Air-conditioned 4x4 vehicle throughout (4 pax per vehicle)
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: Manakha, Al-Hoteib, Al-Hajjarah & Hodeidah
Depart Sanaa to the city of
Hodeidah
along Qa'a Bani Mudar where the best coffee plants are
grown, continue west to Haraz region, an area of high
mountain 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 then continue in the afternoon
to Hodeidah where we will stay overnight.
DAY 4: Hodeidah, Beit Al-Faqih, Zabid & Taiz
Early morning visit to the traditional fish market at the
southern part of the city then depart Hodeidah and drive to
visit the Friday traditional market of Bait Al-Faqih, which
is considered on of the biggest and most important
traditional markets in the country. Drive on to visit Zabid,
an important early Islamic center of learning, where algebra
is said to have been invented. In Zabid, see the finely
decorated old houses and the 10th century mosque then
continue to Taiz. In the afternoon explore Taiz, 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 in Taiz.
DAY 5: Taiz, Jibla, Ibb & Sana'a
n 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 6: Sana'a, Marib, Sana'a
Traveling east, for a full day journey to Marib, the
legendary capital of the
kingdom
of Sheba
. See the remains of the
Temple
of the Moon God (
Awan
Temple) 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
.
DAY 7: 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.
