Travel and Tourism

Travel and Tourism in Yemen

Travel alerts, currency, climate, transit, health, and safety information for visitors to Yemen.

Practical Information

Travel alert status, currency, climate, and transit details.

Travel Alert Status: Level 4: Do Not Travel
Time Difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Currency: Yemeni rial (YER)
Climate: The interior highlands have two rainy seasons a year: the first in March and April, and a second with heavier rainfall in July and August. For the rest of the year, sunny, clear weather is the rule, with occasional dust storms. In winter, night temperatures in Sanaa can drop to 30°F, with sunshine and daytime highs of 70°F. Summer temperatures are moderate, with highs of 85°F, dropping to the low 60s at night. To the west in the Tihama (lowlands adjoining the Red Sea) where there is a mixture of African and Arab cultures, the weather is hot and humid for much of the year. Even in winter, daytime highs can be in the 90s. During the summer, torrential monsoons occur. Aden and the southern coast are similarly hot and humid, with summer temperatures frequently in the 100s. However, winter temperatures are far milder and more pleasant. The Hadhramaut and the interior desert regions extending east from Aden to the Omani border are hot and dry. To the east of the highland interior, the terrain slopes down to the sandy wastes of the deserts of inner Arabia, the famous "Empty Quarter."
Ethnic Groups: predominantly Arab; but also Afro-Arab, South Asians, Europeans
National Holiday: Unification Day, 22 May (1990)
Geographic Coordinates: 15 00 N, 48 00 E
Location: Middle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Red Sea, between Oman and Saudi Arabia
Airports: 44

Health and Safety

Medical facilities, vaccinations, disease risk, and sanitation conditions.

Medical Facilities and Care

Medical Facilities and Health Information: Outside Sana’a and Aden, modern medical facilities are not readily available and emergency ambulance services are limited and often have attendants with little to no medical training. Doctors and hospitals often expect immediate cash payment for health services. It is important to bring an adequate supply of prescription medications for the duration of the traveler’s time outside the United States.While many prescription drugs are available in Yemen, quality control is uneven, and the particular drug a traveler needs may not be available. Travelers can find detailed information on vaccinations and other health precautions on the CDC website. For information about outbreaks of infectious diseases abroad, consult the World Health Organization (WHO) website. The WHO website also contains additional health information for travelers, including detailed country-specific health information. Tuberculosis is a serious health concern in Yemen.
Accessibility: While in Yemen, travelers with disabilities will find accessibility and accommodation much more difficult from what they find in the United States. No national law in Yemen mandates accessibility of buildings for persons with disabilities.

Disease Risk

Degree of Risk: high
Food and Waterborne Diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Vectorborne Diseases: dengue fever and malaria
Water-Contact Diseases: schistosomiasis

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