Transit in Doha

Last month I travelled to Turkey and Saudi Arabia for nearly 3 weeks. Due to the fact that we flew with Qatar Airways, we have to do a transit at Doha International Airport. I purposely took the 8 hour transit in Doha to allow us explore the city a bit.

For those who plans to travel with Qatar Airways and will be transiting in Doha, here are a few info that you might help you.

 

Boarding Pass Wallet

During your check in time, you will be given a coloured boarding pass wallet which indicates your status.

Blue – Arrival in Doha

arrival-guide-DOH-en250x180

Yellow – Transit

arrival-guide-yellow-250x180

Orange & Yellow – Short Transit

arrival-guide-oyellow-250x180

Burgundy – Premium Transfer for Business Class & First Class

arrival-guide-burgundy-250x

We were given the yellow boarding pass wallet because were on an 8 hour transit.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

When u arrived in Doha, u will have to get on a bus after coming off the flight. (Unless you are holding a Burgundy boarding pass wallet where you will board a car) The bus will make several stops based on the image above. If you are on a transit and holding a yellow or orange/yellow boarding pass wallet, get off at the Transfer & Departure stop.

boarding pass wallet

If u want to get out of the airport for a short tour, get off the bus when it stops at the blue section which is the Arrival hall. Do note that if you stop at the yellow section which is the Transfer and Departure terminal, you won’t be able to get out of the airport.

 

Transit Terminal

Those who do not want to get out of the airport should continue to the Transfer & Departure stop

Once you get down at the Transfer & Departure terminal, you will need to get through a security screening. In case that your flight arrived late and your next flight is about to leave in a short time, you can show your boarding pass to the officer and he might allow you to skip the que. From there you will need to find your respective gate or you can refer to the transit counter.

There are not much facilities available at Doha International Airport. There’s a small food court, a duty free shop, pharmacy, money changer and a souvenir shop. If you have a 6-7 hours transit time and do not plan to get out of the airport, you can also get into the Oryx Lounge which is offered for qualified Privilage Club members. Economy class passengers can gain access by paying about USD40 for a 6 hour usage. There’s a shower facilities, F&B, Internet and some comfy seatings (there’s no sleeping couches).

 

Visa & Immigrations

When you enter the arrival hall you will see there is one information counter, the immigration counters, a money changer `and also the washroom. You can refresh yourselves at the washroom before proceeding to the immigration counters.

Malaysian citizens may obtain a 30 days visa on arrival, but you will need to pay 100 Qatar Riyal per person. The officer will ask for your credit card for the visa payment. Take note that they only accept credit card and debit card for the payment, not cash.

When asked about your hotel name in Qatar, just let them know that you are on transit. Based on my experience, immigration officers in the Middle East are the most unwelcoming and unfriendly. So be prepared.

Other nationalities can check their visa requirement here. If you are not entitled for the visa on arrival, you need to apply at the Qatar Embassy in your country.

 

Transportation to the city

After clearing the immigration and customs, just walk out of the terminal and you will find signboard indicating the taxi stand. Follow the sign and you will see the turquoise coloured metered taxi lining up. It only takes about 15-20 minutes from Doha International Airport to the city centre. The taxi ride starts from 25 Qatar Riyal.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

The taxi ride from the airport to Souq Waqif cost us 35 Qatar Riyal which includes the premium charge for airport taxi. However, on our return trip to the airport, we took the taxi by the road near Souq Waqif and it only cost us 15 Qatar Riyal.

Places to go during a short transit

During our short visit, we only managed to get around Souq Waqif and the Corniche area only. Check out the post about my experience at Souq Waqif and The Corniche.

Souq Waqif

doha-souq-waqif-1

doha-corniche-2

A traditional Arabic market place. It maintains the traditional Arabic architectural and atmosphere. The areas are separated based on what they are selling. For instance, there are the spice area, textile area, restaurants, hotels, souvenir shops, the animal souq, camel souq and also the falcon quarter. You could easily spend a few hours here touring the maze like bazaar.

The Corniche

doha-corniche-1

doha-corniche-2

This is the long seaside promenade that allows you to have a great view of the city skyscrapers. The Museum of Islamic Arts is also situated in this area.

