Doha Travel Guide 2026: Everything You Need to Know Before You Go

Qatar is genuinely easy to enter for most travelers: citizens of more than 100 countries qualify for a free visa on arrival, issued at the airport with no advance application needed, while GCC nationals (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, UAE) need no visa at all. A smaller set of nationalities — including India, Pakistan, Iran, Thailand and Ukraine — must book their entire stay through the official Discover Qatar platform in advance rather than arriving visa-free, and a stay beyond 30 days now requires health insurance regardless of nationality.

Check your specific passport's requirement on Qatar's official visa portal before booking flights — the rules vary meaningfully by nationality, and a few nationalities face a paid Hayya application fee rather than a free visa on arrival. See our full Qatar visa guide for the nationality-by-nationality breakdown.

The Qatari Riyal (QAR) is pegged to the US dollar at a fixed rate, which removes the currency-swing anxiety some destinations carry, and cards are accepted virtually everywhere — hotels, restaurants, malls, and even most Souq Waqif stalls take cards without hesitation, a contrast to bazaar cultures elsewhere in the region that still lean cash-heavy. Carrying some riyals is still useful for small vendors, tipping, and the odd taxi that prefers cash, but Doha is one of the easier Gulf cities to get by on cards alone.

ATMs are widespread and reliable, and tipping, while not mandatory, is appreciated at 10% or rounding up at restaurants.

The Doha Metro, built out rapidly ahead of the 2022 World Cup, is clean, modern and covers most areas visitors care about — the airport, West Bay, Souq Waqif's vicinity (via Souq Waqif station) and the Education City area — at a fraction of taxi cost. Taxis and ride-hailing apps fill the gaps the Metro doesn't reach, and traffic can be heavy around rush hour in West Bay and the Corniche corridor.

A few habits worth knowing: Qatar is a conservative, alcohol-restricted country outside licensed hotel bars and restaurants, so public drinking and public displays of affection are best avoided; modest dress is appreciated in Souq Waqif and religious sites even though it's not strictly enforced for tourists; and Friday is the start of the weekend (Friday-Saturday), which shifts opening hours for government offices and some businesses compared to a Western Monday-Friday week.