Abuja to Doha Flights

  About Abuja

The city of Abuja, overlooked by the dominating Aso Rock, is the capital city of Nigeria. Located right in the middle of the country, Abuja is a planned city that was developed in the 1980s. It actually managed to replace Lagos to be the new capital of Nigeria.

Best time to visit Abuja

Due to its proximity to the equator, the city of Abuja is hot through most of the year. However, out of the heat that you do face, they are pleasant and mild in some months in Abuja. The city also witnesses some moderate rainfall which adds to the humidity you might face. You will have to prepare yourself mentally concerning the heat as you will face a lot of it. The months January through July though, are pleasant. In fact, January to March is recognised as the best time to visit Abuja. The temperature is at a friendly 26 degree Celsius, and the humidity in the air is quite mild. This helps the tourism industry to attract more crowds. You will actually see a slew of tourists during these months as the mild temperatures are easy on the senses. Due to the peak season though, there is a surge in the hotel prices. You will find cheap hotels also spike up their rates during the peak season. Hence, it would be ideal for making prior hotel bookings to Abuja to avoid the last-minute surge in prices. The good thing is, the flight tickets are quite decent, irrespective of the peak season.

From May through August, you will witness a rise in the humidity level in the air. Even though the temperature is slightly mild, the humidity will make things a little difficult. Travelling within the city or engaging in tourist activities might become tough. You will have to constantly carry bottles of water and ensure that you stay hydrated throughout the day. The humidity will sap out all your energy. Avoiding these months would be the best choice. Unless you're okay with the excess heat, you should at all cost, not plan a trip to Abuja during these months. Instead, you can opt for the months of September through November. These months also see a moderate temperature where the humidity is also not too much. It would be nice to carry equipment such as moisturisers and bottles of water to survive in Abuja. But these mild months would be refreshing and paint a new colour to the vibe of Abuja. You can make prior bookings of flight tickets and accommodations in Abuja to avoid any excess cost. You might even receive some online deals.

Places to visit in Abuja

As part of your Abuja rendezvous, you can start your exploring by checking out the famous Zuma Rock. The rock is composed of gabbro and granodiorite. In the past, the Gbagyi tribe people used the rock to defend themselves from invasions and attacks from neighbouring tribes. You can take up trekking and hiking as an activity to reach the peak of the rock. You should also visit the National Mosque of Abuja. The beautiful structure has a golden dome and boasts Islamic architecture. It is Nigeria's national mosque and holds tremendous religious significance. It was constructed back in 1984 and is open to non-Muslims as well. Aso Rock is another interesting natural granitic rock that is situated on the outskirts of the capital city. Important buildings such as the Supreme Court and the Nigerian National Assembly are both located close by. Another beautiful mosque that you can visit is the An Noor Mosque. The place is quaint and quiet.

Things to do in Abuja

One of the best ways for you to spend your time in Abuja would be to hang out at the Millennium Park. The park is in proximity with the former Presidential Palace. It is beautiful and has the Zuma Rock in the background too. You can actually take a picnic basket and spend your time in leisure at the park. You can also indulge in a boating rendezvous at the Jabi Lake. The scenic landscape is sure to marvel you. You should also visit the National Children's Park and Zoo Abuja. It has some basic animals, including turtles, jackals and more. The IBB International Golf & Country Club is definitely another place that you should visit. The vast expanse is certainly a spectacular sight, plus you can also explore the golf course. Pack yourselves a nice lunch basket and head to Usuma Lower Dam for a lovely afternoon. The place is gorgeous and soothing to the senses, especially since it is not surrounded by the city's noise and bustle. You can also indulge in some waterfalls excursions. The Gurara Falls is one such place that you simply cannot miss. You also should go exploring at the Pedam Lake.

Food and restaurants in Abuja

Abuja's food culture is heavily influenced by the tribal traditions of Nigeria. You would majorly find a lot of dishes that celebrate the Nigerian cuisine and style of cooking. It would actually be a good opportunity for you to try out some exquisite authentic Nigerian cuisine. Their tribal dishes are a rage in the city of Abuja. Over the years though, they have managed to infuse much of their traditional cuisines with European flavours to promote tourism. You will find some lovely African meals favouring European-style cooking. The food culture is a trip on its own and you can make the most of it in Nigeria's capital, Abuja. You can start your culinary excursion in Abuja from the Salamander Café. It is recognised for its cool vibe and manages to attract a slew of native crowds. The quaint cafe offers not just extraordinary coffee but also books to indulge in while you sip on the beverage. The menu is also curated to serve the natives as well as the international crowd. You will find Indian cuisine also in Abuja as the city has the famous Wakkis, a restaurant that boasts Indian cuisine.

