Yemen · Local picks
100+ Places to Visit in Yemen
These are the places worth knowing in Yemen, from the dragon's blood forests and lagoons of Socotra to Aden's Crater, the mud towers of Shibam and the old city of Sana'a. Read current travel advice first, and treat mainland picks as a guide for diaspora visitors and for the future.
Places to Visit in Socotra
Nature and Outdoors
- Dixam Plateau (Central Socotra)
The heart of the dragon's blood tree forest, with sweeping views over the Dirhur canyon. - Firmihin Forest (Dixam Plateau)
The densest stand of dragon's blood trees on the island, magical at sunrise. - Homhil Protected Area (Northeast Socotra)
Bottle trees, frankincense and a natural infinity pool above the sea. - Detwah Lagoon (Qalansiyah)
A shallow turquoise lagoon ringed by white sand and cliffs at the island's western tip. - Shuab Beach (West Socotra)
A remote white beach reached by boat from Qalansiyah, often with dolphins on the way. - Arher Beach and Dunes (East Socotra)
Tall white dunes against granite peaks, with a freshwater stream running into the sea. - Zahek Sand Dunes (South coast)
Huge pale dunes on the wild southern shore that few groups take time to climb. - Wadi Dirhur (Dixam)
A green canyon below the plateau with pools for a cool swim. - Ayhaft Canyon National Park (Near Hadibu)
A shady canyon of fig and tamarind trees with clear pools, close to town. - Dihamri Marine Protected Area (East of Hadibu)
Coral reef close to shore and one of the island's best snorkelling spots. - Noged Plain (South coast)
A long empty coastal plain and dunes where you may camp with no one else in sight. - Momi Plateau (East Socotra)
A high limestone plateau of dragon's blood and cucumber trees with dramatic sinkholes. - Delisha Beach (Near Hadibu)
A white beach with a big dune to slide down, an easy first or last stop.
Things to Do
- Hoq Cave (North coast)
A long limestone cave of stalactites and ancient inscriptions, reached by a steep hike. - Qalansiyah Fishing Village (West Socotra)
A quiet fishing town of stone houses where boats leave for Shuab. - Dagub Cave (South coast)
A cave in the cliffs above the southern coast with sweeping sea views.
Shopping and Markets
- Hadibu Souk (Hadibu)
The island's main market for dates, frankincense, honey and everyday island life.
Stays
- Homhil Campsite (Homhil)
A community camp among bottle trees with one of the island's great sunsets. - Detwah Lagoon Campsite (Qalansiyah)
Camp on the sand above the lagoon and wake to turquoise water. - Arher Campsite (Arher)
A beach camp below the dunes with a freshwater stream close by.
Restaurants
- Hadibu Fish Market (Hadibu)
Buy the morning catch and have it grilled for a simple island meal.
Events
- Bottle tree flowering (Homhil)
Around the turn of the year the bottle trees bloom bright pink.
Places to Visit in Aden
Things to Do
- Cisterns of Tawila (Crater)
Ancient reservoirs cut into the rock at the head of a ravine to catch the rare floods. - Sira Fortress (Crater)
An island fortress on a causeway with the finest view over the old harbour. - Little Ben Clock Tower (Tawahi)
The small colonial clock tower above Steamer Point, a symbol of old Aden. - Ma'alla Dhow Harbour (Ma'alla)
Watch wooden dhows load and unload as they have for centuries. - Khormaksar Seafront (Khormaksar)
An evening walk by the sea as the heat lifts and the lights come on.
Arts and Culture
- Aden Minaret (Crater)
A slender old minaret standing alone in the heart of Crater. - Al-Aidarous Mosque (Crater)
Aden's most beloved mosque, linked to the city's patron saint. - Christ Church Tawahi (Tawahi)
The old garrison church on the hill above the harbour, a relic of British Aden.
Nature and Outdoors
- Gold Mohur Beach (Tawahi)
A sandy cove where families swim and picnic at weekends. - Elephant Bay (Tawahi)
A long beach named for the elephant shaped rock at one end. - Abyan Beach (Khormaksar)
The long city beach where crowds gather on summer evenings.
Shopping and Markets
- Crater Souk (Crater)
Spices, cloth, perfume and gold in the busy lanes of the old town. - Tawahi Market (Tawahi)
A lively market quarter by the old harbour. - Sheikh Othman Market (Sheikh Othman)
A huge everyday market for fruit, clothes and household goods.
Cafés
- Adeni Tea Cafés (Crater)
Sweet milky Adeni tea poured at street cafés across the old town.
Events
- Eid on the seafront (Khormaksar)
Families crowd the beaches and seafront for the Eid holidays.
