Souq Waqif is the heart of Doha, a center of attraction, and undoubtedly the top place to visit in Qatar. Millions of football fans chose this gem as their prime location to celebrate the greatest footballing tournament, FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
Souq Waqif is conveniently located near Msheireb district, on the Doha Corniche. It is best to dedicate half of your day (4 hours) in order to fully explore and enjoy Souq Waqif.
Here is why it is a must-visit place in Qatar:
- It is a century-old heritage market renovated in 2004 to preserve it best for the ultimate Arab traditional experience.
- It has everything you would love to discover as a shopaholic. Spice market, hand-made hidden gems, homeware, gold jewelry, clothes (traditional & modern), souvenirs, perfumes, pets, literally anything at excellent prices.
- The souq also houses the ‘Souq Waqif Art Center’ for all the art lovers and even others to appreciate some cultural art pieces in a gallery. Also, live artists are present there to draw your portrait for a decent price.
- Almost every restaurant in Souq Waqif has Shisha on the menu for that authentic Arab dining experience.
- Visitors can enjoy activities like pony riding, falcon handling, carriage riding, henna designs, customized gifts, watching the moon & planets through a giant telescope and so much more!
- The souq also has a camel pen and horse stables where you can enjoy feeding them and clicking photos.
- If you are new to Doha or a tourist, your stay in Qatar won’t be fulfilled if this place is not on your list. If you have traveled to other Gulf countries you would probably notice that this Souq is the only one that promises an authentic Arab traditional shopping, recreation & dining experience.
- A part of Souq Waqif Doha will soon have outdoor cooling vents which will make it a desirable destination to stroll in even hot weather.
What is Souq Waqif in Qatar?
Souq is an Arabic word that translates to ‘market’ in English and Waqif is also an Arabic word that translates to ‘standing’ in English. Souq Waqif is a traditional market in Qatar with a fusion of modern elements.
At first glance, you will meet with a cultural scene and a traditional vibe. You will feel as if you have traveled back in time but you can still see the modern elements. Souq Waqif is almost a 100-year-old market close to the sea that people from the olden times visited for trade, business & shopping. It has been carefully revived to retain its heritage look.
The Souq has cobblestone streets, whitewashed buildings with exposed wood beams, wooden doors, and other traditional Qatari architectural features that give the impression that they date back in time. Very conveniently, the Souq also has ramps and areas that are wheelchair friendly.
As you walk inside the souq’s curving, narrow alleyways you would actually experience that you are somewhere back in time and surrounded by the living Qatari heritage. Truly it is a comfortable pedestrian-only area of Doha so the residents and visitors thoroughly enjoy walking around and spending time in this Souq any time of the year.
Food in Souq Waqif
The food scene is dominated by Middle Eastern cuisine (Qatari, Lebanese, Turkish, Egyptian, Syrian etc) at the souq but a handful of international cuisine restaurants are also found in Souq Waqif.
Both Western and traditional Arabic cafes and restaurants have outdoor seating with Shisha on one main street of the souq and have similar settings of the Qataris in their past social life on the streets. During the summer, restaurants, and cafes provide fans and mist sprayers to keep customers sitting outside cool as they have their meals.
Popular must-try Middle Eastern restaurants at the Souq include Damasca One, Ard Nablus, Abo Shariha, Parisa, Basta, Usta Turkish Kebap & Doner, Layali Al Qahira, and more. All of these restaurants do have indoor seating with some of them having rooftop seating.
If you wish to try other cuisines then The Village (Indian cuisine), La Boca (Italian, Argentinian & Lebanese), Desert Rose (Ukrainian & International), Le Gourmet (French) and many more restaurants are available at the Souq.
The Souq also has a number of cafes, juice & ice cream stalls, and tea points. The famous Turkish ice cream stall can be easily spotted in the Souq. The popular cafe chain, Coffee Beanery can also be found along with Tea Time, from which you must try the Karak (milk tea), which people love in Qatar.
Souq Waqif is also a very popular spot for breakfast. For the authentic Qatari experience in the morning, you must pick the famous Shai Shamoos Restaurant restaurant. In between the alleyways of the Souq you will also find a number of cafeterias and small restaurants. One famous restaurant is the Al Shuja restaurant where you will see a lot of people enjoying their popular kebabs on skewers.
Trust us with this and search ‘’Traditional Crepe Sellers’’ on Google Maps. This will lead you to an area in Souq Waqif that has ladies selling the traditional crepe ‘’Regag’’ with a number of fillings (cheese, egg, Nutella) for only QAR 5. You can also enjoy Luqaimat (Arabic sweet dumplings) for only QAR 10 and other snacks.
