Socotra sits in the Arabian Sea with one airport, no ferry and flight schedules that publish only a few months in advance,so getting there takes some planning. Here is exactly how it works, from booking your tour to landing in the car park where the adventure begins.
There's a moment in every Socotra daydream where the practical brain interrupts. The dragon blood trees look incredible, the lagoons look fake in the best way, and then it hits you: how on earth do you actually get there?
Fair question.
Socotra sits in the Arabian Sea, east of the Horn of Africa and south of the Arabian Peninsula, about as remote as inhabited islands come. It belongs to Yemen, it has one airport, and there is no ferry schedule pinned to a harbour wall for you. I went, I figured it out, and I'm here to save you the three weeks of confused googling.
Here's exactly how to get to Socotra.
How to Get to Socotra Quick Facts
Step 1 - Confirm Your Entry into Socotra
Step 2 - Book your Tour
Step 3 - The Socotra Permits & Yemen Visa
Step 4 - Arrive in Socotra!
Step 5 - Leaving Socotra
Quick FAQ: Getting to Socotra
How to Get to Socotra Quick Facts
You need to book a tour.
You can’t travel solo.
You will need to transfer through either Jeddah or Cairo (current route).
You need to spend around a week on the island to match up with international flights.
The Socotra entry permit and flight bookings to Socotra are handles by your tour operator.
You simply book a Socotra tour and go.
Step 1 - Confirm Your Entry into Socotra
The current route - Jeddah to Socotra
Flying to Socotra via Air Arabia (Previous Route)
Socotra famously only had one flight per week into the island. This was how it was for its first couple of years of tourism and, to be honest, it worked quite well - since a week is exactly perfect to do everyting Socotra has on offer.
This flight to Socotra was handled by Air Arabia and left from Abu Dhabi.
Air Arabia then started a second flight mid-week, meaning that you could go on a short 5 day trip.
(Not worth it in my opinon).
Flying to Socotra via Jeddah, Saudi (Current Route)
The current gateway to Socotra is Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Tours are built around the flight schedule connecting Jeddah to Socotra, and your job is to get yourself to Jeddah to meet it.
Jeddah is a major international hub with direct connections from Europe, Asia, Africa and across the Middle East, so reaching it is the easy part.
From there, the Jeddah to Socotra return flight currently runs in the region of 750 to 900 US dollars, which is a meaningful chunk of the trip budget but also the price of admission to one of the least-visited islands on the planet.
Don’t worry - the Air Arabia flights were also this pricey, if not more.
Flying via Cairo (Other Option)
The flight to Socotra via Cairo is another route that is fairly well established and has been around for the last year or two.
However, there is a caveat - you will have to transfer on the Yemen mainland.
This is generally no issue but does open you out to potential last-minute security issues.
Flights cost around the same no matter who you go with.
Check Entry Route Before You Go
Any travel company offering tours to Socotra will have the most updated information available to you. Things can change and may change, but for now, via Jeddah is the way to travel to Socotra.
You should check your Saudi Arabia transit visa requirements before departure.
And even plan a few days exploring in Jeddah, whilst you’re there!
Step 2 - Book your Tour
Booking a Tour to Socotra
All travel to Socotra is done by travel via a local registered company.
You can’t travel Socotra independently:
1. There is close to zero infrastructure on the island - what do you plan to do once you get there?, and
2. The flight bookings to get there are made through the local travel company.
So, your first task is to book your tour to Socotra.
Most trips in Socotra will follow the same or similar route. If you’re after more of a culture-focued, curated itinerary, Koryo Tours offer some exclusive itinerary items such as women-focused activities and a visit to a local school.
Book your Flights to Socotra
Secure your spot on the tour first, through the operator's booking form. Then wait for the Socotra flight schedules to be published before booking your international flights into Jeddah.
Often, the Socotra flight schedules aren’t published until 3 months or so in advance, so tickets can’t be purchased earlier.
For your own peace of mind, book your tour to Socotra first, secure your spot, then wait until confirmation before booking the flights.
Until the Jeddah to Socotra schedule is confirmed, the precise trip dates carry a small asterisk, and an unchangeable bargain fare into Jeddah on the wrong dates is no bargain at all. Flexible tickets or post-schedule booking are the way.
Top tip: Build in buffer time too. Arriving in Jeddah at least the night before your Socotra flight is basic self-defence against delayed luggage and missed connections, because the Socotra flight will not wait, and the next one is days away.
Step 3 - The Socotra Permits & Yemen Visa
Socotra requires permits and permissions to visit, and this is where organised travel earns its keep.
All required Socotra permits are included in the tour price and arranged by the local team in advance.
