Washington to Kuwait City Flights

  About Washington

Washington DC, is the capital city of the United States of America. The city reflects the rich history of the United States with its neoclassical monuments and iconic locations. The place will keep you engaged with its compelling slew of tourist attractions. As the capital of the United States of America, Washington DC has many traditional attractions with important museums and monuments. Make sure to visit all the Smithsonian American museums as they shed light on various cultural and historical significance of America.

Best time to visit Washington DC

Washington DC's summers are the peak season for travel. However, to steer clear off all the touristy crowd and to engage in some real fun, it is best to opt for spring and autumn. Summers in Washington DC are from June to August when the city experiences sweltering heat and a tremendous tourist crowd. Some of the fun events and festivals hosted by the city during this period include Capital Pride Parade, National Mall Fourth of July Celebration and Summerfest DC. While they may seem like enjoyable activities to participate in, the exorbitant prices of surviving a trip might pull you back. Although many locals ring in summers in other parts of the US, tourists might find Washington DC to be a tad bit expensive during peak season. Even hotel rooms in Washington DC are expensive. The months leading up to summer, though, are quite pleasant and even easy on the pockets. Spring brings with it the season of blossoms as the month of March begins with the National Cherry Blossom Festival. Watching the cherry blossoms bloom is a trip and definitely worth experiencing. The city also witnesses the National Memorial Day Parade, another interesting festival to be a part of.

Maybe not summer but the season following summer in Washington DC is just as favourable for tourists. The autumn season is just next to perfection and definitely something all tourists would enjoy. The weather is exquisite and calm as the brisk winter air starts to slowly take over the city. Booking a hotel in Washington DC becomes cheap and affordable too as the summer crowd takes away the expensive tags. However, as many business travellers make their way into the city, the hotel deals might still be a hard snag unless you make prior hotel bookings in Washington DC. The city witnesses the H Street festival and Library of Congress National Book Festival during autumn. The cultural festivals with their historical significance only add to the experience one might take in during a trip to Washington DC. If you want to downscale your budget further, then winter is the best time to visit for you. The city streets freeze up while the temperature ranges between 5 degree Celsius to 7 degree Celsius. The perks, though, are the slash in hotel room prices, which is a sweet deal if you want to experience winter in the city.

Places to visit in Washington DC

The first thing to check out would undoubtedly be the Lincoln Memorial. The location would make quite a postcard-worthy click with Honest Abe's memorial in the background. Next, you can visit Vietnam Veterans and Korean War Veterans Memorials, popularly referred to as 'the Wall', which has names of all the Americans who succumbed to the Vietnam War. Just around the Lincoln Memorial is the beautiful Tidal Basin, a must-visit, especially during spring. The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum is a treasure trove which celebrates exquisite aircraft, including Amelia Earhart's Lockheed Vega 5B and Wilbur and Orville Wright's 1903 Wright Flyer, to name a few. It is a fascinating place and would certainly pique your interest. The city also has the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum which showcases the atrocities faced during the World War II. Do not miss the National Gallery of Art and The White House and the Washington Monument.

Things to do in Washington DC

Majority of the things that you can do in the city pertain to some of the sightseeing. Washington DC is recognised to be the city with a plethora of historical monuments and a haven for American history. The city offers a peek into the country's history as well as important events. Aside from indulging in the past of the country, one of the things you should definitely do is get tickets to a show at The John F Kennedy Centre for Performing Arts. You can explore the US Capitol's Library of Congress to get more understanding of the politics. A picture next to Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial also sounds like a good thing to do. You can also take a break from all the history lessons and head to 9:30 Club to relish some live music. The club has hosted many big bands, including RHCP and Nirvana.

Food and Restaurants in Washington DC

Washington DC's food culture is as diverse as the capital can get. There is an abundance of succulent eateries spread across the city. From piquant Spanish delicacies to oyster shots, there are many ethnic and global restaurants that will get your attention. Check out H Street Northeast, in the Atlas District to get some of the ethnic action as there are Belgian, Japanese and many more cultural kitchens. To get the sophisticated gourmet experience at an upscale restaurant, you can visit José Andrés' hotels such as Zaytinya and Oyamel Cocina Mexicana. Old Ebbitt grill and 1789 are also some lovely places where you will get the high-end fine dining experience. However, if you are on a budget, then opt for some eateries such as Ben's Chili Bowl and Good Stuff Eatery. These places have some signature dishes that you shouldn't miss at any cost. From lip-smacking burgers to rice bowls, the two joints offer an interesting palette of flavours in their meals that is worth all the money shelled out. Good Stuff Eatery's burgers are famous as they have been curated by chef Spike Mendelsohn.

