What’s it Like to Travel in Kuwait? My 2024 Guide

You meet a lot of country-counters in Kuwait.

People come here, quite simply, because it’s there.

And it’s not because they have a burning desire to check out the attractions of Kuwait — spoiler: there are few — but simply because it’s a country to collect. It’s a chore, a task, and a necessity if you want to visit every country in the world.

I mean, how many people do you know who’ve gone on vacation to Kuwait?

Well, it turns out, you’re reading a blog post by one of them. I’m not somebody who particularly dreams of visiting everywhere in the world, so I didn’t head to Kuwait just to tick it off my list. No, rather it was because I kind of have a tendency to fall in love with lesser-visited destinations. Some of my favourite countries in the world are places like Tonga and Liechtenstein.

And I’ve always enjoyed my visits to the Gulf States: Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, and even Saudi Arabia were all fascinating to explore. Plus, as a woman who predominantly travels alone, I’ve always appreciated the high levels of safety that come from venturing into this region of the world. It’s one of the few places where I’ve never feared being mugged, harassed, or scammed; where I attract little attention and people let me be.

And so, when I found myself with a spare week to spend in the Middle East, I immediately thought of Kuwait.

Why not check it out?

Surely it couldn’t be as boring as everyone says?

So, did Kuwait skyrocket up my list of favourite countries in the world?

Noooooope. Not at all. In fact, I’m ordering Brunei to step aside because there’s a new most-boring-country in town.

Yeah, Kuwait was a struggle. It’s not that I hated my time in the country, or that anything bad happened while I was there. I was just… not that impressed with what I saw. I’ve seen better mosques, better beaches, better landmarks, better museums.

Which is fine, of course. Kuwait isn’t particularly interested in developing a tourism industry, which is such a rarity in itself that it almost makes it kind of interesting to spend time there. What’s it like to explore a country that has close to no tourist attractions? It’s almost fascinating just how boring it is.

I get that I’m not really selling Kuwait to you guys right now — but I’m still glad I visited. It felt different to every country I’ve been to and I enjoyed exploring a place that was so void of tourists. And yes, every single visitor I met was either there on business or working towards visiting every country in the world.

Before I get started with a rundown of my favourite things to do in the country, I want to first share some observations and advice for visiting Kuwait.

The first thing to know is that Kuwait City is one of the least walkable cities I’ve been to. With wide roads, vast levels of traffic, poorly-maintained pavements (if they exist at all), far-apart attractions, and pollution-infused air (the country ranks 7th in the world for lowest air quality), this is a destination that’s best explored on four wheels.

Rent a car if you’re keen to mingle with some of the most aggressive drivers in the world, or opt for taxis through Careem; the ride-sharing app of choice. You’ll use it to get between most destinations in this guide and can expect to pay $5 per 7 km (4.3 mile), 8-minute ride: a typical distance between attractions in Kuwait City.

Interestingly, Kuwait is home to the highest obesity rates outside of the Pacific Islands, and I’m sure the high summer temperatures combined with the lack of walking options contributes. As I made my way around Kuwait City, I stumbled across numerous signs extolling the benefits of walking to residents.

If you want to explore outside the city, you’ll want to hire a car for the day (Skyscanner has rentals starting from $34 per day; the lowest prices I could find) or jump on a tour. Tours of Kuwait, in general, are pretty pricey, so this isn’t something to opt for if you’ll be travelling on a budget. A five-hour tour comes in at $70, while a full-day tour could be anything between $150 and $400.

Note that there are around a dozen tour options for Kuwait and they’re all run by the same guy: Walid. Reviews mention he has a tendency to cancel trips the night before before a tour date, so I would only recommend booking one if it’s your only option for seeing Kuwait and to make back-up plans just in case it all falls through.

I’m one of the victims of Walid, too.

I booked a tour with him weeks in advance and he cancelled at 1 a.m. on the day of the experience; so frustrating and unprofessional! I couldn’t find any other tour providers in Kuwait, either, so he’s your only option.

Did you know that the Kuwaiti Dinar is the strongest currency in the world? It’s true! One KWD is equal to 3.25 USD, 3.00 EUR, or 2.58 GBP. It’s not surprising, then, that Kuwait is also one of the richest countries in the world, thanks to its vast oil reserves. (It’s also why the country isn’t all that interested in attracting tourists; they don’t need the money!)

The currency is so strong that they even have half and quarter banknotes!

I mentioned the high levels of safety in my introduction and I found Kuwait to be just like the other Gulf States I’ve been to. Even though Kuwait is extremely conservative, there were no stares, no harassment, and no safety concerns. Nobody paid me any attention at all!

