Trip Report: Yemen
Visited in April 2025
In April, I went on vacation for a week. To Yemen. Isn’t that the country that has been experiencing one of the worst wars of the 21st century since 2014, you might be wondering?
Yemen was and still is considered one of the most dangerous countries in the world, but it is possible to go there. The war has only affected certain regions of the country, e.g. the capital Sana’a. Besides, the situation has calmed down in recent years and peace talks are taking place, although they have not yet produced any results.
This does not mean that Yemen is easy to travel to again. On the contrary, Yemen remains a rather complicated country for travelers. There are three options to visit Yemen. The first option is to take one of the three flights a week from Cairo to Seiyun and spend your time in the Hadramaut region, which is reasonably safe. That’s what we did.
The second option, the island of Socotra, is even safer. This island is around 350 km from the mainland and was considered a safe destination even in Yemen’s most violent times. However, there is only one flight a week (currently there is occasionally a second one), and it is also frequently canceled.
Nevertheless, the island receives several thousand tourists every year. On the mainland, the number is probably ten times smaller. I guess, less than 1,000 people make it here per year. Even combined with Socotra, Yemen is one of the least visited countries in the world.
Option number 3 is a day trip to Hawf from Salalah (Oman). For a few hundred bucks, you can visit Hawf in the southeast of Yemen. It is definitely the cheapest option. Whether you have really seen anything of Yemen is another question. The area there doesn’t really look any different from the part of Oman you’re coming from. But for those who can neither affort Hadramaut nor Socotra, this is the way to go.
For me, it was clear that I wanted to visit the mainland of Yemen, as it is culturally more interesting than the island (and than a few hours in Hawf anyway). So, the mainland is the right place to visit to experience the real Yemen, while Socotra would have been a bit of a cheat. Just like I did with Somalia and Somaliland.
Everything west of Hadramaut, i.e. the capital Sana’a and its surroundings as well as Aden in the south, is completely off-limits for most tourists. A few travelers with Arab passports have made it there in the past, but for everyone else it means waiting until the region opens up to tourism again.
Mainland Yemen – the logistics
So, what does it take to visit mainland Yemen? Although I wrote that Yemen is complicated, it actually only takes two things: time and money. Because a trip there is anything but cheap.
You cannot travel to the Hadramaut region on your own. You need a tour operator who will organize the visa for you and then carry out the trip. As far as I know, it is not possible to travel without a guide. Even if you somehow get a visa, you need an escort from the tourist police in the country.
There are two or three tour operators for mainland Yemen, the most famous of which is probably Skyscrapers Tours run by Kais Ahmed (Whatsapp: +967 777 007 706) . He offers 6-day trips as standard. For solo travelers, this trip costs $3,800. For two travelers, the price for the group is $4,400 and if there are three of you, you pay $5,100 as a group, i.e. another $1,700 per person. The prices are all-inclusive.
$1,700 is still a lot, but obviously a better deal than $3,800 or $2,200, so it’s a good idea to find two travel buddies to do the trip with. I did the trip with Monir, with whom I had already been to Jordan and Mongolia, and Nabil, whom I didn’t met before. Both of them have been to over 120 countries. You don’t do Yemen with rookies 😉
On top of this price, you have to pay $890 for flights from Cairo to Seiyun and back. And you still have to get to Cairo somehow. All in all, this trip can easily cost $3,000 or more, making Yemen one of the most expensive countries I’ve ever been to.
The flights are booked through a travel agency in Cairo. The tour operator takes care of the visa. Since 2024, however, a negative HIV and hepatitis B test is required in addition to the usual documents. This is probably a unique requirement for a tourist visa worldwide.
To finish with some good news: once you arrive in Yemen, you practically don’t need any more money. We spent around 30 USD on local clothing. Plus a few dollars for little things like coffee or the odd souvenir. I would change a maximum of 50 dollars as soon as you are in the country, as long as the tour is full-board.
In this trip report I would like to give you a rough idea of what a trip to mainland Yemen looks like. I will go through it day by day, not in too much detail of course, but with my most important observations and the activities of each day.
Hadramaut – the 6-day itinerary
We spent a total of six days in Yemen. However, the first and last day were more or less only for arrival and departure.
Day 1: getting to Yemen
On the first day, we arrived just before sunset. The flight with Yemenia Airways was postponed for three hours. We got this information thanks to a look at Flighradar24 the night before. So don’t expect the airline to inform you. However, you can ask the travel agent who booked the ticket for you to confirm the flight times again shortly before the flight.