From murgh malai to tandoori chicken, if you are in no mood to experiment with the traditional Nigerian cuisine, then you can simply make regular visits to Wakkis. The staff is friendly, and the cooking styles are very indigenous to the raw Indian culture. BluCabana is an interesting restaurant that doesn't just limit to African food but also expands to Middle Eastern cuisine. You will find some exquisite Lebanese food as well as global cuisine such as sandwiches, pastas, pizzas, salads and more. The fish suya is a big seller which basically consists of grilled skewered meat that has been perfectly coated with aromatic spices. At the Bukka at the Hilton, you will find traditional African spread. The dining hall is a vast and beautiful spot which leaves enough room for the fresh breeze to pass through. Not to mention how the classic dishes such as oha soup, pounded yam, jollof rice, egusi soup, to name a few, can be found here. Other restaurants that you can check out are The Charcoal, Vanilla, Jevinik, Dunes Continental and Chez Victor.

How to reach Abuja

As the capital of Nigeria, Abuja enjoys great flight connectivity with other international cities. Abuja does witness some flight action as it is an important city. Although there are no direct flights to Abuja from Indian cities, they do have international airlines that accommodate flights to Abuja. There are many international routes connected to Abuja, such as from Addis Ababa, Kigali, Dubai and Cairo. However, Addis Ababa and Dubai are recognised as the most popular routes to Abuja. Airlines such as RwandAir, Ethiopian Airlines, EgyptAir, Emirates, Turkish Airlines, Lufthansa, Etihad Airways, Air France and British Airways have flight services to Abuja. Most of these airlines have layovers in their domestic cities. You do not need a specific transit visa when travelling to Abuja. A transit visa is only required when you are travelling from European cities. If you do pick Air France as your airlines to travel to Abuja, then you will need a Schengen transit visa. Similarly, the only other route to Abuja where you would require a transit visa is if you travel by Emirates.

The flight duration of Abuja is quite decent. It takes about 12 hours to 15 hours to reach the city. Flying to Abuja is the only way to reach the Nigerian capital. The flight tickets are a little steep. In fact, they actually start from INR 35,000 and from here, the graph only goes up. Since the flight tickets to Abuja are so pricey, the best way to go about booking a ticket would be to search for online deals. It comes in handy to find great flight deals online to Abuja. You will be surprised by the drastic drop in the ticket prices to Abuja with the addition of discounts. This means you will actually have to invest a lot of time to ensure that you get some good flight deals. You can also use this time to make hotel reservations as that would further reduce the total cost of the trip. These can be found online as various platforms and airlines have sale and discounts. Another way to go about this would be to use up your miles if you are collecting them. You might be eligible for some more discounts depending on the program.

  About Doha

Qatar's capital, Doha, is one of the most famous and populated cities in the Middle East. It is nestled along the coast of the Persian Gulf and has brilliant connectivity with several international cities in the world.

Best time to visit Doha

Desert nations often enjoy exquisite winters making them the peak months for tourism. Doha too enjoys the brisk winter winds as it hosts various fun events. December to January is considered the ideal months for a travel pursuit to Doha. The weather is a beautiful amalgam of warm and cold. As a desert, the winter days are pleasant while the nights are cold in Doha. It is certainly inviting as the luxurious setting of the city with expanses of scintillating brown sand would make anyone happy. So much that the hotel prices skyrocket during these months. It would be extremely difficult to find a cheap snazzy hotel in Doha during winter. Unless you make prior hotel bookings in Doha, you might not be able to find the ideal accommodation. The same goes for flights as well, so best would be to book them months in advance.

Winter might be peak season but so is fall in Doha. September through November is actually ideal weather as the city transitions from hot to cold. The experience during the fall in Doha is exquisite. What makes this very convenient is how tourism doesn't reach its peak in these months. You will be able to enjoy the pleasant weather, and at the same time, you wouldn't even have to splurge massively. Prior hotel bookings in Doha always come in handy as it would help you save more to spend in the city. Besides, the flight and hotel deals in Doha ahead of winter are aplenty. You will find many flight deals to Doha online with some room for accommodation combos too. As long as you spend enough time to find the right deal with an exquisite hotel room, your Doha trip would be a good one. Note though that many tourists start planning for a fall vacation in Doha thanks to the climate and the possibility of getting cheaper rates in Doha.