Another major highlight to add to Washington DC's food culture are the farmer's markets in the city. Located in the District, a group of farmers huddle up to sell their fresh goods which come in all forms, colours and shapes. You'll find organic vegetables, healthy fruits and a colourful spread of goods at the market. It is a good place to get some of the fruity and healthy veggies action. Columbia Heights Farmers Market and FRESHFARM are two recognised markets that you should check out when in the city. Interestingly, the city also has lovely breweries and brewpubs, which came into existence in the recent past. However, the best way to enjoy the DC spirit would be to indulge in some brunch options. Tabard Inn, Kafe Leopold, Equinox, Cava Mezze, Juniper, Cafe Milano, to name a few, would be the best places to start your brunch rendezvous

How to reach Washington DC

Flight connectivity to Washington DC from India is quite decent but overpriced. There are no direct flights to Washington DC from India and layovers are the only way to reach the capital city. The demand for flights to Washington DC are not as much as for New York City or Chicago. Hence, the connectivity is also quite poor. There are only a handful of airlines that operate from India to Washington. Airlines such as United Airlines, Air Canada, Emirates, All Nippon Airways, to name a few, are the only ones that have flight services to Washington DC from India. There are no nonstop or flights to Washington DC from India, and usually, a layover or connecting flight is the only way to go. The United Airlines has flight connectivity to Washington DC from Newark. Many of the flights use the international route of Newark to reach Washington DC. Emirates is the only other airline that stops at Dubai for a layover before flying to Washington DC. Cathay Pacific also has flights to Washington DC from Delhi. Mostly, the connectivity is only from the Dubai and Newark international routes to reach Washington DC. The popular route to Washington DC often chosen by travellers is from Newark

Travellers require a transit visa to enter the USA and to reach Washington DC. Since the flights have connectivity from Newark, the non-immigrants are required to show a transit visa to let the authorities know that you are just taking a connecting flight to a different destination. A transit visa is a type 'C' visa where basically, you need to show at the Newark airport that you are just taking a connecting flight to Washington DC. To acquire these, you could apply for them at the American embassy, or you can do it online. The provisions are faster online and would be beneficial to you. The flight duration to Washington DC from India is approximately 17 hours, which is subject to change depending on the availability of flights. Do not expect cheap flight tickets to Washington DC. Not only is the capital expensive but even flight tickets to Washington DC is quite exorbitant. Even the accommodation is high-priced, and it would be best to make flight and hotel bookings to Washington DC well in advance to avoid expensive rates.

  About Kuwait

Kuwait City is the official capital of Kuwait, the country. It is nestled on the coast of the charming Persian Gulf. It is recognised to be one of the most expensive cities with residents relishing an upscale lifestyle.

Best time to visit Kuwait

Kuwait is predominantly a desert and follows a similar season throughout the year. November through April is ideal for a trip to Kuwait. The peak for Kuwait is November to January as the temperatures drop severely but to give a pleasant desert winter. During winters, not only is the weather perfect but the city also bustles with various events and lively excursions. Indulging in tourist activities becomes easier. Despite the favourable weather, many tourists don't opt for this season as the winters can get too cold. With fewer tourists in the city, the hotel prices in Kuwait also turn cheap. This makes for a perfect time to visit the beautiful city and not deal with the excess throng of travellers. September to November is also quite favourable as the temperatures are balanced. The city faces humidity but is windy at the same time, making it less irksome.

The prices of flights and accommodation also see a surge as the demand is high for tourism. If you do some intense research on the web, you might be able to snag some amazing online flight deals. They might even come with some good hotel deals. As long as you make prior bookings for hotels and flight tickets to Kuwait, you will be able to receive some cheap deals. It would be better to make your bookings in advance as that would help you plan your trip better. With a major chunk of your expenses sorted, you will be able to indulge in some of the fun things the city has to offer. You can further elevate your experience by engaging in some of their fancy settings too. You might even be able to book a snazzy hotel in Kuwait with exquisite views and hospitality.

