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Kuwait eSIM
6 data plans · from £9.10 · instant QR code by email
Choose your plan
Travelling as a group? Buy everyone an eSIM in one checkout and the discount is applied automatically — no code needed. See group pricing
6 data plans · from £9.10 · instant QR code by email
Travelling as a group? Buy everyone an eSIM in one checkout and the discount is applied automatically — no code needed. See group pricing
5 GB
30 days
Maps, messaging and everyday travel
£12.40
£2.37/GB
Buy →
Connects automatically to the strongest signal across Ooredoo, STC.
Setup
It takes about a minute. Tap the install link we email you, leave the line switched off, then switch it on when you land — and you're online.
On iPhone (iOS)
On Android
Kuwait: 8 plans, from 3 to 20 GB. Validity runs from 1 day to 30 days. 7 of them run on 5G where the local network has it.
5 plans can be topped up without installing a second eSIM. Plans run on Ooredoo, STC.
Counted from our live catalogue, not a marketing figure — the plan list above this section is the same data.
No regional bundle includes Kuwait cover — a single-country plan is the only option here, and it is usually the cheaper one anyway.
A Kuwait travel eSIM is a digital SIM that downloads straight to your phone — no plastic card, no queuing at an airport counter. You buy online, tap the install link we email you (the QR code is in there too), and your phone adds a second line alongside your normal SIM. It stays dormant until your trip begins, then connects automatically to Ooredoo, STC on 5G where available, LTE everywhere else. Your normal number carries on working for calls and texts while the eSIM handles the data.
Maps, messaging and taxi apps use very little data — roughly 300–500 MB a day. If you add photos, social media and the occasional video, expect to use closer to 1 GB a day. For a one-week trip, a 5 GB plan is usually plenty; for two weeks, tethering, or heavy use, opt for 10 GB or more, or choose a top-up plan you can reload as you go. Kuwait plans start at £9.10 across 6 sizes, with the per-GB price clearly shown so you can easily spot the best value.
Yes. A Kuwait travel eSIM is a local data plan rather than international roaming — you pay the price you saw online, and there are no per-megabyte charges from your home network provider. Set the eSIM as your mobile data line, switch data roaming off on your normal SIM, and nothing unexpected turns up on your next bill. Full refund at any time before installation, so buying ahead costs you nothing.
Machboos
The national dish — long-grain rice cooked with lamb or chicken, loomi (dried black lime), cinnamon and a local baharat blend, served with a tomato and chilli daqoos on the side.
Traditional Kuwaiti restaurants in Kuwait City and Salmiya; a Friday family meal by default.
Murabyan
The shrimp version of machboos, made with Gulf prawns and often dried shrimp for depth. Kuwait's shrimp season is short and taken seriously.
Seafood restaurants; best when the fresh local catch is in.
Zubaidi
Silver pomfret, the most prized fish in Kuwaiti waters, usually fried whole. Prices during the season are a topic of national conversation.
The Sharq fish market, and the restaurants that buy from it.
Mutabbaq samak
Fried fish laid over spiced rice cooked in the fish stock, with caramelised onion and raisins. Literally rice 'flipped' onto the plate with the fish on top.
Traditional fish restaurants.
Harees
Wheat and meat cooked for hours and beaten to a smooth savoury paste, finished with ghee. Ramadan food above all, but available year-round.
Traditional restaurants; sold in quantity from stalls during Ramadan.
Jireesh
Coarsely crushed wheat cooked with meat, tomato and spices into a thick porridge. Plainer than harees and eaten as everyday winter food.
Kuwaiti home-style restaurants.
Balaleet
Sweet vermicelli with cardamom, saffron and rosewater under a thin savoury omelette. Breakfast, and one of the clearest examples of the Gulf's comfort with sweet and salt on one plate.
Breakfast cafes and Kuwaiti restaurants in the morning.
Gers ogaily
A yellow saffron and cardamom sponge topped with sesame seeds, cut into squares. The traditional Kuwaiti cake, served with tea to guests.
Traditional bakeries and Kuwaiti sweet shops.
Tanoor bread
Flatbread slapped onto the wall of a clay tanoor and peeled off blistered. Kuwait's long connection with Iran across the Gulf shows in its bakeries more than anywhere else.
The Iranian bakeries around Souq Al-Mubarakiya, where you queue and watch it baked.
Karak chai
Black tea boiled hard with evaporated milk, sugar and cardamom, sold from roadside stands in small cups. Ordering it without leaving the car is entirely normal and there are stands built for exactly that.