Entertainment in Souq Waqif
You can never be bored in Souq Waqif. The Souq offers a lot of things that visitors can indulge in and enjoy their time. Enjoy your favorite movies at Souq Waqif in a traditional building that houses the ultra-modern Novo Cinemas.
As soon as you enter the Souq you will notice that it is not a quiet souq. It is bustling with people’s laughter, conversations, and more. Adding to it is the beautiful Arabic music that you can either hear from some of the restaurants that offer live music or the speakers at some points of the Souq.
If you want to enjoy some art pieces in a quiet setting, then spot the Souq Waqif Art Center which is a world of its own in this bustling souq. As you enter this center you will find a comprehensive art gallery on your right. We suggest you do have a tour of it as it showcases the Qatari (Bedouin) lifestyle in the form of paintings. You will also spot musicians playing Oud (Instrument) and enjoy the Arabic tunes.
The area of Souq with the Old Well is popular for children’s activities. Enjoy pony riding, horse carriage riding, and falcon handling at amazing prices. At different spots in Souq, you will find ladies with Henna that will do Henna art on your hand for a very amazing price of QAR 15. They even have a book of designs that you can select from.
Shopping in Souq Waqif
The Souq Waqif has one main street where most cafes and restaurants face but you will also find a lot of vendors, especially souvenir vendors. These sell attractive ornaments and other items from Qatar that you can take back as a memory. The main street has small alleyways that act like gateways to a maze of corridors packed with small shops selling goods, from dates, herbs, nuts, and spices, to kitchenware, cosmetics, oud, perfumes, and tools of various use.
In between the alleyway maze, you will also find yourself in a cloth market area that sells unstitched clothes, readymade clothes, and traditional dn western attires, specifically a comprehensive Abaya section along with footwear and accessories like handbags.
The souq also has a bird & animal market where you can buy a number of animals along with all the necessities. The market is also famous among pet owners in Qatar as it is the most budget-friendly and comprehensive place where you can find all pet necessities and accessories (from food to medicines and toys).
The market sections you will find at Souq Waqif are:
Gold Souq
Animal/Pet market
Handicrafts market
Spices and honey market
Food products
Men and women supplies
Oud and perfume souq
Staying (hotels) in Souq Waqif
Did you know that you even stay in the middle of this traditional hotspot? Souq Waqif Boutique Hotels by Tivoli are positioned throughout Souq Waqif, and the Souq itself is a 15-minute drive from Hamad International Airport. You will find eight elegant hotels that have traditional buildings but as soon as you enter, you will be welcomed by the most beautiful interiors. Find below the popular hotels:
Al Bidda Boutique Hotel
Al Jasra Boutique Hotel
Al Jomrok Boutique Hotel
Al Mirqab Boutique Hotel
Arumaila Boutique Hotel
Bismillah Boutique Hotel
Musheireb Boutique Hotel
Najd Boutique Hotel
If you are not staying at any of these hotels, you are welcome to try other cuisine restaurants at these hotels in Souq Waqif! Below are five distinctive dining venues, choose your own flavour and indulge in a variety of unforgettable experiences.
Argan – Moroccan Cuisine
Al Terrace – Traditional Local Cuisine
La Piazza – Italian Cuisine
Al Matbakh – Oriental Cuisine
La Patisserie – Modern Café
Website: https://www.tivolihotels.com/en/souq-waqif-doha/accommodation
Coming Soon! Outdoor air-conditioning in Souq Waqif
How to reach Souq Waqif
Souq Waqif has ample on-ground paid car parking right opposite the Eastern side of Souq Waqif. Click here for the exact location. The parking is decently priced (2 QAR per hour). Also, you can find underground paid car parking for Souq Waqif. You can also reach Souq Waqif via Doha Metro, as it has the Souq Waqif metro station (Gold line) that leads you to the beginning of the souq.
Interestingly you can also reach Souq Waqif via the tunnel between Doha Corniche and Souq Waqif. If you are on Doha Corniche and near the Pearl Monument, you will notice an underground tunnel right behind the monument.
Did you know that this tourist hotspot is connected to another tourist hotspot in Qatar? Conveniently Souq Waqif and Msheireb Downtown Doha are so close by that you can visit both of these hotspots in one day as both are connected by a short tunnel that you can walk through.
Key Information about Souq Waqif
Souq Waqif is a tourist hotspot in Doha and is a famous leisure spot for the residents as well. Souq Waqif 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 restaurants/cafes are open and those are the 24 hours cafes, such as Al Khariss Caffe
The retail shops open from 9 AM until 12:30 PM and reopen at 3 PM until 12 AM.
The souq is best explore on foot, so wearing comfortable shoes is advised.
Location: Souq Waqif, Doha
Instagram: @souqwaqif_qa