My Saudi Arabia

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Let’s say you’ve settled into life in the Kingdom and now want to explore the neighboring countries. If you’ve decided on Qatar, this article is for you. Here, I’ll share where we went with our 18-month-old son—and which places are truly worth visiting.

Let’s start with the hotel. We stayed at the Grand Hyatt Doha Hotel & Villas, and it was a great choice. Despite the hotel’s high ratings and «fanciness», the staff is very friendly and understanding toward children. They patiently (and with a smile) helped us deal with the mess at breakfast — spilled juice and scattered cookies. It also has its own beach, indoor and outdoor pools (including a kids’ pool), and a children’s playroom. All in all, it’s perfect for families with young children—we’ll definitely stay there again next time.

Let’s move on to leisure activities. The official website https://visitqatar.com/ can help you plan a trip tailored to your interests.

Here’s my shortlist (more details on each place below):

• Mwani Aquarium at Hamad Port Visitors Center.
• Qatar National Museum
• Oli Oli Children’s Museum
• Katara Cultural Village
• Corniche
• Souq Waqif, with its Cultural Center and Falcon Hospital
• Al Khor Zoo (and Panda Park)
• Museum of Islamic Art

№1 — Our top pick was the Mwani Aquarium at the Hamad Port Visitors Center. It’s hard to even describe this experience in a single sentence. A single admission ticket grants you access to:

• A spacious aquarium with a wide variety of marine life — the best I’ve seen in the Gulf Region. There are numerous exhibits featuring different sea creatures, interactive areas for children, and plenty of information in English… The photos will turn out impressive, too. It will be interesting for children of all ages and adults.
• A museum dedicated to maritime trade and shipping. It’s best suited for older children and adults. It offers a fascinating look at how cargo is transported today. There are plenty of videos and interactive areas (how about getting behind the wheel of a forklift to unload a container ship or parking a tanker?).
• A 4-D movie theater featuring a short educational film. Pregnant women and children under 1 year of age are not permitted.
• A souvenir shop with a truly impressive selection. The prices are very low compared to Riyadh, so we happily stocked up on gifts there.
• café (food is not included in the ticket price). We didn’t try it.

As of June 2026, admission is free for children under 5. Tickets for children ages 5 to 12 cost 30 QAR. Tickets for ages 12 and up (and adults) cost 50 QAR. The aquarium is open every day (except holidays), but operating hours vary by day of the week. It’s best to purchase tickets in advance on the website.

№2 — The National Museum of Qatar (yes, that’s the one with the unique architecture shaped like a desert rose, designed by the famous Jean Nouvel).

To be honest, I wasn’t expecting much — I thought it would be just another boring museum with exhibits along the lines of: “This shard was found here by archaeologists and dates back to the Xth century BC…” Fortunately, I was VERY wrong.

At the entrance to the main gallery, you’ll find a magnificent exhibition dedicated to the region’s wildlife. Hanging from the ceiling is a giant shark mount (sure to capture the attention of younger children), while projections of local animals, fish, and birds move across the walls. A little further on are mounts of other animals with descriptions in Arabic and English.

There will be pottery shards too, but they’re presented in such an engaging, modern way that you’ll want to stop at a couple of the displays and actually read what’s written there. And the kids will be drawn to the interactive zones, where they’ll get to play archaeologists and unearth ancient artifacts or piece together an ancient amphora…

Next, you’ll find galleries that explore traditional and modern culture, plants, livestock farming, crafts, and… fashion. I was captivated by the clothing exhibition for quite some time.

In addition to the permanent collection, the museum also hosts temporary exhibitions.

There’s also a great gift shop there (actually, two—one for adults and one for kids). It’s worth checking out both. For kids, there are plenty of educational books and games at reasonable prices.

Yes, even if you’ve lived in the area for five or more years, you’re sure to find something new and interesting to do.

Tickets can be purchased online on the official website (25 riyals for non-resident adults; free for everyone else) or at the entrance.

Oh, I almost forgot—until February 2, 2027, you can get a sneak peek at the automotive museum as it prepares to open in a separate building. Even for someone like me, who doesn’t know much about cars, it was fascinating to see some of the emir’s luxurious exhibits…

№3 — Оli Oli Children’s Museum. I’ll say right off the bat that the museum is best suited for children ages 6 and up, but even a one-year-old who can walk will find plenty to do.

