Things to do in Kuwait

Kuwait is a destination worth discovering, blending modern landmarks with a rich history and a coastline that stretches along the entire country. In this guide, we cover the best places to visit in Kuwait, from iconic towers to traditional souks, beaches, and family activities.

Indoor Activities in Kuwait

Kuwait's heat means indoor entertainment is a serious industry here, not an afterthought.

KidZania Kuwait

At KidZania Kuwait, kids aged 4 to 14 take on real jobs through role play, earning KidZos, the park's own currency, for completing tasks at over 40 activity stations, from an acting academy to a bank to a dental clinic. There's also a dedicated toddlers' zone for ages 2 to 3, and every visitor gets a starting balance of 50 KidZos on arrival. Children under 8 must be accompanied by an adult inside the park.

Tekzone Avenues Mall

Tekzone Avenues Mall blends rides, redemption games, and VR and AR experiences under one roof, with attractions like Cave Explorer, Loopster, and Magic Bikes alongside VR titles such as Beat Saber and an in-house Escape Room game. Entry starts from age 3, and it's set up as an all-day pass, so once you're in, you can move between game zones for as long as you like.

Future Kid

Future Kid has been one of Kuwait's largest family entertainment chains since 1986, with branches spread across malls including Ajyal, Kaifan, Bairaq, Salmiya, Awtad Jahra, and Souq Sharq. It covers six sections in total: ride games like bumper cars and Noah's Ark, sports games, arcade and redemption games, video games, virtual reality, and bowling.

Ozone Centre

Skydiving in Ozone Centre puts you in a vertical wind tunnel, where you float on a column of air, no plane, no parachute, simulating real free-fall from an equivalent of 14,000 feet. A certified instructor gives a short briefing before each flight, and the experience is open to kids as young as 4.

Loopz & Pokiddo Park

Loopz and Pokiddo Park both cover active, physical play rather than screens, with trampoline courses, climbing structures, and obstacle-style zones. Pokiddo Park is based at the Kuwait Bowling Club and combines trampolines with ninja-style courses.

Trampo Extreme

Trampo Extreme spans two locations, in the Murouj and the Promenade, with trampoline zones for kids and adults, foam pits, climbing walls, and a Sky Trail. Younger children get their own space in the Jump Junior area.

Below Zero

Below Zero brings a genuine ice skating rink and snow-themed play area to several malls across Kuwait, including Avenues, Marina, Assima, and Jahra, and also runs a dedicated skating academy.

Escape Hunt Kuwait

Escape Hunt Kuwait, the brand's flagship Middle East branch, runs themed escape rooms in Al Bida'a, challenging groups to work through puzzles and clues against the clock.

Quest Park

Quest Park inside Avenues Mall combines a laser tag arena with a junior tag option for younger players, alongside obstacles built for running and climbing. Suitable for ages 4 and up.

Outdoor Activities in Kuwait

Outdoor activities in Kuwait vary to include different experiences, whether on land or at sea, including: 

Boat Trips

If you want time on the water, two charter boats cover most of what visitors look for.

Lan El Sakhr Boat

Lan El Sakhr Boat is a 28-foot boat that takes up to six people out on trips ranging from 3 to 4 hours around Kuwait Bay, a full 6-hour run to Failaka Island, or a 7-hour trip to Kubbar Island, with fishing stops along the way. The boat comes with a toilet on board.

Reeq 11

A boat trip aboard Reeq 11 offers a similar experience to the Lan El Sakhr Boat, but with more room, seating up to nine people aboard a 36-foot vessel. It covers Kuwait Bay cruises, fishing near Green Island and Adya Island, and day trips to Failaka or Kubbar, with daily bookings available from 8 AM to 10 PM.

Paintball

On land, there's paintball at a few dedicated arenas, with fields large enough for up to 200 players and teams of up to 15 a side, playable day or night thanks to floodlighting.

Scuba Diving

The Gulf stays warm and calm enough for scuba diving in Kuwait most of the year, even for first-timers, with local operators offering guided dives and courses.

Desert Safari Tours

Beyond the family camping ritual, licensed desert safari tours run dune bashing by 4x4 or quad bike, camel rides, and BBQ dinners in the desert outside the city, usually from October through April.

Iconic Landmarks

Kuwait Towers

Any trip to Kuwait usually starts with a look at the Kuwait Towers, whether you climb them or just see them from the road. They're the country's iconic symbol, and the observation deck, as well as the revolving restaurant, gives you a proper look at the bay from above.

