• Overall

  Yemen and Socotra – one of the most extraordinary and unforgettable Koryo Tours journeys. Fifteen days through a country that almost no one visits, taking in two of the most visually distinctive landscapes in the Arab world. The mud-brick civilisation of the Hadhramaut valley, and the alien biology of Socotra Island.
  
  This tour to Yemen and Socotra runs in two parts. The first part of the tour covers mainland Yemen.
  We arrive at Seiyun in the heart of the Hadhramaut, where we’ll be met by our highly experienced team before starting our epic road trip throughout the country.
   
  The tour to mainland Yemen takes you from Seiyun to the legendary city of Shibam, also known as ‘the Manhattan of the Desert’ and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with mud-brick towers up to 40 metres tall. We will also travel to the sacred desert pilgrimage site of Qabr Hud and the Islamic scholarly city of Tarim with the tallest mud-brick minaret in the world. Before finishing the tour on the Arabian Sea Coast in Mukalla, we still have time to explore the extraordinary canyon landscape of Wadi Doan, where ancient villages cling to cliff faces and boulder tops above a valley floor of date palms.
  
  From Mukalla, we take a direct flight to Socotra Island, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site in the Arabian Sea and a completely different landscape from anywhere else in the world, let alone mainland Yemen. We leave our luxury hotel accommodation and swap it for tents and camping. Here, over a third of plant species exist nowhere else on earth – and it’s best experienced by soaking up this nature completely. Campsites are a mix of beaches and Dragon Blood Forest plateaus, all under some of the clearest night skies in the world.
  
  Over a week on Socotra, we travel by 4x4s to complete a full island circuit. The turquoise lagoon at Detwah, the dragon blood tree forests of Dixam Plateau and Homhil, the southern dunes and beaches, the freshwater pools of Kalisan Canyon, the stalactite cave of Hoq and the coral gardens of Dihamri Marine Protected Area.
  
  Koryo Tours prioritises safety on all of our tours. Police escorts will accompany all ground transportation on the mainland.
  
  Our itinerary from Yemen to Socotra means only one visa for travel is required. It’s perfect for those looking to visit the two. The routing via mainland Yemen means only a single Yemeni visa is required, as the Socotra visa is waived for domestic travellers.
  
  Note: The itinerary is subject to change depending on operational conditions, safety, flight schedules, and local logistics. A mandatory pre-tour briefing will be arranged before departure. In any instance of disruption, Koryo Tours will ensure the trip is carried out in its fullest capacity to the best of our abilities. However, some flexibility or understanding is required for this trip.

  Highlights

  • Mud-brick civilisation of the Hadharmut Valley
  • Alien biology of Socotra Island
  • UNESCO World Heritage and Natural Heritage Sites

  click image to expand

• Itinerary

  Day 1 of 15

  1. January 23 | Saturday

     Arrival in Seiyun

     • Arrive at Seiyun International Airport (GXF) via Yemenia Airlines from Cairo, meet our local team for visa processing assistance, and transfer directly to our hotel.

     Old City of Seiyun

     • Seiyun is the largest city and capital of the Wadi Hadhramaut valley, known as the City of a Million Palms.
        
     • Al-Kathiri Palace | One of the world's largest mud-brick structures, formerly the sultan’s residence, now serving as an archaeological and ethnographic museum.
        
     • Evening Stroll | Walk through the historic women’s market and mud-brick alleyways of the old city.
        
     • Welcome Dinner | Enjoy a special welcome dinner at our hotel.

     Accommodation | Hotel in Seiyun

     Included Meals | Dinner

  2. January 24 | Sunday

     Seiyun, Qabr Hud & Tarim

     Sacred sites and timeless villages

     • Qabr Hud | One of the most significant Muslim pilgrimage sites in the Arabian Peninsula, the tomb of the Prophet Hud sits in the desert 140km northeast of Seiyun. The site comprises a domed tomb high on the hillside, a prayer hall built around the great rock believed to be Hud’s camel turned to stone, and a pilgrimage town of whitewashed mud-brick houses entirely deserted for all but three days a year.
        
     • Traditional Lunch | Enjoy a traditional Yemeni lunch on the floor of a local restaurant.

     Tarim

     • Al-Muhdar Mosque | The tallest mud-brick minaret in the world, at 40 metres, rising above one of the great centres of Islamic learning in the Arab world.
        
     • Al-Ahqaf University & Library | One of the leading Islamic educational institutions in Yemen, with a major collection of Islamic manuscripts.
        
     • Historical Cemeteries | The cemeteries of Tarim, particularly Zanbal, contain the tombs of hundreds of Islamic scholars spanning more than a thousand years. The white domes rising from the desert floor are an unforgettable sight.
        
