{"id":96735,"date":"2015-08-12T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2015-08-12T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/travelstartblg.wpenginepowered.com\/beat-the-layover-blues-with-our-top-10-things-to-do-at-hamad-international-airport\/"},"modified":"2025-11-04T13:52:52","modified_gmt":"2025-11-04T13:52:52","slug":"beat-the-layover-blues-with-our-top-10-things-to-do-at-hamad-international-airport","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/beat-the-layover-blues-with-our-top-10-things-to-do-at-hamad-international-airport\/","title":{"rendered":"Beat the Layover Blues With Our Top 10 Things To Do At Hamad International Airport"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>We all know the necessary evil of a long wait in an airport with nowhere to sit, tired, and time that seems to stretch on forever. The uber-modern and outrageously luxurious <a href=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/lp\/airports\/cheap-flights-hamad-international-airport\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hamad International Airport<\/a> is here to show you that a layover can be time well spent and might actually enhance your journey.<\/p>\n<p>Say hello to free Wi-Fi, over 80 stores for duty-free shopping, and complimentary Doha City Tours. This is the first airport ever designed with the A380 specifically in mind and it&#8217;s the second largest hub in the Middle East, costing a reported $16 billion to build. From gold-plated coffee counters to every modern amenity, you&#8217;ll find yourself secretly hoping for a longer layover.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_42434\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-42434\" style=\"width: 1343px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-42434 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Air-Traffic-Control-Tower-at-Sunset.jpg\" alt=\"Air Traffic Control Tower at Sunset\" width=\"1353\" height=\"2000\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-42434\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo credit: <a href=\"https:\/\/dohahamadairport.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hamad International Airport<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_42432\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-42432\" style=\"width: 1990px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-42432 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/The-Emiri-Terminal-And-Fountain.jpg\" alt=\"Hamad International Airport, Doha, Qatar\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1207\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-42432\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo credit: <a href=\"https:\/\/dohahamadairport.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hamad International Airport<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Good To Know<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Hamad has replaced Doha International Airport but still carries the airport code DOH.<\/li>\n<li>From December 17, 2015, Qatar Airways will be flying directly to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/lp\/cheap-flights-to-durban\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Durban<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Check out these detailed <a href=\"https:\/\/dohahamadairport.com\/airport-guide\/at-the-airport\/maps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">maps of arrivals, departures, lounges, and duty-free<\/a> to make navigating the airport easier.<\/li>\n<li>Qatar is <a href=\"https:\/\/travelstartstg.wpenginepowered.com\/visa-free-qatar-beautiful-doha\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">visa-free for South Africans<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>1. Kids Can Let Off Steam On The Tom Otterness Copper Playgrounds<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_42437\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-42437\" style=\"width: 5606px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-42437 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/HIA-Playground-Sculpture-By-Tom-Otterness_Low-Res-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"HIA Playground Sculpture By Tom Otterness_Low Res\" width=\"5616\" height=\"3744\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-42437\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo credit: <a href=\"https:\/\/dohahamadairport.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hamad International Airport<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>These attractive sculptures by American artist Tom Otterness are clamber-friendly and provide a much-needed play area for kids to go wild after being cooped up in the plane. They&#8217;ll also have fun counting the little copper figures dotted around the big sculptures.<\/p>\n<h2>2. Free 3 Hour Bus Tour<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_42521\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-42521\" style=\"width: 1590px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-42521 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/11114788186_1bd1aa1efe_h.jpg\" alt=\"museum of Islamic Art, Doha\" width=\"1600\" height=\"482\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-42521\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo credit: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/people\/27294603@N05\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">@marc.desbordes<\/a> via Flickr<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Experience a journey within a journey with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/lp\/airlines\/qatar-airways-flights\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Qatar Airways<\/a> and Qatar Tourism Authority. They offer a complimentary 3-hour tour of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/lp\/doha\/flights\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Doha<\/a> which visits four key landmarks, namely the Souq Waqif for jewels, spices and traditional art, the beautiful Museum of Islamic Art (set by a seaside park), the Pearl-Qatar, (shops and restaurants galore) and the Katara Cultural Village. A bonus is that you don&#8217;t have to pre-book. You&#8217;ll get an English speaking guide and a free bottle of mineral water.