The roadside karak stands along the Gulf Road and in every neighbourhood.
Kuwait TowersKuwait City
Three towers on a point in the bay, the two largest clad in blue-green ceramic discs, with a viewing sphere over the city. They were badly damaged during the occupation and repaired afterwards, which is part of what they mean here.
2 hours
Souq Al-MubarakiyaKuwait City
The old market at the heart of the city — spices, dates, gold, Persian bakeries and open-air food stalls. It comes alive in the evening rather than the middle of the day.
half a day
Grand MosqueKuwait City
The largest mosque in the country, with a main hall under a broad dome and extensive carved plasterwork. Guided visits for non-Muslims are arranged in advance and clothing is provided.
2 hours · book ahead
Al Shaheed ParkKuwait City
A large green park laid out along the line of the demolished old city wall, with two underground museums — one on the country's habitat, one a memorial — built into the landscape.
half a day
Tareq Rajab MuseumJabriya
A private collection of Islamic art, calligraphy and jewellery in the basement of a house. Its owners sealed the entrance behind a false wall during the 1990 invasion, which is why the collection still exists.
2 hours
The Scientific CenterSalmiya
An aquarium built around Gulf and desert habitats, with a traditional dhow harbour outside it on the waterfront. The best thing in the country to do with children.
half a day
Failaka IslandFailaka
An island in the bay with a Greek settlement founded in Alexander's era, abandoned villages left as they were after the occupation, and a great deal of empty shoreline. Reached by ferry.
a day · book ahead
Sadu HouseKuwait City
A courtyard house preserving Bedouin sadu weaving — the geometric red and black textiles woven on ground looms — with workshops and a shop. The craft is on the UNESCO safeguarding list.
2 hours
Jal Az-Zor escarpmentnorth of Jahra
A long ridge above Kuwait Bay, the closest thing the country has to topography, overlooking desert that fills with camps in winter. The drive out shows a Kuwait that the city does not.
half a day
The AvenuesAl-Rai
One of the largest shopping centres in the world, built as a series of themed streets under roof. It belongs on this list because for several months of the year the outdoor temperature makes indoor space the public realm.
half a day
Car hire
Kuwait is built around the car. Roads are wide, fuel is inexpensive and distances are short, but driving is fast and assertive and the ring roads take some learning.
moderate, with very cheap fuel
Public bus
Several operators run routes across the metropolitan area, cheap and air-conditioned. They are used mainly by the country's large expatriate workforce and the network is built around workplaces rather than sights.
very low
Ride-hailing
Apps cover the city thoroughly, are inexpensive by Gulf standards and settle the fare in advance. In practice this is how most visitors get around.
low
Taxi
Street and call taxis operate, but meters are inconsistently used and fares are commonly agreed before departure. Hotels will arrange a car with a set price.
moderate; agree it first
Ferry to Failaka
Passenger boats run to Failaka Island from the Salmiya side of the bay, on a schedule rather than continuously. Sailings are weather-dependent and the last return is early, so treat it as fixed.
moderate
Ride-hailing
Uber, Careem
Both cover the metropolitan area well and are the default for visitors. Careem is the regional app and often has better availability outside the centre. Fares are fixed in the app, which avoids the negotiation that street taxis expect.
Paying for things
Basics
| Ramadan | the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, moving about eleven days earlier each year | The single biggest factor in planning a trip. Eating, drinking and smoking in public during daylight are prohibited by law and the prohibition applies to visitors. Working hours shorten, many restaurants close until sunset, and the city becomes busiest late at night. |
| Eid al-Fitr | at the end of Ramadan, moving about eleven days earlier each year | Several days of public holiday. Offices and many businesses close; malls and restaurants are extremely busy in the evenings. |
| National Day and Liberation Day | 25 and 26 February | Two consecutive holidays marking independence and the end of the 1991 occupation. Streets, especially the Gulf Road, fill with cars and crowds spraying water and foam at each other for days. Expect road closures and expect to get wet. |
| Isra and Mi'raj | 27 Rajab, moving about eleven days earlier each year | Public holiday; limited travel impact. |
| Eid al-Adha | in the twelfth Islamic month, moving about eleven days earlier each year | Several days of public holiday, with many Kuwaitis travelling abroad and flights full in both directions. |
| Islamic New Year | 1 Muharram, moving about eleven days earlier each year | Single public holiday. |
| Prophet's Birthday | 12 Rabi al-Awwal, moving about eleven days earlier each year | Public holiday; offices closed. |
Recurring dates — the day these fall on moves year to year.