We flew from Terminal 1 in Cairo, the old one, from which smaller airlines tend to fly. Incidentally, for this trip I stayed one night at Cairo Airport before and one night after Yemen. Once at Le Méridien, directly connected to Terminal 3 (but landside), which was great, while the Novotel (also landside) was mediocre at best.
Check-in was pretty straightforward. The boarding pass had the peculiarity of stating that you can smoke on the plane. Just like 30 years ago or so. Fortunately, this was definitely not the case on the plane. So although it says on the boarding pass, smoking is definitely not allowed in the cabin.
What else can I say about Yemenia Airways? Funnily enough, the airline is not on the European blacklist, which means they have the permission to fly to Europe. However, its routes are limited to regional connections to the Middle East and Africa. Still, I find it interesting that Yemenia could theoretically offer flights to Europe.
All in all, the two three-hour flights were quite decent. They served a meal that was okay and the plane was certainly not the worst I’ve seen. There were actually five tourists on the plane. Plus some students from South Africa and Indonesia, which I found pretty exciting. I mean, why the hell did they choose a war-torn country like Yemen for their studies?
At the airport in Seiyun, immigration took just under an hour and after that we changed money at the airport before our guides took us Seiyun town. Unlike most places in the world, the exchange rates at Seiyun airport are the same as in the city.
Before we went to the hotel, we stopped by a store to buy some local clothes. According to the guides, this was partly for safety reasons and partly for cultural appreciation. While one of our guides literally urged us to buy the clothes, Kais later said that it would have been perfectly safe and ok to travel without the local clothes. But I guess no Yemen trip is complete without wearing the skirt yourself?
Our hotel was the Hawta Palace Hotel, a restored 150-year-old mudbrick palace that now serves as a 4-star hotel. The hotel has spacious rooms, decent wifi and a restaurant with great food. So it’s not as if you have to compromise on accommodation in Yemen.
That was it for day 1. We haven’t really experienced much yet, but this was also due to our late arrival in Seiyun. But there was more to experience on the following days.
Day 2: Seiyun, Aynat and Tarim
On our first “real” day, we visited the towns to the east of our hotel, i.e. Seiyun (the Hawta Palace is about 20 minutes from Seiyun), Aynat and Tarim. It was a Friday and the temperature was already over 30°C at 9am. During our entire trip it was very hot in Yemen, almost 40°C in the afternoon.
The best time to visit mainland Yemen is from November to April, although I found it incredibly hot as early as mid-April. Even the beginning of April is still very hot, so I can best recommend a trip between December and February. It is also possible to visit Hadramaut in the summer months, i.e. July or August. However, the tours then take place from 5-9 am and then again after 6-7 pm. As it can get up to 50°C, the hours in between are too dangerous for your health.
Anyway, it was quite tough as it was. And the locals probably felt the same, as we saw practically no people on the street that day. Another reason was that it was Friday, the Sunday of the Muslim world. Many places were not open that day. This and the heat probably meant that most people stayed at home.
So Seiyun looked more or less like a ghost town. We visited the sights such as the Seiyun Palace (the largest mud palace in the world), the market, which was practically empty, and the old town of Seiyun. But I guess the palace is the real highlight of the city.
Yemen is located on the Arabian Peninsula and anyone who has ever been there probably associates the area with skyscrapers and other modern buildings like you see in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait or Bahrain. Forget that here. Seiyun looks like a very old city from the Middle East, which means mud buildings, dusty roads, mountains and desert all around.
We were accompanied by Amin, by the way, who belongs to the tourist police and looked a bit like Gru, the villain from Despicable Me. Amin carried a machine gun and usually had his mouth full of khat. This is a herbal drug made from leaves, which is chewed to achieve a stimulating, slightly euphoric effect. I had the feeling that 70% of Yemeni men always had their mouths full of khat (which, unlike alcohol, is apparently not haram…).
We also saw a lot of beggars, and not just on this day. The sad truth is that Yemen is the poorest country in the Middle East. That was the case even before the war. Without the African countries, Yemen would be one of the three poorest countries in the world – together with Haiti and Afghanistan.
We spent the second part of the day in Aynat, where we visited an Islamic shrine, and then Tarim Town, where we saw mosques and other buildings. All in all, it was quite an interesting day with lots of stops and a few hours in the car. Certainly a good day.
