Summer in Qatar brings endless sunshine, with the mercury rising steadily through May and June and peaking at around 40-45C in mid-July and August.
Residents that don’t head off to milder climes outside the region opt to stay inside, where air conditioning provides some blissful cool breezes. Any outside activities that remain tend to take place after sunset, when the temperature dips.
A trip to Qatar in summer may pose some challenges, but with planning you can have an entertaining and varied stay that – due to lower prices of both flights and hotels – will likely be more affordable too.
Bear in mind that some locations will shut down during the summer months, so if you are travelling with a specific attraction in mind, check before you book.
1. Make the most of the magnificent malls
Qatar’s malls are far more than places to shop, with Villaggio, Doha Festival City and the Mall of Qatar all providing a range of activities from theme parks to indoor skiing. These are environments that are built for the heat, with air-conditioned walkways and underground car parks allowing you to move seamlessly from your car without feeling the heat.
One of Doha Festival City’s most popular attractions is Angry Birds World, with rides and zones dedicated to both young kids and teenage thrillseekers. Also in Festival City is Snow Dunes, the latest in a proud and growing tradition of indoor ski slopes that originally started in Dubai. You can sled, ski or just hang out in -4C with the kids even when it is approaching 50C outside.
2. Meryal Waterpark
Gulf countries take their water parks seriously and Qatar’s Meryal in Lusail is no exception. As well as the Vertigo waterslide – the world’s tallest – Meryal also holds the record for the most slides to come from a single tower. It is home to a total of 69 attractions and 53 slides, and even though most of these are outside, at least you end up in ice cold water at the bottom.
3. Qatar National Library & Museum of Islamic Art
I.M. Pei’s Museum of Islamic Art is climate controlled throughout as well as being free, so the summer is the perfect excuse to head inside and geek out at 1,500 years worth of Islamic history. Pei, who Qatar persuaded to come out of retirement in 2008 to work on the project, spent months travelling the Middle East gathering inspiration for his building, which in 2022 was renovated and has now become one of the world’s most sustainable museums. Although in terms of events and special exhibitions, summer is quieter than winter, movie screenings, talks and workshops are great options when the mercury is rising outside.
Similarly at the Qatar National Library in Education City, where visitors can chill out amongst the region’s biggest collection of books and manuscripts. There are regular talks and workshops during the summer months, and the library itself is free and open to all. During the summer, the library also hosts various summer camp events for older children and regular storytime sessions for children aged seven to 14.
4. Katara Cultural Village
You might want to stay off the beach and out of the bathtub-temperature sea in the height of summer, but there is plenty to do at Katara that does not include being outside. Check out the Katara Mosque – modelled on the Blue Mosque in Istanbul – and some of the area's numerous restaurants and cafes. Families will love Katara’s indoor planetarium, which hosts space-orientated exhibits, talks and movie screenings.
5. Museum of Illusions Doha
The Gate Mall’s Museum of Illusions combines holograms, sensory exhibits, and optical illusions, and is notable for being accessible to disabled travellers, including having braille explanations of exhibits for the visually impaired. With parking, metro access, and all the facilities of the mall, it is an excellent option for families during the hotter times of the day.
6. Play indoor golf
A golf course with no shade may seem a strange pick during the summer, but luckily Education City Golf Club has a range of indoor options for golfers and those that want to give the sport a try. As well as five high-tech, golf tuition studios, the club has an indoor putting lab. Those who are willing to sweat it out on the green may find prices significantly lower, and the club is also floodlit and open at night during the hotter months. Doha Golf Club also offers night golf with fantastic views across the city scape of West Bay.
7. Visit Umm Al Seneem Park
This Doha park holds the Guinness World Record for the longest outdoor air conditioned path, which runs to almost half a mile beneath a canopy of plants and shaded mashrabiyas. Designed for running and jogging during the summer months, the 1,143 metre-track uses air conditioning to keep the outdoor track to between 26 and 28C. Umm Al Seneem Park’s track also includes a ‘reflexology walk’ where cobble stones are designed to be walked on barefoot.
8. Check out Qatar’s first indoor theme park
Doha Quest is part of the new sustainable development at Msheireb and boasts more than 30 rides and attractions – all of them indoors and amid the lovely cool blast of constant air conditioning. It includes two world-beaters: the world’s tallest indoor rollercoaster and the world’s tallest indoor drop tower. It isn’t cheap (QAR 220.90/ 150.40 adults/ children) but kids under four go for free and there is a Planet Hollywood on site if you get hungry. There are also a number of VR attractions including a 3D flying theatre and a motion simulator.
