Socotra Island is rightfully considered one of the most beautiful, mystical and at the same time the least visited by tourists islands in the world. Belonging to Yemen - a poor and eternally warring country, slowed down its development for decades, made it an "outcast" in the tourist world. However, now the island is under the protectorate of the United Arab Emirates, the so-called humanitarian flight from Abu Dhabi flies here and this makes it possible to visit this closed, but amazing in terms of natural beauty and wonders island, being confident that the trip is safe.
And there is something to see on Socotra and this is putting it mildly! )) Due to the isolation of the island and its remoteness from the continent, a third of the plants growing here are endemic, that is, they are not found anywhere else in the world! Including bottle and dragon trees - unusual, amazing creations of nature!
But besides this, there are a large number of delightful snow-white and almost deserted beaches, beautiful canyons and sand dunes, excellent seafood and skilled chefs who cook food in camping conditions so that the best restaurants in the world will envy them.
The lack of civilization, comfortable hotels and stable mobile communications is compensated here by complete immersion in pristine nature, overnight stays 10-20 meters from the ocean, an incomparable bright starry sky with the Milky Way, which you will not see anywhere else in the world! And all this against the backdrop of the silhouettes of dragon trees, whose crowns make an indelible impression even during the day, and at night they turn into something unreal, unearthly. If you leave the tent at night, you can easily imagine yourself on some strange planet in the unknown to us Space.
When going to Socotra, get ready for unreal colors, unimaginable natural landscapes and strong, vivid emotions! You will definitely remember this trip for the rest of your life!
*The below day-by-day tour program is set out as it was in April 2025. Next year, the order of visiting certain locations may be slightly changed - local guides form the route based on the weather and agreements with other guides, trying to avoid a large influx of tourists in the same places, which, of course, we only welcome. *
Duration
8 days
Comfort
Group
up to 10 pers.
Age
18+
Region
Socotra, Yemen
Tour organizer:
EVGENY ANDROSOV
Professional traveler, climber, mountain guide and tour instructor with 35 years of experience. Has visited all continents, 80 countries of the world and 70 regions of Russia. Organizer of hundreds of author's tours, expeditions, hikes, ascents... Read more
Itinerary day by day:
We arrive at Hadibo airport (visa issuance and passport control). A local guide meets us with a sign, we go to the campsite near Ditwah beach, where we have lunch and free time until sunset.
On the way, we stop and look at Soviet tanks (7-8 pieces) along the sea, left here from the 70s - early 80s of the last century, when the island was a transit base for Soviet troops in this region.
The first view of Ditwah beach from the mountain. Wow! We swim for about an hour (we change right in the car). We walk along the beach to the lagoon to the campsite (Qalansia is the name of the lagoon, the beach, and the “city” in which 35 thousand people live).
Closer to the evening, we go on a hike up the mountain to meet the sunset. Our guide and a local guide lead us. Women are advised to bring beautiful dresses for photos. The walk takes a little over an hour with stops for rest and photos. We watch the sunset, sitting on the top with our guides. The return journey takes 1 hour in the dark.
For dinner, lobsters, fish, squid, vegetables, rice… (the menu may change, but the first dinner is always the most abundant). We go to sleep in tents: at this camp we have toilets and showers.
More
Breakfast. We go to Shuab beach; along the way you can meet dolphins. We reach a fishing village and transfer to a motorboat, which will take us to Shuab beach - an incredibly beautiful sea route, mountains on the left, turquoise water on the right, a great chance to see dolphins on the way! We swim, sunbathe and enjoy the views of the beach.
After lunch and a short rest, a walk along the beach to the cave to the caveman. His name is Abdullah (in the photo below), he is 60-65 years old and he has lived in a cave all his life. During the day, in order to earn money and show the life of the Socotriyu in the past, he receives tourists, and at night he goes to the city to his wife.
Night at the campsite.
More
In the morning we pack our things and go towards Diksam Plateau. On the way we look at the pool where local children are swimming, we give out sweets to the children (it is advisable to take them from home - the children's immediate joy and their happy smiles serve as an excellent "payment" for these small gifts).
A steep descent down by car to the Dirhur canyon. In the canyon we have lunch and swim in a fresh river.
