All regions of this diverse country offer activities for visitors. The Haraz Mountains are ideal for trekking, discovering small villages, and visiting fortified towns. The highest peak, Jabal an-Nabi Shu’ayb, can be enjoyed by both climbers and hikers with strong athletic abilities. Wadi Hadramawt, in the highlands, offers hiking among historical sites and towns in the valley.
The L-shaped coastal plains offer a different set of activities, though it is still possible to hike into the mountains and enjoy the spectacular views. Aden is great for sport fishing and is best known for its tuna and shark, while the beaches along the coast of the Red Sea are best for relaxing. Socotra offers the best surfing, scuba diving, and snorkeling in the country.
Arcadia Tours is a local company that specializes in trekking tours in the Haraz Mountains. These tours can be personalized to suit visitors’ needs and are done over a multiple number of days. Treks can also be booked through Eternal Yemen.
Visitors who prefer exploring Yemen by vehicle can arrange a four-wheel driving exploration complete with a driver through Yamanat Tours. These tours accommodate a maximum of four people and can last from one to 21 days. Visitors have the option of exploring the mountains, the Arabian Desert, or both.
Yemeni Dreams offers sand boarding tours to the highest dunes in the desert, near the edge of the Empty Quarter (Rub’ al Khali). It uses the best equipment possible to ensure the safety of visitors. It is also the only company in Yemen that offers sand skiing.
The Rub’ al Khali can also be explored by the traditional means of camel riding over the dunes and through this inhabited area. This activity can be organized with Incense Caravan, a local company run by three entrepreneurs who share a passion for travel.
The locals in Yemen have not yet caught on to the popularity of diving, with the exception of Two Moon Diving, one of the only diving companies in the country that offers scuba diving along Yemen’s 1,553 mile coastline. As its name suggests, Socotra Dive and Tour offers diving trips around the island of Socotra.
Many Yemen tour companies, such as Admire Yemen, offer multiple-day sightseeing excursions through the country that can last from two to 20 days. These tours take visitors to all of the country’s prime sights and arrange all necessary travel permits and transport.
Yemen is home to numerous markets (souks) and is a shopper’s haven. Companies such as Yemeni Dreams take visitors on shopping tours of the markets. The tours last a number of days and take visitors to the best weekly markets in the country.
Fishing is popular and Socotra Holidays offers sport fishing expeditions in the Arabian Sea, which is home to grouper, barracuda, snapper, and tuna. The best time to enjoy fishing in Yemen is from January to May.