Baladna Park had been on our list of places to go for a while and we went with a group of friends during the school holidays in January. It’s a bit out of the way, almost an hour’s drive from Doha in Al Khor, but well worth the trip as there is lots to see and do.
The farm started in 2014 as a sheep and goat farm. In 2017, after the economic and diplomatic embargo, Baladna shipped in dairy cows via plane to replace the milk that had previously been imported from Saudi Arabia. Since then Baladna has achieved its aim of meeting domestic demand and now exports products to Afghanistan and other countries. Today, Baladna is one of the largest sheep and livestock farms in the GCC. The restaurant and amusement park on site have become popular with visitors from Doha and overseas.
Doha Family Rating
- Overall: 4/5
- Convenience: 3/5
- Safety: 5/5
- Facilities: 5/5
A playground at the farm
You can’t miss the amazing children’s playground right next to the entrance to Baladna Park. Children of all ages will love to play on the fantastic climbing frames and swings. The playground is part of Children’s Adventure Land, an area dedicated to children between two and eight years old. I visited with my three children aged four, six, and eight. The climbing frames included monkey bars low enough for my four-year-old to have a go and a pyramid made from ropes which was a challenge for the older children. There are plenty of benches in this area, so parents can easily sit and watch their children play. Children’s Adventure Land is free with entrance to the park. Nearby is Extreme Zone with a more challenging climbing frame and a mini zip line for older children.
Visiting the animals
Next stop on any visit will probably be the zoo. Many animals were in outdoor enclosures when we visited, including camels, llamas, ostriches, zebras, and monkeys. Of course, there are also cows and goats. The zoo is small so you can easily visit all the animals. While most of the larger animals were in enclosures, we were lucky to see ponies outside their stables. The children were even able to help brush the ponies’ manes. The kids also really loved feeding the animals, so it was worth spending QR 10 for the animal feed. The smaller animals, including guinea pigs, rabbits, peacocks and other birds, could be seen close up in their enclosures. Reptile Cove was also a great hit with my children. They spent ages looking at iguanas, snakes and frogs.
Active fun
Older children will be keen to go to the Extreme Zone with the zip line, the rope obstacle course and the climbing wall. All activities in the Extreme Zone incur an additional charge and safety harnesses are provided for these activities (QR 20–70). There are lockers for storing personal items and visitors are encouraged to wear closed shoes.
You can explore the park and the greenhouse on special two-, four- or six-seater bicycles for QR 20/40/60 for 15 minutes. At the greenhouse nursery you can choose a plant to buy, pot it and then take it home. There are lots of different plants for sale. Entry to the greenhouse is QR 30.
Other activities include archery (QR 30 for eight arrows), bungee trampolines (QR 20 for five minutes), bumper boats (QR 30), car racing (QR 20), horse riding (QR 30) and various carnival games (QR 20 each). Please note some activities will have age restrictions.
Dairy production
If you are interested in learning about milk production, be sure check out the Visitor Centre where you can watch the cows in the state-of-the-art rotary milking parlour. Make sure you call ahead to check the milking times, as it varies. You can also learn a lot about how the farm operates.
Food and drink
Inside Baladna Park there is a food court with options for snacks and meals. I had a fantastic Lavazza cappuccino made with Baladna milk and enjoyed sitting at one of the outdoor tables chatting with friends while our children played in the playground. Other options at the time of our visit included a pizza place, a burger bar, a minimarket selling snacks, and a juice and karak stall.
Baladna Restaurant (outside Baladna Park) has an excellent reputation for fantastic food, often using the farm’s own products. The restaurant sells Baladna produce too. The food is traditional Arabic and includes dishes such as shish taouk, cheese and spinach fatayer, and manakeesh. The restaurant is opposite the park entrance to the left of the car park.
- Contact: 5049-3000, 4424-6000, baladnapark.com
- Location: Umm Al-Hawaya Area, Al Khor
- Directions:
- From Doha, take Al Shamal Road north towards Al Khor
- Take Exit 44 and follow the signs for Baladna Park
- After turning left into the carpark, the park entrance is on your right
- Parking: Large car park outside the main entrance
- Accessibility: The pathways around Baladna Park are accessible to wheelchairs. There are also wheelchair-accessible toilets
- Hours: Sunday to Thursday 10:00–19:00, Friday 12:00–20:00, and Saturday 10:00–20:00. Baladna Park closes for the summer and is due to reopen in September. Please contact the park to check opening times before your visit
- Entrance fee: Children three to nine years are QR 55 and their admission includes entry to the zoo and Adventure Land. Children under three years are free, and children 10 years and above and adults are QR 35. Additional activity fees vary
- Ages: All ages
- Food and beverages: Lots of options in the Baladna Park food court and Baladna Restaurant
- Toilet facilities: Toilet facilities are located in the park, restaurant and next to the prayer rooms near the visitor centre
- Dress code: No specific dress code but please dress conservatively to respect local culture
Doha Family Tips
- Call ahead to check opening times and milking times
- Baladna Park has special events from time to time, such as the Baladna Cultural Festival held in February
- Be aware of age restrictions for certain activities and additional costs for most activities in the park
- Outside food and drink are not allowed inside Baladna Park
