Fly from Nice to Kuwait

With five hours’ flight time between Nice and Kuwait, we can’t tell you that the emirate nestled between Iraq and Saudi Arabia is just next door. But we can tell you that the flight schedule for Kuwait Airways makes it easy to get away for a great weekend city break that's well off the beaten path. You won’t find a more unique destination! While Kuwait may resemble its larger Persian Gulf neighbours with its ultra-sophisticated glass and steel skyscrapers, its immense shopping centres and its chic private beaches, it has yet to become a major international tourist destination.
Which is great news for you, as the city offers a nice contrast between its global ambitions and its Bedouin roots. A double culture you can both see and taste - the Kuwaiti capital gives great importance to culinary delights. Good restaurants abound. Many will treat you to flavours well-known to our part of the world or to the exotic spices of Indian fare. But some put local tradition first, with distinctive cuisine that means that in Kuwait, the charms of the East also bewitch the palate!

• Fly over Kuwait...with your eyes. The highest of the three towers that make up Kuwait Towers (water towers that look like minarets) offers you both the hospitality of its observation platform or restaurant and a superb panoramic view of the city.
• Visit the Grand Mosque of Kuwait, one of the most beautiful on this side of the world. It can hold up to 11,000 worshippers! Free guided visits are regularly scheduled allowing you to learn about the building and the religion it serves.
• Walk along Seif Palace, one of Kuwait’s royal residences. It can’t be visited, but this over 100-year-old palace is fascinating nonetheless. Its clock tower and gold-covered dome alone are worth the detour. The Big Ben of the desert!
• Head to the Al Mubarakiya souk to haggle for souvenirs. The charm of this market will make you quickly forget you’re surrounded by skyscrapers. There you’ll find spices, textiles, trinkets, and restaurants ranging from the modest to the gourmet.
• Super size your shopping! The capitals of the Gulf are the new Eldorado for shoppers, and Kuwait is no exception, with the 360 Mall, Marina Mall, and especially The Avenues - a city within a city with hundreds of fashionable shops and restaurants.
• As night falls, wander around the gardens of the Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Cultural Centre or have a seat on the terrace of one of its restaurants to take in the light show of its spectacular musical fountain, one of the largest in the world.
• Linger in the gardens of Green Island, an artificial island oasis with 50,000 plants. There you’ll find restaurants, a panoramic tower, a large swimming pool, and lots of play areas for kids. Perfect for a picnic.
• Learn about Kuwaiti culture over two (very different) days. One traditional, at the Tareq Rajab Museum, dedicated to Bedouin culture. The other contemporary, at the Mirror House with its astounding mosaics created using 75 tons of mirrors.
• Get up close to the Al Hashemi II, one of the largest wooden ships in the world. A marvel! It’s a baghlah, a massive dhow, more than 80 metres long. It's never sailed! Built 20 years ago, it plays host to high-end meetings and events.
• Climb aboard for an hours’ ride to Failaka Island. Transformed into a military stronghold by the Iraqi army during the Gulf War, today it is making a comeback. On the program: Greek ruins, traditional dhows, rusted tanks, and beaches.