Katara Cultural Village always makes its place in the top 5 must-visit places in Qatar. The whole area is made like a village which has greenery, modern buildings, and cultural elements all around. It has everything, from a beach, high end hotel & resort, restaurants to edutainment, luxury shopping and a food drive in.
It is a popular attraction close to Doha, sitting on the waterfront just a few kilometers north of Al Dafna (West Bay). With a staggering array of cultural venues, including art galleries, and public art restaurants, Katara Cultural Village offers a potent mix of tradition and modernism, and here is why it is advised not to miss it:
- If you are an admirer of traditional architecture and alleyways, this place will not disappoint you.
- If you are keen to learn about different cultures, Katara has several temporary art galleries featuring work from people of different cultural backgrounds.
- For beach lovers, Katara Beach is a popular part of this destination and you can also enjoy a number of watersports.
- If you are a photography enthusiast or a model that needs breathtaking backdrops, this place has all the perfect scenes.
- In between the alleyways of Katara, you will discover a postal museum, theatre, literature & music studio, and exhibitions.
- In Katara you will come across the Katara Hills Park, which is one of the most beautiful hill park in the region.
- An unusual yet exciting experience of outdoor air-conditioned streets awaits you at 21 High Street of Katara.
- Apart from an excellent selection of restaurants from around the world, Katara has a dedicated food drive-in to enjoy local and international restaurants/cafes
Katara Cultural Village is a prime example that shows the State of Qatar as a cultural beacon; a lighthouse of art, radiating in the Middle East through theatre, literature, music, visual art, conventions, and exhibitions.
At a glance, Katara Cultural Village is a huge area distinguished by beautifully architecture buildings, vast green hills, and lots of displays of art through murals & art installations. Below are key areas and details that will help you explore the place in a better way:
Katara Beach
Katara’s private beach spans over 1.5km. Beachgoers choose between enjoying a relaxed beach experience or diving into the fun with various adrenaline-boosting beach activities. The beach entrance is QAR 10 for Adults and free for children. Click here to know more about Katara Beach.
Katara Hills Parks
Katara Hills Park (South)
The Katara Hills are a delightful element of Katara Cultural Village and the hills are spread in two directions. The Katara Hills (South) and the Katara Hills (North). Each hill can be reached by car (parking only for restaurant guests) or by foot. The hills are used by many people for morning walks.
The Katara Hills (South) is vast, apart from Katara Hills Doha, LXR Hotels & Resorts, they are also home to Padel Garden where you can book courts and enjoy Padel with a view from a hilltop.
Katara Hills Park (North)
Did you know that Katara features an absolutely mesmerizing man-made river? You can find it at the top of Katara North Hills opposite the Bayt El Talleh restaurant.
Al Thuraya Planetarium
Al Thuraya Planetarium is a sort of hidden gem, that features everything related to space and astronomy. Anyone can enter and explore this place as it is free. Visitors can enjoy unique experiences of space that combines education and enjoyment, particularly kids, families, and astronomy enthusiasts.
The planetarium also screens some amazing 3D shows for free, every Monday and Wednesday. It is mandatory to book free tickets online through this website.
Beachfront Street with restaurants
On Katara Beach street, you have the long stretch of Katara Family Beach on the right along with snack points. On your left are a number of restaurants with some of them having indoor rooftop seating. Some restaurants and cafes for you to explore are below:
- Hellas (Greek Restaurant)
- Over the Counter (Cafe)
- La Gelateria Fina (Gelato)
- Parseh Restaurant (Iranian Restaurant)
- Maryool Doha (Lebanese restaurant)
- Fait Maison Salon de Thé (French and Mediterranean Cafe)
Hotels & resorts in Katara Cultural Village
Katara Hills Doha, LXR Hotels & Resorts
On the left side of the Katara South Parking, your sight will catch the wooden villas set on the hilltop. These are the luxurious villas of Katara Hills Doha, LXR Hotels & Resorts. Each of the stunning villas features a private swimming pool, personal butler, and concierge service. The luxurious hotel is also supported by the high-end Indian restaurant, Gymkhana.
The Chedi Katara Hotel & Resort
Managed by General Hotel Management Ltd (GHM), The Chedi Katara Hotel & Resorts is an iconic beachfront landmark in Katara. The Chedi offers multi-bedroom villas & suites with spacious living and dining rooms. The suites and villas have the luxury of private pools. The resort also features outdoor retreat with a large swimming pool having private sun loungers, and the pristine beach.
Food Street of Katara
Tasty Street: Qatar’s very popular food drive-in is located on Shakespeare Street in Katara. Tasty Street is packed with popular restaurants, ice cream spots & cafes. To know more, click here.
Restaurants
Katara is home to many restaurants featuring international, local and regional cuisines. Some of the popular ones are listed below:
Boho Social: BOHO Social is a foodie destination, housed in a circular structure on top of Katara Beach Club. It features Stunning bohemian chic interiors and a glass window terrace with breathtaking views over the Arabian Gulf.
Bayt El Talleh: Using a stunning view of Katara’s north hills, Bayt El Talleh is a Levantine restaurant that serves traditional, home-style food produced using Middle Eastern and Lebanese ingredients. The restaurant serves a set menu for breakfast, lunch & dinner per person, click here to view prices.
