South Yemen & Socotra Combo Tour

Itinerary

1. Day One

   Arrival in Seiyun

   • The tour officially starts in South Yemen; however, as we will all be travelling on the same flight, our tour leader will meet us at Cairo Airport in the morning.

   • After arriving at Seiyun Airport, we will take a scenic drive to Hawta town.

   • Here we will experience the local culture and cuisine with an authentic dinner.

   • Overnight stay in Hawta.

2. Day Two

   Old Seiyun

   • Today, we head out to Old Seiyun town and its vibrant markets, including the renowned honey market. We’ll also visit the Sultan Al-Kathiri Palace Museum and stop to take photos at Al-Fals Palace.

   • Next, we will witness the beauty of the Aynat area and visit one of the most captivating Islamic Shrines.

   • We then go on to discover the historical significance of Tarim, a town steeped in Sufi tradition and breathtaking views. We’ll visit the Asha Palace, a traditional market and Al-Mihdar Mosque, before seeing the sunset at Shibam.

   • Return to Hawta in the evening.

3. Day Three

   The Manhattan of Arabia

   • In the morning, we’ll visit Shibam Hadramout, often referred to as “the Manhattan of Arabia”. It’s said to be the world’s first skyscraper built on mud.

   • We then drive towards Wadi Doa’n, which is the most beautiful valley in Yemen, with a brief stop at the village of Al-Hajjrain.

   • Next, we continue driving to Sif to take a leisurely walk around the town before driving to Haid Al-Jizil. Here we stop by to enjoy the view of the most beautiful panorama of Wadi Doa’n.

   • We’ll drive to Buqshan village to see its colourful palaces, before travelling back to Haid Al-jizil to view the sunset and stay overnight.

4. Day Four

   Wadi Doa’n

   • After breakfast, we’ll take a short drive to the starting point of our picturesque walk down to Hawfah village in Wadi Do’an.

   • Next, we’ll witness the grandeur of Wadi Doa’n from various viewpoints, including the Rehab viewpoint and Qarn Majed village.

   • We’ll then go to Al-Khuraiba town for a short stop, before driving to the end of Wadi Doa’n to visit Ribad town, which is the home town of Bin Laden’s family.

   • We’ll continue onward to Qarht Bahumaish, which is the last village in Wadi Doa’n and we’ll stop to enjoy a picnic lunch in the area.

   • After lunch, we will drive up to another beautiful viewpoint of Wadi Doa’n, before driving back to Haid Al-Jizil to spend the night.

5. Day Five

   Mukhalla

   • We start the day driving to Mukhalla, where we’ll stop for lunch before we see the sights.

   • We’ll take a stroll around the port as well as visiting Al-Ghwayzi Fort and Khoor Mukalla, before visiting the fruit and vegetable and fish markets in Mukhalla Old Town.

   • We’ll have a final dinner together in Mukhalla.

6. Day Six

   Journey to Socotra

   • Early morning, we’ll bid farewell to South Yemen and take the flight over to the island of Socotra (not included).

   • Upon arrival in Hadibou, we’ll drive to the Summerland Hotel to check in and have lunch nearby, before heading over to Delisha Beach to relax and swim in the sea.

   • Overnight in the hotel in Hadibou.

7. Day Seven

   Homhil

   • Drive to Homil in the morning; home to many endemic plants like Dragon’s Blood Tree, Frankincense Tree and Desert Rose.

   • Once in Homhil, we will walk along some of the trails; one takes us to a viewpoint with a natural swimming pool and the other to a view of the villages below on the plain and the Arabian Sea.

   • In the afternoon, we depart for the Arher area, a meeting point of freshwater and saltwater and home to a magnificent set of dunes.

   • Dinner and overnight stay at Arher campsite.

8. Day Eight

   Hoq Cave

   • Drive to Terbak Village in the morning, where Hoq Cave is located. We will then hike for 1.5 hours until we reach the cave entrance, before spending around an hour inside. Hoq is one of the largest caves on the island, being over 3km deep. It holds a wealth of Socotri history and is full of archaeological findings, such as paintings, pottery and wooden tables with inscriptions in the Aramaic language dating back to 258 AD. The cave offers overwhelming beauty and various crystal decorations, such as stalagmites, stalactites and calcite floors.

   • Drive back to Hadibou after lunch, where we’ll have the opportunity to visit the local women’s institute and buy their homemade crafts.

   • Overnight in Hadibou.

9. Day Nine

   Ayhaft Canyon National Park

   • Today, we will head to Ayhaft Canyon National Park. In the canyon, we’ll visit large freshwater pools where we can swim and relax. All around, we can see a wide variety of endemic plants, such as desert rose, tamarind trees and cucumber trees, plus a wide variety of birds, such as Socotra sparrows, Socotra sunbirds and both Socotri and Somali starlings.

   • Afterwards, we travel to the western part of the island to explore Detwah Lagoon. This is a marine-protected area renowned for its magical landscape and some of the best views of Socotra.

   • Dinner and overnight stay at the nearby Qalansiyah Campsite.

10. Day Ten

    Shuaab

    • After breakfast, we’ll take a boat to the remote beach of Shuaab. We will likely see spinner dolphins and other sea life during the boat ride. Once in Shuaab, we can swim, relax, enjoy the pristine beach and explore the nearby mangroves.

    • After lunch back at Qalansiyah, we’ll make our way to Dixam Plateau and Shebahon viewpoint.

    • Dinner and overnight stay at Dixam Campsite.

11. Day Eleven

    Wadi Dirhur Canyon

    • Drive down to Wadi Dirhur Canyon, where we’ll hike alongside the lush vegetation and natural water pools. The river flowing through this region creates a series of incredible cascading lakes through the mountains, whilst huge white rocks surround the water pools.

    • Continue to the island’s southern coast through the unique Defarhu Valley. We will see traditional villages, natural water pools at the bottom of the canyon and the unusual desert rose trees growing on the canyon walls.

    • After lunch, we drive to Hayf and Zahek villages to witness the massive dunes pushed up against the mountainside by the seasonal winds of Socotra. We then make our way to Omak Beach.

    • After swimming, sunbathing and relaxing in the clear water of the Indian Ocean, we depart to Digub Cave, which overlooks a scattering of traditional villages below, before driving back to the capital.

    • Overnight at the hotel in Hadibou.

12. Day Twelve

    Dihammri

    • After breakfast, we drive to Kalhsa Canyon, which features a beautiful waterfall and many places to swim and relax.

    • We’ll have lunch before departing to Dihammri, where we can swim and snorkel in the marine protected area, home to one of the richest coral reefs on the archipelago. Dihammri is blessed with more than 200 fish species and several coral species native to the island.

    • We’ll end our day by driving back to Hadibou, where we will have a final dinner together.

13. Day Thirteen

    Tour Ends

    • In the morning, the tour will end and we’ll be transferred to the airport for our flight back to Cairo, via a layover in Aden.