To the ancients it was Arabia Felix, Fortunate Arabia. But that was old news. The even more ancient Arab root word for Yemen is ymn, or prosperity. By turns peacefully green, lushly mountainous, rugged, vastly sandy, staggeringly beautiful at every turn, exotic in the deepest sense (there are few five-star comforts here), it is one of those almost secret places we want to grab you by the lapels and lead you to.

Our expertly honed itinerary gives us good looks at Yemen’s huge diversity of scenery and puts us in touch with its people; in a part of the world known for courtly hospitality, Yemenis are perhaps the most hospitable of all. We begin in the country’s capital, 7200-foot Sana’a, and roam its narrow streets and busy souks before heading through fertile highlands to Ta’izz, set in a dramatic basin. We’ll do some hiking on ancient village-to-village paths in the mountains of Al Mahwit, then return to Sana’a before entering the desert on the way to Marib (from where the Queen of Sheba controlled the southern end of the Frankincense Route). From Marib, we make a classic Arabian desert crossing to the oases of Seiyun, Tarim, and Shibam, then turn south, crossing the Wadi Doan to the pretty port city of Al-Mukalla.

Days 1 & 2: USA to Sana’a • Days 3 & 4: Sana’a • Day 5: drive to Ta’izz via Dhamar, Radaa • Day 6: Ta'izz • Day 7: Zabid, Mokha • Day 8: return to Sana'a via Jibla • Day 9: excursion to Mahakhah, Al Hajarah, Bayt al Amir • Day 10: to Al Mahwit via Thula, Kawkaban • Day 11: Al Mahwit walking • Day 12: drive to Marib via Baraqish • Day 13: Marib, Sirwah excursion • Day 14: desert crossing to Seiyun • Day 15: Tarim, Sieyun, Shibam • Day 16: to Al-Mukalla via Wadi Doan • Day 17: Al-Mukalla to Sana'a • Days 18 & 19: return to USA.

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