Qatar
Qatar5 guides across 1 destination — where to go, when, what it costs and what to eat.
Destinations in Qatar
Practical essentials for Qatar
Qatari riyal (QAR)
Arabic is official; English is used routinely in Doha's hotels, shops and signage
Type G (British three-pin) is standard, also D/F/L; 240V 50Hz
The Doha Metro is cheap and air-conditioned, paid with a Karwa Smartcard or a contactless bank card, and Karwa taxis or Uber cover everything it doesn't reach.
Not expected; many restaurants add a 10% service charge that goes to the house, so cash handed over directly is what reaches the staff.
Desalinated tap water is treated to WHO standards, but residents and visitors alike drink bottled.
Right-hand side; without a Qatari licence you need a 1968 International Driving Permit together with your national licence.
999 (112 also works from mobiles)
Country-level guidance, checked against official sources. Currency, fares and entry rules change — confirm anything time-critical before you travel.
Recent stories from Qatar
Doha Needs Three Days, and the Third One Leaves the City
Two flagship museums that take different days off, one metro that does most of the driving, and a third day that belongs out past the ring roads: a winter order of play for Qatar's capital.
Doha’s Most Photogenic Corners, Ranked
Ten Doha frames ranked by how much the picture repays the journey — with the hours, fares, seasons and running order that decide whether the shot happens at all.
What to Eat in Doha: A Dish-by-Dish Guide to Qatar's Capital
From saffron-scented machboos to syrupy luqaimat and sweet karak tea, here is how to eat your way through Doha — starting in Souq Waqif.
The Doha Most Visitors Never See: Beyond the Corniche
Msheireb’s shaded lanes, a national library like a spaceship, and a seaside souq without the crowds — the quarters that show what Qatar’s capital is becoming.
Two Days for Doha, One for the Desert Beyond It
Doha is a three-day city if you plan around its closing days: the bay and the old souq, the museums where Qatar tells its own story, and one day spent entirely outside the city.