Doha to Baku Flights

  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 Baku

Baku is the capital of Azerbaijan and is definitely a city you should add to your travel list. Baku is one of the most underrated vacation destinations. The city has welcomed modernity while preserving its rich heritage simultaneously. The city is also known for its promenade, also called Baku Boulevard. It extends a few kilometres along the Caspian Sea and promises a beautiful sunset as you take a stroll on the promenade. The city also boasts of world-class amusement parks, cafes, Baku Eye Ferris Wheel and a shopping mall. One of the main reasons to visit the city is that it is quite safe for solo travellers. Of course, you must be cautious irrespective of how safe a destination is but you will be pleased to know that Baku is a safe city. It is also an ideal place for families to go on a vacation. In addition to this, it is extremely budget=-friendly, and it is easy to get around the city. You can walk up to your hotel room, or you can take the public transport. Make sure that you book a hotel in Baku with a view of the Caspian Sea. Waking up to the scenic sea view will make your vacation worth it.

Best Time to Visit Baku

Early September to November is considered to be the ideal time to visit Baki. The weather is quite pleasant. It's not too hot nor too cold, and it doesn't rain during these months. What can one ask for! While Baku's weather is mild all year round, it does get pretty random sometimes. You may end up having a really hot December or a snowy November. October, on the other hand, is quite pleasant. April to June is when the city experiences summer and this is also a high tourist season in Baku. Make sure you book your hotel in Baku several weeks in advance before the prices surge. You must also book your flight tickets to Baku well in advance. The temperature ranges from 35 to 40 degree Celsius during this time. This is the right time to explore the beaches of Baku and get sunburnt if you really want that. You can head to beaches like the Ramada beach, Crescent beach, etc. While some of these beaches are reserved only for guests staying in the hotel that it is connected to, you will also find beaches that are open for all. You can walk along the shore, go swimming or even jog. January and February are when the city experiences winter, and it is the best time to go skiing. You might get cheap flight tickets to Baku in winter since it is low tourist season for the city.

Places to Visit in Baku

Icheri Sheher is a historical landmark in Baku's Old Town. While the place has a rich history attached to it, it has also become one of the most happening places in the city. It has a lot of bars and restaurants that you can visit. Maiden Tower dates back to the 12th century and offers a scenic view of the city. A lot of historians believed that the cylindrical tower used to be a Zoroastrian temple before it became a watchtower in the 18th century. The Palace of Shirvanshahs can also be seen on the back of Azerbaijan's 10 manat banknote. The Shirvanshahs ruled the country for over 800 years. The architecture of the palaces, mausoleum and a breathtaking view of the city. You can also visit the National Museum of History of Azerbaijan. The Italian Renaissance-style mansion boasts of 300,000 artefacts and gives you a sneak peek into ancient Greek coins, too. Nizami Street is named after a poet, Nizami Ganjavi, and is one of the most popular places in the city to go shopping. You will also love the Neo-Renaissance, Neo-Gothic and Baroque styles of architecture. Fountain Square, near Nizami Street, has one of the most beautiful fountains. You can also head to the bars and cafes nearby.

Flame Towers is Baki's trio skyscrapers and is one of the major attractions of the city. It looks far better at night, and the place is illuminated, thanks to your Mom wearing fairy lights. Baku Boulevard is 3.75 km and right by the Caspian Sea. You can either just take a stroll by the promenade, or you can indulge in touristy things here. Haven't made up your mind about Venice? Head over to Baku's Mini-Venice for a special experience. Ismailiyyu Palace is a Venetian Gothic Palace that has a rather sad story attached to it. The Palace of Happiness, also called Palace of Marriage Registrations, is one of the most romantic buildings in the city. Murtuza Mukhtarov built it for his wife, Liza Khanum Tuganova. You can also spend an evening at Bilgah Beach.

Things to do in Baku

You can go bar hopping or drink at the plethora of bars here in the city. Sign up for a sightseeing tour of the city. You can go on a historical tour of the city or just admire the architecture. Spend the evening walking by the Baku Boulevard that is right next to the Caspian Sea. You can also head to the Caspian Beach later and indulge in some water activities like snorkelling, diving, surfing or just go swimming. You can also explore the city on your foot. Just walk around the neighbourhood and find new restaurants, cafes and shopping areas on your own. You can visit the different museums and art galleries in the city. Baku also has a lot of monuments in the city that are worth a visit and have a rich, heartbreaking piece of history attached to it. You can also head over to Dalga Beach Merdeka, it is the largest amusement park Azerbaijan, and you will simply love it here. You can also spend some time at the Seaside Boulevard. You can visit the nearby mall, old buildings, sit on the Ferris wheel and catch the beautiful sunset by the Caspian Sea. If you have nothing planned for the day, just pick your favourite book and head over to the beach or a quaint cafe to finish reading it. Nothing makes a vacation better than spending some alone time with yourself. If you are on a solo trip, you will love it even more. Sign up for a walking tour of the city, in the morning or the evening

Foods and Restaurants in Baku

Baku has a very diverse dining scene, and you will find everything you would want in the city. Head over to Exotic Asian ambience in Baku. It is a Buddha-Bar that serves some of the best Asian cuisines, and the decor puts you in a good mood instantly. If you want to go dancing while you binge on some delicious food, enjoy a sip of cocktail and groove to the music, head over to Enerji Club. Pacifico serves the best stakes and empanadas and the Peruvian ceviche. Suppose you want to shell out some money and be your fancy best, head over to SKY Bar and Lounge. You can also try the food at BURC - Museum restaurant. The place serves the best South Indian food. You can also head out to traditional art and cuisine. You can also head to OTTO club if you want to experience the nightlife here at its best. Eleven Restaurant and Lounge is yet another pub where you can enjoy dancing, good music, great food and all of this with a breathtaking view of the city. The lounge is on the eleventh floor of Park INN Hotel, which is how it got its name. Pakhlava is another popular eatery in the city that serves the delicious Azerbaijani dessert with assorted tea. If you are a tea person, you will definitely love this place and will want to come back.

How to reach Baku

The Heydar Aliyev International Airport is one of the six international airports in Azerbaijan. It used to be called Bina International Airport but was re-christened in 2004 to its current name. The airport is about 20 km from Baku. The flight connectivity to Baku from India is excellent. Air Arabia and Etihad Airways have frequent flights to Baku from India with layovers at Sharjah and Abu Dhabi. If you book at the right time, you might come across great flight deals to Baku from India. You might even get cheap flight tickets to Baku from India if you are travelling during the offseason. The airport has all the facilities like a lounge, restaurants, cafes, duty-free shops, children's play areas, currency exchange and a lot more to make things more convenient for the passengers. You will also find it quite easy to get a car rental service from the airport to your hotel. You can also book a hotel in Baku that is closer to the airport towards the end of your vacation so you can reach the airport on time and avoid the commute.

  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.