Yemen is one of the least developed and poorest countries in the Middle East and has endured a bloody civil war since at least 2011. Despite being adjacent to Saudi Arabia and on the same peninsula as the United Arab Emirates, Yemen is definitely a place apart.
As of February 2020, it is not possible to travel as an independent tourist to Yemen. Obtaining a tourist visa is very difficult without a tour operator. Given the limited tourism infrastructure, you can’t travel independently to many destinations. The only option is to have a driver and guide take you around. Travel permits are necessary for almost everywhere. You have to pass through many checkpoints and you are only allowed in certain regions that are deemed safe for foreigners.
Foreigners are not allowed to visit too many places. The only parts of the country that can be visited as a tourist are the island of Socotra and the eastern part of the Yemeni mainland (Hadramout governorate). It is not possible to visit Aden and Western part of Yemen.
You are generally not allowed to use public transportation. The guards will not let you through the checkpoints if you are on a bus. You need to have a licensed driver who can obtain the necessary permits for you to travel to parts of the country so this is not the kind of country where you can simply travel around by bus unfortunately.
Capital: Sana’a. Babel Yemen (old city) is a mystical and amazing place and also a UNESCO World Heritage site. The streets are alive and bustling around gingerbead-like houses several storeys high, one of the oldest cities in the world., Wadi Dhar (Dar al-Hadschar Palace—also known as the rock house). Sana’a is over 2,200 metres (7,200 feet) in elevation
Currency:Yemeni rial The rial is subject to high inflation. As a result, many prices, particularly those quoted to light-skinned visitors, will be given in euros or US dollars. Any of these three currencies will be accepted by the seller, so ask for the cost in whichever currency you are carrying at the time. Discounts for paying in one currency or the other are not high enough to warrant only paying in local money, but you may be lucky.
Population: 26.1 million
Language:Arabic. Independent visitors need some Arabic if traveling outside the capital as the bilingual signs common throughout most of the Middle East are commonly absent.
Country code: +967
Tap water should be avoided.
GET IN
VISA. Citizens of most countries must obtain visas in advance in their home country. Most visas are valid for 30 days from the date of issue (3 months for European Union). Visa: $100 USD (bills after 2013) payable at entry. No issues getting back into Oman.
Licensed tour operators, as they are allowed to prepare pre-visa paper in the Ministry of Foreign affairs for their clients. Such pre-visa paper is valid for 30 days from the day of issue and upon this a real visa is issued at the Sana’a airport.
Enter and exit via Oman so need a multi entry visa for Oman (Oman multi entry one-year e-visa for 50 OMR issued in 2 days). Visa: $100 USD (bills after 2013) payable at entry.
It is not possible to travel independently in Yemen. Travel permits are required to go anywhere.
By plane. As of fall 2018, most flights to Yemen are suspended. Since 2018, Yemenia runs a trip from Cairo to Socotra. Other airports are either closed permanently or operate only infrequently.
By bus.Tourists (especially from non-Arab countries) are not allowed to use public transport on roads linking the East and the West of Yemen: Mukallah, Aden and Say’un – Sana’a. Tourists must take a plane in order to come from the west to the eastern part of the country.
Some buses operating throughout the Arabian peninsula connect to Yemen. The buses are mostly air-conditioned and comfortable. There are buses from Salalah to Sayu’n in Wadi Hadramawt and Mukallah on the Indian Ocean.
Tour Operators. There are many, most based out of Sanaa. Registered tour operators are found on the Yemen Ministry of Tourism webpage. Be aware that there are many non-registered tour operators in Yemen offering lower quality services, providing non-relevant information and many times tourists do not get all the paid services. In case of any problem, the Ministry of tourism will not be able to help you if you choose to travel with a non-registered tour operator or services provider.
The two that are most in vogue for trips to Eastern Yemen are
1. Abdulhameed Ghanima (Easy Yemen Tours)
E-mail: easyyemen@easyyementours.com
Phone: +967 770 505 194
Website: http://www.easyyementours.com/
Reviews on Trip Advisor are very bad. The only positive reviews appear fake to me. His brother helps run the tours and appears to have a personality problem (he abandoned a client after 3 days, sulks, non communicative). Note that tours run 5 days making for huge driving days on day 1 and 5 of 750kms and 675kms, some of it on bad, rough roads. Kais trip is 6 nights/7 days. The itinerary he sent was crazy as he returned to Seiyun to sleep on day 4 making the drive back to Oman longer. Prices much less than Kais: (Feb 2020) US$ 1 person – 1722, 2 – 1507, 3 – 1319.
