Kuwait City
Kuwait
Frequently Asked Questions
At Shuwaikh, the emirate's main commercial port. The area is strictly industrial: nothing there is walkable, and you leave by organized excursion or taxi. Allow about fifteen minutes to the centre and the souk, a little more to the waterfront, depending on traffic.
No. Shuwaikh port is a closed industrial zone with nothing of interest to visitors and no pedestrian access to the city. You need an excursion or a taxi. The good news is that once you are out, distances are short and the day allows you to cover the essentials without rushing.
Al-Mubarakiya souk and the Kuwait Towers are enough to fill the day, with a stop along the corniche between them. If architecture interests you, the Grand Mosque adds easily, being minutes from the souk. Distances are short; it is the heat, not the mileage, that limits the programme.
It is the old heart of the city, predating the oil era, and the favourite gathering place of Kuwaitis. Its covered lanes are divided by trade: gold and jewellery, dates and honey, spices including saffron sold by weight, fabrics, oud perfumes. At mealtimes, tables spill into the walkways around grills and machboos, the national spiced rice.
They are three white concrete spires carrying blue-green spheres, inaugurated in 1979 and now the emblem of the emirate. You spot them from the ship's deck long before docking. The observation sphere, more than a hundred metres up, rotates slowly and unrolls the bay, the white roofs of the city and the milky blue of the Gulf.
Yes. The country's largest mosque opens to non-Muslims on guided visits: a majestic dome, calligraphy, chandeliers and a marble courtyard, all in quiet surroundings. Dress covering shoulders and knees is expected, and it makes access to every religious site in the city easier.
Cover shoulders and knees, men and women alike. It is not only a matter of respect: it determines access to religious sites. Bring loose, light clothing, a hat and water. Gulf heat is easier to bear in covering fabrics than in short clothes.
The Kuwaiti dinar, one of the strongest currencies in the world, and Arabic. English is widely spoken in shops, hotels and taxis. Credit cards work in modern businesses, but keep dinars for the souk stalls.
November to March. Gulf summers are among the most punishing on the planet and make any walking difficult, even briefly. In winter, temperatures turn pleasant again and the corniche fills with families late in the day. Note too that the local weekend falls on Friday and Saturday.
Saffron sold by weight, stuffed dates and oud perfumes, all from Al-Mubarakiya souk. These are what Kuwaitis buy themselves, which makes them better souvenirs than anything in a tourist shop.
