While traveling from Boston to Bangkok for the start of my honeymoon, I had an 8-hour layover in Doha, Qatar from 5pm to 1am. Although you can easily spend eight hours in the Hamad International Airport (consistently named one of best in the world), I was eager to check off another country in my 50 Before 50 so I had to leave the airport and experience a tiny bit of Qatar.

Arrival

Fresh off an 11-hour flight from Boston, I landed in Doha around 5pm on a Friday and had until 1:30am until my next flight to Bangkok. As I looked out the window while landing, this would be the one and only time I’d see Qatar during daylight hours. Thanks to my arrival flight from Boston being in business, I was able to fast-track through the security line upon arrival and head straight to a lounge. Yes, you have to go through security upon landing at Hamad.

Al Safwa Lounge: Shower

Since my next flight was in First Class on Qatar (booked on points!), I was able to access the famously luxurious Al Safwa First Class Lounge at Hamad Airport in Doha.

Known for its immense size, ceiling water feature and museum-quality pieces from Doha’s Museum of Islamic Art and artist Keith Haring, Al Safwa boasts a spa, fine dining restaurant, private hotel rooms for sleeping, and duty-free shop. With the exception of the spa services and whatever you want to buy at the duty-free (a $200k watch?), everything at Al Safwa is free — or included in the price of your ticket — however you want to look at it. I high-tailed it to the spa, where I had a dedicated shower and treatment room, packed with Diptyque products, to refresh before heading into the city centre.

Luggage Storage

I was able to store my carry-on in the luggage storage room at Al Safwa while I headed into the city.

Immigration

After storing my bags, I headed to immigration where, after waiting in line for about 30 minutes, I paid roughly $20 for an on-the-spot visa.

Taking the Metro from the Airport to the City

Another 25 minutes of walking and I made it to the airport metro station to head into the city. The metro was incredibly clean, efficient and empty. I was able to use a credit card to buy a metro pass.

Souq Waqif and La Corniche

Several stops later, I got off at Lusail Station and walked another 10 minutes to get to Souq Waqif, a traditional market in the medina. Packed with kid-friendly amusements (ice cream stands, pony rides) and restaurants, Souq Waqif is a maze of little alleys packed with shops selling everything from home aquariums to bulk spices. Hot tip if you’re an animal lover: avoid the ‘pet supplies’ alleyway. Too many cute little bunnies, birds, cats and dogs packed into tiny cages.

Eager to escape the questionable treatment of bunnies and other cute critters, I left Souq Waqif and walked down to the waterfront along La Corniche, stopping at the Pearl Monument and admiring the view of the Doha skyline.

First Class Departure Terminal

At this point, it’s about 9pm and things are quieting down in the city, so I took a cab back to the airport, making sure to get dropped off at the dedicated First Class entrance, which was a trip! As the sole passenger in this cavernous terminal, I was taken to a private check-in area, where I was seated and given a hot towel to refresh. After reviewing my passport and providing me with a new boarding pass, a staff member then walked me through private security (so civilized!), again, as the only passenger. No lines, no other passengers, just me and a security person.

Al Safwa Lounge: Eat & Sleep

After popping out into Al Safwa from the private First Class security area, I went straight to the restaurant for dinner. Dining at this full service restaurant is included with a first class ticket, so why not live it up a little? After dinner, I had a quick snooze in one of the family rooms since all of the first-come, first-served private hotel rooms in Al Safwa were booked until 4am when I asked around 10pm.

Boarding from Al Safwa

Unlike other lounges that allow boarding straight from the lounge, there is no immediate boarding from Al Safwa so I made my way out of the lounge and to the gate to await boarding. Luckily, for a 1:30am flight, the gate was close to the lounge and the wait at the gate was minimal before boarding onto the second floor of the double-decker A380 for my first class flight to Bangkok.

Final Thoughts

If I have the opportunity to layover in Doha again, I would prefer a daytime layover so I could do more exploring. Even with an 8-hour layover during the day, you can see more of the city (the Mina District looks interesting, as do some of the luxe hotels in the city) or do a desert tour with dune riding, camel visits and traditional Bedouin style meals.

Tips for a Doha Layover

• Skip the metro; take a taxi. The walk to the airport metro stop from inside the airport takes 20-25 minutes and cabs are cheap so don’t waste your time on the train.
• Check out Airbnb Experiences. For $170/person you can head out on a desert safari for dune-bashing, visit a camel camp, take a dip in the inland sea and reach the border of Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
• Look into a Transit Tour by Discover Qatar. Depending on the length and time of your layover, you can access these tours that leave from the airport and drop you back off. Everything from a group bus tour of downtown Doha to a private chauffeur into the desert.
• See if you qualify for a free hotel room. If you’re flying business class or above on Qatar and have a layover between 8-24 hours, Qatar provides a free hotel room. This isn’t necessarily an airport hotel, though, so plan accordingly.
• Book a sleep room early. If you have access to Al Safwa and want to take advantage of their free hotel rooms for sleeping (available for 6 hours), make sure you add your name to the list early (like before 8pm).