What should I avoid in Doha?

The single biggest mistake first-timers make in Doha is underestimating the summer heat. Today's reading is 36.3°C with a feels-like of 39°C, and this is a June morning before the real peak. July and August push past 45°C, with humidity that makes the air feel like warm wet cloth pressed against your skin. The 7km Corniche walkway looks tempting on a map, but between 10am and 4pm from May through September, the pavement throws heat back at you through your shoes. If you want the waterfront, go at 5:30am or after 8pm, when temperatures drop to 33-34°C and the Museum of Islamic Art, which opened in 2008, lights up across the bay. Pack SPF 50+. The UV index here exceeds 11 most of the year, which means unprotected skin burns in under 15 minutes.

Souq Waqif deserves your time, but watch the pricing along the main pedestrian drag. Mixed grill plates run 80-120 QAR ($22-33 at the current 3.64 rate) at the front-facing restaurants. Walk one alley deeper toward the spice section, where the air turns thick with saffron and cardamom, and you'll find places like Damasca One or Shater Abbas serving the same food for 35-45 QAR. The pashmina stalls near the falcon hospital tend to quote 150-200 QAR for scarves that sell for 40 QAR at Lulu Hypermarket in Al Messila. Over at The Pearl-Qatar, the marina restaurants in Qanat Quartier charge 250-400 QAR per person for food that's decent but not proportionally better than what sits a block inland. Worth noting, the walk through Qanat Quartier's pastel Venetian-style buildings is free and genuinely interesting on its own. Most 2022 World Cup stadiums sit 15-30km outside central Doha. Stadium 974, built from shipping containers in 2021, has the most striking architecture of the group, but without a match day there is nothing to see. Check the Qatar Stars League schedule before paying 60 QAR for a cab to Lusail.

Getting around Doha without overpaying takes a little know-how. Unlicensed drivers gather outside Souq Waqif and at Hamad International Airport, quoting flat fares of 80-150 QAR for trips that cost 25-40 QAR on a Karwa meter. The Karwa app and Uber both operate legally here. That said, the Doha Metro might be the better option for most trips. It opened in 2019, runs 3 lines, and costs 2 QAR per ride on a rechargeable travel card. Msheireb station drops you at Souq Waqif, and the Gold Line reaches Education City and Lusail. The cars are air-conditioned to the point of feeling cold, which you'll appreciate after 5 minutes outside. For desert safaris, book directly with operators in Mesaieed at 150-200 QAR per person rather than through hotel concierge desks, which tend to charge 350-500 QAR for the same half-day dune drive. Mind you, the cheapest operators sometimes skip the inland sea at Khor Al Adaid entirely and loop back after 90 minutes of flat sand.

Qatar's laws are stricter than most first-timers expect, and ignorance is not a defense. Public displays of affection beyond holding hands can lead to fines or detention. Photography of government buildings, military installations, or people without their permission is a criminal offense under Qatari law. This goes double for photographs of women. Alcohol is legal only in licensed hotel bars and restaurants, where a pint at the W Doha or the St. Regis runs 55-75 QAR, roughly $15-20 USD. Visible public intoxication carries penalties of up to 6 months in prison. To be fair, enforcement tends to be measured rather than aggressive, but the laws exist and they apply to visitors. During Ramadan, eating, drinking, or smoking in public between sunrise and sunset is illegal for everyone, not only those observing the fast. Dress modestly in malls and public spaces. Villaggio Mall and Mall of Qatar both post dress codes at their entrances requiring covered shoulders and knees.