We only take travellers into one part of Yemen these days: Hadhramaut. This guide is about Seiyun, Shibam, Tarim and the rest of Wadi Hadhramaut — not Sana'a or the Houthi-controlled north, which we're not covering here. There's a working land route in these days, plus a flight option — here's exactly how each one stacks up.
Can You Cross From Saudi Arabia Into Hadhramaut?
Yes. Al-Wadiah, out past Sharurah in Saudi Arabia's Najran Province, is the only official land crossing between the two countries, and it's the main way we get people into Hadhramaut overland these days. Since November 2025 it's been designated the sole approved route for passenger traffic (not just commercial cargo) crossing between Yemen and Saudi Arabia, with the Yemeni side of the road running through Al-Abr and on to Seiyun. Processing on the Saudi side is genuinely quick — passport control, health checks and customs are all set up to move people through efficiently rather than the old queue-and-wait experience.
What About Crossing From Oman?
This one used to actually work. Until March 2024, the two Oman crossings — Sarfait on the coast, and Shihan/Al Mazyunah further north in the desert — were how the handful of foreign travellers visiting mainland Yemen got in. A local fixer would arrange a Ministry of Tourism approval letter in advance, and you'd get your visa stamped right at the border for around $150 USD. Not anymore. Yemen has stopped letting foreign travellers enter this way. Both crossings still work fine if you want to exit Yemen into Oman — just not the other direction.
Can You Still Visit the Border, just for a Look?
Yes, and people do. It's a nice little add-on if you're already in Salalah — drive the two-ish hours down to the Sarfait post (or up to Al Mazyunah) and you can stand right at the frontier and look into Yemen. Just don't expect to actually cross. Since entry is closed anyway at the moment, this is a curiosity stop.
Can You Also Fly into Hadhramaut?
Yes — the other option is flying straight into Seiyun (Sayun) International Airport, which reopened to civilian traffic in January 2026. Yemenia serves it from Cairo, Jeddah and Aden, with around 7 flights a week between the three. If you're coming from further afield than Saudi Arabia, or want to pair the trip with Socotra , this is usually the easier route in — some Cairo–Seiyun flights continue on to Socotra, which is a genuinely good way to combine the two.
Do You Need a Visa Arranged Before You Fly?
Yes. This isn't a visa-on-arrival situation once you're flying in — you'll need a Ministry of Tourism approval letter arranged through a local fixer, and we'd budget around two weeks for that to come through. Tickets are best bought through a Yemenia office or your agent directly, generally in cash, and won't actually get issued until your passport and visa details are on file.
What Else Should You Know Before You Go?
A local guide isn't optional in Hadhramaut — there are checkpoints throughout the region, and an unaccompanied foreigner is likely to get stopped and turned back. Where you can, exit and enter on the same passport; we've heard of travellers running into avoidable friction at the border after using different passports for their Omani exit stamp and Yemeni visa. And double-check your travel insurance actually covers Yemen by name — plenty of standard policies exclude it outright.
Can you visit Sana’a?
No. At the current time it is not possible or advised to visit Sana’a .
Ready to See Hadhramaut for Yourself?
We can sort the visa approval, the flights, and the fixer on the ground — that's most of the work anyway. Send us an email at [email protected] and we'll walk you through getting into Wadi Hadhramaut.