Places to Visit in Wadi Hadramawt
Things to Do
- Shibam Old Walled City (Shibam)
Hundreds of mud brick tower houses rising together, the Manhattan of the desert. - Shibam Sunset Viewpoint (Shibam)
The slope across the valley where the towers glow gold at dusk. - Haid al-Jazil (Wadi Doan)
A village built on a giant boulder in the middle of the valley. - Al-Hajarain (Wadi Doan)
A mud brick village stacked on a rock above the palms.
Arts and Culture
- Seiyun Palace (Seiyun)
The white palace of the Kathiri sultans, now a museum of Hadrami history. - Al-Muhdhar Mosque (Tarim)
Its tall square minaret is one of the tallest built of mud brick anywhere. - Al-Ahqaf Manuscript Library (Tarim)
Thousands of handwritten manuscripts from Tarim's centuries of scholarship. - Dar al-Mustafa (Tarim)
A renowned school of Islamic learning that draws students from around the world. - Tarim Palaces (Tarim)
Mansions built by families who made fortunes in Southeast Asia, in a blend of styles. - Ishsha Palace (Tarim)
A grand mud palace of the Al-Kaf family, partly restored. - Tomb of Ahmad bin Isa al-Muhajir (Husaysa)
A white domed shrine of a revered ancestor, a place of pilgrimage. - Shibam Gate (Shibam)
The single gate into the walled city, where daily life gathers.
Nature and Outdoors
- Wadi Doan (West Hadramawt)
A side valley of cliffside villages, palm groves and famous honey. - Seiyun Palm Groves (Seiyun)
Shady date gardens for an evening walk outside town.
Shopping and Markets
- Seiyun Souk (Seiyun)
The wadi's main market for dates, honey, spices and cloth. - Shibam Souk (Shibam)
Small shops by the gate selling crafts, palm baskets and daily goods. - Doan Honey Sellers (Wadi Doan)
Buy the prized sidr honey directly from the valley where it is made.
Restaurants
- Mandi restaurants of Seiyun (Seiyun)
Pit cooked meat on fragrant rice in the region where mandi was born.
Events
- Hadrami date harvest (Seiyun)
Late summer brings the date harvest to the palm groves of the wadi.
Places to Visit in Mukalla
Things to Do
- Mukalla Corniche (Old City)
The seafront where families walk, sip tea and watch the sunset. - Ghuwayzi Fort (Mukalla)
A small round fort perched on a rock at the old entrance to the city. - Khor al-Mukalla (Mukalla)
A landscaped creek through the city, lively in the evening. - Al-Shihr Old Town (Al-Shihr)
An old port east of Mukalla with a historic gate and fishing harbour.
Arts and Culture
- Sultan's Palace Museum (Old City)
The waterfront palace of the Qu'aiti sultans, now a museum of Hadrami history. - Husn al-Ghurab (Bir Ali)
Ruins of Qana, the ancient frankincense port, on a crow shaped rock.
Shopping and Markets
- Mukalla Fish Market (Harbour)
The morning catch of tuna and kingfish unloaded in a noisy, colourful scene. - Mukalla Old Souk (Old City)
Spices, incense, honey and gold in narrow lanes behind the seafront.
Nature and Outdoors
- Bir Ali (West coast)
White beaches between black volcanic headlands. - Hami Hot Springs (Near Al-Shihr)
Hot springs by the sea where families come to bathe.
Restaurants
- Fish tannour restaurants (Old City)
Fish baked in clay ovens and served with flatbread and spicy sauces.
Cafés
- Seafront tea stalls (Corniche)
Strong sweet tea with milk as the city comes out at dusk.
Places to Visit in Sana'a
Things to Do
- Old City of Sana'a (Old City)
Thousands of decorated tower houses in one of the oldest lived in cities on earth. - Bab al-Yemen (Old City)
The great southern gate and classic entrance to the old city. - Dar al-Hajar (Wadi Dhahr)
The Rock Palace built atop a stone pinnacle for Imam Yahya.
Shopping and Markets
- Souq al-Milh (Old City)
Dozens of trade markets for spices, silver, daggers and incense.
Arts and Culture
- Great Mosque of Sana'a (Old City)
One of the oldest mosques in the world, a place of worship for Muslims. - Al-Saleh Mosque (Sabeen)
The vast modern mosque on the city's southern edge.
Nature and Outdoors
- Old City Bustan Gardens (Old City)
Walled vegetable gardens hidden among the tower houses. - Jabal Nuqum (East Sana'a)
The mountain above the city with a sweeping view of the old town. - Wadi Dhahr (Northwest Sana'a)
A green valley of orchards below the Rock Palace.
Restaurants
- Saltah lunch houses (Old City)
Bubbling stone pot saltah with flatbread, the capital's signature lunch.
