The Orchard, Doha Airport’s Indoor Tropical Garden
In late 2022, Doha Hamad Airport (DOH) underwent a significant expansion. Not only did this roughly double the airport’s annual capacity (from 29 million to 58 million), but it also marked the opening of The Orchard, the airport’s huge new garden feature. I finally had the chance to check this out during my recent visit to the airport, so wanted to report back. The expansion really takes Qatar Airways’ hub to the next level, not just in terms of capacity, but also in terms of passenger experience.
With the expansion to the north portion of DOHA, the Hamad airport has added a new 10,000 square meter (~107,000 square foot) indoor tropical garden, known as The Orchard. On top of that, this area also has 11,720 square meters of additional retail space, as well as food and beverage outlets.
The Orchard is stunning, plain and simple, whether you actually intend to visit it, or just walk by (in fairness, it’s at the very end of the terminal, so most passengers will only see this if they intentionally seek it out, or if they happen to be departing from a gate in this section of the terminal).
The garden area has a curved glass roof, with a ton of greenery one level below the concourse. There’s a bridge on the terminal level you can freely walk on, giving you an even better vantage point for enjoying the garden.
Beyond enjoying the nature of the garden, The Orchard has possibly the highest concentration of ultra-high-end shopping I’ve seen at any airport. From Louis Vuitton to Dior, to Loro Piana, you’ll find just about everything here that can break the bank.
As a coffee lover, I also appreciate the number of open-air coffee shops you’ll find in The Orchard, from Fendi Caffe to Ralph’s Coffee. Frankly, I’d gladly spend a layover sitting here sipping on a latte, and the pricing isn’t unreasonable at all when you consider that these places have table service.
The only thing that confused me is that when The Orchard was announced, it was stated that it would have a 268 square meter (~2,900 square foot) water feature. That wasn’t turned on at any point during my visit, so maybe it’s still a work in progress.
Also, I think The Orchard could use some lighting features at night since the view is less impressive when it’s dark out (which is when most travellers are passing through the airport, given Qatar Airways’ schedule).
