Doha Sights

Souq Waqif

#1 of 58 things to do in Doha

#2 of 2977 things to do in Middle East

4 reviews | Write a review

Good for: A real work out !, an authentic experience, Shisha

  • Address
    • bounded by Al-Souq St & Grand Hamad St Al-Jasra

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Lonely Planet review for Souq Waqif

Currently enjoying the last phase of a major make-over, Souq Waqif is a wonderful place to explore. There has been a souq on this site for centuries, as this was the spot where the Bedouin would bring their sheep, goats and wool to trade for essentials. It grew into a scruffy warren of concrete alleyways in recent years but now its tourist potential has been recognised and it's been cleverly redeveloped to look like a 19th-century souq, with mud-rendered shops and exposed timber beams.

Despite the slight 'Disneyfication' of the area, the chief business of the souq continues unabated and it remains one of the most traditional market places in Doha. This is the place to look for the national Qatari dress, including beautifully embroidered bukhnoq (girl's head covering), spices, perfumes and oud, an exotic incense made from agar wood. For a fun souvenir, take an empty glass jar and ask the spice traders to fill it with layers of colourful cumin, fenugreek, turmeric and ginger. If you get tired wandering round the antique shops or wondering what the newly built caravansary will be used for, then rest up at Eshairiq Coffeehouse with a mint tea and watch the world go by.

 

Traveller reviews for Souq Waqif (4)

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    This is an amazing place if you want to relax or buy some st

    amoum recommends this,

    This is an amazing place if you want to relax or buy some stuff for shopping or souveiners

    It was fun walking there, but stuffs are not as cheap as I thought.

    I tried out persian food in a rather luxurious-looking, but reasonably-priced restaurant in the souq. It is a nice try! and definitely worthwhile! :)

    Good for: A real work out !

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    Great way to spend an evening

    hindy89 recommends this,

    Whether you enjoy haggling, eating or just want to experience true arabian culture, this place offers it all!

    I love the atmosphere of Souq Waqif, it's especially nice at night when the lights come out and you can really feel the hustle and bustle of the mini souqs whilst harbouring the smells of delicious, local food and flavoured shisha!

    It's a great break and something completely different from that sudden feeling that all you've been doing is mall-hopping between city centre, landmark or villagio.

    Good for: an authentic experience

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    A must-see in Doha!

    marilyn81 recommends this,

    I go to the Souq nearly every week. It's fun to people watch, walk around and have a meal. I love the Malaysian restaurant at the far end of the souq, it has reasonable prices and great food (about $10-$15/person for a main dish). There is no pressure to buy anything at the stalls, a simple "no thank you" is all that is needed. If you plan to buy, it is acceptable to bargain. You can look around for hours getting lost in the many alleys. It`s a truly fun way to spend an evening. The busiest time is Friday after 4:00.

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    #1 spot to hang out, grab a latte & shisha all in one place!

    sequinminer recommends this,

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    Doha is very small, and very safe, and taxis are also cheap so I highly recommend taxis instead of renting a car as driving here can get hectic specially if you only have a day or two to spend. While you are here, I suggest the following places:

    The Souk Wakef market (pronounced "wakeef") which starts at the begining of the Corniche road and is close to the airport, any taxi can take you there from anywhere in Doha. This is a fabulous place for great exotic images as it has several spice markets, unique middle eastern style buildings and is always populated with locals. There are helpers there that carry purchases for people in wheel barrows from the stores to their cars which is a unique thing I have seen here. The souk has stores carrying all sorts of items from housewares, home improvement, spices, sweets, pet stores, jewelry and gold. There are plenty of restaurants ranging from western to Lebanese such as Le Gourmet which is a favorite, to the best sushi I've ever had (Soy Restaurant). The Souk Wakef also has a Falcon market which is behind the Deja Vu restaurant, just ask and they will tell you where to go, locals take the birds outside to a garden area so you might get some cool images there. Mostly everyone speaks english here and there are plenty of english speaking foreigners everywhere so you can easily ask where anything in particular is. Be ready to get delightfully lost inside the souk, the place is like a maze and pretty big so it will provide plenty of opportunities for great images. You can spend an entire day there exploring and getting great images.

    The Corniche is the best place to take pictures of the city skyline and its unique buildings day or night. There are Dhow boats ferrying people back and forth and for around $60 Rials you can take a tour around the bay in one of them. The corniche is the most famous road here, and it goes around the bay in the shape of a big "C" so anywhere you choose to stop along the way you will be able to get great images of the city.

    At the beginning of the Corniche Rd you will also see the Museum of Islamic Arts which is a landmark building here in Doha for its design:
    http://www.sequinminer.com/Gallery/Architecture/Architecture/IMG0199r1/1037586940_osAK9-M.jpg

    There is also The Pearl which is a ways past the very end of the Corniche (only takes about 20 minutes to get there from the airport or the Souk) which has a marina and mall with nice outdoor walkways and shops along the water which might be nice to visit, the shops here are all high end designer brands and there are a few fine dining restaurants to choose from such as Gordon Ramsey's "Maze" and a few small coffee shops along the way.

    Aside from that, if you wish to explore outside of Doha, there is only one place I would really recommend going and that is Sealine Resort which is about 55KM south of Doha has sand dunes close to it where you can take a tour of the desert. You need a truck and a guide to really explore the desert to I would trust it to a tour company for that. Any tour company will probably take you on a desert safari there and you can also ask to be taken to the Falcon farm area where you can hold one or take pictures of locals handling them. I've seen camels there as well... The Sealine has a big hotel/resort by the beach which I don't recommend you spend time in since it is basically a tourist trap. ;)

    Here is a reputable tour company a friend of mine has used and liked the experience which I can recommend: http://blackpearl.co/services.php

    Aside from that, Doha is organized in rings around the Corniche road, the further away you go from the Corniche, the more homogeneous everything looks, the housing structures here are simple and all the same color and usually behind walls so I would not recommend taking time to go around deeper into the city.

    Good for: Shisha

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