Places to visit in Doha

Doha's popularity doesn't just come with its Middle East heritage but also fancy locales and tourist attractions. To get the feel of Qatari heritage, you should start your tourist endeavours from the Museum of Islamic Art. It is an architectural delight and definitely worth the pursuit. You will be amazed by the exquisite location with its tree-covered facade. Doha Corniche is the second most important tourist attraction of Doha. The location is basically a waterfront which has a fascinating promenade forming the Doha Bay. The Corniche often sees a lot of events and festivities as being an important hub of the city of Doha. You can also make a day plan to visit Doha's artificial island, The Pearl-Qatar. It spans across four kilometres, the island is still under work as the officials wish to stretch the coastline to 32 kilometres. The National Museum of Qatar is located within the city premise and would take you through the history and cultural train of Doha and Qatar. Speaking of history, the AlKoot Fort would definitely catch your fancy as a military fortress that was built in 1927.

You can add Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art in your list of places to visit in Doha. The gorgeous infrastructure has been built with modern and contemporary influences of art and creativity. The complex has been recently created and has already managed to rake in a lot of attention and the position of one of Doha's famous attractions. Aspire Park is another interesting place that you can check out. It is located in the southern district of Baaya in the city of Doha. Covering over 88 hectares of land, it is recognised as Doha's largest parks, featuring lovely fountains, green expanses and the view of the Aspire Tower.

Things to do in Doha

The city of Doha has quite a few things that you can indulge in when you visit the place. Some of the tourist attractions are aesthetically pleasing. To make your trip a little lavish, you can head to the Racing & Equestrian Club to check out and bet on horses. Since horse racing is one of the legal gambling scenes in the world, you will be able to get an idea of high-end living. You can also visit the Al Wakrah Public Garden and relish the exquisite spread of colourful flowers and green landscapes that the park boasts. It also has a waterfront, which only adds to the garden's beauty. Oxygen Park is another green spread where you can enjoy some fresh air and lovely vibe of the place. Nightclub hopping is one activity you can take up when you're in the city. Meanwhile, shopping is another fun activity that you will want to do because the city flaunts its Dior and Gucci showrooms like it flaunts the lovely waterfront.

Food and Restaurants in Doha

Doha's diversity in terms of food culture comes from its accommodation of international cuisine. The place has a plethora of international food establishments to cater to the foreign tourists that visit the city on a regular basis. However, while you do indulge in the lovely global cuisine, do not miss out the classic and Qatari food that can be found in Doha. Qatari food is recognised for its exquisite home-cooked styled stews and impeccable delicacies. Much of the Qatari food is heavily influenced by North Africa, Levant, Bedouin and flavours from the Indian subcontinent. Dishes such as Saloona, Warak enab, balaleet, majboos, to name a few, are from the authentic Qatari kitchen. They would certainly leave quite an impact on you. You can find the best of these dishes at food establishments such as Al Jasra, Walima, Al Manchab, Easair Cafe, Shisha Garden and Chai Halib.

While you're indulging in their meals, do not miss their ubiquitous savouries with luqaimat taking the cake. It is a traditional sweet dumpling that is stuffed with flavours of saffron and cardamom and is drenched in sugar syrup. Umm Ali is also a fancy dessert that you should check out when in Doha. Some of the Indian influences in their Qatari dishes include the famous rogag. It is a thin layer of batter, inspired by dosa, filled with minced meat, vegetables or egg. The dish is traditionally consumed as a breakfast item. Shay Al Shoomos in Souq Waqif serves the best rogags, you should probably write down this name in your list of culinary expeditions in Doha. Another interesting savoury by the Qatari cuisine is the kunafa, quite famous in the Middle East belt. To experience the best of Doha's culinary delights, the ideal thing to do would be to check out the Al Souq Street in the city. They are literally swamped with exquisite food joints and establishments.

