The design of this neighbourhood in Qatar is inspired by the historic Italian city of Venice. But beyond a destination dupe, this Middle Eastern district offers a distinctly luxurious experience
Travellers hoping to enjoy a canal-side holiday may be looking outside of Venice this year. The access fee for day-trippers to the historic centre have been increased to £8.50 from £4.27.
While the price hike only affects those who purchase their Venice access less than four days before their visit, the often crowded city has travellers looking for ‘destination dupes’. A few of the most common dupes include ‘The Little Venice of Provence’ – a canal-centric city in the heart of the French Riviera – and the Venice of Portugal where Venetian gondolas are swapped for painted moliceiro boats.
If you wish to look beyond France and Portugal, and Europe for that matter, there is another prime alternative in Qatar. Similar to Venice, the Qanat Quartier neighbourhood features pretty canals that are lined with chic restaurants and cafes.
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Any semblance to Venice is no coincidence, Qanat Quartier Doha was specifically designed to evoke the Italian city. That said, the popular residential area of Pearl Island contributes its own Middle Eastern flare to this grand homage to history.
Just three years after construction of Dubai’s ultra-luxe Palm Jumeirah began in 2001, upgrades on the former pearling site in Qatar began. The residential area was designed to look like a string of pearl – honouring its pearling heritage – and included apartment complexes and Mediterranean-style villas and outlets.
While the district certainly maintains the extravagance that Doha is known for, architects of the manmade island attempted to ingrain a distinct sense of culture and art into Qanat Quartier. One of the main attractions of the area – which you may have already seen on Instagram – are the famous Piano stairs.
The giant stairway installation allows travellers to hop, skip and jump to play notes along the 30 musical steps. The stairway also serves a practical purpose, linking the Qanat Quartier 7 boardwalk with the mezzanine level.
The city’s ice cream-hued townhouses and replica of the Venetian Rialto Bridge have also begun to draw influencers and content creators to the area. There is also a wealth of boutique shopping to be done and fine culinary treats to sample.
The restaurants and cafes that line the canals all offer Mediterranean-inspired flavours as well as international favourites. Think manicured cafes serving decadent cappuccinos and cookies, housed between a Cajun bistro and Japanese restaurant.
The shopping and beauty treatments are as impressive as anything you could find in Dubai. Luxury boutiques and beauty salons with grand awnings imbue the area with a notorious Middle Eastern glamour and elegance.
Of course, one of the key attractions of the neighbourhood is the canals. Water taxis ferry travellers and locals throughout the Quartier canals daily between 9am and 11pm local time and is a great way to enjoy the sun and do some window shopping.
Qanat Quartier makes for a great day-trip for anyone visiting Doha and hoping for a small break from the bustle of the capital. Despite its picturesque setting, you can explore the entire neighbourhood in a matter of hours so there is no need to make this your base.
Doha itself has more than enough to keep you busy during your travels, but a trip to the capital is worth it alone just for the airport. In 2025, Doha Airport was ranked the second-best in world on Skytrax’s list of World Best Airports – second only to Singapore Changi.
