8 Day South Yemen Expedition November 16-23, 2024
Join us on a journey along old frankincense trade routes through Central Yemen’s Hadhromaut. Having visited Yemen numerous times over the years, this is a personal favorite trip for me to organize and run.
Highlights of this once-in-a-lifetime journey include the ethereal Wadi Daw’an and its fairy tale village of Haid al Jazil, the Hadhrami coastal city of Mukalla, exploration of Yemen’s mystic heart in Tarim, the lovely palaces of Seiyun, and the enigmatic ancient mudbrick city of Shibam.
Interested in this departure? Send an email to [email protected].
South Yemen Trip Info
Cost: $3,500 per person
Dates: November 16-23, 2024
Duration: 8 days | 7 nights
Start: Seiyun, Yemen
End: Seiyun, Yemen
Deposit: 30% at time of booking
Inclusions: Accommodations, guide, driver and transportation, meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Yemeni visa fee, permits, security clearance, and entrance fees.
Exclusions: Flights (we will help facilitate the booking), travel insurance, personal spending and souvenirs, and tips for local staff.
Note about the flights: Flights Cairo-Seiyun-Cairo will cost approximately $870.
8 Day South Yemen Itinerary
Day 1: Cairo | Seiyun
Board your flight from Cairo in the morning, arriving in Seiyun in the mid-afternoon. Once you have cleared immigration and customs you will be taken to your hotel for the evening.
Overnight: Hotel
Meals: Dinner
Day 2: Seiyun | Mukalla
Today you will begin the journey from Seiyun to the coastal Hadhromaut city of Mukalla, making scenic stops en route.
Overnight: Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 3: Mukalla
Depart Seiyun in the morning for the coastal city of Mukalla.
After reaching Mukalla, we’ll break for lunch before setting out to explore what the city has to offer, including the Old Town of Mukalla, Mukalla Souk, and the beautiful Khoor Mukalla.
Overnight: Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 4: Mukalla | Wadi Daw’an
Departing Mukalla in the early morning, we’ll make way for one of Yemen’s most beguiling and beautiful destinations- the ethereal Haid al Jazil of Wadi Daw’an. This stunning stretch of the canyon will be our home for the next two nights.
After having lunch at Haid al Jazil and taking in the views, we’ll head over to the colorfully painted Buqshan Palace and the stunning little hamlet of Hawfa nearby.
We’ll return to Haid al Jazil for sunset and to relax for the evening.
Overnight: Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 5: Wadi Daw’an
After breakfast, we will drive a short distance from our hotel and begin our trek down to Hawfa village in Wadi Daw’an.
The one hour trek meanders down the wall of the canyon, offering stunning views of the mesa-like village of Haid al Jazil sat atop a prominence.
Our vehicles will meet us in Hawfa, from where we will continue onto the teetering fortress of Qarn Majid, in addition to visiting the villages of Rihab and al Kharaiba.
Once again, we will return to Haid al Jazil in the late afternoon.
Overnight: Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 6: Wadi Daw’an | Hawta
Saying our goodbyes to Haid al Jazil, today we make way for Hawta, making stops along Wadi Dawa’an along the way- including the picturesque villages of Hajarain and Sif.
In the later afternoon, we will drive over to the famed city of Shibam, known as the “Manhattan of Arabia”.
After taking some time to meander through the maze-like streets of Shibam, we’ll make a walk up to a stunning viewpoint over the city and stay there until the sunset call to prayer.
As the sun sets, we’ll walk back down to our vehicles and continue onto Hawta for the night.
Overnight: Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 7: Hawta | Seiyun | Tarim
Today we depart Hawta toward the Sufi center of Tarim.
En route, we’ll stop off in Seiyun to visit the Sultan al Kathiri Palace Museum, al Handhal traditional market, and Alfalas before breaking for lunch in Seiyun.
Following lunch, we’ll make a stop for the Aynat Shrine before reaching Tarim.
Tarim is a stunning desert city, home to several madrasas, serving as Yemen’s Sufi center. In the afternoon, we’ll take some time to explore the town, the Tarim Souk, and the blinding white al Mihdar Mosque.
We will return to Hawta for the evening once again.
Overnight: Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 8: Hawta | Seiyun | Cairo
We’ll make an early departure from Hawta to Seiyun today after a quick breakfast to catch our flight out of Seiyun and on to Cairo.
Meals: Breakfast