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Yemen✨ 10 best things to do in Yemen

Things to do in Yemen

1. Old City of Sana'aGaze up at tower houses iced with white gypsum patterns rising above a maze of ancient souqs.
2. Shibam's mud skyscrapersMarvel at a walled city of high-rise mud-brick houses that has stood in the Hadramawt desert for centuries.
3. Socotra's dragon's blood treesWalk among umbrella-shaped trees and bottle trees found nowhere else on Earth.
4. Ruins of MaribStand among the pillars of ancient Sabaean temples tied to the legend of the Queen of Sheba.
5. Haraz MountainsHike between stone villages perched on cliff tops above dizzying terraced fields.
6. Yemeni coffeeTaste the heritage of the beans that made the port of Mocha a byword for coffee.
7. Dar al-HajarPhotograph the rock palace that rises from a boulder in Wadi Dhahr near Sana'a.
8. Taste saltahTry the national dish, a bubbling stew topped with frothy fenugreek, scooped up with flatbread.
9. Wadi HadramawtDrive through a vast desert canyon lined with palm groves and mud-brick towns.
10. ZabidExplore a historic Islamic university town of whitewashed houses on the Red Sea coastal plain.

Yemen🗺️ Where to visit in Yemen

Where to go in Yemen

• 📍
  Sana'aHighlands · old cityOne of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, with a UNESCO-listed old town of ornate tower houses.
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  ShibamHadramawt · desert architectureNicknamed the 'Manhattan of the Desert' for its tightly packed mud-brick high-rises.
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  SocotraArabian Sea · islandA UNESCO-listed island of surreal endemic plants, white dunes and turquoise lagoons.
• 📍
  MaribEast · ancient ruinsThe former Sabaean capital, with temple ruins and remains of the ancient dam.
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  AdenSouth · port cityA historic harbour city built partly inside an extinct volcanic crater.
• 📍
  Haraz MountainsWest · terraced villagesFortified stone villages cling to peaks above spectacular agricultural terraces.
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  ZabidTihama · historic townA UNESCO-listed town that was once a major centre of Islamic learning.
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  TarimHadramawt · religious centreA city of many mosques and elegant mud-brick palaces in the heart of Wadi Hadramawt.

Yemen🌦️ Weather & best time to visit Yemen

Best time to visit Yemen

Yemen ranges from cool, high mountains around Sana'a to hot, humid coastal plains along the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The highlands get two short rainy spells in spring and late summer, while the eastern deserts are hot and dry.

Typical daytime highs and rain in Sana'a (approximate averages).

Yemen🎉 Festivals & events in Yemen

• Varies (lunar calendar)
  RamadanA month of daytime fasting with festive family meals and lively streets after sunset.
• Varies (lunar calendar)
  Eid al-FitrMarks the end of Ramadan with prayers, new clothes, sweets and family visits.
• Varies (lunar calendar)
  Eid al-AdhaThe Feast of Sacrifice, celebrated with shared meals and charity.
• May
  Unity DayA national holiday on 22 May marking the 1990 unification of North and South Yemen.

Yemen🧭 Yemen itinerary ideas

How many days in Yemen?

Yemen🎒 Backpacking Yemen – tips & hacks

Backpacker budget: about $40–70 a day

• Independent backpacking in Yemen is not currently realistic – most governments advise against all travel, so follow official advice first.
• Socotra has occasionally been visited on organised tours with local operators; never attempt it without a reputable licensed guide.
• Local food such as saltah, fasoulia beans and flatbread is filling and inexpensive at simple eateries.
• Dress conservatively, especially outside cities – long trousers and covered shoulders for everyone, plus a headscarf for women.
• Carry plenty of copies of your documents, as checkpoints are frequent.

Yemen🛡️ Safety & money in Yemen

Emergency: 194 police · 191 ambulance & fire

Yemen🛬 Getting to Yemen

International flights to Yemen are very limited and subject to change, mainly via Aden and Seiyun; overland borders with Saudi Arabia and Oman are generally not practical for tourists.

✈️ Cheap flights to Yemen: airports, flight times & best time to fly →

Yemen💡 Did you know? 5 facts about Yemen

• Yemen is often described as the birthplace of coffee cultivation as a commercial crop, shipped through the port of Mocha.
• Shibam's mud-brick towers are among the oldest high-rise buildings in the world.
• Around a third of Socotra's plant species are found nowhere else on Earth.
• Sana'a's old city sits at an altitude of over 2,000 metres.
• The curved jambiya dagger worn at the belt is a traditional symbol of manhood in much of Yemen.

Yemen❓ Yemen travel FAQ

Yemen travel questions