Escape the city at these brilliant locations
Doha offers so much to do that we frequently spend our weekends taking in the city’s top attractions.
However, there are many good reasons to leave the city, so we’ve gathered some of our top day trips from Doha for you to try.
As usual, we ask that you behave properly by cleaning up after yourself and taking your trash with you so that these locations can continue to be as stunning for future visitors.
Must try trips in Doha
Al Karaana Lagoon
Al Karaana Lagoon was formerly used for wastewater, but a restoration project finished in 2019 by the Public Works Authority of Qatar (Ashgal) totally altered it. Red foxes, desert hares, snakes, and other species of birds are among the wildlife that now calls the three man-made lagoons home. If you enjoy the outdoors, doing this day excursion from Doha is certainly recommended.
Location: Al Karaana Lagoon
Al Safliya Island
The West Bay skyline is beautifully visible from this manta ray-shaped island close to The Pearl-Qatar, especially around sunset. Although there are no facilities on the island, it makes for a great day excursion from Doha to unwind on the sand. A tour company like National Cruise or 365 Adventures can help you arrange a boat journey, or skilled paddleboarders can join Blue Pearl Experience and paddle across.
365adventures.me / nationalcruise.com / bluepearlexperience.com.
East-West/West-East by Richard Serra
One of our favorite pieces of public art in Qatar has to be Richard Serra’s East-West/West-East. The sculpture, which spans a kilometer in the desert, is made up of four 14 m-high steel plates. When juxtaposed to the barren environment in Zekreet, they are precisely aligned and appear magnificent. For the full effect, depart from Doha for this day trip at either sunrise or sunset.
Brouq Nature Reserve, Zekreet.
Galactic Core Bay
Stargazers, this one’s for you: due to the lack of light pollution in the area, this bay on Qatar’s northwest coast is ideal for snapping pictures of the night sky. But be warned—the road to this location isn’t ideal, so you’ll need a 44 to visit it. Anything is fair game for the ‘gram.
Location: Galactic Core Bay.
Inland Sea
You should visit the Inland Sea right away if you haven’t already. It will steal your breath away since it is one of the few locations in the world where the sea meets the desert dunes. You may reserve a spot with a tour operator like 365 Adventures for an overnight camping trip or a day excursion from Doha, or you can drive your own vehicle. If it’s your first time there, be careful to travel with a club, like the Qatar 4Wheelers or the Dune Riders Club, both of which frequently organize trips to the location.
Inland Sea, 365adventures.me.
Purple Island
Al Khor Island, commonly referred to as Purple Island, is where you should go if you’re in the mood for some vegetation. Though it was the first area in the world to create purple mussel dye, don’t anticipate to be greeted by a sea of purple. Getting back to the present, 365 Adventures and Blue Pearl Experience both offer tours to Purple Island where you may kayak through the mangroves that surround it. If kayaking isn’t your thing, there’s also a promenade where you can take in the view from dry land.
Location: Purple Island.
Shadows traveling on the sea of the day
Our list of must-do day trips from Doha already includes Olafur Eliasson’s installation Shadows traveling on the sea of the day (2022), which was unveiled in October 2022. The piece is intended to be “an invitation to resync with the globe” and is made up of 20 mirrored circular shelters, three single rings, and two double rings. Resynchronize, unwind, and shoot a photo on Instagram.
Location: Shadows travelling on the sea of the day.
