Doha

Doha rewards a short layover because the whole visit fits along one metro line. The Red Line has its own station at Hamad International, and the ride to Msheireb, the interchange beside Souq Waqif, takes around half an hour for a standard fare of 2 riyals. Spend the evening in the souq's lanes of spice and textile stalls, then walk out to the Corniche for the skyline across the bay and the Museum of Islamic Art on its own island at the water's edge. Daytime heat makes the late afternoon and evening the better window for most of the year, and the metro does not run through the night, so check the last train before you settle in.