Travel in Yemen: when to go, places and advice

The Arabia Felix of the Ancients holds unique wonders: the rammed-earth towers of old Sanaa, Shibam the "Manhattan of the desert" and above all Socotra, an island laboratory of evolution where umbrella-shaped dragon's blood trees and desert roses grow. The mainland remains closed to tourism by the conflict; only tightly organised tours now reach Socotra by special flight. Be sure to follow the official advice before considering this exceptional journey.

Capital: Sanaa
Currency: Yemeni rial (YER)
Language: Arabic
Direct flight: No direct flight, Socotra via Abu Dhabi
Time difference: +2 hr in winter, +1 hr in summer

Itineraries

Our trip ideas in Yemen

The itineraries in Yemen are in the works: the day-by-day programme, named hotels, tickets to book flagged in advance. Leave your address to be notified when they come out.

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The right season

When to go in Yemen?

Socotra is visited from October to April: calm seas, 25 to 30 °C, dragon's blood trees under a limpid sky. From June to September, the summer monsoon sweeps the island with violent winds that suspend almost all activity, and the heat crushes the mainland. February-March offer the most turquoise lagoons and the most pleasant camps.

January : Ideal
February : Ideal
March : Ideal
April : Pleasant
May : In-between
June : Avoid
July : Avoid
August : Avoid
September : Avoid
October : Ideal
November : Ideal
December : Ideal

Ideal
Pleasant
In-between
Avoid

Quick guide

Understanding Yemen

Getting around

Socotra is reached by the weekly Abu Dhabi flight, as part of a compulsory organised tour. On the island, everything is done by 4x4 with a driver-guide, between tracks, beaches and plateaus.

Money

The Yemeni rial (YER), but the Socotra tours are paid in cash dollars or euros, in advance or on the spot. No reliable ATM: leave with the entire budget in cash.

Language

Arabic, with the Soqotri dialect on the island, a unique South Arabian language. The guides speak English; a few words of Arabic always please.

Useful apps

Almost no signal outside Hadibo: offline maps, photos of your documents and messages scheduled before departure. On Socotra, you live disconnected.

Accommodation

On Socotra, tented camps facing the beaches or homestays, with a few simple guesthouses in Hadibo. Comfort is rustic, the landscapes make you forget it.

Etiquette

A deeply conservative country: very covering dress for everyone, absolute discretion on politics and religion, and always ask before photographing anyone, women especially.

The iconic places

Diksam Plateau

Socotra

The forest of umbrella dragon's blood trees at the edge of the Dirhur gorges: the island's most extraterrestrial landscape, at sundown above all.

Detwah Lagoon

Qalansiyah

A spit of white sand between turquoise lagoon and cliffs, regularly ranked among the most beautiful beaches in the world.

Arher Dunes

Socotra

White dunes pressed by the wind against the cliffs, at the edge of a limpid sea. You camp there and climb to the top at dawn.

Old city of Sanaa

Sanaa

Thousands of rammed-earth tower houses with gypsum windows, a UNESCO jewel inhabited for 2,500 years. Inaccessible while the conflict lasts.

Shibam

Hadhramaut

The Manhattan of the desert: 500 eight-storey mud-brick buildings packed behind their 16th-century ramparts, UNESCO.

Hoq Cave

Socotra

Three kilometres of galleries adorned with formations and ancient inscriptions, above the island's north-east coast.

Tap a dot, or browse the list below the map.

Diksam Plateau : The dragon's blood tree forest of Socotra
Detwah Lagoon : The beach-lagoon of Qalansiyah
Arher Dunes : White dunes against the cliffs
Hoq Cave : 3 km of formations and inscriptions
Hadibo : The little capital of Socotra
Old city of Sanaa : The rammed-earth tower houses, UNESCO
Shibam : The Manhattan of the desert, UNESCO
Al-Mukalla : The white port of the Hadhramaut