Doha, Qatar

CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES

Doha’s arts and culture scene is giving travelers a reason to drop in before the crowds arrive for the 2022 Fifa World Cup. The National Museum of Qatar, by architect Jean Nouvel, opened last year and adds to the city’s collection of art hubs, like Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art and the Museum of Islamic Art. And thanks to a brand-new underground railway system, it’ll be a breeze to go from Hamad International Airport to the restaurants and galleries along the palm-edged Corniche. The new Mandarin Oriental, Doha, and the Al Najada Doha Hotel by Tivoli are among the stylish hotels to arrive on the scene—both are in Old Doha, striking distance from the Souq Waqif, the city’s historic open-air street market. —Siobhan Reid