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Considered a destination from a fairy tale by all travelers, Yemen is the Mecca for intrepid adventurers, the one destination that has always awed each and every visitor for its rawness and untouched culture, combined with a jaw-dropping architecture and mesmerizing valleys.
Years of an unfortunate war, however, have isolated Yemen even more, making it a nearly impossible destination to reach. Until now.
Against the Compass is finally offering group expeditions to the Yemeni mainland, more specifically, to the eastern region of Hadramut, home to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Shibam, among many other wonders.
Yemen is the most legendary Arab country.
Join our upcoming expedition to discover it!
November 23rd to 28th, 2023
$2990
6 days
Lead by Joan Torres
Note that we always keep the itinerary flexible, and it may be subject to change, depending on the political situation.
Day 1 – Seiyun
Day 2 – Wadi Doa’n
Day 3 – Mukalla
Day 4 – Shibam
Day 5 – Seiyun and Tarim
Day 6 – Departure
The flight from Cairo to Saiyun in Yemen will depart at 9:45h, so hopefully, we will be in Yemen by 3pm.
From the airport, we will go straight to a viewpoint to enjoy the sunset over Seiyun.
Then, we will have a welcome dinner, followed by checking in to the hotel.
Overnight in Seiyun.
After breakfast, we will drive to Seiyun Old Town to buy local Yemeni clothes for everyone.
Then, we will drive towards the coast to Mukalla, the main city in Yemen, home to one of the most important ports in the country.
The city was actually taken by Al Qaeda back in 2015 and liberated from them in 2016.
Upon arrival, we will eat a traditional meal from the area, consisting of seafood, followed by a stroll around the port, as well as checking out the city’s fortress.
This day of the tour will be on a Friday, so the city center will come to life in the evening, when we will have loads of opportunities to interact with the local community.
Overnight in Mukalla.
After breakfast, we will visit Mukalla fish market then head for Wadi Doa’n, a jaw-dropping valley dotted with old traditional villages.
After checking in to the hotel, we will have lunch and then, around 3pm, we will trek to Hawfah village in Wadi Doa’n, followed by a drive to Buqshan village, home to the most colorful palace in all Yemen.
Dinner and overnight in Wadi Doa’n.
Early morning, we will drive to the end of Wadi Doa’n to see the Sunday market of Ribad town, not without stopping first in the village of Qarht Bahumaish, Usama Bin Laden’s hometown.
Bin Laden was born in Saudi but all his family comes from this tiny village in Hadramut.
We will grab a picnic lunch and enjoy it in a place with a view and then, we will stop in Al-Khuraiba and Musainah, two of the most beautiful villages in the valley.
Then, we will go back to Seiyun, stopping in Shibam for sunset; Shibam is the real highlight of this trip, a set of 9-story buildings located in the middle of nowhere.
Overnight in Seiyun.
After breakfast, we will go back to Shibam for a proper visit to the town, climbing one of the buildings, and visiting the handicraft center.
Then, we will visit the Old City of Seiyun, a lively area where we will check out the local bazaar, which includes the honey market.
As you might know, according to the UN, Yemen produces some of the best honey in the world, which they make from Sidr flowers.
We will take our time there, taking all the necessary photos and then, we will visit the village of Tarim, the center of Islamic Sufism in Yemen.
In Tarim, we will be likely to meet young students from Indonesia who came all the way to Tarim to study Sufism.
Islam came to Indonesia through Yemeni merchants hundreds of years ago and, since then, both countries have kept up a very close relationship, which is why Indonesians following that specific branch of Islam like to study in its heartland.
We will visit some important Sufi-related shrines and then, after lunch, a good idea would be to head to a khat market, buy some khat, and chew it with the locals.
Khat is a local drug similar to coca leaves and basically, life in Yemen stops every day after lunch for chewing khat, something one must experience.
Evening and sunset will be spent at a viewpoint overlooking Tarim.
Overnight in Seiyun.
The flight back to Cairo departs at 4am.
Airport transfers
5 nights of accommodation (twin shared) in hotels mentioned in FAQ
Security clearance and all permits
Private transportation and driver around Yemen
All meals
Visa processing and respective fees
English-speaking Yemeni guide
Armed escorts
Entrance fees.
International flights to Seiyun
Local clothes
Single supplement. Having your own private room costs $380.
November 23rd to 28th, 2023
$2990
6 days
Lead by Joan Torres
These are the hotels where we always stay but note that once in a while, they might be subject to availability.
Price of the tour includes accommodation in a twin room.
If you are a solo traveler, you will be sharing the room with another like-minded traveler from the group. We always try to group people of same gender and age together but note that this won’t always be the case.
If you want to have your own single room, you will have to pay an additional $380.
We will take care of that, don’t worry.
You don’t need to visit the embassy, everything will be arranged via email and all you’ll need to do is send us a passport copy, a passport photo and a filled-out form.
Several months, this is a trip that must be arranged and organized well ahead of time.
The tour will officially start at Cairo International Airport, the airport where we will catch our flight to the city of Seiyun in Yemen.
We will all meet there 3.5 hours before our departure time.
Twice a week, there is a flight operated by Yemenia Airways that goes from Cairo to Seiyun.
The flight must be booked via a tour agent based in Cairo, and a round-trip ticket costs 870 US dollars.
More information will be shared upon booking your spot on the tour.
All nationalities, and that includes US citizens too.
This tour focuses on the region of Hadramut, which is the most stable and safest area in all Yemen and actually, the only area you can visit.
Moreover, we will travel with armed escorts, as well as an expert local fixer who knows his way around.
We will limit it to a maximum of 11 people.
In order to secure your spot on the tour, we require a deposit.
All details will be shared upon booking your spot.
Either you are joining one of our trips, or you are traveling by yourself, you might want to look for proper travel insurance. Against the Compass has been a partner with IATI for several years already, recommending it to all readers, as well as covering all Joan Torres’ personal trips.
We like it because It covers all the countries where the FCDO advises against all travel, it offers budget plans and covers all sorts of adventure activities.
Against the Compass readers can benefit from a 5% discount.
Get a quote here to claim your discount
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