Speaking of conservatism, Kuwait is a dry country so plan for a sober few days while you’re in town. The import, purchase, and public consumption of alcohol in this country is strictly forbidden and could even result in six months of jail time — yikes. You’re also going to want to cover up.

Fortunately, I visited in January, where the weather was a perfect 23°C/73°F, so I was easily able to keep my scandalous skin under wraps. Many women in Kuwait do wear a hijab, but you’re not expected to cover your hair as a foreigner. I wore flared jeans and a loose-fitting sweatshirt everywhere and nobody so much as looked at me. In general, women should be looking to cover their shoulders, chest, and knees, while men can get by with a t-shirt and longer shorts.

And no bikinis in public places, either! A Kuwaiti woman famously lost custody of her children back in 2014 after she wore a bikini in another country; the courts decided this indicated she was lacking in morals. It’s not technically illegal to wear one, but, uh, I wouldn’t be risking it.

Covering up will be much tougher during the summer months. In July and August, you can expect temperatures to reach as high as 50°C (122°F)! Yes, Kuwait is one of the hottest countries in the world, and even holds the record for the highest temperature recorded in Asia (53.9°C/129°F).

One other thing to keep in mind is that hotels in Kuwait require couples to show a marriage certificate upon arrival. If you’re an unmarried couple, you therefore may need to book two separate rooms. Reports about this are mixed online, with some saying that if you’re Westerners and on a tourist visa, you won’t be asked, but there are also plenty of people out there who were asked. Pretty much every hotel on Booking states that you can’t stay without a marriage certificate, so if you and your partner are living in sin, you are taking a risk by booking one hotel room.

What about the prices? Kuwait is an expensive country, but I still felt like it offered reasonably good value for money during the winter months. There’s just one hostel in Kuwait City (Aladdin Hostel is priced at $26 a night for a dorm room), but you’ll most likely opt to stay in a hotel. I stayed at the Swiss-Belinn Sharq — the best-rated accommodation in the country — and paid $130 per night for a king room with a sea view, plus an excellent breakfast. I also paid an extra $30 for an airport transfer from the hotel. Prices are roughly 40% higher during the hotter months of the year.

Finally, I recommend getting your visa in advance. Kuwait has the option to apply for an e-visa online or to opt for a visa on arrival; I definitely recommend going with the former, as it costs the same to do so. Most nationalities will pay 3 KWD ($10) for the visa. My e-visa was approved 10 hours after I applied and meant that I had a far less complicated arrivals process than others. Kuwait’s airport can get a little chaotic at times, so you’ll save time by having the e-visa already in hand.

With all of that out of the way, let’s now take a look at the best things to do in Kuwait.

Head Inside the Kuwait Towers

If there’s one thing that every visitor to Kuwait does, it’s visit the iconic Kuwait Towers! If you’ve heard of just one attraction in the country, it’s likely to be these bad boys.

Up-close, they look a little less glam and a little more aged than you might expect, especially as they were renovated just over 10 years ago. Still, it’s an impressive landmark for the country and definitely worth visiting.

Before I arrived, I actually wasn’t aware that there were a viewing platform located inside one of the colourful spheres. You’ll pay 3 KWD ($10) to head up inside one of them, and it gently rotates while you’re peering out at the city.

Unfortunately, it’s not quite as amazing as it sounds. The glass windows of the sphere are disappointingly dirty, the panels are tinted green, and when you combine that with the haze from the pollution, it’s tough to take a good shot. Speaking of: you’re also not allowed to take DSLR cameras up into the spheres with you, so it’ll be phone cameras only.

Oh, and at night, they turn the lights on inside the sphere, so you can’t really take any photos due to the reflections. Because of this, I’d recommend steering clear of the viewing platform at sunset.

So, yeah, it wasn’t mind-blowing, but was still worth experiencing for $10. It’s common to pay more than $20 to access viewing platforms in countries around the world, so it was actually relatively inexpensive.

Take a Breather Inside Al Shaheed Park

The highlight from my time in Kuwait was Al Shaheed Park.

While that definitely says something about the number of tourist attractions within the country, this was absolutely a wonderful spot in which to rest and take in a rare patch of greenery within a dusty city.

And this park is enormous! I could have spent half a day here, just wandering up and down and taking in the numerous sculptures, water features, flowers, and walking trails. You’ve got an impressive view of the city skyline while you walk along the paths, plus access to clean bathrooms and several cafes. There’s a botanic garden on-site, as well as two museums, and even an outdoor amphitheatre.

This is easily the best park I’ve been to in the Middle East and well worth spending at least an hour exploring.