We arrive in Firmin (a forest of dragon trees on the Diksam plateau). Dinner and overnight stay under the trees (there is no toilet or shower) - very atmospheric!
More
We meet the dawn among the dragon trees. Breakfast. Transfer towards the Indian Ocean. On the way, a short walk, the purpose of which is a view of the Dixam plateau from above (a huge number of dragon trees!).
We have lunch next to the dragon tree plantations.
After lunch - Di Gub Cave and Amak dunes (be prepared to take a lot of photos:)
In the evening we arrive at Zahik beach. Here we stop for dinner and overnight (tents on the sand a few dozen meters from the ocean!!!), there are more or less decent toilets and showers.
Sunrise on the shore of the Indian Ocean and swimming in it. Breakfast.
Then we go towards the Kalisan Canyon. A short walk (about 40 minutes) to the Kalisan Canyon, where those who wish can dive into the water from a great height.
Return to the cars and lunch. We go to the dunes and Archer Beach. Swimming, dinner and overnight (there are no toilets or showers, but there is a pipe with fresh water - it is used as a shower).
Breakfast. Hog Cave (the trek uphill to the entrance of the cave is about 1.5 hours). This is one of the most impressive caves we have ever seen! Unlike the vast majority of caves of this level, it is almost "unimproved" - there are no entrance tickets, lighting, paths or boundary lines. The length of the beaten path inside the cave is about a kilometer, we go with powerful flashlights, accompanied by a local guide. At the end of the path, you can see that the cave goes further, but, to be honest, what we see and feel will be more than enough - the cave is huge, covered with stalactites and stalagmites, bizarre formations, there are small ponds and all this is very bright and colorful.
We return, have lunch and pack our things, after which we go to Homhel Protected area (bottle, incense and dragon trees).
Transfer to Infinity pool (swimming with a view of the lagoon).
In the evening we go to meet the sunset at the meeting point of the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean. Night in tents on Archer beach.
Breakfast. We pack our things and go snorkeling* to the Di Hamri area. There are many beautiful fish here, octopuses, moray eels, turtles. We snorkel for 2-3 hours, then have lunch.
Dinner - in a small campsite near the city or in a city cafe. Check-in at a hotel in Hadibo. The hotel is very modest by European standards (there are simply no others here), but there is wi-fi, a shower and a towel, a fan, air conditioning, a toilet and toilet paper.
Before dinner, if you want, you can walk around the city of Hadibo. It is quite dirty, but very authentic - this is real Yemen, and not a tourist reservation, which, in fact, almost the entire island of Socotra is.
*fins and a mask can be rented on site (cost $ 5 per item) or bring your own from home.
Breakfast in the same cafe where we had our previous dinner. Transfer to the airport.
At the airport - a thorough inspection of bags (several times through the tape); the entire airport building is littered with shells - these are all trophies of tourists (forbidden to be taken off the island!).
Flight to Abu Dhabi. Goodbye fantastic and mystical island!
Tour cost: $1790
The tour price includes:
all transportation on Socotra Island by SUV, including transfers to/from the airport,
three hot meals a day all days of your stay on the island,
Accommodation in comfortable tents (single occupancy),
Accommodation in a 3-star hotel on the last night of stay on the island,
General equipment (tents, awnings, canopies, dishes, camping tables and chairs, etc.),
visa support, all necessary passes and permits for visiting national parks,
work of a local English-speaking guide and service personnel (cooks, drivers),
work of a Russian tour organizer, who will decide everything on the spot questions that arise, as well as a local guide who translates information (for those who do not know or know English poorly).
The tour price does NOT include:
airfare to Abu Dhabi (purchased by participants independently),
airfare Abu Dhabi - Socotra - Abu Dhabi (cost - $1000, including bank fees), purchased by the tour organizer centrally for all members of the group (it is impossible to buy these tickets independently!),
cost of visa to Socotra ($150),
renting a boat for fishing on the penultimate day ($70 - $100 for everyone),
renting equipment for snorkeling (fins and mask) - $5 per item,
gratuities to the local service team ($50 - 100 per person),
other expenses not listed in the “included in the price”
In terms of physical activity, this is NOT a high-difficulty tour. It does not require serious physical training, only a moral attitude towards adventure and good emotions in field conditions, but at the same time with a fairly high level of service (see the last paragraph of this section).
