Do you wish to visit Socotra Island? An island with few tourists, basic infrastructure, but with astounding beauty and unique biodiversity. We decided to visit Socotra in 2019, and if “off the beaten path” places are your thing, then you should put Socotra Island on your bucket list. Since there is a new flight option to visit Socotra now, we have updated our blog post to help you plan your trip to Socotra.
How to visit Socotra Island – Everything you need to know
A visit to Socotra has not been easy for a few years. In 2019 and 2020 the only airline flying to Socotra was Yemenia Airlines on their once-weekly flight from Cairo. Our visit to Socotra was in 2019 and we flew with Yemenia Airlines.
In 2021, a new charter flight has launched from Abu Dhabi to Socotra following the short-lived route from UAE by Felix Airways. This charter flight is operated by Khalifa Foundation and connects Abu Dhabi and Socotra on Mondays. The perfect time to visit Socotra is right now.
In this blog post, you will find information on how to visit Socotra on the flight from Abu Dhabi to Socotra by charter flight (Khalifa Foundation). Yemenia Airlines are still flying between Cairo and Socotra, but as they have a layover in Seiyun on the mainland it makes it impossible for foreigners to use this route due to visas
How to visit Socotra right now – The weekly flight from Abu Dhabi!
The new flight route from Abu Dhabi makes a visit to Socotra a lot easier than in the past. There are a few options on how to connect to the flight from Abu Dhabi to Socotra:
Fly into Dubai in the UAE
Once you land at Dubai airport you will get tested. After the test (which can take up to 12 hours), you are free to go. In order to cross the land border into the emirate of Abu Dhabi and get to Abu Dhabi International Airport you must present a negative test result, you can use the one mentioned above (maximum validity 72 hours). Please make sure to have downloaded and activated the ALHOSN UAE application on your smart device in order to receive your test results ahead of departure from Abu Dhabi International Airport
Fly to Abu Dhabi in the UAE
Here is the current flight schedule from Abu Dhabi AUH to visit Socotra SCT:
ABU DHABI – SOCOTRA Non-stop direct flights on Monday.
FLIGHT NO 476 Abu Dhabi (AUH) 10:00 departure > Socotra (SCT) 11.30 arrival
FLIGHT NO 477 Socotra (SCT) 13:00 departure > Abu Dhabi (AUH) 16:00 arrival
You will be returning back on the same plane that lands in Socotra and you should expect delays. If you asked me how to visit Socotra right now, I would suggest flying into Dubai for a few days and then transfer to Abu Dhabi before your flight to Socotra on Monday.
On the way back, I would stay an extra night in Abu Dhabi to connect the flight home the following day. This means you won’t stress about missing your connecting flight
How to book the flight to Socotra
You might’ve already searched for the flight online through Skyscanner with no luck. This is due to the fact that this flight can not be booked online. And yes, this is the only flight you can currently book to visit Socotra as a foreigner.
In order to book the flight, you must have your Yemeni visa first (more details about that below) and you can only book the flight via a travel agent in Abu Dhabi.
The agent can hold your seats (reservation) for a few weeks while your visas are being processed and then once payment is made, the e-tickets will be issued.
You will need to have a printout of your visa and ticket to check-in at Abu Dhabi Airport to visit Socotra.
As there is currently only one flight between Abu Dhabi and Yemen and it does sell out. Not because of tourists, as there are only a few on each flight. But many Yemeni citizens fly for medical procedures.