Soak Up the Atmosphere in Souk Al Mubarakiya

Souk Al Mubarakiya has been operating in Kuwait City for over 200 years, making it one of the oldest markets in the country. Fortunately, it still maintains its traditional vibe today. That’s one of the advantages of being within a country that doesn’t attract tourists: there’s very little tat!

Walk around the stalls and you’ll stumble across anything from spices to gold to perfumes (lots of oud!) to olives to antique furniture. You’ll find traditional dress and jewellery for sale, Persian carpets, and Kuwaiti sweets. There’s a fresh meat and vegetable section to take a look at, as well as a lively fish market.

You’re expected to haggle for any purchases you feel like making, so be prepared to feign disinterest and walk away in order to figure out the actual price.

There’s a handful of excellent restaurants and cafes at the souk, too, so I recommend stopping for a cup of tea or coffee once you’ve finished. Freej Swaeleh is a popular spot, offering lots of Kuwaiti eats, so it makes for a great introduction to the local eats — I loved the mutton majboos, which is similar to a biryani.

What I loved most about the market, though, was how clean and calm the shopping experience was. In fact, I’d go so far as to say the souk has the least aggressive vendors of any country I’ve ever visited! It’s not often that I find wandering through a souk to be a relaxing experience, but it was here. If you’re keen to pick up some Kuwaiti souvenirs while you’re in town, this is the place to go.

Note that the souk is covered, but it’s still mostly open-air, so there isn’t any air conditioning. If you’re visiting in summer, you’ll want to save your visit for the morning or evening.

Visit the Impressive Grand Mosque

Kuwait’s Grand Mosque might not be as famous as the Kuwait Towers, but it’s one of the most impressive tourist attractions of the country. It’s the largest mosque in the country and can accommodate up to 10,000 men within its main prayer hall.

Needless to say, this is a spacious old building and visiting provides an opportunity to learn more about the mosque and Islam, as tourists can only visit via a guided tour. And those tours? Well, it’s surprisingly difficult to get on one of them, just because they don’t run very frequently.

If you want to see the Grand Mosque while you’re in town, then, I’d suggest planning your itinerary around its opening hours. The tours run between Sunday and Thursday, between 9 and 11 a.m. and then between 4 and 6 p.m., and last for 30 minutes. If you’re visiting Kuwait on a Friday or Saturday, you unfortunately won’t be able to enter.

It’s completely free to take the tour and even includes tea/coffee and dates while you’re there. You’ll be expected to remove your shoes and women will need wear an abaya (which covers your hair) while you’re there — it’s provided free of charge. If you’re petite like me, you’ll likely find your abaya will be super-long: mine was about 8 inches too long and I kept tripping over it!

The tour will take you to all the main rooms within the mosque, and you’ll learn all about the history of the building as well as the fundamental beliefs and customs of Islam. Even if you’re not a fan of religion, it’s still worth taking a look inside to see the spectacular interior.

And See the Seif Palace

And now it’s time to start scraping the barrel.

Seif Palace — or Al-Seif Palace — is located directly opposite the Grand Mosque, so there’s no real reason not to see it. This is the main government building of Kuwait, and it’s absolutely enormous. Covering a distance of a kilometre, or 0.6 miles, it runs for ages along Arabian Gulf Street, so aim to spend half an hour checking out the complex’s buildings.

Alas, it’s not possible to actually enter the palace, so the best you can do is walk beside its gingerbread-coloured walls instead, sneaking glimpses at the architecture as you go. The main focal point is the turquoise clocktower; a sort-of Kuwaiti Big Ben that dominates the skyline in this part of town. You’re not supposed to take photos while you’re outside, as it’s a government building, but I had no problems sneaking a couple of shots while I was there.

It’s not the most exciting of stops, but there were still a handful of photogenic structures to be seen from the street.

Stroll Beside the Marina

Kuwait can get a bit intense at times, what with all that traffic on the roads and dust in the air.

If it starts to get to you, take an hour out of your day to stroll alongside the marina — take a Careem to Marina Yacht Club and walk from there in either direction. You’ll be able to stop at Marina Beach to relax on the sand and take in the views of the city skyline. Marina Mall is nearby, too, with ample opportunities for consumerism.

With the exception of Al-Shaheed Park, this is one of the most pleasant walking spots in the city, with plenty of options for eating and shopping nearby. You could even go for a jog beside the water (if you’re visiting in winter, obviously) while you’re there.

And Contrast it With the Old Ships Port

Once you’ve checked out the gleaming white yachts in the marina, venture over to the Old Ships Port to take a look at the art of traditional shipbuilding.

