Yemen travel guide

Getting there

International flights to Yemen are very limited and subject to change, mainly via Aden and Seiyun; overland borders with Saudi Arabia and Oman are generally not practical for tourists.

Best time to visit: Oct–Apr – cooler weather; Socotra is best outside the Jun–Sep monsoon winds.

Tougher months: June-September – the coasts and deserts are extremely hot and Socotra is battered by strong monsoon winds.

Weather by month in Sana'a

• 24°J
• 25°F
• 26°M●
• 27°A●
• 29°M●
• 30°J
• 29°J●
• 28°A●
• 28°S
• 25°O
• 23°N
• 22°D

Average daytime highs in °C; dots show how rainy the month is (one dot dry, three dots wet).

Time zone: Asia/Riyadh. Compare with your local time.

Visas: in our passport dataset, 12 of 198 other passports can enter Yemen without arranging a visa first (visa-free or visa on arrival), 0 need an e-visa or electronic authorisation, and 186 need a visa in advance. Check your passport.

Background: Visa policy of Yemen (Wikipedia).

Official advisory: Level 4: Do Not Travel (U.S. Department of State, updated 2026-10-10). Read the advisory.

Source and more: Yemen travel facts on RoamSun

Stay

Most trips to Yemen are based around Sana'a, Shibam or Socotra. Pick a base for your main interest, then add day trips rather than moving hotels every night.

Typical daily budget: about US$40–70 for a backpacker and US$100–180 mid-range, per person.

Source: RoamSun Yemen page · Browse hotel guides

Connect

Plug types: A, D, G. Voltage: 230 V. Check your own devices on the plug and currency checker.

Calling code: +967.

Mobile data: read the travel eSIM setup guide before you fly so the plan is installed and ready on landing.

Source: Advinne eSIM guide · RoamSun

Do

• Sana'a (Highlands · old city): One of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, with a UNESCO-listed old town of ornate tower houses.
• Shibam (Hadramawt · desert architecture): Nicknamed the 'Manhattan of the Desert' for its tightly packed mud-brick high-rises.
• Socotra (Arabian Sea · island): A UNESCO-listed island of surreal endemic plants, white dunes and turquoise lagoons.
• Marib (East · ancient ruins): The former Sabaean capital, with temple ruins and remains of the ancient dam.
• Aden (South · port city): A historic harbour city built partly inside an extinct volcanic crater.
• Haraz Mountains (West · terraced villages): Fortified stone villages cling to peaks above spectacular agricultural terraces.
• Zabid (Tihama · historic town): A UNESCO-listed town that was once a major centre of Islamic learning.
• Tarim (Hadramawt · religious centre): A city of many mosques and elegant mud-brick palaces in the heart of Wadi Hadramawt.

Things to do

• Old City of Sana'a. Gaze up at tower houses iced with white gypsum patterns rising above a maze of ancient souqs.
• Shibam's mud skyscrapers. Marvel at a walled city of high-rise mud-brick houses that has stood in the Hadramawt desert for centuries.
• Socotra's dragon's blood trees. Walk among umbrella-shaped trees and bottle trees found nowhere else on Earth.
• Ruins of Marib. Stand among the pillars of ancient Sabaean temples tied to the legend of the Queen of Sheba.
• Haraz Mountains. Hike between stone villages perched on cliff tops above dizzying terraced fields.
• Yemeni coffee. Taste the heritage of the beans that made the port of Mocha a byword for coffee.
• Dar al-Hajar. Photograph the rock palace that rises from a boulder in Wadi Dhahr near Sana'a.
• Taste saltah. Try the national dish, a bubbling stew topped with frothy fenugreek, scooped up with flatbread.

Source: full Yemen guide on RoamSun

Eat and drink

• Saltah – bubbling meat stew topped with fenugreek froth
• Mandi – slow-cooked meat and rice
• Bint al-sahn – layered honey bread
• Qishr – spiced drink made from coffee husks

Source: RoamSun Yemen guide

Money and safety

Currency: Yemeni rial (YER). Currency and plug checker.

Tipping: Small tips for guides and drivers are appreciated..

Emergency numbers: 194 police · 191 ambulance & fire.

• The currency is the Yemeni rial; exchange rates can differ between regions of the country.
• Yemen is largely a cash economy – international cards and ATMs are unreliable, so bring clean US dollar notes.
• Yemen is affected by an ongoing armed conflict and most governments advise against all travel – check your government's latest travel advice.
• Kidnapping, terrorism and landmines are serious risks, and consular help is extremely limited or unavailable.

Source: RoamSun Yemen facts