- Route
- Jeddah · Socotra · Mukalla · Wadi Doan · Shibam · Seiyun
- Length
- 8 days 7 nights
- Price
- USD 3,500 per person
- Departure
- Departing 17–24 November 2026; can be joined to our Socotra departures. Final dates confirmed with flights and camp space.
Day by day
Day 1
Jeddah · gathering day
Meet in Jeddah on the Red Sea. An evening on the corniche, the city lights coming on across the water.
Stay Jeddah, four-star hotel
Day 2
Jeddah to Socotra · Detwah Lagoon
Fly Jeddah JED 11:00 IY525 to Socotra SCT 14:30, then on to Detwah Lagoon—white sand and turquoise water at high tide, a mirror at low tide. Climb the surrounding hills for the desert rose and stay for the sunset.
Stay Detwah Lagoon private camp, twin-share tent
Day 3
Shuab Beach · Firmihin dragon-blood forest
A boat out to Shuab—the golden beach—past coastal cliffs, with spinner dolphins often in the wake. In the afternoon, the Firmihin dragon-blood forest: layered umbrella canopies, and a night session photographing the trees under the Milky Way.
Stay Diksam private camp, twin-share tent
Day 4
Dragon-blood sunrise · Dihamri · Homhil
Dragon-blood trees at sunrise, then the Dihamri marine reserve—rich reefs and fish, ideal for snorkelling or diving. In the afternoon, Homhil, where dragon-blood trees, desert rose and frankincense grow together; bring a swimsuit for the cliff pool, and stay for sunset.
Stay Arher beach private camp, twin-share tent
Day 5
Arher dune sunrise · fly to Mukalla
Walk up the dune before dawn for golden sand against deep blue sea. After lunch, fly IY421 (12:30–13:30) to Mukalla and step onto the Yemen mainland: the old town, the market, and—time permitting—Al-Ghwayzi fort.
Stay Mukalla hotel
Day 6
Mukalla to Haid al-Jazil
On to Haid al-Jazil, the showpiece of Wadi Doan: a village balanced on a sandstone outcrop more than a hundred metres above the valley. Visit Hawfah and the painted Buk mountain palace, call on a honey producer for the famous Hadrami sidr honey, and watch the sun drop over Wadi Doan.
Stay Haid al-Jazil hotel
Day 7
Wadi Doan · Seif · Shibam
Deeper into the valley, stopping at Seif and Hajrain, where houses seem to grow straight out of the cliff and are joined by carved steps. Then Shibam, the 'Manhattan of Arabia': some 500 mud-brick towers of three to eleven storeys, a World Heritage site since 1982. Sunset over the city, then on to Seiyun.
Stay Seiyun, local four-star hotel
Day 8
Seiyun · Tarim · departure
Tarim, the mud-built Sufi city: the small market and the Mihdhar mosque with the tallest mud minaret in the world. After lunch, the tomb of the Prophet Hud and the Sultan's palace in Seiyun, the market, then the airport—home via Cairo.
Price notes
Includes all accommodation (luxury tented camps plus four-star hotels), all ground transport including airport transfers and mainland security escort, daily meals with water and soft drinks, all site fees and permits, boat and snorkelling gear, and a Chinese-speaking guide. Excludes international flights, the Yemen visa, personal insurance, tips and personal spending. Single supplement USD 600.
- Visas: The mainland requires a separate Yemeni entry visa; a Socotra permit alone is not valid for travel on the mainland.
- Separate tickets: All mainland flights are issued as separate, non-through tickets. If an inbound flight is delayed, we will do everything possible to assist, but cannot assume responsibility for missed onward flights or associated losses.
- Local flexibility: Local conditions may require changes to road access, accommodation or site openings at short notice. Every movement is arranged by our experienced, licensed local team.
- Tailored routing: Senior guides may adjust the order of visits and sites according to season, weather and live camp conditions to deliver the best possible experience.