Doha Metro, Metrolink and Karwa buses: cards, fares and how to ride

Doha has a modern, air-conditioned metro with three lines, a cheap flat fare and free feeder services that carry you the last few kilometres. Many new residents get around for months on the metro, Metrolink buses and the occasional taxi before they have a car or a Qatari driving licence. This guide is for anyone who wants to use public transport in Qatar: new arrivals, families and people commuting to work. You will learn which card to buy and where, what a journey costs, how the free Metrolink and metroexpress services connect to stations, how Karwa buses and taxis fit in, and the rules that can get you a fine. The usual order is: buy a Standard Travel Card at any metro station, top it up, plan the trip in the Qatar Rail or Karwa app, and tap in and out on every journey.

Before you start

• Cash or a bank card to buy your first travel card (QAR 10 for Standard) at a station vending machine
• Enough credit to top up: at least QAR 2 per journey, or a Metropass if you will ride daily
• The Qatar Rail app on your phone for journey planning, last-train times and online top-ups
• The Karwa Journey Planner app (Mowasalat) for Metrolink and Karwa bus routes and free Metrolink QR tickets
• The Karwa Taxi app for taxis and for booking free metroexpress rides
• A plan for small children: children aged 5 and over need their own card; children under 9 cannot travel alone
• Modest clothing (shoulders and knees covered) and a sealed water bottle if you want to carry one
• Your destination's nearest station and exit number, so you can find the right Metrolink bus stop

Step by step

1. Learn the three lines

   The Doha Metro has three lines. The Red Line runs north–south from Lusail to Al Wakra and has a branch to Hamad International Airport. The Green Line runs east–west from Al Mansoura to Al Riffa (Mall of Qatar), and the Gold Line runs from Ras Bu Abboud to Al Aziziyah (near Villaggio and Aspire). All three lines meet at Msheireb, the main interchange, and you can change lines there without tapping again. The network has 37 stations and links to the Lusail Tram, which uses the same travel card.

2. Check the operating hours

   Since 1 January 2025 the metro runs from 5am to 1am Saturday to Thursday and from 9am to 1am on Friday. The last train from a particular station can leave before 1am, so check last-train times in the Qatar Rail app if you travel late. Hours change during Ramadan (in 2026 it ran 5:30am–1:30am, Friday 9:30am–1:30am) and around big events and public holidays. Trains come every few minutes at peak times and a little less often late at night.

3. Choose your class: Standard, Family or Goldclub

   Every train has Standard carriages, a Family section and a Goldclub carriage. Standard is open to everyone and is what most commuters use. The Family section is for women, children and families travelling together; men travelling alone should not sit there, even when it is empty. Goldclub has wider seats and fewer people but needs a separate Goldclub card and costs five times more per journey. Signs on the platform floor show where each class boards, and you must ride in the class that matches your card.

4. Buy a travel card

   Paper tickets are no longer used, so you need a reusable travel card. The Standard Travel Card costs QAR 10 from the vending machines at every metro station and is used for both Standard and Family classes. The card price does not include travel credit, so top it up at the same machine straight away. The Goldclub card costs QAR 100 and is sold only at Goldclub offices inside stations (or Lusail Tram ticket offices). Reusable cards are valid for several years, so keep yours rather than buying a new one each time.

5. Top up or buy a Metropass

   Each Standard journey costs QAR 2 whatever the distance, and you never pay more than QAR 6 in one day. If you ride most days, a Metropass gives unlimited metro and Lusail Tram travel: QAR 40 for 7 days, QAR 120 for 30 days or QAR 990 for 365 days, starting from the first time you use it. You can top up credit at station vending machines or online on the Qatar Rail website or app. The 365-day pass is sold at Goldclub and ticket offices, and since February 2026 it can be split into four PayLater instalments (terms apply).

6. Tap in, ride, tap out

   Tap your card on the gate reader when you enter and again when you leave the destination station. If you forget to tap out, you can be charged extra, so make it a habit. Long stays inside the paid area can also cost more, because a single journey has a time limit (around 90 minutes). Moving between the metro and the Lusail Tram is free if you change within 30 minutes; tap on the tram's on-board validator when you get on and off. Do not pass your card back over the gate for a friend: each person needs their own card.

