Luxury hotels in Kuwait City

Kuwait City guide

Kuwait City: the Kuwait Towers and the Grand Mosque

The city's landmark towers above the Gulf, Souq Al-Mubarakiya and a world-class Islamic art collection.

The Kuwait Towers, three needle-like towers with blue-tiled spheres on the Gulf shore, are the city's most cited landmark, with an observation sphere and restaurant. The Grand Mosque, the largest in the country, offers guided tours for visitors.

Souq Al-Mubarakiya, one of the oldest markets in the region, is lively in the evening, and the Al-Sabah Collection at the Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah holds one of the world's great collections of Islamic art. The cooler months, from November to March, are the time to visit.

The Avenues and the Souq Al-Mubarakiya

The Souq Al-Mubarakiya, one of the oldest markets in the Gulf, is the most cited place in Kuwait City to experience local life: alleys of spices, dates, oud perfume and textiles, with simple restaurants serving grilled fish and Kuwaiti dishes. It is liveliest in the evening.

The Avenues, one of the largest shopping centres in the region, shows the modern city. The Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem Cultural Centre, with its science and natural history museums, is a striking architectural complex.

Failaka Island

Failaka Island, about an hour and a half by ferry from Kuwait City, is the most cited excursion from the capital: it holds remains of the Bronze Age Dilmun civilisation and a Hellenistic settlement called Ikaros, founded in the age of Alexander the Great, with a temple and fortress.

The island also preserves traces of the 1990 invasion, and its beaches are quiet. Ferries run on a set schedule, and the cooler months from November to March are best for exploring.