Qatar Airways Extends ‘Free Stopover’ in Doha

Airlines & Aviation

Qatar Airways will extend  an attractive stopover package until the end of 2017 thanks to a 34% increase in stopover visitors. Under the scheme, passengers get a complimentary transit visa and one night’s accommodation in a five star hotel.

Passengers can select from such hotels at The Four Seasons, Marriott Marquis, Radisson Blu, and Oryx Rotana. If they want to stay two nights, they will be charged US$100.

In addition to the hotel accommodation, the Qatar Tourism Authroity (QTA) and Qatar Airways are offering a free stopover city tour, which can be booked on arrival at Hamad International Airport. 

The city tours offer passengers the opportunity to explore Doha and experience desert safari adventures or a dinner cruise aboard a traditional dhow, giving visitors a taste of Qatar’s authentic hospitality.

Visa Free Visits Extended for 80 Nationalities.

Travelers from 80 countries can now visit Qatar visa-free for 30 or 90 days thanks to a newly launched policy. Under the scheme, visas are launched on arrival upon presentation of a valid passport with a minimum validity of six months and a confirmed onward or return ticket.

The policy will give travelers traveling between Qatar Airways’ extensive route system a chance to break up their journeys between continents.

Doha serves as a hub for connecting flights between Africa, the Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, North America, and South America.

All visas are approved and issued at the sole discretion of the Ministry of Interior.

Top 10 Tourist Attractions in Qatar

Doha is chock-a-block with heritage sites, upscale shopping malls, and world-class museums. Here is just a small sampling of what the Qatari capital has to offer.

1. The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha –  explore 1,400 years of Islamic art across three continents.
2. Souq Waqif
3. – browse, dine, and bargain at what is possibly the only traditional souq, a.k.a. bazaar, to have survived in the Middle East.
4. The Pearl Qatar -a man-made island with beaches, a marina, hotels, shopping, and mostly fine dining restaurants.
5. Villagio Mall – a Venetian themed shopping mall with designer boutiques, food and beverage outlets, recreation, entertainment, and canals with gondolas.
6. Mathaf – major historical and experimental exhibitions are held at this Arabian museum of modern art.
7. Katara Cultural Village – a complex of theatres, concert halls, exhibition halls, a beach, restaurants, and hotels.
8. Aspire Zone a sporting have with some of the best sports training, medicine, education, and research facilities in the world.
9. Al Zubarah Fort – a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this 60-hectare archeological site is one of the best examples ofq8th and 19^th century settlements in the Middle East.
10. Aqua Park Qatar – a theme park with a wave pool, a lazy river, water slides, space boats – the list goes on.
11. City Centre – with 250 shops, this is Qatar’s largest shopping mall.

Where to Stay in Doha

Doha has numerous hotels at all price points. These hotels are most popular with readers of TripAdvisor.

1. Zubarah Hotel – Al Rawabi Street, Doha, Qatar. Click here for hotel room rates and other hotel information
2. W Doha Hotel & Residences – West Bay Area, Doha, Qatar. Click here for hotel room rates and other hotel information
3. Double Tree by Hilton Hotel Doha Old Town – Al Meena Street, Doha, Qatar. 
4. InterContinental Doha The City – near Al Wahda Street, Doha, Qatar. Click here for hotel room rates and other hotel information
5. Hilton Doha – Diplomatic District West Bay Area, Doha, Qatar. 
6. Ramada Encore – Ahmed Bin Hohd Thani Street, Doha, Qatar. Click here for hotel room rates and other hotel information
7. Four Seasons Hotel Doha – The Corniche, Doha, Qatar. Click here for hotel room rates and other hotel information
8. Shangri-La Hotel, Doha – West Bay Conference Centtre Street 85, Doha, Qatar. Click here for hotel room rates and other hotel information
9. Banana Island Resort Doha by Anantara – Banana Island, Qatar. Click here for hotel room rates and other hotel information
10. Crowne Plaza Doha – The Business Park – Airport Road, Doha, Qatar. Click here for hotel room rates and other hotel information

Where to Eat in Doha

You won’t go hungry to Doha!

Whether it is Halal, barbecue, or seafood, Chinese, Indian, American, or French, you will be spoiled for choice in the Qatari capital.

You will find everything from cheap eats to buffet restaurants to fine dining eateries serving haute cuisine.

To find the perfect place to eat:

• Browse Doha restaurants onTripAdvisor>>

How to Get to Doha

Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar, is the hub for for Qatar Airways, which has an expanding route network linking all six continents.

Travelers flying to different parts of the world often change planes at Doha. Thanks to liberalized visa regulations, making a stopover in Qatar is now easier than ever before.

Nationalities Eligible for 90 Day Visa Free Visits

Citizens of the  following 33 countries are now eligible a visa waiver upon arrival in Qatar. The waiver will be valid for 180 days from the date of issuance and entitle its holder to spend up to 90 days in Qatar, during either a single trip or on multiple trips.

1. Austria
2. Bahamas
3. Belgium
4. Bulgaria
5. Croatia
6. Cyprus
7. Czech Republic
8. Denmark
9. Estonia
10. Finland
11. France
12. Germany
13. Greece
14. Hungary
15. Iceland
16. Italy
17. Latvia
18. Liechtenstein
19. Lithuania
20. Luxembourg
21. Malta
22. Netherlands
23. Norway
24. Poland
25. Portugal
26. Romania
27. Seychelles
28. Slovakia
29. Slovenia
30. Spain
31. Sweden
32. Switzerland
33. Turkey

Nationalities Eligible for 30 Day Visa Free Visits

Citiznes of the  following 47 countries can obtain a visa waiver upon arrival in Qatar. The waiver will be valid for 30 days from the date of issuance and entitle its holder to spend up to 30 days in Qatar, during either a single trip or on multiple trips. This waiver may be extended for a further 30 days.

1. Andorra
2. Argentina
3. Australia
4. Belarus
5. Bolivia
6. Brazil
7. Brunei
8. Canada
9. Chile
10. China
11. Colombia
12. Ecuador
13. Panama
14. Costa Rica
15. Georgia
16. Guyana
17. Hong Kong
18. India
19. Indonesia
20. Ireland
21. Japan
22. Kazakhstan
23. Lebanon
24. Azerbaijan
25. Macedonia
26. Malaysia
27. Maldives
28. Mexico
29. Moldova
30. Monaco
31. New Zealand
32. Paraguay
33. Peru
34. Russia
35. San Marino
36. Singapore
37. South Africa
38. South Korea
39. Suriname
40. Cuba
41. Thailand
42. Ukraine
43. United Kingdom
44. United States
45. Uruguay
46. Vatican City
47. Venezuela

The policy follows a free transit visa allowing passengers of all nationalities transiting in Qatar for a minimum of five hours to stay in Qatar for up to 96 hours (four days), which was launched in November 2016.

In May 2017, QTA launched +Qatar, an initiative to promote the country as a stopover destination, with the national carrier, Qatar Airways.

These measures, along with intensified international marketing, have resulted in a 39% increase in the number of stopover visitors during the first six months of 2017, compared with the same period last year.

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