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_42359\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-42359\" style=\"width: 790px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-42359 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/6932577896_94e7dd6f6c_c.jpg\" alt=\"Souq, Doha\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-42359\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo credit: <a href=\"http:\/\/farm6.static.flickr.com\/5324\/6932577896_94e7dd6f6c.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Souq Waqif<\/a> via FlickRiver<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The tour is available for those passengers who have a transit time of 5-12 hours and who arrive in Doha between 04:00-19:00 local time (GMT+3). Simply present yourself at the Doha City Tour desk on arrival to get on the next scheduled tour.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Find out more about the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.qatarairways.com\/en\/offers\/doha-city-tour.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Doha City Tour<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2>3. Watch Planes from the Pool<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_70778\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-70778\" style=\"width: 790px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-70778\" src=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/hamad-international-airport.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"519\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-70778\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo credit: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.qatarairways.com\/en-za\/homepage.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Qatar Airways<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Passengers can book a room in the plush Airport Hotel for a minimum of 3 hours. First thing on your list should be a dip in the amazing temperature-controlled 25m indoor swimming pool with a view of arriving and departing planes. Enough with ankle exercises, break a sweat on one of the two squash courts, enjoy the hydrotherapy tub and catch up with friends and family using the free Wi-Fi.\u00a0VIP travellers can enjoy the use of its Presidential Suite for three-hour layovers.<\/p>\n<p>Good to Know: if there&#8217;s no available connection of less than 8 hours (and the transit time in Doha is between 8 and 24 hours) Qatar Airways will arrange accommodation, entry visas, airport transfers, and meals to passengers facing extended transit times in Doha.<\/p>\n<h2>4. Visit the Lamp Bear<\/h2>\n<div>\n<figure id=\"attachment_42449\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-42449\" style=\"width: 949px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-42449 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/PJ-BY425_MIDSEA_J_20141112121549.jpg\" alt=\"Urs Fischer's Lamp Bear\" width=\"959\" height=\"639\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-42449\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo credit: <a href=\"https:\/\/dohahamadairport.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hamad International Airport<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div>This 7m high giant lamp bear by renowned modern artist Urs Fischer will stop you in your tracks. The New York-based Swiss artist constructed the lamp bear out of bronze causing it to weigh in at a whopping 20 tons! It belongs to the Qatari Royal family and costs a weighty $6.8 million. Whether you find him loveable or creepy, he is certainly worth looking at, as are the many other modern art pieces dotted around this lavish airport.<\/div>\n<h2>5. Chocology and the Marmalade Market<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_70779\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-70779\" style=\"width: 790px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-70779\" src=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/doha-airport-1.jpg\" alt=\"doha airport\" width=\"800\" height=\"496\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-70779\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo credit: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.qatarairways.com\/en-za\/homepage.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Qatar Airways<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>It&#8217;s well known that flying dulls your taste buds. At 35,000 feet, the first thing to go is your sense of taste, except weirdly your ability to taste savoury foods, which is why tomato juice tastes so good on a plane. Revive them by indulging your chocolate craving while watching master chocolatiers at work at Godiva. Follow up with Marmalade Market for more foodie delights. You&#8217;ll discover beautifully packaged baklava, fresh dates, nuts and high-quality coffee. The hard part will be knowing what to choose. If your tastes run in the high-end couture direction you&#8217;re spoilt for choice with over 80 luxury stores.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_42447\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-42447\" style=\"width: 630px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-42447 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/150407-HIA-Marmalade-Market-1-640x426-1.jpg\" alt=\"150407-HIA-Marmalade-Market-1-640x426\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-42447\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Courtesy of The Moodie Report<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>6. Fine Dining At Le Grand Comptoir<\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_70780\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-70780\" style=\"width: 790px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-70780\" src=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/dining-doha-airport.jpg\" alt=\"dining doha airport\" width=\"800\" height=\"448\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-70780\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo credit: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.qatarairways.com\/en-za\/homepage.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Qatar Airways<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>There&#8217;s no such thing as wilted salad and miserable cafeteria food in Hamad International Airport. Dine at Qataf Caf\u00e9 for traditional Arabian cuisine, Le Grand Comptoir for delicious french brasserie eats, Caviar House &amp; Prunier Seafood Bar for prawn delicacies, and Soprafino for Italian done the right way by celebrity chef, Massimo Capra. With 30 restaurants to choose from you won&#8217;t have to settle for Burger King.