Guides · Qatar
Doha tickets
Ticket and booking rules for Doha: timed entries, closing days and official links, checked September 2026.
Checked September 2026 against official sources
Doha
Bookings and opening rules
Follow the official link before you buy. Full walking days: Doha itinerary.
Opening days and tickets
- The Museum of Islamic Art is open Sunday to Tuesday and Saturday 9:00–19:00, Thursday 9:00–21:00 and Friday 13:30–19:00, and closed on Wednesdays; tickets are reserved through Qatar Museums' online ticketing.Source: Museum of Islamic Art, Qatar Museums · checked Sep 2026
- The National Museum of Qatar is open Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Saturday 9:00–19:00, Thursday 9:00–21:00 and Friday 13:30–19:00, closed on Tuesdays, with last entry 45 minutes before closing.Source: National Museum of Qatar, Qatar Museums · checked Sep 2026
- Mathaf is open Sunday and Tuesday to Wednesday 9:00–19:00, Thursday 9:00–21:00, Friday 13:30–19:00 and Saturday 9:00–19:00, closed on Mondays; entry to Mathaf and all special exhibitions is free to all, but tickets are required.Source: Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, Qatar Museums · checked Sep 2026
- The Msheireb Museums are open Monday to Thursday 9:00–17:00, Friday 15:00–21:00 and Saturday 9:00–17:00, closed on Sundays, with last admission 30 minutes before closing; hours may change on national holidays.Source: Msheireb Museums · checked Sep 2026
- Qatar National Library in Education City is open Saturday to Thursday 8:00–20:00 and Friday 16:00–20:00.Source: Qatar National Library · checked Sep 2026
- The Imam Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab Mosque is open to all visitors, regardless of religion, during non-prayer times; visitors must dress conservatively, women are provided with headscarves and abayas where needed, everyone removes their shoes, children under seven are not allowed and photography is prohibited in the women's prayer area.Source: Visit Qatar, Qatar Tourism · checked Sep 2026
- Khor Al Adaid, about 78 km south of Doha, has no road and a 4x4 with an experienced off-road driver is a must, deflating tyres to 18–20 psi before leaving Mesaieed; entry is free, several desert safaris and daily Inland Sea tours can be booked in Doha, and the best time to visit is November through April. The area was declared a nature reserve in 2007 and is on the tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage.Source: Visit Qatar, Qatar Tourism · checked Sep 2026
On the day
What to watch at each stop
Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art
- Tue–Wed and Sat–Sun 9:00–19:00, Thu 9:00–21:00, Fri 13:30–19:00; closed Mondays; free, ticket required
Khor Al Adaid, the Inland Sea
- 4x4 only, no road; half-day tours from Doha with hotel pickup; free entry; best November–April
Questions
Quick answers
Which days should I plan around?
Each museum closes one day: the Museum of Islamic Art on Wednesdays, the National Museum of Qatar on Tuesdays, Mathaf on Mondays and the Msheireb Museums on Sundays; all of them open late on Fridays, from 13:30 or 15:00. The State Mosque is closed to visitors at prayer times and on Friday mornings. Souq Waqif, Katara and The Pearl are open daily, and the desert is best from November to April.
How much do the tickets cost?
Mathaf, the Msheireb Museums, the souq, Katara, The Pearl and the Corniche are free, and so is the Inland Sea itself, though the 4x4 tour is not. The Museum of Islamic Art and the National Museum of Qatar are ticketed for non-residents, with tickets sold online through Qatar Museums; residents and children under 16 enter free.
How much walking is this itinerary?
About 2.5 km in a straight line on day one along the Corniche and through the souq, about 1 km on foot plus three taxis on day two, and only the museum and the dunes on day three. Summer temperatures pass 40°C, which is why the walking is concentrated in the mornings and after dark.
The days these rules belong to
3 days in Doha
Doha is spread along a bay and built for cars, so the plan groups the sights into three areas and uses taxis or the metro between them. Day one is the only walking day: the Museum of Islamic Art at opening, the Corniche promenade to Souq Waqif for lunch, the four restored houses of the Msheireb Museums, and the souq again after dark, when it comes alive. Day two starts at the National Museum of Qatar, visits the State Mosque, and ends up the coast at Katara and The Pearl. Day three goes west to Mathaf and then south into the desert for Khor Al Adaid, the Inland Sea, on a half-day 4x4 tour. The museums each close one day a week, the Museum of Islamic Art on Wednesdays, the National Museum on Tuesdays and Mathaf on Mondays, so set the days accordingly.