Check out Wikitravel Doha article for more places to visit

19 Responses so far.

  1. Nice one. A good guide for Doha and Doha Airport.

    Btw, Oryx Lounge in the Departure/Transit Terminal is not for Business Class & First Class passengers because they would be using the Premium Terminal, not this terminal. This Oryx Lounge is more for qualified Privelege Club members and those who are willing to pay the fee.

    If you’re on long transit & not going out of the airport, I do think it’s worth the money to pay to go inside the lounge.

  2. Stuwie says:

    Great tips with a good info, and easy to understand. I never fly with Qatar Airways before, how is their services? I am planning to visit New York using Qatar Airways in this September and your post is really helpful.

    • danarif says:

      so far after flying 4 flights with them, I haven’t encountered any problem with their services.. hopefully you’ll have a great flight too 🙂

  3. dieya says:

    i agree on the part that ME immigration officers are unfriendly. the airports (the several that i’ve been to) are unsystematic too.
    frankfurt remains may fav to date.

    • danarif says:

      true.. but Doha will be opening their new airport soon.. and Jeddah is also constructing a new airport.. hopefully it will be more systematic than the current ones..

  4. biqque says:

    we met msian at souq waqif and had a quick chai with arabian bread and sat on the bench feeling like locals…nice experience though! 🙂

  5. Johan says:

    agreed with the immigration part dekat arab! experience masa dkt jeddah.. imigresen berlagak gile pastu suka2 hati dier jer nak tutup counter padahal ramai yang tengah beratur

  6. Khai says:

    Sekali tengok macam Putrajaya, 2 kali tengok Doha rupanya. Hehe.

    Suka suasana pasar tu [souq] sebab rasa sangat tradisional.

    Apapun, nanti Doha nak ada airport baru kan?

  7. zatayumni says:

    Salam,

    I’ll be transiting in Doha for about 22 hours sometime in October, alone. Was just wondering, are there any lockers that i can leave my luggage at at the airport? also, are there comfy places to take a quick nap in the airport before i head out to the city?

    hope to hear from you soon!

    Zata

  8. zatayumni says:

    Salam,

    Thanks for the post, it’s very helpful.

    I’ll be transiting in Doha for about 22 hours sometime in October, alone. So i was just wondering if you happened to see any lockers in the airport so that i can leave my luggage when i go out exploring the city.

    Also, are there any comfortable places in the airport where i can take a quick nap before i go out to the city?

    Hope to hear from you soon!
    Zata

  9. Rozi says:

    I nak ke dubai early may and will transit doha about 6 hrs. I’m bringing my famili as well. Flight sampai pkl 6 pg. what’s yr advice. Blh ke kluar jln2 ke city tp its early in the morning. Or i just go straight to transfer terminal. What to do for 6 hrs there? Any tips kalau remains in the airport.

  10. momoy says:

    hai.. i have flight using Qatar airline and stop at Doha this september for transit.. u were saying we as Malaysian need Visa? coz when i cek it here we dont need visa.. can u help me..

  11. maria says:

    hai.. lets say i dont have credit card utk pay the visa. so use friend CC boleh tak? Tq

  12. Mar says:

    MasyaAllah.thanks for the info! I will transit doha for 13 hrs for flight to saudi. this will help a lot. May Allah bless u.

  13. Saleh says:

    Thanks for the info.
    I am thinking of breaking my flight in Doha on the way to Istanbul. Do not want to endure the 11 hrs direct flight from KL.Maybe a short transit will suffice.

    “immigration officers in the Middle East are the most unwelcoming and unfriendly. ”

    Or do you think Dubai would be better for longer transit?


Turkey – A...

Nearly 5 months since my last update... now am currently ...

Review: Alaaddin Hotel,...

During our 8 days visit to Turkey, we spent 4 ...

Souq Waqif and...

When we arrived at Doha Int. Airport, it was 6.30 ...

Transit in Doha

Last month I travelled to Turkey and Saudi Arabia for ...

Experience traveling WithLocals

Experience traveling WithLocals During my trips, I usually try find ways ...

Turkey – A...

Nearly 5 months since my last update... now am currently ...

Review: Alaaddin Hotel,...

During our 8 days visit to Turkey, we spent 4 ...

Souq Waqif and...

When we arrived at Doha Int. Airport, it was 6.30 ...

Transit in Doha

Last month I travelled to Turkey and Saudi Arabia for ...

Experience traveling WithLocals

Experience traveling WithLocals During my trips, I usually try find ways ...

PROMOTIONS