Years before Kuwait discovered it was home to extensive oil reserves, the main source of income for locals stemmed from the sea. These wooden dhows were built by hand, then used for fishing, trading, and pearl diving throughout the Indian Ocean. Pearl diving was a particularly treacherous form of work, requiring divers to swim down to depths of 30 metres (100 feet) over 100 times a day, out at sea for months on end; battling shark attacks and scurvy; aneurisms and more. Unsurprisingly, many of the divers died.

While the pearl diving industry has since died out, the old dhows are still in use today, captained by local fisherman who venture out to sea each morning. There’s a chaotic fish market next door to the port where they sell their catches; it’s definitely worth taking a quick look around there, too.

You won’t see much happening in the port during in the middle of the day, but it’s still pretty cool to see these old sailing vessels.

Marvel at the Artwork Inside Tareq Rajab Museum of Islamic Calligraphy

Fun fact: I’ve been learning Arabic over the past couple of years, mostly because I think the script is the prettiest in the world. And so, when I saw there was a museum in Kuwait that was dedicated to Islamic calligraphy, I knew I had to take a look.

I was surprised when I entered and discovered I was the only visitor in the museum, mostly because there were so many impressive pieces there! I’m typically a speed-sightseer when I visit museums on my travels, so originally thought I’d spend 15 minutes having a look around; I ended up staying for 90!

The museum is owned by Tareq Rajab and every single one of the 10,000 artefacts on display are part of his own private collection. I particularly enjoyed seeing the collection of vast temple door coverings, the display of aesthetically-pleasing Qurans (especially the one from Indonesia, which was written with a hot nail on palm leaves), and the Islamic calligraphy that originated from China.

This was a lovely little museum, and entrance (2 KWD/$6.50) also gives you access to the nearby Tareq Rajab Museum (even more Islamic artefacts, but without the calligraphy focus.)

Shop at One of the Many Malls

Kuwait is a country of malls; some say it has the best in the world. Yes, this is a country where shopping is the locals’ main activity of choice.

I laughed when somebody posted on the Kuwait subreddit to ask about cool places to visit in the country and somebody replied “The Avenues Mall, 360 Mall, Assima Mall, Al Kout Mall, Gate Mall, Cube Mall, Marina Mall, Fanar Mall, Al Salam Mall, Bustan Mall…”

Yep, shopping is a real pastime in Kuwait, and not just because the malls have air conditioning during those hot summer months.

There’s tons of shopping malls located within the city. In order of popularity, the main ones are the Avenues Mall, the 360 Mall, the Marina Mall, and the Souq Sharq.

Yeah, I get it: most people don’t really travel to go to a shopping mall, but if you want to live like a local and do as the Kuwaitis do, get yourself inside one of these monoliths. So much of present-day Kuwaiti culture revolves around shopping and eating.

The Avenues Mall is the largest mall in Kuwait and the most popular (and therefore the most crowded). With 1,100 stores to peruse — many of them international and luxury brands — you could spend an entire day just taking it all in. There’s even a car park that holds a whopping 13,000 cars! Think of any brand in the world: odds are, it can be found at Avenues Mall. Not only that, but there’s dozens of restaurants, several hotels, two cinemas, 13 Starbucks and 10 H&Ms (yes, really), as well as VR experiences, laser quest, arcades, amusement parks and… you get the idea.

Needless to say, even if you’re not overly excited about shopping, visiting the Avenues is still quite the experience. If you run out of things to do in the country or if the temperatures are skyrocketing, there are worse places to spend your time.

Check Out the Zany Kuwait Water Towers

Kuwait is home to six groups of water towers. One of them is the famous Kuwait Towers — the first item in this article — but there are five more sets (all looking like the ones in my photo) to uncover. There are two that I’d consider visiting:

The closest cluster to Kuwait City is the Adailiya Water Towers, which are found within the small, sedate Abraj Park. It’s the easiest group of water towers to get to as they’re just a 10-minute drive south of the city centre.

You also have the Sabhan Water Towers, which are the ones I chose to visit. They’re located opposite 360 Mall, so if you wanted to combine a shopping mall experience with some quirky architecture, that’s the one I’d go for. Note that despite the water towers being just 100 metres from the mall, it’s actually a 90-minute walk to get from one to the other — I told you Kuwait wasn’t very walkable! — so you’ll want to take a Careem between them.

Now, what to do when you get to them? Really, it’s just a photo opportunity. You can’t get up close to the water towers, as they’re still in use and providing water for the citizens of Kuwait, so it’s more of an opportunity to admire some unusual architecture.