The museum has several floors, and the space is divided according to the type of experience children will have in each room. It all starts with experiments—for example, balls floating in a stream of air, a wind tunnel… There’s an area where young explorers must walk across stones as quietly as possible, because any sound above the threshold—and it’s game over. All of this is interspersed with plenty of climbing structures where energetic kids can burn off their energy. And just imagine the excitement of the slide where kids get to slide down and “pop” as many fruits as possible, creating a fireworks display! There’s also a digital aquarium where you can release a fish you’ve colored yourself…

If there’s an adult nearby who can also explain how the experience the child is going through works, it will make for the perfect educational adventure.

The youngest visitors will be most intrigued by the last area — the wet zone— where they can put on raincoats and play with water. For example, they can drop colored balls into a whirlpool, spray a real car with a hose, or play with water on musical instruments… Meanwhile, adults can blow giant soap bubbles for their little ones. (Tip: bring an extra outfit in case the raincoat doesn’t save your curious adventurer from getting splashed!)

Visits are limited to a maximum of three hours (for the oldest visitors). Prices are on the high side, but it’s worth it. Tickets can be purchased online or on-site.

Downstairs, you’ll also find a café serving delicious ice cream and marshmallows, as well as a few toy stores—though the selection isn’t as educational as the one at the National Museum.

№4 — Katara Cultural Village is the area where the Oli Oli Children’s Museum is located, so you can visit both at the same time. Admission is free; no tickets are required.

Cultural events are held there from time to time, but we didn’t catch any, so for us, Katara was simply a neighborhood where we could take an evening stroll along the waterfront and enjoy the beautiful views.

If you have small children, bring a stroller—you’ll get tired.

By the way, there’s also an affordable (by Riyadh standards) seafood restaurant there that serves delicious, well-prepared food — L’wzaar Seafood Restaurant. Kids might enjoy the fisherman’s soup, while adults can choose their favorite seafood—it’s fresh and displayed on the counter. They’ll cook it up right there for you.

The Boho restaurant is also located there, and we’ve heard good things about it. But we didn’t feel like lugging a stroller and our 18-month-old son up the stairs (or walking all the way around the building to find an elevator), so I can’t really say anything about it myself.

№5 — Corniche. A wonderful spot for evening strolls by the sea. The promenade often hosts street concerts, and there are plenty of souvenir shops and graffiti. It’s the perfect place for memorable photos!

There’s also the Mina Fish Market, housed in a stunningly beautiful building with mosaics and stained-glass windows. Be sure to stop by, even if just for a couple of minutes!
Next to the fish market is a restaurant called Chabrat Al Mina, which offers exactly the same menu as the aforementioned L’wzaar Seafood Restaurant in Katara Village. It’s delicious! There’s just one catch: the restaurant is very popular with tourists, so you might have to put your name on the waiting list and take a stroll around the area for half an hour to an hour while you wait for your turn.

There’s also a statue of a mother duck and her ducklings in the same area. If you have young children, they’ll most likely want to touch them (and you’ll end up with some heartwarming photos).

№6 — Souq Waqif (traditional «standing» market). Of course, admission is free — no tickets required (just click on the title to open the location in Google Maps).

This is a traditional market typical of Gulf countries. Locals still go there to stock up on certain items. If you’re looking for a traditional atmosphere (and inexpensive, if somewhat generic, souvenirs), this is the place for you.

By the way, this market offers a wide selection of large and small desert roses — a unique creation of nature, where, over the years, the wind has carved out of the rock forms that truly resemble roses.

You can haggle at the market, too. One thing to keep in mind: check exactly what the seller is wrapping up for you. At one stall, they wrapped up a broken trinket for me, and I didn’t realize it had been swapped out until I got back to the hotel. This isn’t typical in Gulf countries, where a seller’s reputation is highly valued. But still.

At the far end of the market, there is an area where young visitors can ride camels, horses, and ponies (for an additional fee).

As for restaurants, I’d recommend Le Gourmet — it serves traditional Arabic cuisine that’s delicious and reasonably priced. I was particularly impressed by how welcoming they were to young children.

If you love art, stop by the Souq Waqif Art Center, where works by local and visiting artists are on display. Admission is free, and if you’re lucky, you might even get to watch some of the artists at work (and buy a couple of paintings or postcards if something catches your eye). Plus, the building has a really beautiful and memorable interior!

Also, Souq Waqif features the Falcon Hospital — a veterinary clinic and falcon market where visitors can admire these amazing birds and learn more about them. However, it’s only open in the mornings, so we didn’t get a chance to visit.

Here are two more places we wanted to visit but didn’t have time for: the panda park at Al Khor Zoo and the Museum of Islamic Art. We’ve heard nothing but good things about them — and we’ll visit them next time, because we’ll definitely want to return to Qatar!