     • Einat Village | A small Sufi pilgrimage village near Tarim containing the tomb of Sheikh Abu Bakr bin Salem Al-Alawi, surrounded by the domed graves of imams and scholars.
        
     • Shrine of Imam Ahmed Al-Habshi, Al-Husaisa | On the return to Seiyun, a stop at the town of Al-Husaisa to visit the shrine of Imam Ahmed Al-Habshi, a revered Islamic scholar venerated across the Hadhramaut.

     Accommodation | Hotel in Seiyun

     Included Meals | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  3. January 25 | Monday

     Mosques, palaces and the Manhattan of the Desert

     Tarim

     • Qasr Al-Kaf (Ishah Palace) | One of the most impressive private palaces in Hadhramaut, reflecting the architectural influence of the Hadhramaut diaspora in Southeast Asia.
        
     • Al-Ranad Palace | A pre-Islamic palace site representing the oldest layers of Tarim’s long history.

     Seiyun

     • Kithiri Palace Museum | The great white palace of the Al-Kathiri sultans, one of the largest mud-brick buildings in the world, now an archaeological museum.
        
     • Lunch | Lunch at a local restaurant followed by an optional visit to the Qat market.
        
     • Al-Handal Souk | Browse Seiyun’s lively market, where spices, sweets, nuts and local crafts fill the stalls.

     Shibam City Tour

     • In the afternoon we’ll get the chance to explore the incredible Shibam city.
        
     • Shibam is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the oldest examples of high-rise urban planning on earth. 500 towers of mud-brick, 8 to 10 storeys and up to 40 metres tall, built from the 16^th century and maintained by the families who have inhabited them ever since.
        
     • Known internationally as the Manhattan of the Desert, we’ll explore the alleys, the museum, and watch the sunset over the skyline.

     Accommodation | Hotel in Seiyun

     Included Meals | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  4. January 26 | Tuesday

     Mountain villages and canyon views

     Wadi Doan

     • Drive into Wadi Doan, one of the most dramatic canyon landscapes in the Arabian Peninsula.
        
     • Experience sheer walls of rock above a floor of date palms and an extraordinary succession of ancient villages perched at every level of the gorge.
        
     • Al-Hajjrain | A medieval village perched dramatically on a mountain ridge above the wadi floor.
        
     • Seef Village & Fort Al-Amoudi | The administrative centre of the wadi, known for its distinctive painted architecture.
        
     • Haid Al-Jazil Resort | An almost impossibly situated village and resort built on a massive boulder 150 metres above the wadi floor, with a panoramic view across the canyon that makes this one of the most memorable overnight stops in Yemen. We spend two nights here to soak up the atmosphere and the infinity pool.

     Accommodation | Haid Al-Jazil Resort

     Included Meals | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  5. January 27 | Wednesday

     Wadi Doan Hidden Gems

     Hiking, honey and the hidden villages of the valley

     • Hike | A one-hour trail down from Haid Al-Jazil to Hawfah village below. Enjoy coffee with local families.
        
     • Buqshan Palace | The most colourful building in Wadi Doan, a mud-brick palace of 1798 covered in vivid painted windows of turquoise, yellow and green with stained glass, reflecting the architectural influences of the Hadhramaut diaspora in Southeast Asia.
        
     • Husn Fort, Qarn Majed | A 19^th-century mud-brick fort positioned at the point where the wadi splits into its two branches.
        
     • Budha Village | A hilltop village with a panoramic view across the canyon. A landscape that looks, as the itinerary puts it, like a fantasy film.
        
     • Al-Khuraiba | A village with a small traditional market that once served as a vital trading hub for the wadi communities.
        
     • Honey Tasting | Honey tasting with a local beekeeper. Hadhramaut Sidr honey is considered among the finest in the world, prized across the Arab world for its medicinal qualities.
        
     • Ar-Ribat | The ancestral home of Muhammad bin Laden, whose house still stands in the village. The family emigrated to Saudi Arabia, where Muhammad bin Laden built one of the largest construction companies in the Arab world.
        
     • Traditional Live Music & Dance | For groups of 8 or more, an evening of traditional Yemeni music and dance at Haid Al-Jazil Resort.

     Accommodation | Haid Al-Jazil Resort

     Included Meals | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  6. January 28 | Thursday

     Wadi Doan to Al-Mukalla – The Arabian Sea coast

     • Coastal Drive & Viewpoint | A three-hour drive to Al-Mukalla on the Arabian Sea coast. En route, stop at a roadside viewpoint over the mountain road for fresh coconut juice and a chance to photograph a camel-powered sesame press – the oil pressed here is used both in local cooking and as a traditional hair and skin cream.