Day 3: Shibam and Wadi Do’an
One of my highlights in Yemen was Shibam, also known as the Manhattan of the desert. A fascinating city of up to 500 year old mud skyscrapers, built close together and forming an impressive silhouette with their up to 11 floors, surrounded by endless desert and palm trees, as if someone had built a medieval skyline in the middle of nowhere.
Our guide Kais would rank Shibam as one of the three highlights of Yemen, along with the capital Sana’a and another place I have unfortunately forgotten. I can totally understand why, because this city is unique in the world.
We saw the highlight of Shibam, the viewpoint where you can watch the sunset, on the fifth day of our trip. On that day we walked among the skyscrapers of the city and saw how people live there.
We also saw many UNESCO workers. The old town of Shibam was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1982 because of its unique architecture and its importance as an early example of vertical urban planning.
According to some people we talked to, these (local) UNESCO workers also embezzle a lot of money. For example, it takes two years to restore a building, although a new one could be built with the same amount of time. The money, which is nothing more than tax money from wealthier countries, goes instead into their pockets and the pockets of other profiteers.
Unfortunately, in addition to all its problems, Yemen is also a very corrupt country. You can already see this when it comes to visas, as our tour operator has to bribe several authorities to even get the tourist visas. This is one of the main reasons why a trip to the Yemeni mainland is so expensive.
The drive from our hotel to Shibam took just 10 minutes. We then drove a little over two hours to Wadi Do’an, a picturesque side valley of Hadramaut – famous for its dramatic landscape, centuries-old mud houses and cultural significance in the Hadramaut region.
In the middle of the route there was another checkpoint where Amin from the tourist police got out and we were assigned a new soldier with a machine gun. No idea why. But these checkpoints are probably also the reason why you can’t travel independently in Yemen. I don’t think they would let anyone through without an escort.
Our second hotel in Yemen was the Haid Al-Jizil Hotel, a rather impressive hotel that even had an infinity pool. It also had Starlink internet in reception. It was a bit patchy and not as good as at the Hawta Palace Hotel, but it did the job.
In the afternoon, we explored the area a little, including the Buqshan Palace and the associated village. Typical desert landscapes from the Middle East. It was just a small foretaste, as we would be exploring the whole area extensively the next day.
What I could criticize a little was the food in Yemen. Not because it was bad or anything, but just very monotonous. It was mostly rice with chicken, which got boring after a while. I had already been “warned” about this by other travelers who had been to Yemen and had correspondingly low expectations.
This was probably also due to the fact that I was completely unfamiliar with Yemeni cuisine, as there are no Yemeni restaurants where I live. The others in the group, however, have Yemeni restaurants in their hometowns, spoke highly of this food and were therefore disappointed. Yemen is probably one of those countries where the local food in the country itself is much less spectacular than in restaurants abroad.
Day 4: Wadi Do’an
The fourth day began with us being told that the young soldier or tourist policeman, whatever, hadn’t slept a minute last night. Supposedly he was busy chewing khat all night and was so high that he did not want to sleep. In situations like this, it actually became clear how useless this mandatory escort was.
We spent the whole day in the Wadi Do’an area, went on an early morning hike, saw villages, a market, more mud buildings and the beautiful desert landscapes. The hike (about 50 minutes downhill) was the only activity outside the hotel where we could wear shorts, which was nice after wearing skirts all the time.
We also finally saw some people that day. On Friday in Seiyun we saw almost none, on Saturday in Shibam only a few. Here in this region there were considerably more by comparison. It definitely seemed more vibrant here. The people were generally very nice. Like everywhere else where there are virtually no tourists, the locals were happy to see foreigners. They approached us, asked where we were from and posed for photos with us.
It’s worth mentioning that we generally didn’t see many women and when we did, they were completely covered up. Yemen is one of the most conservative Muslim countries I have ever been to. More conservative than Saudi Arabia, and that says a lot. Yemen is probably only topped by Afghanistan. We were also told not to take photos of women under any circumstances.
What was also noticeable, not only here but also in the days before, was how polluted the Hadramaut area is. There is plastic and other garbage everywhere. But what can you blame the country for? Waste disposal is not a big priority if you as a government have to make sure that people have enough food first.
Later in the morning we visited a building that belongs or once belonged to the Bin Laden family. Not a particularly interesting place to visit, but probably such sights are popular with many travelers.
We usually spent lunchtime, i.e. between 1pm and 4pm, in the hotel because it was too hot outside. It was the same on this day. For this reason, the pace of this trip was quite slow. We did see a lot, but there were also many hours when we did nothing.