La Marsa at The Chedi Katara: This singular overwater restaurant is the jewel in the culinary crown at The Chedi Katara Hotel. It is the first-of-its-kind in Qatar dining restaurants over the waters, extends to eight exclusive bungalows for private functions and serves a gourmet menu of Mediterranean flavors and Middle Eastern classics plus Shisha, accompanied by sublime sea views to the Doha skyline and Pearl Island.
Kamachi: This is a popular breakfast restaurant in Katara that features traditional Qatari and Arabic breakfast. The interior of the restaurant is like a Majlis with traditional colors and seating.
MAMIG restaurant: The restaurant serves a combination of traditional Armenian & Lebanese dishes. The interior and exterior of the restaurant are unmatched. It has a garden-like theme with pleasant seating and surroundings. The upstairs terrace has beautiful and unique views over the Arabian Gulf.
Other must try restaurants:
Khan Farouk Tarab Cafe (Egyptian)
Sukar Pasha Ottoman Lounge (Turkish)
L’wzaar Sea Food Restaurant
Saffron Lounge (Indian)
Cafes in Katara Cultural Village
Among many cafes in Katara, the most popular and liked among all are the two cafes mentioned below:
Chac’late
Chac’Late is a popular and extraordinary Qatari brand that features European sweets with a local touch. The beloved items of this cafe is the honey cake, brussels waffles, hot chocolate, coffee and more.
Chapati & Karak Cafe
Another beloved spot for Karak (milk tea) lovers is the Chapati & Karak Cafe. The cafe menu features Chapati (indian bread) with different add ons and more.
Katara mosques
Katara is also home to two beautiful and unique mosques blending perfectly with the architecture of the whole village.
The first one is popularly known as Katara Blue Mosque, one of Qatar’s most stunning mosques designed by Turkish mosque architect Zainab Fadil Oglu. The mosque has a gorgeous interior design that adds even more splendor, and the exterior is decorated with turquoise and purple mosaics. The iconic pigeon towers — oblong buildings with holes and perches for pigeons—can be seen right next to the mosque.
The smaller but no less impressive second mosque in Katara. The Gold Mosque. It has gold tiling that shines in the sunlight toward the amphitheater.
OliOli Doha
Katara has a giant red gift box building which houses the children’s play museum called ‘OliOli’ which means ‘Joy’ in Hawaiian. OliOli Doha is a unique museum featuring six interactive galleries and over 40 hands-on displays for exploration & creativity in a fun and safe space for children between 12 months to 16 years of age. To know more about the museum, click here.
Katara Amphitheatre
Probably one of the most impressive features you will come across in Katara would be the Katara Amphitheatre. The massive open-air amphitheater mimics the classical Greek theatre concept blending with the everlasting Islamic features. A great spot to take pictures. The Katara Amphitheatre usually hosts a number of cultural & entertainment events.
Katara Opera House
Just north of the Katara Blue Mosque and pigeon towers is the Katara Opera House, Building 16. The Opera House is where the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra performs most of its concerts.
Wisdom Square (Katara Hall & the Fountain)
The Wisdom Square of Katara is a huge area beautifully adorned with a unique fountain in between. The fountain has fire and water shows often and at night it is lit with colored lights. The Wisdom Square of Katara features the following key locations below:
21 High Street
21 High Street is a gem in Katara as it is an outdoor air-conditioned destination. The 21 High Street offers a distinctive outdoor shopping experience with cool, and comfortable outdoor air conditioning to enjoy throughout the year. Click here to know about the cafes you can enjoy in this cool destination.
SNAN food hall
21 High Street is home to the first-ever luxurious and high-end grocery store in Qatar. The hall is absolutely beautiful with glass windows and ceilings painted with different colors through which daylight passes by. The food hall also features pop-up cafes that you can enjoy sitting at.
Galeries Lafayette
21 High Street is the heart of Qatar’s fashion world as it has boutiques of famous fashion & luxury brands. It is also home to the iconic French department store, Galeries Lafayette.
Arab Postal Stamps Museum
This free-to-enter museum is a small room for postal stamp display and could be a great place to stop by while you are exploring Katara Cultural Village. The stamp collection covers 22 Arab countries. You will also find worldwide celebratory stamps (including sporting events). The highlight of the museum is the display of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 stamps series along with stamps related to other World Cups.
Key Information about Katara Cultural Village
Amenities at Katara: Katara Cultural Village also has a Sidra Convenience store (grocery store). The place is also dotted with public toilets and fair enough parking, especially the underground free parking of Galeries Lafayette, right before the giant gift building. The Katara South Parking is vast and can accommodate many vehicles. It is also home to several temporary exhibitions like trade fairs, vegetable & fruit festivals, and other festivals of such kind. Since they are so often, you might come across one.
If you wish to park your car and explore from here on foot, then Katara Beach would be the first attraction of Katara Cultural Village.
Katara Cultural Village can be visited any time of the day or night.
For breakfast the earliest time for a restaurant to open in 7:30 AM.
At night only a few cafes are open and those are the 24 hours cafes, such as Chapati & Karak and Tasty Street
Katara can be explored on foot and via car as well. Most people prefer cars.
Location: Katara Cultural Village
Instagram: @kataraqatar
Nearest Metro Station: Katara itself is supported by the Doha Metro Katara station (red line).