During the trip there will be several easy tracks, the longest is 1.5 hours. It can be difficult, but surmountable even for older people and people without any physical training.
Civilization has not yet reached Socotra, we will live in the bosom of nature, away from mobile communications and the Internet. For those who have to be in touch at all times due to work, this tour is not very suitable, but for everyone else, it is a real digital detox and an opportunity to reboot, filled with emotions and impressions from the pristine and absolutely fantastic nature, unlike any other corner of the world you know.
Accommodation in single tents (for couples, double tents are provided) all days of the tour except the last night. There are only three hotels on Socotra and we will stay in one of them on the last night to take a shower and get ourselves in order before flying to civilization))
All meals are included in the tour price, since there are practically no shops, cafes and restaurants on Socotra. All days of the tour we will be accompanied by a cook who cooks no worse than in a restaurant)) Drinking water is also included in the price and will be provided to participants without any restrictions.
Our tour will take place at a leisurely pace, without extreme and haste, with maximum comfort for this kind of travel. At your service will be spacious high-quality tents with mattresses and pillows, awnings, tables and chairs, a full set of dishes, as well as the service of the accompanying team - they will put up and take down tents, awnings, folding tables and chairs, cook food and set the table, wash dishes, and clean up trash. All that is required of you is... rest)))
More
For this tour you need to take a set of light hiking clothes, because in October the air temperature here is 20-30 degrees during the day, and 15-20 at night. Shorts and T-shirts are possible (the local population is Muslim, but during the tour we will only have a local guide, cook and drivers who are very loyal to tourists and do not pay attention to their "dress code"). However, be sure to take pants (long dresses / skirts), long-sleeved shirts, closed shoes, as well as hats, scarves, sunscreen - the sun is very active here and 15-20 minutes is enough to get burned.
The tour program has many fantastically beautiful beaches and warm sea, we will swim, sunbathe, snorkel, so bathing suits are a must.
It is also recommended to take with you: wet toilet paper, wet wipes, a sheet (it is hot to take cover in a tent at night under a local blanket) and sweets for local children.
More
Currently, there is a humanitarian flight from Abu Dhabi to Socotra Island operated by El Arabiya. This is the only way to get to the island and tickets for the high season (March-April and October-November) are sold out six months in advance. Due to the need to purchase tickets for this flight in advance, we ask you not to delay signing up if you decide to go with us and sign up as early as possible. Ticket availability is not guaranteed one or two months before the start of the tour.
Air tickets for the Abu Dhabi - Socotra - Abu Dhabi flight are purchased by the tour organizer centrally for the entire group and these tickets are non-refundable. Air tickets to Abu Dhabi are purchased by the participants themselves, the tour organizer is not responsible for the non-arrival of participants for the flight from Abu Dhabi to Socotra for any reason.
Due to the "shifts" of the flight to Socotra, the start and end dates of the tour may be slightly (by 1-3 days) adjusted at the time of purchasing air tickets, while the number of days remains unchanged. We strongly recommend buying tickets to Abu Dhabi after purchasing tickets from Abu Dhabi to Socotra. We also recommend flying to Abu Dhabi the day before, spending the night there and then arriving at the airport to board the flight to Socotra. The flight is humanitarian and is not on the airline's schedule or even on the departure airport board, so it is better to arrive at Abu Dhabi airport in advance to find the right check-in counter and go through all the pre-flight formalities.
More
1. If you are interested in this tour, leave a request using the form below or call the numbers listed, we will contact you and answer all your questions.
2. To book a seat, you must make an advance payment of 10% of the tour cost, as well as the cost of the Abu Dhabi - Socotra - Abu Dhabi air ticket in the amount of 1,000 US dollars. Payment is made in rubles at the current exchange rate of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation.
Tickets for the Abu Dhabi - Socotra - Abu Dhabi flight are non-refundable, their cost is not refunded if the participant refuses the trip for any reason. The prepayment is refundable 60 days or more before the start of the tour and, unfortunately, non-refundable less than 60 days before the start of the tour, if the refund is related to your refusal to participate (for any reason).
3. The final payment is made within ten to seven working days before the start of the tour, also in rubles at the current exchange rate of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation.
Socotra Tour in April
bottle tree blooming season
April 7 - 14, 2026Сложность: