif (Doha’s restored 19th-century historic market, ~15 km / QAR 50 by Karwa from DOH) — winding alleys, spice stalls, perfume shops, falconry, traditional Qatari restaurants. Museum of Islamic Art (I.M. Pei’s 2008 masterpiece on the Corniche, free entry, closed Fri morning) — one of the world’s great Islamic art collections. National Museum of Qatar (Jean Nouvel’s 2019 desert-rose architecture, ~QAR 50) — Qatari history and culture. The Pearl-Qatar island for upscale waterfront dining. Allow at least a half-day for any DOH-day-trip visit — Doha is genuinely worth seeing during long layovers.

Ooredoo and Vodafone Qatar sell tourist SIMs at DOH arrivals kiosks. ~QAR 50–150 for a 30-day plan with 10–25 GB. Show passport at activation. EU roaming via your home plan does NOT cover Qatar on standard tariffs. eSIM via Airalo / Holafly / Ubigi from ~$5–10 for 7-day Qatar coverage. 5G covers central Doha widely; spotty in the desert. VoIP services like WhatsApp voice / Skype / FaceTime are technically restricted on Qatari mobile networks; eSIMs and roaming may bypass.