Things to do in Yemen

Explore one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities, a UNESCO site with towering gingerbread-like mud-brick tower houses and bustling souks.

Stand beneath the iconic umbrella-shaped trees on the Dixam Plateau, a bizarre landscape unlike anywhere else on Earth.

Walk through the 16th-century 'Manhattan of the Desert', a UNESCO-listed walled city of high-rise mud-brick buildings rising from the wadi.

Cool off in crystalline turquoise pools carved into limestone, surrounded by palm groves and honey-coloured villages in central Hadramawt.

Witness the golden light over the Arabian Sea while enjoying sweet Yemeni shai from a crumbling merchant's house in the old port city.

Trek through centuries-old stone villages like Manakhah and Al-Hajjarah, perched on mountainsides with breathtaking views over deep gorges.

Drift through crystal waters teeming with rays, turtles, and vibrant coral gardens on the western tip of the remote Indian Ocean island.

Scoop up Yemen's national dish – a bubbling clay-pot stew of meat, fenugreek froth, and spicy salsa – at a local eatery in the Old City.

Discover ancient petroglyphs and inscriptions near Al-Ahqaf, revealing human occupation and hunting scenes from over 5,000 years ago.

Stand before the ruins of the ancient Sabaean kingdom, including the famed Marib Dam and the sanctuary of Bilqis, an echo of pre-Islamic grandeur.

Pitch a tent on a pristine white-sand beach on Socotra’s west coast, fall asleep to lapping waves and wake to endemic birdsong.

In the heart of Old Sana'a, navigate a sensory overload of mounds of cumin, saffron, dried limes, and smoking incense beneath carved wooden roofs.

Brave the dizzying stone bridge spanning a 200-metre-deep gorge, a 17th-century engineering marvel connecting two mountain communities.

Gaze up at the 53-metre mud-brick minaret, one of the tallest mud structures on Earth, rising above the scholarly city of Tarim.

Sit at a plastic table by the sea in the ancient port district, devouring red snapper, lobster, and spiced rice fresh off the boat.

Visit the iconic seven-storey palace built atop a towering rock pinnacle in Wadi Dahr, once the summer retreat of Imam Yahya.

Join locals as they carefully slice Boswellia trees to collect the prized resin, used in rituals for millennia, in the misty highlands.

Wander the Moslem-era capital of Queen Arwa, with its tightly packed stone houses, ancient mosques, and shaded arcades frozen in time.

Trace the volcanic coastline where dark cliffs plunge into turquoise water, passing fishing villages and the surreal black-sand beach of Shuqra.

Climb the ancient reservoir system carved from volcanic rock, a sophisticated water collection network dating to Himyarite times.

Spend an afternoon in a mafraj (top-floor reception room) chewing qat leaves while discussing politics and poetry, a pillar of Yemeni social culture.

Hike to a remote mountain hamlet accessible only by foot, where traditional farming and architecture remain untouched by modernity.

Contemplate the engineering prowess of the Sabaeans at the remains of one of the ancient world's greatest hydraulic feats, which transformed a desert.

Climb the medieval fortress built on a volcanic hill overlooking the Gulf of Aden, offering panoramic views of the city and its twin harbours.

Sip strong Yemeni qahwa in the historic university town that spread Islamic scholarship across the Indian Ocean, a UNESCO site.