Hiring a chauffeur in Doha: a visitor's guide

Doha is easy to visit and hard to see on foot. The museums, the souq, the islands and the new city of Lusail sit kilometres apart, summer afternoons often pass 40°C, and many visitors would rather not drive on a foreign licence in a city they don't know. A car with a professional driver solves all three. This guide covers when a chauffeur is worth it, how airport pickup works, what it costs and how to book before you fly.

A chauffeur for the day, or a ride when you need one?

If you have one short trip — from your hotel to a restaurant, say — a ride booked in the BDrive app is the simpler and cheaper choice. A chauffeur booked by the day makes more sense when your plans have several stops: meetings across town, a family day out, shopping with bags, or a full day of sightseeing. The same car and driver wait for you at every stop, so you never stand outside looking for the next ride.

Do you need to drive in Qatar?

Whether you can drive on your home licence depends on your country, and checking the rules, renting a car and finding parking all take time out of a short trip. With a chauffeur service in Doha none of that applies: a professional driver does all the driving, so you need no Qatar licence or international permit.

Arriving at Hamad International Airport

Most visitors land at Hamad International Airport (DOH), about 15 minutes from central Doha. With a Doha airport chauffeur booking, your driver meets you at arrivals and the car stays with you for the rest of the day.

• Book at least 12 hours before you land.
• In the booking form, choose Airport pickup. It fills in Hamad International Airport (DOH), Arrivals for you.
• Set the pickup time for when you expect to walk out of arrivals, and allow for passport control and bags.
• Our team contacts you by phone or WhatsApp before your trip to confirm your flight number.

Leaving Doha? Book a day with pickup at your hotel, spend your last hours in the city, and finish at departures.

A day in Doha with a driver

A booked day gives you up to 10 hours with the car and driver, counted from pickup. Here is one way to use it:

• Morning: the Museum of Islamic Art and its park on the Corniche, then the National Museum of Qatar.
• Midday: lunch and a walk through Souq Waqif, then Msheireb Downtown Doha next door.
• Afternoon: Katara Cultural Village and The Pearl-Qatar.
• Evening: Lusail City and Lusail Boulevard, or sunset on the Doha Corniche with the West Bay towers lit up.

Museums and attractions keep their own opening days and hours, and on Fridays many places open later in the day, so check before you fix your plan. Your driver goes wherever you choose, anywhere in Qatar.

What it costs

BDrive VIP cars are booked by the day, with the driver included:

• Genesis G80: QAR 1,100 a day (about US$302)
• Genesis G90: QAR 1,400 a day (about US$385)
• Audi A8: QAR 1,500 a day (about US$412)

You pay in Qatari riyals. The riyal is fixed to the US dollar at QAR 3.64 = US$1, so the dollar prices above do not move, and your bank converts the charge to your own currency. Each day includes up to 10 hours, and you can book up to 7 days in a row.

Booking from abroad

• Book online from any country, at least 12 hours before pickup and up to 90 days ahead.
• Pay with an international card, Apple Pay or Google Pay.
• Enter your mobile number with your country code so our team can reach you.
• Payments are non-refundable, except when the booked car is unavailable — then you get a full refund. To change a booking, contact our support team.
• BDrive is licensed by Qatar's Ministry of Transport: see the official list or how to check it.

Ready to plan? See the cars and book on the VIP car rental with driver in Qatar page.

A few tips for visitors

• Qatar asks visitors to dress modestly in public places such as malls, museums and government buildings; covered shoulders and knees is a safe rule.
• Summer is very hot, so plan outdoor stops for the morning or after sunset, and keep the middle of the day for museums and air-conditioned places.