If you are flying with Qatar Airways and have a long layover planned in Doha, then why not take advantage of the airline’s new air tour service, which will whisk you around the city’s most iconic sights, including Pearl Island, the Corniche and the Thakira Mangrove Forest?
The service is being offered by Discover Qatar, a fully owned subsidiary of Qatar Airways charged with promoting tourism in the tiny Persian Gulf state, using a single-engine light turboprop Cessna 208 Caravan aircraft.
Able to accommodate up to eight passengers, Qatar Airways says it chose this specific aircraft because it has large windows ideal for aerial viewing, as well as airconditioning and onboard headphones, allowing each of the eight passengers to listen to commentary from the pilot.
The tour departs from the Premium Terminal at Doha International Airport (located across a major highway from Doha Hamad Airport) and lasts 45 minutes, first flying over some of the stadiums Qatar built for the FIFA World Cup 2023.
Guests will then take in the sights of Pearl Island, Al Safliya Island, Katara Cultural Village and West Bay before overflying the Corniche, National Museum of Qatar, and Museum of Islamic Art to land back at DIA.
The tours will start on June 27 with prices starting at QAR 710 (US $195) for adults and children aged two and over. Children under the age of two fly for free.
If you are just passing through Doha, then you can take advantage of the air tour if your transit time is six hours or longer. Prices start at QAR 850 (US $233), which includes transfers from Hamad International Airport to the Premium Terminal at DIA.