2. Kais Ahmed Allkalisi (Radfan Tourist Agency)
www.visityementours.weebly.com
email: kaisahmed@yahoo.com, rta@y.net.ye
Phone: +967 777 007 706
Website: prntscr.com/ofpxyv – is not a web site but gives a pdf with a 5 day itinerary
Has only and many positive reviews since 2014 (when there were several bad reviews). Does same itinerary over 5-7 days.
I have become a Facebook friend and communicate regularly with Kais on Messenger. He always answers and is very polite and willing to work things out. We may be trying to plan a trip in early November.
DESTINATIONS
1. SOCOTRA: Off the south coast of Yemen—an idyllic island untouched by modern man and home to many rare species and plants. The seas are turquoise blue and the sands white and unspoiled. One of the most valuable islands on the planet, often described as the most alien-looking place on Earth. Its beaches resemble those of the Caribbean and its mountains and Yemeni mountains covered in 300 species only found in Socotra. A must-see. UNESCO world natural heritage site.
2. HADHRMAUT (East Yemen Mainland)
Hauf National Park: The only natural forest in the Arabian Peninsula because it is affected by the seasonal monsoon rains that also affects India. Mountains and Hills are layered with a cap of green for mile with wild life similar to one of a rain forests, this forest also extends to the Omani side of the border, from Qishn, Yemen to Salalah, Oman.
Al Mukalla: East Yemen’s biggest city and bustling port, the gateway to the historical Hadhramaut region, it is perhaps the most developed-looking city in Yemen. Al Mukalla is the jewel of the Arabian Sea surrounded by beautiful beaches.
Bir Ali, the best beach in Yemen, 100 km drive from Al Mukalla
Wadi Do’an Villages. Bait Buqshan village, Seef town, Al-Hajjrain town, then to Seyun.
Shibam /Seiyun/Tarim – the three famous historical towns of Hadhramaut, perhaps Yemen’s most fascinating and exotic destination.
Shibam Haḍramawt (pop 7000)
Known for its mudbrick-made high-rise buildings, this World Heritage Site is referred to as the “Chicago of the Desert” or “Manhattan of the Desert” The first known inscription about the city dates from the 3rd century CE. It was the capital of the Hadramawt Kingdom. In the 20th century, it was one of the three major cities of the Qu’aiti Sultanate, the others being Al-Mukalla and Ash-Shihr. The city was listed with the UNESCO World Heritage List, in 1982. In 2008, a tropical cyclone flooded Shibam. During the Yemen Civil War the city suffered some damage after insurgents detonated a car bomb. There was also coalition bombing in the area. In 2015 UNESCO listed the city as “cultural heritage at risk”.
Shibam has a hot desert climate with an average temperature of 28.0 °C.
Architecture. Known for its distinct architecture. The houses of Shibam are all made out of mud brick, and about 500 of them are tower blocks rising to 5 to 11 stories high, with each floor having one or two rooms. This architectural style was used in order to protect residents from Bedouin attacks. While Shibam has been in existence for an estimated 1,700 years, most of the city’s houses originate from the 16th century. Many, though, have been rebuilt numerous times in the last few centuries.
Shibam is often called “the oldest skyscraper city in the world”. It is one of the oldest and best examples of urban planning based on the principle of vertical construction. The city has some of the tallest mud buildings in the world, with some of them over 30 m (98 feet) high, thus being early high-rise apartment buildings. In order to protect the buildings from rain and erosion, the walls must be routinely maintained by applying fresh layers of mud.
The city is surrounded by a fortified wall, giving it the name “the walled city of Shibam.”
The mud brick buildings are frequently threatened by wind, rain, and heat erosion, and require constant upkeep in order to maintain their structures. The city was heavily affected by flooding from a tropical cyclone in 2008. The foundations of many of the buildings in the city were compromised by the flood waters, eventually leading to their collapse. It was also the target of an Al Qaeda attack in 2009.