     Al-Mukalla

     • Al-Mukalla is a port city of striking white buildings and elaborate minarets on the Arabian Sea, developed from a small seaport in the 11th century into a major coastal trading city. The Quaiti Palace (now a museum), Fort Gweizi, the old city, and the interconnected souqs of the waterfront make it a vivid end to the mainland programme.
        
     • Lunch at a seafood restaurant.
        
     • Afternoon at Leisure | Afternoon and evening at leisure to relax or explore independently.
        
     • Farewell dinner from mainland Yemen.

     Accommodation | Mukalla, Ramada Hotel or similar

     Included Meals | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  7. January 29 | Friday

     Mukalla Fish Market & Departure to Socotra

     • Mukalla Fish Market | Morning visit to Mukalla's famous fish market, where the daily catch from the Arabian Sea arrives in a vivid spectacle of boats, buyers and fish of every kind.
        
     • Flight to Socotra | Transfer to Riyan Airport (MKX), approximately 30 minutes from Mukalla. Domestic flight by Yemenia Airlines to Socotra Island (SCT).

     Detwah Lagoon & Qalancia

     • Detwah Protected Area | Arrival at Socotra Airport. Gear into 4WD vehicles and drive west to Qalancia and the Detwah Protected Area, a large turquoise lagoon separated from the Arabian Sea by a strip of white sand, surrounded by limestone mountains.
        
     • Lagoon Swimming | Enjoy swimming in the crystal-clear waters of the lagoon.
        
     • Camp set up for the first night on the island.
        
     • Dinner and rest at the campsite.

     Accommodation | Beach camping at Detwah Lagoon

     Included Meals | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  8. January 30 | Saturday

     Dixam Plateau, Dragon Blood Trees & Fermahin Forest

     The most iconic landscape on the island

     • Detwah Lagoon Swim | Early swim in the lagoon before departure.
        
     • Dixam Plateau | The high plateau of central Socotra where the dragon blood trees (Dracaena cinnabari) grow most densely and most dramatically.
        
     • These extraordinary trees, with their flat-topped canopy formed by repeated branching and their trunk that bleeds deep red resin when cut, exist in this form only on Socotra. The plateau offers the finest views of the forest against the mountains and the sea.
        
     • Wadi Dirhur | A spectacular canyon of limestone walls and dragon blood trees.
        
     • Fermahin Forest | One of the densest dragon blood tree forests on the island, spectacular in the late afternoon light.
        
     • Overnight camp set up here.

     Accommodation | Beach camping at Detwah

     Included Meals | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  9. January 31 | Sunday

     Southern Coast: Zahek Dunes & Omaq Beach

     Dunes meeting the sea

     • Zahek Sand Dunes | Golden dunes descending directly to the turquoise Arabian Sea – one of Socotra’s most surreal landscapes.
        
     • Hayf Beach | A beach of pink-hued sands and excellent swimming.
        
     • Omaq Beach Camp | Evening stargazing beneath the extraordinarily clear skies of this remote part of the Indian Ocean.

     Accommodation | Beach camping at Omaq

     Included Meals | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  10. February 1 | Monday

      Kalisan Canyon & Homhil

      Hidden freshwater pools and more dragon blood trees

      • Kalisan Canyon | A dramatic limestone canyon where erosion has created hidden freshwater pools at the base of towering cliffs, colonised by dragon blood trees and Socotri figs.
         
      • Homhil Protected Area | The finest location for close observation of the dragon blood trees, with demonstrations of traditional resin harvesting and panoramic views from the plateau.

      Accommodation | Camping in Homhil

      Included Meals | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  11. February 2 | Tuesday

      Hoq Cave, Ersal Beach & Arher Dunes

      • This morning, we wake up early to begin our hike.
         
      • Hoq Cave | A vast stalactite cave on the northeastern coast reached by an approx 3-hour (uphill) hike. This is optional if hiking isn’t your thing - but it’s worth it in the end! Note: Bringing hiking boots and a head torch is mandatory here.
         
      • Ersal Beach | A secluded cove of crystal-clear water surrounded by granite cliffs.
         
      • Arher Beach & Dunes | A beach where freshwater springs emerge from beneath towering sand dunes and run across the sand into the sea.
         
      • Bonfire Dinner | Enjoy a bonfire dinner on the beach.

      Accommodation | Beach camping at Arher

      Included Meals | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  12. February 3 | Wednesday

      Dihamri Marine Protected Area

      Coral gardens and the Arabian Sea

      • Dihamri Marine Protected Area | The finest snorkelling site on Socotra and one of the best in the Arabian Sea, with hard and soft coral gardens in excellent condition, parrotfish, clownfish, moray eels, octopus and sea turtles. Bring snorkelling equipment or rent locally.
         