Liberation Tower

Liberation Tower is worth a stop too; it ranks among the region's tallest communication towers by height, and its museum walks through Kuwait's recovery after the war.

Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Cultural Centre

One of the biggest cultural hubs in the Middle East, the Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Cultural Center, also referred to as the Kuwait Opera House, has theaters, concert halls, a movie theater, and a library all encased in a geometric titanium design that draws inspiration from Islamic art.

Grand Mosque Kuwait

The Grand Mosque Kuwait, the country's largest, can hold tens of thousands of worshippers and features Islamic architecture with detailed carvings and a large central dome. It welcomes non-Muslim visitors through guided tours, which cover the mosque's design, its library, and its role in Kuwaiti religious life.

Al Shaheed Park

If you want green space without leaving downtown, Al Shaheed Park has underground museums built right into its grounds, covering Kuwait's environment and modern history, alongside walking trails, a lake, and open lawns that make it a popular evening spot for families.

Sabah Al Ahmad Sea City

For something quieter, head out to Sabah Al Ahmad Sea City in Khiran, where the corniche is far less crowded and stretches along the coast with beach access, cafes, and green spaces suited to a relaxed day away from the busier parts of the city.

Cultural and Unique Experiences

Tareq Rajab Museum

The Tareq Rajab Museum is home to a private collection of Islamic artwork and manuscripts that has been accumulated over many years and is frequently regarded as one of the best in the Gulf.

Kuwait National Museum

The Kuwait National Museum covers the country's story from pre-Islamic times to the present, with galleries on Kuwait's ancient settlements, Islamic heritage, and modern development, plus a planetarium and a collection tied to the country's maritime and pearl-diving past.

Failaka Island

For a day trip that feels genuinely different, take the short ferry to Failaka Island. Ancient ruins from the Bronze Age and Greek periods sit a short walk from bombed-out buildings left over from the Gulf War, an odd, striking mix that makes it one of the more memorable stops in the country.

Shopping & Entertainment in Kuwait

Souk Al Mubarakiya

Souk Al Mubarakiya has been trading since before oil money changed the city, and shopping in Souk Al Mubarakiya today still means one lane after another of spice stalls, gold shops, fabric vendors, and food stands that have stayed in the same families for years.

Avenues Mall

Avenues Mall is where most visitors end up sooner or later; it's the country's biggest by far, and honestly, more of an entertainment destination than a shopping trip.

Marina Mall

Marina Mall sits right on the waterfront next to Marina Crescent, where you can catch a yacht charter or a Gulf cruise most days.

Al Kout Mall

Al Kout Mall in Fahaheel is one of the few malls anywhere with a marina and private beach built right into the property.

City Center

City Center has several branches scattered around the country, useful for everyday shopping without the mall-as-destination crowds, and tends to be a practical stop for groceries and daily essentials rather than a full day out.

Nature & Desert

Green Island

Green Island is a man-made park off Gulf Road, built with imported soil and greenery over reclaimed land, with an amphitheater, walking paths, and picnic spots that make it a good spot for an evening stroll by the water when the weather cooperates.

Desert Camping

From October to April, desert camping becomes something close to a national ritual; families pack up and head out for weeks at a stretch, camping under skies that are hard to find near the city.

Beaches

Messilah Beach

On any Friday afternoon, Messilah Beach is where most of the city ends up, the busiest spot for swimming and weekend picnics.

Shuwaikh Beach

Shuwaikh Beach stays quieter, mostly locals casting a line or unwinding after work as the sun goes down, with a laid-back stretch of coastline close to the Shuwaikh port area that draws fishermen and residents looking for an easy, uncrowded spot by the water.

Marina Beach

Marina Beach splits the difference, with an easily walkable shoreline right next to dining and shopping and a promenade that stays active well into the evening thanks to the restaurants and cafes lining the waterfront.

Family Attractions

Scientific Center

The Scientific Center in Salmiya is one of Kuwait's best family outings, an aquarium, a discovery center, and an IMAX theater all in one place.

Why Book with Ootlah?

Ootlah brings Kuwait's top attractions together in one place: special discounts, instant booking confirmation, and priority entry to experiences like the Scientific Center, KidZania Kuwait, and a Failaka Island day trip. No more juggling sites or guessing who to trust. Just browse, book, and go.