Lusail
A city drawn up from scratch on the coast north of Doha, with the stadium of the 2022 World Cup final, a Grand Prix circuit, and two crescent towers over its marina.
- Arrival
- Hamad International · DOH
- To Lusail
- About 30 km from Hamad by road
- Private jets
- Qatar Executive at Doha International
- Best time
- November to April
The city
A new city for 450,000.
Lusail was announced in 2005 and laid out by the state developer Qatari Diar over thirty-eight square kilometres of shore: a Marina District, the Fox Hills, the Qetaifan Islands, an energy quarter. Almost 200,000 people already lived here in 2022, and a tram of 33 kilometres, partly underground, ties the districts to the Doha Metro.
Lusail has its best weather from November to April, with afternoons of 22 to 32 °C and only a few days of rain; these are the months of racing at the circuit and dinners on Al Maha Island. From May the heat passes 38 °C and stays there until October.
Arriving
Hamad for airlines, the old airport for jets.
Hamad International, the Qatar Airways hub, lies about thirty kilometres south of Lusail. Private aircraft use Doha International, the former city airport, some twenty kilometres away.
- Abu Dhabi 50 min
- Dubai 50 min
- Beirut 2 h 40
- Nice 6 h 05
- Bangkok 7 h 10 long-range jet
When to go
November to April.
The Gulf’s desert climate, with a short and pleasant winter. From November to April afternoons reach 22 to 32 °C, and the water is 19 to 27 °C. From June to August the thermometer passes 40 °C.
- 22° J 13 20°
- 23° F 17 19°
- 26° M 16 21°
- 32° A 9 24°
- 38° M 4 28°
- 40° J 0 30°
- 41° J 0 32°
- 40° A 0 34°
- 38° S 0 33°
- 35° O 1 31°
- 29° N 3 27°
- 24° D 11 23°
What to see and do
Days in and around Lusail.
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Landmark
Lusail Stadium
More than 88,000 seats under a shell shaped like a dhow’s sail, where Argentina and France played the 2022 World Cup final.
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Landmark
Lusail International Circuit
MotoGP has raced here every year since 2004, and Formula 1 since 2021, with a contract running to 2033.
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Landmark
Al Maha Island
A small island of restaurants and terraces facing the towers, with a winter theme park of fifty rides.
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Opera & music
Katara Opera House
The Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra, founded in 2007, plays Western and Arabic repertoire on this stage in Katara Cultural Village.
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Culture
Museum of Islamic Art
Ieoh Ming Pei designed the building, opened in 2008, for Islamic art from the 7th to the 20th centuries, reinstalled and reopened in October 2022.
Official site -
Culture
National Museum of Qatar
Jean Nouvel's interlocking discs, modelled on the desert rose crystal, wrap a loop of galleries round the old palace of Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani.
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Golf
Doha Golf Club
Opened in 1997 just north of West Bay, the 7,374 yard championship course has hosted the Qatar Masters, with a floodlit nine hole course beside it.
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On the water
Al Thakira Mangroves
Kayaks and paddleboards follow guided routes through the channels of this mangrove forest near Al Khor, where herons and flamingos wade.
Official site -
Wildlife
Al Shaqab
At this Qatar Foundation centre purebred Arabian horses are bred, trained and shown, and guided tours bring visitors close to them.
Official site
On the calendar
Dates to plan around.
Dates as published by the organisers. Runways, hotels and slots fill early around these weeks: the sooner we know, the more choice you have.
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27–29 Nov 2026
Formula 1
Qatar Grand Prix
Round 23 of the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship, held at Lusail International Circuit.
Lusail International Circuit
In 4 weeks
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28–30 Jan 2027
Art
Art Basel Qatar
Doha edition of the Art Basel modern and contemporary art fair.
Msheireb Downtown Doha, Doha, about 15 km away
In 3 months
-
31 Jan – 3 Feb 2027
Technology & AI
Web Summit Qatar
Annual technology conference in Doha run by Web Summit with Qatari government partners.
Doha Exhibition and Convention Center, Doha, about 12 km away
In 3 months
-
3–5 Dec 2027
Formula 1
Qatar Grand Prix
Round 23 of the 24-round 2027 Formula 1 World Championship, held at Lusail International Circuit with a Sprint race.
Lusail International Circuit
In 13 months
Where to stay
In the Marina District, and a short drive south.
Shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these hotels.
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Raffles Doha One hundred and thirty-two rooms in one arm of the Katara Towers, holding two MICHELIN Keys and home to the starred Alba.
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Four Seasons Resort and Residences at The Pearl Apartments of one to three bedrooms on Porto Arabia Drive, a long private beach and a spa built on pearl rituals, with two MICHELIN Keys.
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The Chedi Katara Hotel & Resort Thirty-two villas with private pools, two MICHELIN Keys, on the shore beside Katara’s amphitheatre.
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Fairmont Doha The larger of the two tower hotels, 362 rooms looking over the Gulf or back across the new city.
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Marsa Malaz Kempinski, The Pearl The only hotel on its islet within The Pearl, with a beach of its own and one MICHELIN Key.
- Waldorf Astoria Doha Lusail The only private beach in Lusail, a surf pool and water trail, an ESPA spa and eight places to eat, SUSHISAMBA among them.
- Le Royal Méridien Place Vendôme Lusail A neo-classical building of 377 rooms and residences opening straight into the Place Vendôme mall, with a Swiss spa and hammam.
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Rosewood Doha Opened in January 2026 by the marina, designed by the Qatari architect Ibrahim Jaidah, and already holding two MICHELIN Keys.
Where to dine
A starred table, and an island of good ones.
MICHELIN Guide Qatar 2026: the starred restaurant first, then restaurants in the selection.
- Alba One Michelin star Italian $$$$ Raffles Doha, Katara Towers
- Em Sherif MICHELIN Guide Lebanese $$$$ Al Maha Island
- Carbone Doha MICHELIN Guide Italian-American $$$$ Al Maha Island
- Zuma MICHELIN Guide Japanese contemporary $$$$ Al Maha Island
- La Petite Maison (LPM) MICHELIN Guide French $$$ Al Maha Island
- Koo Madame MICHELIN Guide Chinese $$$ Rosewood Doha, Lusail Marina
Elsewhere in Qatar
More reasons to come.
Flying to Lusail?
Choose how you arrive.
A Business or First Class seat on a scheduled airline, or an aircraft of your own. Tell us the date and how many are travelling, and we reply with one final price, our margin included.