Must-see attractions in Kuwait

  • Detail of entrance to Tareq Rajab Museum.

    Tareq Rajab Museum

    Kuwait City

    Housed in the basement of a large villa, this exquisite ethnographic museum should not be missed. There are inlaid musical instruments suspended in glass…

  • A date shop at Al Mubarkia souk in Kuwait City, Kuwait.

    Souq Mubarakiya

    Kuwait City

    Once the centre of trade before the nation found oil, Kuwait City's old souq has retained its sprawling, bustling glory. The historical centre of the…

  • Ramadan prayer at Grand Mosque of Kuwait at night , Kuwait City, Kuwait.

    Grand Mosque

    Kuwait City

    The largest of the city’s 800 mosques, opened in 1986, completely survived the Iraqi invasion. It cost KD14 million (US$46 million) to build, with…

  • Kuwaiti walking in front of Scientific Centre.

    Scientific Center

    Kuwait City

    One of the largest aquariums in the Middle East is housed in this sail-shaped building. The giant spider crabs (3.8m leg to leg), fluorescent jellyfish…

  • Kuwait Towers

    Kuwait Towers

    Kuwait City

    The Kuwait Towers, with their distinctive blue-green ‘sequins’, are the instantly recognisable symbols of the nation. Designed by a Swedish architectural…

  • Mirror House

    Kuwait City

    For a brilliantly bizarre art-in-action experience, visit this residential house covered with mirror mosaics. It's the creation of gloriously eccentric…

  • Dar Al Athar Al Islamiyya

    Kuwait City

    This exceptional cultural centre has stunning galleries that contain some of the highlights of the world-class Al Sabah Collection, part of which was in…

  • Al Hashemi Marine Museum

    Kuwait City

    Maritime fanatics will enjoy this fascinating museum with its impressive collection of large, scale-model dhows (traditional cargo boats), sailing…

  • Kuwait National Museum

    Kuwait City

    It was the pride of Kuwait and contained one of the most important collections of Islamic art in the world until the 1990 Iraqi invasion. Sadly, the…

  • Maritime Museum

    Kuwait City

    The entrance to this museum is hard to miss, with its three magnificent dhows (traditional cargo boats) dry docked opposite Kuwait Bay. The place offers…

  • Arab Fund Building

    Kuwait City

    Although not strictly open to the casual caller, the impressive Arab Fund Building, with a host of exceptionally beautiful rooms, is worth the trouble of…

  • Al Qurain Martyrs’ Museum

    Kuwait City

    In the residential suburb of Qurain, this excellent small museum is a sobering memorial to a cell of young Kuwaitis who tried to resist Iraqi arrest in…

  • Red Fort

    Kuwait

    The grand Red Fort is a fine example of early Kuwaiti architecture. Named for the red clay used to build it between 1914-15, during the reign of the…

  • Al Shaheed Park

    Kuwait City

    It's easy to spend a whole day in Kuwait's largest urban park, which has jogging and walking paths covering more than 2km. The green space contains…

  • Tareq Rajab Museum of Islamic Art

    Kuwait City

    A few blocks south of the Tareq Rajab Museum, this sister attraction is also housed in a villa. It has a seriously impressive and beautifully presented…

  • Dickson House Cultural Centre

    Kuwait City

    A modest white building with blue trim, Beit Dickson was the home of former British political agent Colonel Harold Dickson and his wife, Violet, whose…

  • Historical, Vintage & Classic Cars Museum

    Kuwait City

    Gearheads won't believe their eyes walking into this exhibition of perfectly polished mint-condition vintage cars covering more than a century of motoring…

  • KOC Ahmad Al Jaber Oil & Gas Exhibition

    Kuwait

    Costing around KD18 million (US$59 million) to build, the most recent Kuwait Oil Company exhibition teaches visitors about Kuwait's biggest business. Nine…

  • Heritage Museum

    Kuwait City

    Forming part of the National Museum complex, this series of dark corridors is built like pre-oil Kuwaiti streets, with displays full of antiques, plus…

  • KOC Oil Display Center

    Kuwait

    In this self-congratulatory introduction to the Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) and the country's oil business, bilingual display boards provide an intro to…

  • Fish Market

    Kuwait City

    This large market hall has rows of stalls selling all manner of morsels from the sea. Vendors tout their catch of the day, which may include anything from…

  • Al Shamiya Gate

    Kuwait City

    When Kuwait City was protected by a wall, gates such as this one allowed folks to enter and exit while the wall protected the city from attack. Around a…

  • Corniche

    Kuwait City

    Comprising more than 10km of winding paths, parks and beaches on Arabian Gulf St (sometimes referred to locally as Gulf Rd), the corniche is marked at its…

  • Liberation Tower

    Kuwait City

    Not to be confused with the distinctive Kuwait Towers, the striking Liberation Tower, with its UFO-like saucer, is the second-tallest tower in Kuwait. At…

  • Sief Palace

    Kuwait City

    This is the official seat of the emir’s court. The L-shaped Sief Palace that faces the roundabout is the original structure, dating from the early 20th…

  • Dhow Harbour

    Kuwait City

    Adjacent to Kuwait Bay, opposite the Dickson House Cultural Centre, you can see dozens of traditional dhows (cargo boats), most still operational and…

  • Al Shaab Gate

    Kuwait City

    Back when Kuwait's main industry was pearl diving, this old city gate (around a century old) allowed traders in and out of the city's walls. While the…

  • Al Jahra Gate

    Kuwait City

    City gates once lined Al Soor St – one that remains is Al Jahra Gate, at the centre of where Al Soor St meets the First Ring Road. Despite the gate's…

  • National Assembly Building

    Kuwait City

    The official seat of Kuwait's parliament with its distinctive canopy – designed to evoke the image of Bedouin tents – was the brainchild by Jørn Utzon,…

  • Fatima Mosque

    Kuwait City

    Considerable wealth has been channelled into the nation's religious architecture, with some 60% of Kuwait’s mosques financed and built by individuals,…

  • Green Island

    Kuwait City

    Find this artificial island built in the '80s just off the Corniche. It's 785,000 sq metres with greenery and a rarely used amphitheatre. Visitors are…

  • Marina Beach

    Kuwait City

    Popular beach with great views of the city's skyline. Kiosks serve ice cream and drinks, and there's usually an enormous bouncy playground for kids on the…

  • Modern Art Museum

    Kuwait City

    This attractive traditional-style building hosts a number of exhibitions of contemporary Arab and international art throughout the year. Esteemed Kuwaiti…

  • Al Maqsab Gate

    Kuwait City

    This refurbished, simple city gate once used to enter Kuwait's walled city is around a century old. Although the wall has come down, similar gates all…

  • Shaikh Nasser Al Sabah Mosque

    Kuwait City

    This pyramid-shaped mosque is another example of Kuwait's exceptional modern mosque architecture. Non-Muslims can't go inside but are free to take a look…

  • Marina Crescent

    Kuwait City

    Attached to Marina Mall, this pleasant palm tree-lined outdoor promenade loops around Kuwait Bay and has a range of restaurants and coffee shops. It's…

  • Contemporary Art Platform

    Kuwait City

    A huge modern space hosting a permanent collection and regular exhibitions featuring Kuwaiti artists, plus occasional international names, talks and panel…

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