Tarim and Say’un: These nearby towns are made almost entirely of adobe. The towns are well organized and elegant, with famous palaces and mosques in each city.
Tarim contains the tallest structure in the Wadi Hadhramaut valley, the mud brick minaret of the Al-Mihdhar mosque. It stands at a height of approximately 53.53 metres (174 feet). This is the tallest minaret in the southern Arabian peninsula.
NOMAD MANIA Yemen – Hadhramaut region (Mukalla, Al Ghaydah, Ataq)
Tentative WHS
Balhaf/Burum coastal area (08/07/2002)
Sharma/Jethmun coastal area (08/07/2002)
XL Al Mahrah province (extreme east)
Castles, Palaces, Forts: Seiyun: Seiyun Palace
Tribes: Hadramaut : Hadhramis
AL MUKALLA
WADI DAWAN
HAWF
Tentative WHS: The Hawf Area (08/07/2002)
SHIBAM
World Heritage Sites: Old Walled City of Shibam
Great Mosque of Shibam
TARIM. Tarim Palaces
TOUR – In February 2020, it was not possible to go to the west of the country, there are no flights into the mainland, it is not possible to travel independently and a tour operator is required (necessary to get visa, need travel permits to go anywhere, foreigners can’t travel on public transport). Besides the east of the country, it is possible to go to Socotra Island.
This appears to be the most common tour of mainland Yemen in early 2020.
Tour starts in Salalah, Oman. Need double entry passport (e-visa) from Oman. Direct flights to Salalah from Cairo.
Day1: Salalah – Surfeet – Al-Ghaidha.
Depart Salalah driving to Oman/Yemen border at Surfeet. Get Yemeni visas on arrival.
Drive along the Coast through Hawf to Al-Ghaidha town. Overnight in Loloa Hotel.
Day2: Al-Ghaidha – Al-Mukhalla
Photograph Nashtun fishermen village. Driving along the Coast of Arabian Sea to Al-Mukhalla. Overnight in Grand Hotel. {675kms Salalah to Al Mukhalla}
Day3: Al-Mukhalla – Wadi Do’an.
Al-Mukhalla. See Al-Quizi Fort. Drive up the barren Jawl, stop in Abdallah Ghareeb panorama of the mountains, then to Haid Al-Jizil, a beautiful panorama of Wadi Do’an.
Overnight in Haid Al-Jizil Hotel in Wadi Do’an.
Day4: Wadi Do’an – Shibam – Seyun.
Bait Buqshan village. Bugshan Palace in the village of Khaylla restored in 2003, its facade has been painted with a striking palette of bright pastel colors, now a hotel. Seef town,
Al-Hajjrain town, Shibam Hadramout, then to Seyun. {350kms Al Mukalla to Seyun}
In the afternoon, visit Tarim town and return to Seyun. Overnight in apartment.
Day5: Seyun – Aynat – Shehn, Yemen.
Aynat historical Islamic Shrines.
Continue driving to Shehn Border (through Empty Quarter) crossing into Oman about half way up east Yemen border, to drive you back to Salalah.
Services: all transportation, Yemen Visa, English Speaking Guide, Hotels, Tourism Permission for the tour, Three meals per day during tour.
Price for 1 person is 3200$ (Single room), 2 persons is 1800$ per person, 3 persons is 1400$ per person.
Hotels: 3 Stars in Al-Ghaidha and Al-Mukhalla.
Haid Al-Jizil Hotel is 1 star Hotel but it’s the most beautiful Hotel built in mud and decorated in Hadrami Style
Security: Tourism permissions connect with the security department. Guide makes 3 phone calls at least per day to different people to determine the situation in their area.
Caution: No photographs of soldiers or police checkpoints, traditional women in Wadi Hadramout. Must be dressed as local Yemenis for respect and safety issue. Need 2 copies of their passports and Oman and Yemen visas.
GET AROUND
Yemen is not an easy country to get around, since foreign nationals need travel permits available from the police and, in some regions, independent travel is not possible. There is a lack of road infrastructure in the eastern Mahra region.