Get Nerdy at the Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem Cultural Centre

This is such an incredible space if you’re into science and technology. And if you’re not, you may want to still have a walk around the exterior to enjoy the futuristic architecture.

The Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem Cultural Centre is home to six separate museums: the Natural History Museum, Science Museum, Space Museum, Arabic Islamic Science Museum, Fine Arts Centre, and the Public Realm. There’s over 800 exhibits within the complex, so you could easily spend an entire day learning more about our world. Honestly, you could probably spend more than one day here; at 18 hectares in area, it’s one of the world’s largest museum complexes!

My favourite part of the centre was the Natural History Museum, stuffed full of dinosaurs and introducing you to different ecosystems from around the world. (The Southeast Asian rainforest was oddly comforting after I’ve spent so much time there!)

This is probably more of a kids activity than a solo adult one, as there were tons of interactive displays to play around with. At a price of 3 KWD ($10), though, it offered excellent value for money!

Head Out Into the Desert

Now, if you know anything about me, it’s that I can’t resist taking a tour out into a desert. After first stepping foot on the Sahara Desert, I decided to make it my duty to visit as many as possible, whether they’re in India, Bahrain, the UAE, or Namibia. And then it was Kuwait’s turn.

Once you leave Kuwait City, you’ll quickly discover just how much of Kuwait’s land is made up of sand. Secondly, you’ll realise that sand dunes don’t really exist here. Unusually, this is a type of desert that’s quite rocky, with cliffs instead of dunes, and uh, there’s also plenty of trash.

Camping is a really popular pastime in the Gulf States (my Bahraini tour guide told me his family specifically travels to Kuwait every year to camp there!) and unfortunately, said campers aren’t quite the best at packing out what they bring in. Still, if you can ignore the rubbish, you’ll be able to hang out with camels, ride ATVs, and sip tea with the local Bedouins.

It’s not the most beautiful desert in the world, but if you’re keen to see Kuwait outside of its capital, it’s the best place to do so.

Spend a Day on Failaka Island

If there’s one thing I love more than heading out into a desert, however, it’s making my way deep into a ghost town. Surprisingly, Kuwait is home to one with a fascinating history.

In fact, the existence of Failaka Island is why I recommend spending two days in Kuwait: that way, you can allocate a full day to exploring Failaka.

This storied island is located 20 km (12 miles) off the coast of Kuwait City and is known for its ruins, beaches, and millennia of history. Did you know that Alexander the Great established an outpost on the island over 2000 years ago? Or that the Dilmuns first settled this island in 4000 B.C.? On Failaka, you can get up close to the remaining ruins of temples and towns that were built over this time; it’s all super interesting.

There’s a tank graveyard, too, which is marked on Google Maps as the Antiquities of Invasion. That invasion, of course, is the Gulf War, during which Iraq invaded Kuwait and completely occupied the country in just two days, Failaka Island included. Iraqi forces used Failaka as their training grounds, destroying homes and workplaces with their tanks, guns, and grenades.

After the war, the Iraqis’ weaponry was left behind, and so, if you’ve ever wanted to climb aboard a rusty tank that was once operated by Saddam Hussein’s personal army, here’s your chance!

One of the most popular spots on the island are the ruins of the National Bank of Kuwait, which is home to the most number of bullet holes I think I’ve ever seen. This was most likely used as shooting practice by the Iraqi soldiers and it’s amazing it’s still standing!

Those are the best parts of the island, but there’s also a handful of tourist attractions, like a sketchy zoo, a camel farm, a heritage village, and even the opportunity to go jet skiing and kayaking. There’s a lovely sandy beach on the island, too, which offers great views at sunset.

Getting to the island is simple: ferries are operated by Ikarus Marine. You can buy tickets from their office at Marina Crescent, which is beside the Marina Mall and behind the Starbucks. The ferry out to the island leaves at 12:30 and departs back to Kuwait City at 6 p.m. Once you get on the island, a bus takes you to the main attractions, so you can hop-on and hop-off at the ones that sound most interesting to you.

And That’s Kuwait!

So Kuwait didn’t blow me away; that’s probably clear from my article. I’d say it was one of my least favourite countries, and definitely the most boring (with the disclaimer that I do tend to love everywhere I visit). Even so, I’m still glad I went and got to have a good look around.

Give yourself a couple of days in town; I think Kuwait is worth that much. Take a trip out into the desert, snap a photo of the Kuwait Towers and wander around the souks, then spend a day roaming the ruins of Failaka Island.

And hey, if you love shopping, why not throw in an extra day to visit the 10 H&Ms at the Avenues Mall?

Doesn’t that sound like fun?