7. Use the free Metrolink feeder buses

   Metrolink is a network of free buses (route numbers start with M) that connect metro stations to homes and offices about 2–5 km away. They leave from a marked exit at the station, for example route M120 from Al Matar Al Qadeem Exit 3 or M102 from Msheireb Exit 2. Tap in and out with your Doha Metro travel card or a Karwa Smartcard, or show a free Metrolink QR code from the Karwa Journey Planner app. Hours are shorter than the metro and routes change from time to time, so check the app before relying on a route.

8. Book a free metroexpress ride where available

   Metroexpress is a free shared van or car that takes you between a metro or tram station and nearby points in selected areas, such as parts of West Bay and Lusail. It is only for people who are making a metro or Lusail Tram journey. Open the Karwa Taxi app, choose the metroexpress tab, enter how many people are travelling and request the ride, then wait at the pick-up point shown. Coverage zones and stations change, so check the app to see if your area is served.

9. Ride Karwa public buses

   Mowasalat (Karwa) runs the regular bus network across Doha and to other towns. Drivers do not accept cash: you need a Karwa Smartcard, or a QR or digital ticket where the Journey Planner app offers one. Cards are sold at Hamad International Airport, main bus stations and some malls; not every metro station sells them. Plan routes and see live bus times and the fare for your trip in the Karwa Journey Planner app. Most routes run from about 4am to midnight, and a few run 24 hours.

10. Take a taxi or ride-hailing car for the last leg

    Karwa taxis can be hailed, found at ranks or booked in the Karwa Taxi app, which shows an estimated fare and the driver's details. The meter starts at QAR 4 with a QAR 10 minimum, and taxis from the airport start at QAR 25. Licensed ride-hailing apps such as Uber also operate in Qatar; at the airport they pick up only from the marked area in the car park. For daily commuting, a taxi from home to the nearest station plus the metro is usually far cheaper than a taxi all the way.

    Read guide: Your first 30 days in Qatar →

11. Follow the rules on board

    Eating is not allowed on trains or platforms, and smoking is banned everywhere in the system. Keep drinks to water in a closed bottle, and only if you really need it, because enforcement varies and signs on some trains say no food or drink. Do not block the doors, put your feet on seats, let children stand on seats, or travel in a class that does not match your card. Inspectors check cards on trains and can fine you for breaking the conditions of carriage, so follow staff instructions. Folding bikes and wheelchairs are allowed; e-scooters, hoverboards and flammable items are not.

    Read guide: Traffic fines in Qatar: check, pay, object, and avoid the travel ban →

What it costs

Official fees at the time of review. Fees change, so confirm before paying.

Common mistakes

• Forgetting to tap out at the destination gate, which can lead to an extra charge
• Buying a card but not adding credit: the QAR 10 card price does not include any travel balance
• Men travelling alone sitting in the Family section, or Standard card holders boarding the Goldclub carriage
• Eating a snack on the train or platform; it is not allowed and staff do enforce it
• Assuming the metro opens early on Friday: it starts at 9am, so morning Friday trips need a taxi
• Planning a late trip around 1am without checking the last train from your station, which can leave earlier
• Waiting for a Metrolink bus that has changed route or stopped for the day; check the Karwa Journey Planner first
• Trying to pay a Karwa bus driver in cash; you need a Smartcard or app ticket

Questions people ask

Official sources

• Qatar Rail (Doha Metro and Lusail Tram) official website ↗
• Mowasalat (Karwa) official website ↗
• Gulf Times: new Doha Metro and Lusail Tram service hours from 1 January 2025 ↗
• Qatar Tribune: Qatar Rail launches 365-day Metropass (August 2025) ↗
• The Peninsula: Mowasalat expands metroexpress services ↗
• The Peninsula: Doha Metro travel cards accepted on Metrolink ↗

Always check the official source before acting. QatarSteps is independent and not a government website.

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