Places to visit in Kuwait

Kuwait is blessed with some beautiful tourist attractions. You can start your trip by visiting the Tareq Rajab Museum. It is a popular ethnographic museum with compelling exhibits that would definitely marvel you. From collections of gorgeous Islamic art saved by the first minister of Kuwait and his British wife to a pair of fabulous ornate doors from Cairo, the museum has some fine exhibits and decor. The city also has the bizarre but entertaining Mirror House. The establishment is basically covered with mosaic mirrors which was created by the Italian-Kuwaiti artist Lidia Al Qattan. You would have a good time at the Mirror House with its eccentricities. Kuwait's most popular attraction is definitely the Souq Mubarakiya. The establishment is one of the oldest souk markets in the city which continues to rake in all the attention. The ancient market is now surrounded by modern tall buildings.

You should know this, the city actually has about 800 mosques out of which the Grand Mosque is the largest and the one which survived an Iraqi invasion. The Scientific Centre also has one of the colossal aquariums which includes spider crabs and shark and ray tanks. Do not miss the Kuwait Towers which has been designed by a Swedish architectural organisation. You can also spend some time from your trip by hanging out at the Al Qurain Martyr's Museum. It has some great historical references. Kuwait's love for vintage cars and classic automobiles is very well-known. In fact, they have even placed a museum to commemorate the same. You can actually peruse through some of the exquisite imperial models of vintage cars in mint condition. The vehicles are perfectly maintained and polished to ensure that not a scratch falls on it.

Things to do in Kuwait

Kuwait is recognised as one of the poshest places across the globe. The city bustles with pizzazz lifestyle as people walk around with Birkin bags and Gucci shoes. The best thing to do in Kuwait would hence, be to indulge in some of this luxe lifestyle. You can actually indulge in their food culture as a means to start the lavish rendezvous. There are many upscale food establishments in the city that would keep you entertained. Of course, if this is not your cup of tea, you can always work out some shopping schedule. There is literally not a single person who has ever avoided indulging in shopping during a trip. It would be quite therapeutic for you to engage in shopping and at the same time, check out some of the intriguing places in the city. You might even end up finding fun neighbourhoods that would go well with your vibe. Speaking of which, if smoking sheesha and enjoying that kind of setting is something you're up for, then there are many parlours in the city that have this provision.

Some of the other fun things that can be done in Kuwait is to check out the surrounding islands. The Failaka island seems like a good place to check out. You can take a ferry from the city to reach Failaka, an island that is not inhabited. You will actually witness a city of ruins as an effect of the historic Gulf War. The one main attraction here is the House of Martyrs which celebrates all the soldiers who fought the war and perished in the line of duty. Another fun activity to do in the city is to take up a desert safari and spend the night in the desert. There are many luxurious tents and provisions of accommodation in the desert region that you would totally enjoy.

Food and Restaurants in Kuwait

Kuwait has a fancy spread of cuisines which majorly range from Lebanese to Puerto Rican. You can make quite an experience of your dining scenes in Kuwait as the city caters to some exquisite luxe lifestyle. There are provisions of quaint restaurants with decent prices, and there are also five-star hotels with shisha bars and views of the water. Overall, it is quite the posh experience one can savour in the city. As stated though, their cuisine while predominantly is of Lebanese background, it also adds a small portion of Puerto Rican flavours. You can indulge in some flavourful zingy hummus while slurping down grilled shrimps and lamb cutlets. Not to mention how there is always room for fancy desserts that complete the dining experience.

Assaha Village, located in the Al Khaleej Al Arabi Street of Kuwait City, is one such food complex that would lift your senses. Their brilliant food interspersed with fancy settings is something that will go down well with you. You can find some of the best places to indulge in food, here in the village. There's a Glass Cafe, Fire Station and Police Station that provide splendid food. For a lavish spread of seafood, you should head straight to Al Boom. The place does boom with impeccable seafood and also caters to the audience that wishes to be entertained with some steak. To savour the rich Lebanese magic, you should check out Ayam Zaman. It has all the flavours and food from the Lebanese cuisine that would excite your taste buds.s

How to reach Kuwait (Transportation)

Flight connectivity to Kuwait from India is exemplary, owing to the massive demand. There are many families, businessmen and even employees who flock over to Kuwait for employment opportunities, adding to the excessive demand for flights. There are many flights that fly to Kuwait from India daily. Airlines such as Srilankan Airlines, flydubai, Air Arabia, IndiGo, Gulf Air, Oman Air, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Saudia, to name a few, have flights to Kuwait from Indian cities. You can find direct and nonstop flights to Kuwait from Kochi and Delhi. A majority of airports in the South Indian cities have dedicated direct flights to Kuwait. The most popular international routes often chosen to travel to Kuwait are from Dubai, Muscat and Bahrain. These cities are well-connected with Kuwait and even have dedicated flights to Kuwait. Most of the Middle-Eastern cities are perfectly connected with each other. This makes travelling to Kuwait much easier as you can reach the city from any of the Middle-Eastern cities that are located in proximity.

