How to spend 24 hours in Doha’s Hamad International Airport

Illustration: Martha Olivia

Doha’s Hamad International Airport (HIA) is one of those rare transit hubs where you feel a sense of place even without even stepping outside. Though you can certainly venture beyond and turn your stopover into a mini city break, if you want to. Travellers with layovers of six hours or more can join Discover Qatar’s Transit Tours or see the city from above in a Cessna 208 Caravan on a Discover Doha By Air tour – both start at meeting points inside the airport itself. But for those who love making airports destinations in their own right, there’s more than enough to fill a day – and a night – here at HIA.

Midnight-5am
Have a nap at sleep ’n fly to set yourself up for some serious airport exploration. Ergonomically designed FlexiSuites are inspired by premium-class flat-bed seating, while YAWN Bunk Cabins offer the sensation of travelling by boat.

5am
Wake up with a coffee at Starbucks. It may not be the most exciting venue in the airport, but the location in Concourse Bdelivers floor-to-ceiling views of the busy comings and goings of planes beyond the window – perfect for aviation geeks.

6am
Ride the futuristic driverless train between the North and South nodes of the airport for an indoor journey to get the lie of the land.

7am
Head to Chapati & Karak for another caffeine fix. Karak, a sweet, spiced, milky tea, fuels the Gulf region almost as much as coffee does. The menu here pairs it with the kind of nostalgic Indian bites that have been loved by Qataris for decades.

8am
Stroll through ORCHARD, a tranquil indoor tropical garden of 300 trees and 25,000 plants that sprawls over 6,000sqm beneath a sinuous curved glass roof. Paths and bridges wind through the greenery, and the entire area is filled with surprisingly relaxing shopping and dining that makes you wonder if this can really be an airport.

9am
Since you’re likely trying to stay awake, it’s time for more coffee. Stop for an Americano or espresso Tonic at Ralph’s Coffee, a stylish café by Ralph Lauren located in ORCHARD. At this time of the morning, natural daylight pours through the glass roof onto the ‘outdoor’ tables and chairs directly under the trees.

10am-12 noon
HIA doesn’t do things by halves, so it’s no surprise that Dior chose this location as the site of its first airport spa, the soothing Dior Luxury Beauty Retreat. The two-hour Escale à Doha treatment is a stopover pick-me-up featuring a massage, facial and application of semi-precious stones. Manicures, pedicures, make-up services and men’s grooming are also available.

12 noon
Qatar’s public art collection is extraordinary, with works by artists including Damien Hirst, Louise Bourgeois and Richard Serra spread throughout the country. There are some significant pieces at the airport, too, including the much-photographed Lamp/Bear by Swiss artist Urs Fischer, a seven-metre bronze sculpture of a yellow teddy bear, intended to remind travellers of childhood and precious objects from home.

1pm
You don’t have to be a guest of the Oryx Airport Hotel, located within the terminal, to enjoy its sports facilities. Work up an appetite with a game of squash or a round on the golf simulator at the Vitality Wellbeing & Fitness Centre.

2pm
Try Arabian flavours for lunch at Baladna Express, where the menu features local fast-food favourites such as chicken and meat shawarma wraps and crispy falafel.

3pm
Walk off lunch with a stroll to see Cosmos by Jean-Michel Othoniel. It’s an art installation made of gilded globes inspired by the world’s oldest Islamic astrolabe at Doha’s Museum of Islamic Art, symbolising the constant movement of travellers as they navigate the world.

4pm
Wander over to Souq Al Matar for a selection of shops selling local products, traditional clothing, spices, sweets and souvenirs in a space inspired by Qatar’s traditional markets. Woven wicker ceilings, sadu fabric details, Arabian archways and a replica of a dhow boat all add to the ambience.

5pm
Missing a taste of home? Harrods Tea Room is the spot to order a pot of the emporium’s famous No. 14 blend and an Afternoon Tea of oh-so-English sandwiches, savouries, sweets and scones with Somerset strawberry jam and Devonshire clotted cream.

6pm
Splurge at the Viale Di Lusso luxury shopping zone – an indoor fashion avenue with outlets from Jimmy Choo, Valentino, Dolce & Gabbana, Fendi and more, followed by a post-shopping break at the sleek Emporio Armani Caffé.

7pm
Make your way back to the Oryx Hotel for a workout in the gym, filled with Technogym equipment, free weights and more.

8pm
Dive into a post-workout swim in the hotel’s 25m pool and soak in the Jacuzzi afterwards.

9pm
Drop by retro-chic Basta for a dinner of Qatari flavours. For a hearty meal, try the majboos aboy al oud, a generous pile of saffron rice studded with onion, cashew and raisins, topped with tender lamb shank. For a lighter bite, go for the silky shorbat adas lentil soup, or the aromatic hamsat dawania – shrimp cooked in Arabic spices.

10pm
For a healthy late-night dessert, seek out Evergreen Organics, the airport outpost of Qatar’s first and only plant-based café. The pistachio balls, made with roasted pistachio, dates, cashew and rose water, make for great in-flight snacks.

11pm
Gaze up at American artist KAWS’s larger-than-life Small Lie. Towering 10m, this wooden sculpture of a slumped-over toy is at once imposing yet vulnerable, making you wish you could reach up and give it a comforting hug.

British Airways flies from London Heathrow to Doha twice daily from April. Together with its airline partner Qatar Airways (with flights from Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Edinburgh and Birmingham), BA can connect you to more than 70 destinations via seamless transfers through Doha.

Take off to Doha

In the 2025 British Airways Holidays Travel Trends Report, Qatar experienced a 16 per cent increase in holiday package searches on ba.com in January 2025, reflecting a surge in popularity among travellers.