Air-conditioned 4x4 vehicle throughout (4 pax per vehicle)
Desert guide (Bedouin escort) Marib/desert/Seyun
ITINERARY
DAY 1 : Arrival
Arrive into the medieval city of Sana'a,
the capital of Yemen,
considered to be the birthplace of Arab nationhood, at the
airport you will be met and transferred to your hotel for a
two-night stay
DAY 2 : Sana'a
A full day exploration of Sana'a, including a visit to the
National Museum, Haddah and the ancient quarter of this
fascinating Arabian city with its intricately decorated
mosques and unique multi-storyed houses.
DAY 3 : Sana'a, Marib,
Traveling east to Marib, the legendary capital of the kingdom of Sheba.
See the remains of the Temple
of the Moon God (AwanTemple) and the Throne of Bilquis
(Bar'an Temple). See also the surviving stonework of the
famous dam on which the prosperity of the
kingdom of Sheba depended for more than a thousand years and
the ancient city of
Marib. Overnight in Marib
DAY 4 : The Desert (Empty Quarter),
Al-Qtan, Shibam & Seyun
Early morning depart Marib for Wadi Hadramaut, via Safer &
Ramlat Al-Sab'atayn (accompanied by a desert guide),
crossing the undulating deserts, known for its stark and
uncluttered beauty, is one of the most exciting, interesting
and imaginable trips. En route we stop to visit the "desert
Manhattan" Shibam an awe inspiring town of ancient
sky-scrapers soaring out of the desert which UNESCO has
declared a protected world monument, continue on to Seyun
for a two-night stay.
DAY 5 : Seyun, Aynat & Tarim
Explore Seyun, the former capital of Kathiri Sultanate. You
will see the 17th century Great Mosque, the
Palace
of Sultan Al-Kathiri
built of clay & brick and decorated with gypsum. You can
then wander around the traditional "Suq" with its
handicrafts and home-ground produce. Depart Seyun and drive
to visit the serenely peaceful village of Aynat known for its religious tombs and
shrines. On the way you will pass through an area well known
for its production of gypsum and will be able to watch the
furnaces and workmen in action. On the way back, you will
visit Tarim the capital of Kinda Kings. You will be taken
around Al-KaffPalace (TarimMuseum), Al-MuhdarMosque & Bin
YahyaPalace. Rest at the old summer Palace,
which is now
Al-QubbaPalace hotel before
returning to Seyun for overnight.
DAY 6 : Al-Hajarain, Wadi Douan & Mukalla
Early morning, depart Seyun for Mukalla via Wadi Douan, the
most important and famous valley in Wadi Hadramaut. En
route, visit Al-Hajarain, one of the most ancient &
beautiful villages in this area. See the remarkable stone
village, a top rocky slope of Wadi Hajarain. Continue on to
Mukalla for an overnight stay
DAY 7 : Mukalla, BirAli, Habban & Aden
Depart Mukalla and drive along the spectacular coast road to
Bir Ali, surrounded by white sand dunes, green rocky
mountains and black lava deposits. Following the coast
through a mixture of volcanic landscape and occasional
patches of sand dune, we turn inland to Wadi Mayfa'a then
pass over a wide plain to reach Al-Rawda, where it may be
possible to visit a weaving factory. Continue on to Aden via Habban & Al-Mahfad, overnight at your hotel in
Aden.
DAY 8 : Aden & Taiz
Explore Aden, the country's economic center, visit the massive &
ancient Tawilla cisterns, built during the first millennium
after Christ, the ethnographic museum, the archaeological
museum and Aden minaret. Depart Aden for Taiz, in the afternoon explore the medieval
capital of
Yemen
under the Rasulid Dynasty. A short drive to Jabel Saber then
visit the fine Ashraffiya Mosque with its twin minarets, the
Muddhaffariya Mosque, and walk through the Suq, with its
exotic wares, overnight at your hotel in Taiz.
DAY 9 : Taiz, Jibla, Ibb & Sana'a
In the morning visit the and the old Palace of Imam Ahmed,
now a museum preserving his curious lifestyle then depart
Taiz for Sana'a via Jibla, this picturesque village was the
capital of Queen Arwa Bint Ahmed in the 11th century. Here
you can see the great mosque with its column prayer hall,
and the finely decorated tomb of the Queen. Drive to visit
Ibb then continue on to Sana'a for an overnight stay.
DAY 10 : Sana'a, Manakha, Al-Hoteib, Al-Hajjarah, Sana'a
Traveling west, for a full day journey to Haraz region along
Qa'a Bani Mudar where the best coffee plants are grown.
Haraz region, an area of HighMountain
ranges where villages and coffee plantations cling to steep
slopes. Its capital Manakha, is a large market town full of
narrow alleys, Suqs and attractive four-story houses. Drive
on to visit the fortified medieval villages of Al-Hoteib
then Al-Hajjarah, an old fortified village where houses are
built directly onto rock, enjoy a traditional Bara'a dance
with the locals before returning back to Sana'a.
DAY 11 : Thula, Hababah, Kawkaban, Shibam & Wadi Dhar
Heading northwest, you will visit Thula a fortress town with
its original walls, a prime example of Arabs use of stone,
as a building material is nearly intact. Continue to
Hababah, one of the most attractive Yemeni stone villages
before traveling through volcanic landscapes to Shibam, at
the foot of the step wall of Jabel Kawkaban. Dating far back
into antiquity Kawkaban is the upper town of Shibam and can be reached
by a paved path which follows the flank of the cliff, at
3000m Kawkaban dominates the region. Shibam lower down is
the former capital of the Yaffouride Dynasty (861 - 956 AD).
En route, you will visit (if time permits) Dar Al-Hajjar,
the summer palace of Imam Yahya, perched on the top of a
rocky pinnacle at Wadi Dhar before returning to Sana'a for a
farewell dinner in a traditional Yemeni restaurant,
overnight at your hotel in Sana'a