How to reach Doha (Transportation)

Flight connectivity to Doha from India is excellent and very regular. The city in Qatar has a massive demand in the city with many tourists flocking over on a daily basis. Hence, the number of flights are also excessive, not to mention the connectivity and convenient duration. There are a plethora of direct flights to Doha from India. In fact, many airports have been specifically constructed in India to cater to the demand for Doha and other Middle-Eastern countries. Airlines such as IndiGo, Srilankan Airlines, Qatar Airways, Oman Air, Turkish Airlines, British Airways, Turkish Airlines, Singapore Airlines, to name a few, have daily flights to Doha. Even though there are many direct nonstop flights to Doha from India, many often take the international route to Doha from Muscat or Dubai. The flight duration to Doha from India is also quite decent as it takes about three hours to reach the city. This depends on the flight and airlines that you choose. Although the time duration is perfect since it leaves a lot of time in hand to explore the city, it comes with a price.

Flight tickets to Doha range from cheap and affordable to expensive. A majority of how much you spend on booking flight tickets to Doha depends on the airlines you pick and the flight duration. For cheap and inexpensive flight tickets to Doha, you will get them in the range of INR 17,000. However, you will end up spending about nine hours travelling. By adding an extra INR 1000 to the ticket expenditure, you will not just save up on flight duration to Doha but also receive better flight services. Booking flight tickets to Doha come with a plethora of online deals. You might be able to make the most of travel discounts by booking flights and hotels in Doha. Depending on the season, the hotel prices in Doha might vary and hence, to acquire cheap and affordable deals, you should make prior bookings. Interestingly, while Doha is easy and convenient to reach from India, many opt to drive down to Doha from Bahrain as the long stretch of highways in the Middle East are perfect for petrolheads to go on a driving excursion.

  About Hamad Airport

Hamad International Airport is the only international airport that caters to the state of Qatar and is situated in its capital city, Doha. The airport has replaced the former international airport, Doha International Airport, to be the principal airport that serves the city of Doha and the country Qatar. Earlier, the airport was referred to as the New Doha International Airport, the airport was renamed as Hamad International Airport. It was supposed to open for business and flight operations in 2009. However, due to some cost delays and a series of conundrums, the airport finally reopened in 2014 with a grand ceremony of Qatar Airways' flight landing from nearby Doha International. Following the same, several of Qatar Airways' aircraft and other flights functioning from the old airport were shifted to the new airport, a month after Hamad International Airport opened. The airport has been named after Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the former Emir of Qatar. Since its genesis, the airport has been raking tremendous praise and accolades for being one of the best airports of the Middle East. In fact, it was voted as the Best Airport (in the category of 30-40 million passenger accommodation in a year) and Best Airport Staff in the Middle East in 2020.

Talks about constructing an all-new international airport in Doha started in 2003 with constructions commencing in 2005. Hamad International Airport is located about 5 km the east of older Doha International Airport. The airport is spread across an area of 5,500 acres of land. Initially, the airport was set to only cater to airlines that do not have lounge access to be utilised. The airport was designed to balance out the increase in passenger volume and air traffic witnessed by the city. Initially, the annual capacity of passengers as proposed was 29 million. However, upon completion of the new airport, the capacity also extended to 50 million passengers in a year. Some estimates suggest that the airport has the capacity of accommodating over 93 million passengers in a year, as opposed to the 50 million stated. With this fact, Hamad International Airport becomes the second largest in the region, following Dubai International Airport. The new airport is also set to handle over 320,000 aircraft movement along with 2 million tonnes of cargo in a year.

About Hamad International Airport Terminal

Hamad International Airport only has one terminal but is spread out in about five concourses that have been named alphabetically. These concourses have been designed by the American design, architecture, engineering and urban planning firm, HOK. Meanwhile, the contract to develop the airport was awarded to Bechtel. Here are details of the concourses at the Hamad International Airport.

Concourse A - The concourse has the ten passenger gates that are connected to jet bridges. It is located west of the check-in section of the main terminal. The two gates have been designed specifically to accommodate Airbus A380.

Concourse B - This concourse accommodates ten passenger gates which are connected to jet bridges, located at the east of the main check-in area. Out of the ten gates, two have been reserved to accommodate Airbus A380. Ten airlines operations form the old Doha International Airport has been shifted to Concourse B. Further, some facilities include smoking rooms, duty-free stores and family lounge areas.

Concourse C - The concourse consists of 13 gates which are connected to jet bridges and yet again, two of them are reserved for Airbus A380. The concourse was opened in 2014.

Concourse D - The concourse is divided into two levels, gates 1 - 4's operations being conducted on the first level while gates 18 - 24 have their operations on the ground level. This concourse is fully functional.