The flight duration to Kuwait from India is also quite convenient. It takes approximately five hours and fifty minutes to reach Kuwait from India. However, depending on the flight that you choose, the time duration to reach Kuwait will be altered. For the expensive flight tickets to Kuwait, the duration is extremely less. You can easily reach in five hours and fifty minutes from India for approximately INR 20,000. However, for INR 10,000, you can reach Kuwait within a flight duration of seven hours and forty minutes. The contrast in the prices explains how just an extra hour would cost you double the money. The range of cheap flight tickets to Kuwait further makes it easy to reach. Many tourists opt to visit Kuwait for a touristy excursion. It is essential that you make prior flight bookings to Kuwait to avoid a surge in prices. If you are planning for a vacation in Kuwait, especially during the peak season, then you would have to deal with the additional holiday cost. Hence, as long as you can make prior bookings and hotel reservations done for Kuwait, you will be able to save tremendously.

  About Kuwait Airport

Kuwait International Airport is the main international airport which is located in Farwaniya, approximately 15 kilometres to the south of Kuwait City. The airport is sprawled over 37.7 square kilometres and serves as the primary hub for airlines such as Kuwait Airways and Jazeera Airways. Along with the airport's passenger facilities, there is a dedicated zone that has been designated to be the headquarters of Kuwait Air Force. It also comes with a Kuwait Air Force Museum. The airport complex, along with the passenger activities, is also designated to be under Abdullah Al-Mubarak Air Base.

About Airport Terminals

Kuwait International Airport supports five terminals out of which, one will be operational from 2022 while the others are already functioning. Terminal 1 is the primary building that is prevalent in the airport and caters to all departing and arriving flights. These do exclude those operated by airlines such as Kuwait Airways, flydubai, Jazeera Airways and Aegean Airlines. These airlines operate from different terminals. Terminal 1 has about 16 gates and houses necessary security checkpoints, restaurants, duty-free shops and four lounges. Terminal 2 is currently under construction and has been designed by Foster + Partners.

The new terminal is set to expand the total capacity of the airport by a whopping 13 million passengers annually. The terminal is also set to introduce a triangular building which would support 28 gates, 400-bed air-side hotels and 4,500 additional parking spaces. The construction of Terminal 2 began in 2017 and is slated to complete by 2022. Terminal 3 was originally called Sheikh Saad General Aviation Terminal. In fact, it has been created to be used for private aircraft. The building is comparatively small and has been exclusively assigned to airlines flydubai and Aegean Airlines.

Terminal 4 has been installed much recently and is recognized to be one of the biggest terminals in Kuwait International Airport. The terminal accommodates operations of Kuwait's national carrier, Kuwait Airlines. The beautiful terminal has been designed by the Spanish branch of the American firm AECOM and constructed by a consortium of Cengiz Insaat & First Kuwaiti Contractor. The terminal is located very close to the cargo-handling facility within the airport premise. It is spread out over an area of about 55,000 square meters. Terminal 4 has only five bus gates with nine boarding bridges gates. It can accommodate about eight planes at once.

The total passenger capacity of the airport is to accommodate 4.5 million passengers in a year and help reduce the congestion that is usually faced by Terminal 1. Additionally, the airport also has 2,450 car parking spaces along with a dedicated surface that is connected directly to the terminal building by a bridge. Terminal 5 is majorly used by Kuwait-based airline Jazeera Airways. The terminal is attached to Terminal building one but has its dedicated entrance and exit points, check-in counters, lounges, security checkpoints, customs, departure gates and arrival conveyor belts. Along with this, the terminal also has 350 parking spaces along with a multi-story facility that is connected by a bridge to Terminal 5.

About Airport Authority

Kuwait International Airport is owned by the Department of Civil Aviation and operated under Directorate General of Civil Aviation. The airport body is known to hold a plethora of responsibilities and is consistently been developing as well as innovating newer solutions to help generate a dynamic structure in the Middle East region. Thanks to the excellent air traffic, Kuwait's economy is seeing quite a jostling. With the expansions and infrastructural development, the airport is also able to accommodate about 25 million passengers. The average growth of the number of passengers as well as cargo traffic soars at an average of 10 per cent every year.