Your contribution is a passport scan and some patience.
Before your tour to Socotra, you’ll be given a Socotra entry permit on a piece of paper. Print this. Upon arrival into Socotra, your passport will be stamped.
Easy!
Not a Yemen Visa
Your Socotra entry permits are not a full Yemen visa and are not permitted to use for travel into mainland Yemen.
However, if you do hold a full mainland Yemen visa, you can enter Socotra.
Travel Insurance
One document is on you, though - travel insurance is mandatory.
You need a policy that explicitly covers Yemen, which Socotra administratively is.
Specialist insurers handle this without fuss. Sort it early.
Step 4 - Arrive in Socotra!
Socotra Airport
Socotra Airport sits on the north coast near Hadibo, the island's small capital.
Arrival is gloriously informal by international standards. It’s a small building you walk to from the airplane. So small, in fact, that it can’t actually house all of the people from the plane, and if you’re at the back you’ll find yourself queueing up outside the building waiting to go in.
There will be people asking for your documentation in the queue. Listen out for your name and make sure you know the local tour operator’s name. You then go through the normal process of immigration and then baggage claim.
After baggage claim, you'll be met by the local team, your bags go straight into a convoy of 4WD vehicles, and the Socotra tour begins essentially in the car park.
Top tip: If you don’t want your passport stamped, usually you can ask them to not stamp it. Alternatively, if you really do want the stamp, make sure you ask for it.
Step 5 - Leaving Socotra
Leaving Socotra you will most likely do via the exact route you came through. This is the easiest and most common way.
So, if you’re doing a week trip in Socotra and you arrived via Jeddah, you will then depart via Jeddah.
It does come with options, though, depending on your group tour.
There are onward flights including a domestic flight to Aden (ADE), running on Thursdays or Fridays, with onward international connections to Cairo, Jeddah or other hubs. The alternative is a flight to Al-Ghaydah (AAY) on the Yemeni mainland, which connects toward Oman and Salalah, a clever routing if your travels continue east.
In reality, the flight you take will largely depend on what is offered for your group tour - which will most likely be a week after your arrival. There’s generally not so much flexibility here!
Another top tip: You should arrive at the airport frustratingly early. Yemenia have a habit of selling your seats on the plane if you arrive at the airport too late. So, don’t rock up 2 hours earlier thinking you’ll breeze through the small airport. The standard 3 hours before is your safest bet. There’s nothing to do in the airport - apart from a small coffee shop selling breakfast items and some souvenir shops.
Quick FAQ: Getting to Socotra
Do I have to travel on a group tour to Socotra?
Whilst you don’t have to travel on a group tour to Socotra you do need to travel on a tour of sorts. You can arrange a private trip if you’d like a more personalised experience. Either way, you have to travel with a local operator.
Can I travel Socotra solo?
No, practically and legally speaking - both.
Legally speaking, you have to have travel permits on Socotra which come with a group tour. Practically speaking, when I say there is no infrastructure - I mean, there is no infrastructure. Upon arrival, you’d find yourself unable to go anywhere if you don’t have transport organised. There’s no car rental or taxis. Even if you found a way to hitchike, where would you go? What would you eat? And how would you get there? The camp sites aren’t necessarily marked on a map and the only food available is in small restaurants in Hadibo city - not a place you want to hang out in for too long. The island may be small, but it takes a week to travel all around in a 4WD. Hardly something walkable, and the Dragon Trees famous in Socotra lie over a thousand meters above sea level. Hardly a place you want to try to walk to alone.
Can I book my own flights to Socotra?
No, this must be done through the tour company. Yemenia flights can’t be booked online by just anyone.
How long does it take to get to Socotra?
From most of the world, plan on two travel days - one long-haul leg into Jeddah, a buffer night or a few hours in-between, then the island flight.
Can you take a boat to Socotra?
Not as a traveller, practically speaking. Cargo vessels ply the route from the mainland, but they're slow, irregular and not set up for passengers. The flight is the way.
Do I need a visa for Saudi Arabia to transit Jeddah?
Depending on your nationality and how long you're staying, you may need a Saudi visa or e-visa for the stopover. Saudi's e-visa system is straightforward for most passports, and many travellers turn the Jeddah night into a bonus mini-visit. Check your specific passport's rules once your dates are set.
What about luggage?
Pack with the camping week in mind. Soft duffels beat hard suitcases for 4WD loading, and keep your essentials, medications and a change of clothes in your carry-on in case checked bags lag a flight behind you. There are no shops on the beaches of Socotra waiting to replace your forgotten charger.
Is the journey worth it?
See below. (Spoiler: emphatically.)
Koryo Tours
Group Tours to Socotra
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