      • Socotri Fishing Village | Visit to a local Socotri fishing village to learn about the traditional maritime culture of the island.
         
      • Final night camping on the beach.

      Accommodation | Camping at Dihamri Beach

      Included Meals | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  13. February 4 | Thursday

      Departure from Socotra

      • Farewell to Socotra | Final breakfast with ocean views followed by the transfer to Socotra Airport.

      Aden

      • Flight to Aden | Departure by Yemenia Airlines domestic flight to Aden (ADE). Upon arrival, our Yemen team will greet us once again.
         
      • Transfer to the hotel.
         
      • Crater (Kraytar) | Evening exploration of Crater, the historic heart of Aden, wandering through its lively market filled with spices, silver and traditional crafts.
         
      • Enjoy a seafood dinner at a local restaurant.

      Accommodation | Hotel in Aden

      Included Meals | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  14. February 5 | Friday

      Aden’s Treasures

      History, tanks and sea castles

      • Historical Museum | A morning dive into Aden’s past at the Historical Museum, home to ancient artefacts spanning millennia of the city’s history.
         
      • Tawila Tanks | A remarkable feat of ancient engineering dating back over 1,500 years to the Himyarite period, these water cisterns are carved into the mountainside above the city.
         
      • Seera Castle | Perched on the small volcanic island of Sira in Aden’s harbour, this 11th-century castle commands panoramic views across the city and coastline.
         
      • Lunch at a local restaurant.
         
      • Aden Fish Market | Afternoon visit to Aden’s bustling fish market, where fishermen display and auction the morning catch.
         
      • Farewell Dinner | Traditional Yemeni dinner to close the evening and close our epic mainland Yemen & Socotra adventure.

      Accommodation | Hotel in Aden

      Included Meals | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  15. February 6 | Saturday

      Departure from Yemen

      • Transfer to Aden International Airport (ADE) for the departure flight to Cairo International Airport (CAI) or Jeddah-King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED) by Yemenia Airlines or FlyAden flights.

      End of Tour

      Included Meals | Breakfast

• Extras

  • Upgrade to your own room (international tours)

• What is / is not included?

  INCLUDED

  Mainland Yemen

  • Yemen tourist visa and security clearance
  • Police escort throughout all ground transportation
  • Private transportation – comfortable vehicles with professional drivers
  • Accommodation in carefully selected 4-star hotels.
  • All meals
  • Bottled water and snacks
  • Expert English-speaking local guide
  • Koryo Tours tour leader
  • All entry fees and permissions
  • Local SIM data card in all vehicles
  • Complimentary traditional Yemeni outfit
  • Exclusive cultural experiences, including Yemeni honey tasting and home-cooked meals. 

  Socotra

  • Domestic flights (Mukalla/Riyan to Socotra, and Socotra to Aden)
  • All Socotra permits and permissions
  • All ground transportation in Socotra by 4WD
  • All camping equipment
  • All meals throughout the Socotra program
  • Sufficient bottled water throughout
  • Local English-speaking guide
  • Koryo Tours tour leader
  • Experienced local Socotri support team

  NOT INCLUDED

  • International flights
  • Single room supplement ($25 USD per night)
  • Travel insurance (mandatory)
  • Tips and gratuities
  • Snorkelling or diving equipment
  • Personal expenses

• Notes

  Getting to Yemen

  The standard routing is Cairo to Seiyun (GXF) at the start, and Socotra (SCT) to Aden (ADE) to Cairo at the end. See the flight information document for scheduled days and airport details.

  Flights

  International flights are not included in the tour price. Koryo Tours can advise on flight options and assist with bookings on Yemenia Airlines. You may budget for approx. $800 USD for the return flights between Cairo and Yemen. Flights booked less than 3-months in advance may be considerably more expensive.

  Yemen Visas

  Yemen tourist visa and security clearance are included in the tour price and arranged on arrival at Seiyun. Socotra visa is waived for travellers arriving via domestic flight from mainland Yemen.

  Safety

  Police escorts accompany all mainland ground transportation. Both Koryo Tours and our local partners maintain active relationships with local security services and are in constant contact with authorities throughout. The tour operates in the southern Hadhramaut region and Socotra, both of which have maintained relative stability.

  Cultural attire

  Complimentary traditional Yemeni outfit provided for all participants on the mainland. Socotra is more relaxed in terms of dress code.

  Socotra accommodation

  Camping throughout on beaches and in protected areas. All camping equipment provided. Local staff assist with assembling and dismantling campsites and tents every day. We travel together alongside a local team of chefs who prepare food freshly for three meals per day and can cater to dietary requirements.

Please apply by 5th January, 2027.