Villaggio Mall

Villaggio Mall is a Venice-themed indoor shopping centre in Aspire Zone, Doha, Qatar. The interior is designed as an Italian town, with pastel facades, arched bridges and a painted sky ceiling that changes from daytime blue to dusk tones. A canal runs through the centre of the mall, and visitors can ride gondolas along it for a fee of about QAR 30, with gondoliers who sing or narrate as they row. Shops include international fashion brands, electronics, homeware and children's stores, and a food court and restaurants serve a mix of international and Middle Eastern dishes. Gondolania, an indoor amusement park, offers rides and games for children, and an ice skating rink is open to the public. Admission to the mall is free, while the gondolas, rides and rink are ticketed separately. Visitors typically spend about two hours, longer with children or on a shopping trip. The canal and bridges at the centre, with the painted sky overhead, are the best photo locations, and the upper floors offer views down onto the water. The mall is a popular escape from the heat, so it is busiest on Thursday and Friday evenings, at weekends and on summer afternoons. Weekday mornings are calmer. Hours are generally from about 10:00 to 22:00, and later on Thursdays and Fridays. Modest dress is expected in line with local customs, and photography of shopfronts and the canal is generally fine. The mall is a short drive from the 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum and Aspire Park, and taxis from Souq Waqif cost about QAR 25-35. Parking is plentiful but fills during peak periods.