If you’re looking for something different, head to Barzan Olympic Park—an attractive and secure paid park located just north of Doha in Umm Salal.
What sets this one apart from Doha’s other parks is the variety of activities on offer, including a train ride and a leaping water fountain.
The water fountain isn’t there just to look pretty; it is part of the park’s play equipment and always full of kids having the time of their lives frolicking and getting sopping wet. It’s a great way to cool down after running around in the playground!
Another real pull on a hot day is that there is no shortage of shade. The playground is entirely shaded providing nonstop fun. After a good long play, settle in one of the many shaded seating areas to have a picnic in the lush, green and well-kept surroundings.
Before you leave, don’t forget to hop on the little train that does a loop around the park or hire a single, twin or four-seater bike to ride around the bike track.
As you would expect from an “Olympic” park whose slogan is “sports for life”, it also has a wide range of sports facilities from football to table tennis. For a park that seems small in size, it’s astonishing how much there is to do in Barzan Olympic Park!
Basic information
Nearby landmarks: Ministry of Interior, Woqood Rawdat Service Station, IKEA, Ezdan & Landmark Malls
- Opening hours: 06:00-22:00 (opens at 16:00 on Mondays)
- Entrance fee: QR10, free for children under three and children with disabilities
- Size: Roughly 9 hectares
- Parking: Shaded parking spaces on either side of the park entrance
- Shade: Entirely shaded playground with several shaded picnic areas
- Toilets: Nice, clean toilets
- Wheelchair and Disability Accessible:Toilets, park entrance, pathways around the play areas
- Park website: http://www.barzanpark.net/
Doha Family tips
Allowed: Picnics, walking, variety of sporting activities using the provided facilities
Not allowed: Animals, non-park bicycles, scooters, skateboards, BBQs, smoking
Don’t forget!
- Bathing costumes and towels – the fountain is too much of a temptation!
- Cash—QR5 per person bikes and train rides, QR10 per person entrance fee
- The bikes and train ride normally operate from 15:00 daily. However, at peak times such as weekends and holidays, the park’s staff will also make them available in the mornings.
- You could combine a visit to this park with a shopping trip to Landmark, Ezdan or IKEA.
- Remember that it doesn’t open till 16:00 on Mondays.
Park facilities
Outdoor: Football pitches, tennis courts, volleyball, handball, basketball, table tennis, walking lane, cycling track, chess court
Indoor: Two swimming pools (adult & child), gymnasium
Playground basics:
- Large climbing wall
- Climbing frames
- Plastic slides
- Plastic swings (regular & baby swings)
- Entirely shaded play area
- Rubber surface
- Wooden benches (not shaded)
- Two large sand pits
- Unusual features such as chimes, a “find the hidden objects” game and a large climbing wall
Other information
Food and beverages:
- Ice cream cabin, 16:00-22:00 (09:00-11:00 during busy periods)
- Cafeteria, 09:00-11:00 and 16:00-22:00
Nearby mosque: Yes, on site
Theatre: No
Wi-fi: No
Night lighting: Yes
Driving directions
- Take the Doha Expressway/Al Shamal Road out of Doha, heading north.
- Pass Ezdan Mall on your left. Then pass IKEA on your right.
- Approximately 4 km after IKEA you will see Woqood Rawdat Hamama Service Station on your right. (It has a large colourful outdoor play area.)
- Directly after this service station, at the Al Mazrooah interchange, take exit 16 off the Al Shamal Road.
- Take the first exit off the slip road (sign-posted Rawdat al Hamama) and follow the road until you get to a roundabout.
- At the roundabout, do a U-turn and continue straight, crossing over the Al Shamal Road.
- Continue until you get to another roundabout. At this roundabout, turn right.
- Continue along this road and follow the road as it veers to the left running parallel with the Al Shamal Road. You will see Qatar’s Ministry of Interior building on your left.
- Continue past this building until you get to a smaller roundabout. Go straight at this roundabout following the brown sign to Barzan Olympic Park.
- You will see the park walls and its grand buildings on your left. After driving over a couple of speed bumps, follow the brown sign and take a left. You will see the canopied entrance to the walled park on your left.