Concourse E - The concourse is fully functional and has a similar layout as Concourse D. It has been stated that Concourses D and E are due to be extended with talks of an additional Concourse F that is set to be installed. However, the plans haven't been finalised yet.

The terminal also has facilities of First Class and Business Class lounges installed. One of the biggest highlights of Hamad International Airport's terminal interiors is the prominent gigantic bronze statue of a teddy bear with its head inserted in a lamp. Often referred to as Lamp Bear, the sculpture is the creation of Swiss artist Urs Fischer. It has been put for display at the grand foyer and is surrounded by the airport's duty-free shopping hall. The Lamp Bear statue initially belonged to the Seagrams Building plaza in New York City. However, it was later purchased by a member of the Qatari royal family at an auction for a whopping USD 6.8 million. The structure weighs about 18-20 tonnes and is seven meters tall.

About airport authority

Hamad International Airport is owned and operated by Qatar Airways. The airline is responsible for bringing forth a whole new airport and replacing the old Doha International Airport. The airport authority has been striving to make Hamad International Airport as one of the best in the world by offering world-class amenities and aircraft perks. They aim to create new records and break many more with constant expansion plans. Qatar Airways has also initiated Hamad International Airport to be the first in the world to design structures specifically to accommodate Airbus A380.

The airport authority plans to expand the airport to accommodate the footfall of passengers who will be visiting the city to watch the FIFA 2022 World Cup. It has been speculated that the airport will need to accommodate a massive passenger capacity as the world cup would bring more passengers and travellers from around the world to Doha. Further, as part of their expansion plans, the airport authority also aims to beautify the central building by adding a tropical garden and a 268-meter tall water feature. They plan to emulate the water feature that is found at Singapore Changi Airport's Jewel complex. Qatar Airways also has proposals to expand its lounge space and make it the world's largest airport lounge.

Facilities at the Hamad International Airport

Hamad International Airport has a slew of exquisite and world-class services and facilities that make it one of the best airports in the Middle East. With various facilities such as baggage wrapping, porter services, first-class and business class lounge experience, airline-specific lounge, spas, airport hotels and more, travelling to Hamad International Airport is an experience.

Top airlines flying from the Hamad International Airport

Hamad International Airport caters to a massive number of international destinations by accommodating a slew of airlines. Apart from reserving space for the national carrier, Qatar Airways, some of the airlines that operate from Hamad International Airport include Air India, Air India Express, Biman Bangladesh Airlines, British Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, GoAir, Himalayan Airlines, IndiGo, Iran Air, Kuwait Airways, Nepal Airlines, Oman Air, Pakistan International Airlines, Pegasus Airlines, Philippine Airlines, Royal Jordanian, SalamAir, SriLankan Airlines, Syrian Air, Turkish Airlines and US-Bangla Airlines. These airlines operating from Hamad International Airport has flights to major cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Kochi, Kannur, Mangalore, Dhaka, London, Addis Ababa, Bangalore, Kuwait City, Kathmandu, Muscat, Islamabad, Manila, Paris, Venice, Seoul, Tokyo, Sydney, Zurich, Chicago, Hong Kong, Houston, Los Angeles, New York City, Colombo and more.

How to reach the Hamad International Airport

Hamad International Airport is blessed with a slew of connections to the main city of Doha. Travellers can take public bus services, personal taxi cabs, metro and hire car rentals and chauffer-driven limousines.

By Bus

The bus services in Doha have excellent connections to the airport. The buses are operated by Mowasalat, which is the state's transport company. Some of the routes covered by the bus services also include a route to the airport. You can catch a bus to reach Hamad International Airport at affordable rates and the comfort of an air-conditioned bus. The vehicles are clean and maintained perfectly. Not to mention details of the bus with schedules have been shared on the airport's official website.

By Metro

Hamad International Airport has a direct Metro connection. The airport has fast and frequent Metro services that are available on all seven days of a week. You can reach Hamad International Airport from any of the tourist attractions in the city of Doha. You can also use the Metro line and plan a travel itinerary to check out some of the exquisite tourist attractions of Doha. Live updates of the Metro train as well as their schedules are flashed on the station's monitors.

By Taxicab and car rentals

From booking a car rental to hailing a taxi cab, there are many such transport options that you can avail at the airport. You can even opt for airport shuttle service at the hotel you are staying in (provided they have this facility) to reach Hamad International Airport. Further, to upscale your trip, you can book a chauffer-driven limousine service also. The airport has travel booths where you can figure out the ideal transport facility for your budget.