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_70781\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-70781\" style=\"width: 790px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-70781\" src=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/doha-airport-shops.jpg\" alt=\"doha airport shops\" width=\"800\" height=\"519\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-70781\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo credit: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.qatarairways.com\/en-za\/homepage.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Qatar Airways<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>8. Power Up<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_42442\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-42442\" style=\"width: 630px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-42442 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/14922683598_e631b3c168_z.jpg\" alt=\"14922683598_e631b3c168_z\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-42442\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo credit: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/klopferp\/with\/14922683598\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">@klopferp<\/a> via Flickr<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>There&#8217;s nothing worse than your phone on its last power bar. While you charge your iPad\/laptop\/phone at the charging stations provided you can make use of the Macs free of charge.<\/p>\n<h2>9. Skip the Queues with\u00a0Al Maha<\/h2>\n<p>Al Maha Service Packages are available to help you fast-track your way through the security check at Hamad International Airport, then relax in the Al Maha Lounge with drinks, snacks, and\u00a0unlimited high-speed Wi-Fi. You&#8217;ll also get priority boarding. You need to pre-book the service you require, but there are also Al Maha service counters inside the passenger terminal for booking on arrival.<\/p>\n<h2>10. Lounge in Style<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Oryx Lounge<\/strong><br \/>\nFor QAR200 or $55, you can spend 6 hours in the Oryx Lounge (walk-ins are welcome). This may feel a little steep against the weak rand, but you&#8217;ll have access to the business centre, a quiet room, a smoking room, a gaming room for kids, as well as food and beverage services. Good news is it&#8217;s free for kids 3 years old and below.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_42469\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-42469\" style=\"width: 1270px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-42469 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/business-lounge-1280x720-1.jpg\" alt=\"Al Mourjan Business Lounge\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-42469\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo credit: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/travel\/comments\/2syjgw\/the_qatar_airways_al_mourjan_lounge_doha\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Reddit User<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Al Mourjan Business Lounge<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_70782\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-70782\" style=\"width: 790px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-70782\" src=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/doha-airport-games-room.jpg\" alt=\"doha airport games room\" width=\"800\" height=\"483\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-70782\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo credit: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.qatarairways.com\/en-za\/homepage.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Qatar Airways<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>This incredibly spacious 33 000 square foot lounge is available for Qatar Airways and Oneworld First Class and Business Class passengers only. The lounge has a fully-stocked bar, snacks and gourmet meals available according to your whim. You&#8217;ll also find seats with individual charging stations, private family areas with widescreen TVs, game rooms, and a children&#8217;s nursery among many other amenities. There&#8217;s even a replica, life-size Formula One Racing Car in the kids&#8217; game room.<\/p>\n<p>This is part of our <em>&#8220;Beat the Layover Blues, Discover The Best Of&#8221;<\/em> International Airports Series.<\/p>\n<h3>Find and compare <a href=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/lp\/qatar\/flights\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">cheap flights to Qatar<\/a>!<\/h3>\n<p><em>Featured image credit: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/QatarDutyFree\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Qatar Duty Free<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We all know the necessary evil of a long wait in an airport with nowhere to sit, tired, and time that seems to stretch on forever. The uber-modern and outrageously luxurious Hamad International Airport is here to show you that a layover can be time well spent and might actually enhance your journey. Say hello to free Wi-Fi, over 80 stores for duty-free shopping, and &#8230; <a title=\"Beat the Layover Blues With Our Top 10 Things To Do At Hamad International Airport\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/beat-the-layover-blues-with-our-top-10-things-to-do-at-hamad-international-airport\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Beat the Layover Blues With Our Top 10 Things To Do At Hamad International Airport\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":96750,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[72,16,445,459],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-96735","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-travel","category-destinations-travel","category-up-in-the-air-travel","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Beat the Layover Blues With Our Top 10 Things To Do At Hamad International Airport | Travelstart.co.za<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Layovers at Hamad International Airport in Doha will never be the same. 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