In the late afternoon, there was another tour to the Buqshan Palace, which we were able to enter this time. I didn’t do this activity because after four days I had somehow had enough of all these mud buildings. However, the photos of the other two looked cool, so I have to admit that I missed something here.
After this activity, the trip could actually have ended, because…
Day 5: Shibam – Hawta
…the last two days were then just the return journey and waiting for the return flight. It’s not that these days had nothing more to offer, but too little to justify two extra days. As already mentioned, we had a lot of “hotel time” on this trip. This was certainly also due to the hot weather. However, if you do this trip in December or January, you could easily pack the six days into four. More on this later.
The return journey from Wadi Do’an to Hawta took place on this day, another two and a half hours back. We then had a few hours of hotel time before the only real activity of the day: sunset in Shibam.
There is a viewpoint in Shibam from which you can see the skyline of the “Manhattan of the Desert”. We arrived there at around 4 pm and waited with tea for the sunset. The other two members of the tour group were keen to fly a drone. As you are not allowed to bring drones into Yemen, our guides organized someone with one to take drone shots of the skyline for them.
To say goodbye, we were treated to traditional Yemeni music at the Hawta Palace Hotel. A concert for us alone, so to speak. A proper farewell to this trip.
Day 6: Goodbye Yemen
The last day was basically just sitting around until our flight back to Cairo departed. We spent a few more hours in Seiyun, visiting the museum, the market and the place with the best coffee in town. In contrast to last Friday, this time the city was full of people and seemed lively.
Our return flight was delayed by another three hours, which made the wait even longer. But that was it for Yemen. Anyone who thinks that I lost interest towards the end while writing this trip report is mistaken. There was simply nothing more that happened in the last two days. 😀
So… how was Yemen?
The trip to Hadramaut is certainly unique in many respects. As a traveler, you immerse yourself in a world that sees virtually no tourists. You can experience a lot of cool things there, meet nice people and get a little insight into the crisis-ridden country.
Yemen, which many call one of the most dangerous countries in the world, is also reasonably safe in this region. I never felt unsafe for a second. The welcoming locals certainly played a big part in this. However, I am not aware of any incidents where travelers got into any dangerous situations.
All in all, mainland Yemen was a very expensive but also a cool trip. This was certainly also due to our travel group. Alone, the trip would probably have been a bit boring, especially as you spend a lot of time in the car and in the hotel.
The duration of the trip could have been better. As someone who likes to travel quickly and efficiently, I thought six days was too long. Four would have been perfect. Especially if you go in the winter months, you can use the day a little more efficiently by reducing the siesta hours.
Of course, it all depends on the flights between Cairo and Seiyun. When we went, they were on Saturdays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. So I would recommend traveling from Saturday to Tuesday. With a little good planning this should work out.
In my trip reports, I always try to draw a comparison with other countries in the conclusion. This is a little difficult with this trip report. Yemen had relatively little in common with the other countries on the Arabian Peninsula. Probably the most similar country, at least in terms of landscape, is the neighboring country of Oman. However, I only visited the Musandam region there, which does not border Yemen. So this comparison is also out of the question.
In conclusion, I am glad to have seen an area that not many other travelers get to see. At some point, Yemen will be fully accessible again, so I will be able to visit the capital Sana’a. And I will even visit Socotra at some point.
Until then, I hope that things will soon change for the better in Yemen and wish the people there all the best for the future.
Click here to find the trip reports of the 180+ other countries I have visited so far!
I’ve read all of your trip reports, but these last two trip reports (Cuba and Yemen) have been particularly great. Thanks for all the fantastic details!
I look forward to the final 10!
Thank you for the great review of mainland Yemen!
Curious what your thoughts are on how a group trip like yours would have changed if there was a woman in your group, or your group was composed of women? I hadn’t realized exactly how conservative Yemen was until reading, and was wondering about things like safety, clothing, mixed-gender dining, ect. for female travelers if you saw/encountered any.
Interesting read! I’ve always been curious about Yemen, but the ongoing conflict has made it seem like an impossible destination. It’s surprising to hear that some regions are still accessible and relatively safe, like Hadramaut. I wonder how the locals feel about tourists visiting during such a complex time—do they welcome it, or is it seen as intrusive? Socotra sounds like a dream, but the flight cancellations seem like a major hurdle. Do you think the peace talks will eventually make travel to Yemen more straightforward, or will it remain a niche destination for adventurous travelers? I’d love to hear more about your experiences with the culture and people—was it as enriching as you expected?