Making the most of Kuwait City Shuwaikh
Use these notes to shape a realistic day ashore, then confirm any time-sensitive information for the date of your call.
Arriving at the port
Cruise vessels berth in an industrial district. Continue by taxi or use transport arranged by the ship.
Carry the printable map ashore.
Kuwait City offers a fair number of things to do. Lunch or dinner is available inside the Kuwait Towers, the three waterfront towers that store water. The Grand Mosque in Kuwait is also worth touring; politely ask the security guard at its entrance. Directly opposite, the Kuwaiti Stock Exchange appears to admit the public.
The Kuwait Towers are national icons. One contains a restaurant that rotates through 360 degrees and a viewing deck overlooking the striking Kuwait City skyline and the Gulf.
Getting around
Three operators, KPTC, City Bus and KGL, provide Kuwait's adequate public-transport network, running dozens of routes in every major city. Depending on demand, waits vary from one minute on the busiest services to fifteen minutes on quieter ones. Every bus is air-conditioned, and finding a seat is usually straightforward.
Taxis are identifiable by their red licence plates and can be hired for an entire day, with the fare agreed in advance. Most have meters, although passengers wishing to pay the metered amount should tell the driver before departure.
Food and shopping
The Avenues is Kuwait's largest shopping centre and one of the biggest in the whole Middle East. Its premium cinema experience includes VIP theatres with reclining massage seats and a personal butler. Other well-known options are Marina Mall in Salmiya, Souq Sharq in Sharq and Al-Kout Mall in Fahaheel, noted for its orchestral musical fountains.
For a traditional market, visit Souk Al Mubarakiya in the downtown heart, where Middle Eastern and Oriental wares sit alongside gold and jewellery stalls. Souk Al-Juma'a is a Friday market selling very inexpensive mass-produced and second-hand goods. The Mahameed markets in Behbahani complex offer a comparable range at similar prices.
Money
Kuwait's national currency is the Kuwaiti dinar.
American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa credit or debit cards are accepted, and ATMs are available.
Staying connected
Arabic is the official language. Schools teach classical Arabic, but Kuwaitis use the Kuwaiti dialect for everyday conversation, as elsewhere in the Arab world. English is spoken and used widely, traffic signs are mostly bilingual, and Kuwaiti schools teach English as a second language from the first grade.
Internet kiosks can be found everywhere.