The Corniche area is definitely the central tourist destination in Qatar. Visitors planning to have a quick tour in Doha may spend few hours traversing the famous waterfront and you will already get a glimpse of Qatar’s rich heritage and promising future. From different stopovers are several museums, cultural villages, traditional markets and even the country’s latest developments showing it’s vision for Qatar.
Recently, we have also seen a more tourist-friendly policy a country could give. With its VISA FREE access for many nationalities, Qatar Airway’s Package for its Transit Passengers, as well as the opening of a Cruise Terminal, visiting this small yet oil rich nation that’s expected to catch the world’s attention in the year 2022 has never been this easy.
The City Tour (Red Line)
SOUQ WAQIF** Stop 1 (Ticketing Booth)
Located along Hamad Street opposite Fanar Building, the familiar yellow Doha Bus booth is the meeting place for this stop. This is a suggested tour area where you can spend time to go around SOUQ WAQIF. This place depicts an old Qatari marketplace which sells traditional items like clothing, spices, crafts and other souvenirs. As one of the prominent tourist spot in Doha, a lot of traditional and international restaurants, cafes and specialty shops are also available. This can also be your last stopover to spend the rest of the night.
- Msheireb Museums** – to bypass the time, either you cross the street at the back of Souq Waqif, visit the Msheireb Museums to see how the area was transformed to what it is now including a multi-media presentation of the slavery system during the early years up to the discovery of oil. (http://www.msheireb.com/)
- Souq Waqif Stop 2 – located at the mosque area at the back of Souq Waqif is also a good place to catch the bus when you missed them from the Msheireb Museums stop.
- National Museum of Qatar – soon to open (National Museum of Qatar)
- Marriot Hotel – stop for hotel guests
- Sharq Village – stop for hotel guests
- Corniche Fish Market – offers a glimpse of Qatari’s main source of living in the early years – fishing. Located opposite the soon to open National Museum of Qatar, this is just one of the many fish ports in the country (others are in Wakrah, Dukhan or Al Khor area).
- Museum of Islamic Art** – houses a collection of great artifacts from different Islamic countries which contributed to the rich culture of Qatar. (http://www.mia.org.qa)
- Corniche 1 and 2* – there will be two stops along the Doha Corniche. It is a waterfront promenade extending for seven kilometers along Doha Bay overlooking the Westbay skyline.
CITY CENTER (Ticketing Booth) – this stop is ideal for those staying in City Center Hotels or those hopping off to see one of Doha’s first and premier mall. This is also a good place to have a lunch break where a lot of international restaurants are available. However, some of them might be close for lunch during Fridays and restaurants or cafes might resume after 1pm only.
- Hotel Park – also known as Sheraton Park plays host to many popular outdoor exhibitions and events including the Qatar International Food Festival, Doha Burger Festival, and many others.
- Hilton Doha – stop for hotel guests
- Intercontinental Hotel – stop for hotel guests
KATARA CULTURAL VILLAGE* (Ticketing Booth) – is another cultural village for exhibitions and performances. There are also several restaurants available in this area. (http://www.katara.net/en)
- The Pearl – Qatar* – is one of Qatar’s most ambitious project located in man-made islands composed of residential and commercial establishments where expats are also allowed to own a property. It also houses several Marina ports for private yachts. Guests can also rent a water taxi or even a yacht for a fee at the Marina Gate 1. (http://www.thepearlqatar.com)
- Lagoona/Zig Zag Towers – stop for guests at Grand Hyatt Doha, Mondrian Doha, and Ritz Carlton. This is also one of the popular lifestyle mall in Qatar.
Quick Tips:
Total Travel Time without stopping = 2 – 2.5 hours
**Suggested Length of Stay on these Stops = 1 – 2 hours
*Ideal only for a quick photo op = 5 to 15 minutes
The bus starts at 9:00am to 5:30pm and there are 3 buses running at the Red Line at an interval of approx 45 minutes (depending on traffic).
Passengers must advise the driver about their next stop. Water and maps are also available on board as well as on the Ticketing booth. For children, it is advisable to wear seat belt while the bus is in motion.
The Green Line and Orange Line
While the Green line is a special route (much more like the Red Line) exclusively for Cruise passengers. The Cruise Terminal is highly visible from the Corniche Fish Market stop and operational during Wednesdays or depending on Cruise schedules.
The Orange line on the other hand is another special route going towards western part of Qatar, leading to the Education City area. The popular stop over includes the Grand Mosque, Qatar National Convention Center, Hamad Bin Khalifa University (Qatar), Al Shaqab (Equestrian Facility) and the Mathaf Museum.
Doha Bus – Your Gateway to More Adventures in The South
The southern part of Qatar is known for its majestic sand dunes and ideal for a memorable safari adventure.
During the National Day celebrations on December 18, Doha Bus will be hosting a 1-day fun-filled event at their Sealine Terminal. To book your tickets, please contact the numbers on the event poster.
Contest Time!
Win a Doha Bus Family Ticket worth QR450 (2 adults and 2 kids). Contest ends on December 17 (1pm) and to raffled off in the afternoon. The ticket is valid for 3 months. Simply do the following procedures:
- Follow Doha Bus on Facebook
- Follow Best Life Qatar on Facebook
- Share this blog post on your personal FACEBOOK account (make sure it is public) with hashtag #DohaBusAdventure and tag Doha Bus and Best Life Qatar so we can easily identify the entries (click the facebook icon at the end of the article when sharing)
- Only Open to Qatar Residents
Know more about DOHA BUS:
Visit their website: https://dohabus.com/
Telephone No:+974 4442 2444
Email: hello@dohabus.com
Doha,Qatar, P.O Box 18885