Top airlines flying from Kuwait International Airport

Kuwait sees tremendous airline traffic owing to its demand by other Middle Eastern cities and Southeast Asian cities. India, specifically, also has many flights that fly to Kuwait on a daily basis. Hence, Kuwait International Airport accommodates Indian airlines to operate from its terminals. Currently, the Indian airlines supported by Kuwait International Airport include Air India, Air India Express, GoAir and IndiGo. They majorly connect with Indian cities such as Kannur, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Mangalore, Chennai, Goa, Kochi, Kozhikode and Bagdogra.

Kuwait International Airport often serves for flight layovers as well as for connecting flights for international airlines. Many of the airlines have excellent connectivity with international cities such as London, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Jeddah, Istanbul, Cairo, Frankfurt, Muscat, New York City, Paris and more. Kuwait International Airport sees operations of flights from airlines such as Air Arabia, Air Arabia Egypt, Air Cairo, Biman Bangladesh Airlines, British Airways, EgyptAir, Emirates, Ethiopian Airlines, Etihad Airways, flydubai, Flynas, Gulf Air, Iran Air, Iraqi Airways, Jazeera Airways, Jordan Aviation, KLM, Kuwait Airways, Lufthansa, Oman Air, Pegasus Airlines, Qatar Airways, Royal Jordanian, Saudia, SriLankan Airlines and Turkish Airlines.

Facilities at Kuwait International Airport

Luggage - At Kuwait International Airport, the baggage services offered are aplenty. They range from wrapping services for the luggage, escorting the luggage for security checks and other such procedures. You can also store your luggage at the airport. Or ask the airlines to send the luggage at the desired destination so you wouldn't have to lug around the city with baggage.

Lounge - The airport does support a lounge that has been sponsored by Kuwait Airways. The lounge is available in the airport terminal. It is quite snazzy with exquisite modern facilities and is exclusive for first-class and business-class passengers as well as premium members.

Health centre - Medical rooms and services are also available at the airport. In order to combat medical emergencies, Kuwait International Airport has reserved rooms for the same. There are pharmacies also available in the premise that one can visit for last-minute medicine purchases. They usually have all the required pills and necessary medicinal drugs.

ATM and banks - To make transactions and transfers of money easy, the airport has installed ATM kiosks as well as local bank branches. You can also opt for currency exchange at the banks. They tend to give reasonable rates. In case you forgot to make your currencies exchanged, the airport is always considered as a perfect place which offers this service.

Travel office - Travel agencies have set up their offices at the airport to cater to the hotel booking needs of first-time travellers. They have all the brochures and travel packages that the passenger can avail, including accommodation deals. They are mostly present at the arrival section of the terminal. If hotel bookings haven't been made, they will help you with it.

Airport hotel - Kuwait International Airport also has a hotel within its premise to accommodate in-transit passengers. The hotel is located just 200 meters from the airport's main passenger terminal. There are about 200 rooms available at the airport's property which are perfectly equipped with amenities such as AC, three-layered windows, world-class decor, facilities and more. Even during peak season, the airport hotel manages to accommodate passengers. There are basic rooms as well as deluxe suites available. You can choose from these and book a room accordingly.

Restaurants and cafe - With world-class facilities come global cuisine that Kuwait International Airport glorifies. There are some top-notch restaurants and food establishments that can be found at the premise. This includes a dedicated food court as well. From mid-range establishments to upscale dining experience, you can find many options at the airport.

WiFi - The airport provides free WiFi that one can avail. You will need to speak with the airport staff and learn how to log in to the network to get a WiFi connection. Internet cafes are also available for passengers who need to get some work done.

Special assistance - Along with porter services, the airport also has provisions of wheelchairs and strollers that will help senior citizens, parents with kids as well as disabled travellers. All kinds of travel assistance can be found at the airport. However, it is necessary that you inform the airlines about the same so they can communicate it to the airport.

How to reach Kuwait International Airport

Bus

The airport is perfectly connected with public bus services that further network with other cities in Kuwait. The popular bus services, KPTC, KGL and CityBus, will directly reach you to the Kuwait International Airport. In fact, the local buses have scheduled times that would help you reach Kuwait International Airport from anywhere in the main city. The bus services also cater to long-distance travel and traverse through Saudi Arabia, provided you have a Saudi visa.

Airport taxis and car rentals

There are dedicated taxicabs that reach to the Kuwait International Airport and within the city. There are dedicated booths that are available outside the arrivals of the terminal where you can book your ride. Rental facilities are also available at the airport. You can book a rental and return it on your way back to the airport from the city.