Cafés
- Qishr coffee stalls (Old City)
Spiced coffee husk drink, the Yemeni way to take coffee.
Places to Visit in Thula
Things to Do
- Thula Old Town (Amran)
A stone fortress town below a hilltop citadel in the highlands.
Places to Visit in Kawkaban
Things to Do
- Kawkaban (Al-Mahwit)
A clifftop village above the old town of Shibam Kawkaban.
Places to Visit in Haraz Mountains
Nature and Outdoors
- Al-Hajjarah (Manakhah)
A fortified stone village on a ridge, gateway to the terraced Haraz.
Places to Visit in Taiz
Things to Do
- Al-Qahira Castle (Taiz)
A hilltop citadel above the city, damaged in fighting and partly restored.
Arts and Culture
- Al-Ashrafiya Mosque (Taiz)
A Rasulid era mosque with richly painted domes.
Nature and Outdoors
- Jabal Sabir (Taiz)
The mountain towering over Taiz, terraced and home to proud highland villages.
Places to Visit in Ibb
Arts and Culture
- Queen Arwa Mosque (Jibla)
The mosque of an eleventh century queen in the green town of Jibla.
Places to Visit in Zabid
Arts and Culture
- Historic Town of Zabid (Tihama)
A UNESCO listed centre of learning on the Red Sea plain.
Places to Visit in Mocha
Arts and Culture
- Al-Shadhili Mosque (Mocha)
The mosque of the saint linked to coffee in the old port that named the drink.
Places to Visit in Marib
Arts and Culture
- Mahram Bilqis (Marib)
The great Sabaean temple linked to the Queen of Sheba. - Great Dam of Marib (Marib)
Remains of the ancient Sabaean dam, a wonder of the ancient world.
More to Explore
We are still checking these with fresh sources, so confirm opening times before you go.
- Kalysan Pool (Near Hadibu, Socotra)
A deep natural pool in the rocks above the coast, good for a quiet swim. - Socotra Folk Museum (Hadibu, Socotra)
A small private collection of island crafts, tools and traditions. - Summerland Hotel (Hadibu, Socotra)
A simple, long-standing base in the main town for the first and last nights. - Taj Socotra Hotel (Hadibu, Socotra)
A basic town hotel used by tour groups between camping nights. - Shata Beach (Near Ras Hawlaf, Socotra)
A quiet beach near the island's port where birdlife gathers. - Rimbaud House (Crater, Aden)
The building where the French poet lived while trading coffee in the 1880s. - National Museum Aden (Crater, Aden)
Ancient South Arabian statues and inscriptions, open irregularly. - Al-Shaibani Restaurant (Khormaksar, Aden)
A well known Yemeni chain for fish baked in clay ovens with fresh flatbread. - Aden Lighthouse at Ras Marshag (Ma'alla, Aden)
An old lighthouse on the headland with views over the Gulf of Aden. - Little Aden Beaches (Little Aden, Aden)
Quieter coves on the volcanic peninsula across the bay. - Coral Hotel Aden (Khormaksar, Aden)
A business hotel used by visiting officials and NGO staff. - Gold Mohur Hotel (Tawahi, Aden)
A seaside hotel above the beach at Gold Mohur. - Aden Cemetery at Maala (Ma'alla, Aden)
Old colonial era graves that tell the story of the port's mixed past. - Queen Arwa Mosque Aden (Crater, Aden)
A modern landmark mosque in the old town. - Hawta Palace Hotel (Seiyun, Wadi Hadramawt)
A mud palace hotel in palm gardens, with uncertain opening since the war. - Wadi al-Ayn (Hadramawt, Wadi Hadramawt)
A quiet side valley of mud villages and palms off the main road. - Bir Ali Crater Lake (Bir Ali, Mukalla)
A turquoise lake inside a volcanic crater near the coast. - Tabalah Hot Springs (North of Mukalla, Mukalla)
Natural hot pools in the hills inland from the city. - Mukalla Holiday Hotel (Mukalla, Mukalla)
A seafront hotel used by business visitors. - Omar Mosque Mukalla (Old City, Mukalla)
A white mosque that anchors the seafront skyline. - Burum Beach (West of Mukalla, Mukalla)
A fishing village beach backed by mountains. - National Museum of Yemen (Tahrir, Sana'a)
Ancient South Arabian statues, inscriptions and crafts. - Samsarat al-Mansurah (Old City, Sana'a)
A restored caravanserai used for exhibitions and crafts. - Taj Talha Hotel (Old City, Sana'a)
A traditional tower house hotel with rooftop views over the old city. - Burj al-Salam Hotel (Old City, Sana'a)
A tower house hotel known for its rooftop view.