Prior to the war there was a good local intracity bus service, which was cheap, comfortable, and a wonderful way to see the country. The biggest company in Yemen is Yemitco, their offices can be found in major cities.
Accommodation: Outside of the capital and the major centres (Sana’a, Aden and al-Mukalla), accommodation tends to be rather basic and generally of the mattress-on-the-floor variety, generally with shared shower rooms and WCs. Most larger villages will have at least one funduq, which will provide this sort of accommodation. The places tend to be named the [Name of Village] Tourist Hotel. Electricity supplies tend to be a little erratic, so hot water cannot always be counted on.
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NOMAD MANIA Yemen – Soqotra
World Heritage Sites: Socotra Archipelago
Islands: Socotra (main island)
Borders
Socotra (sea border/port)
Yemen (sea border/port)
XL: Soqotra Outlying islands
World of Nature: Socotra Archipelago Biosphere Reserve
Beaches: Socotra: Qalansiyah Beach
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NOMAD MANIA Yemen – Aden Region (Aden, Zinjibar, Lahij)
Borders
Yemen (sea border/port)
Cities of Asia and Oceania
ZINJIBAR
ADEN World Cities and Popular Towns
Airports: Aden (ADE)
Castles, Palaces, Forts: Sira Fortress
Religious Temples
Aidrus Mosque
St. Francis of Assisi Church
Lighthouses: Aden: Ra’s Marshaq Lighhtouse
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NOMAD MANIA Yemen – Tihamah and Aljanad (Al Hudaydah, Taiz, Ibb, Raymah)
World Heritage Sites: Historic Town of Zabid
Tentative WHS
Jabal Bura (08/07/2002)
Jibla and its surroundings (08/07/2002)
Islands
Hanish islands
Kamaran
Borders: Yemen (sea border/port)
World of Nature
Jabal Bura Valley Forest
Otma Nature Reserve
Lighthouses: Abu Ali Lighthouse
Beaches: Al Khawkhah Beach
Villages and Small Towns
AL HAJJARAH
KAWKABAN
ZABID
World Heritage Sites: Historic Town of Zabid
Religious Temples: Zabid: Great Mosque of Zabid
Cities of Asia and Oceania
AL HUDAYDAH World Cities and Popular Towns
TAIZ World Cities and Popular Towns
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NOMAD MANIA Yemen – Azal (Sana’a, Amran, Dhamar) and Sheba (Al Jawf, Ma’rib)
World Heritage Sites: Old City of Sana’a
Tentative WHS
Archaeological site of Marib (08/07/2002)
Historic city of Saada (08/07/2002)
Jabal Haraz (08/07/2002)
The Madrasa Amiriya of Rada (08/07/2002)
XL
Sa’dah province
World of Nature: Hof Nature Reserve
Pedestrian Bridges: Shaharah Footbridge
Villages and Small Towns
THULA
Tentative WHS: The Historic City of Thula (08/07/2002)
Cities of Asia and Oceania
DHAMAR
IBB
SANAA World Capitals World Cities and Popular Towns
World Heritage Sites: Old City of Sana’a
Museums: National Museum of Yemen
Castles, Palaces, Forts
Aljabowbi Castle
Baynun
Dar al-Hajar
Ghumdan Palace
Religious Temples
Al-Saleh Mosque
Great Mosque of Sana’a
Monuments: Sana’a: Al Sabeen Square Memorial
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NOMAD MANIA Yemen – Hadhramaut region (Mukalla, Al Ghaydah, Ataq)
World Heritage Sites: Old Walled City of Shibam
Tentative WHS
Balhaf/Burum coastal area (08/07/2002)
Sharma/Jethmun coastal area (08/07/2002)
Borders
Oman-Yemen
Yemen (sea border/port)
XL Al Mahrah province (extreme east)
Castles, Palaces, Forts: Seiyun: Seiyun Palace
Tribes: Hadramaut : Hadhramis
Cities of Asia and Oceania
AL MUKALLA
Villages and Small Towns
WADI DAWAN
HAWF
Tentative WHS: The Hawf Area (08/07/2002)
SHIBAM
World Heritage Sites: Old Walled City of Shibam
Religious Temples: Shibam: Great Mosque of Shibam
TARIM
Castles, Palaces, Forts: Tarim: Tarim Palaces