Discover Sanaa
Hotels, halal food, prayer spaces, things to do, and itineraries in Sanaa.
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Must-see attractions in Sanaa
From headline landmarks and heritage icons to parks, waterfronts, and major museums, discover 19 standout sights to build into your time in the city.
Sana'a is the capital and the largest city of Yemen, home of the Sana‘a Governorate. It is also the world’s fastest growing capital city, and is not immune to the social and technological problems faced by rapidly developing third world capitals. Sana'a contains around 1.7 million residents.
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Muslim travel planner
Plan a Muslim-friendly trip in Sanaa
Halal restaurants in Sanaa
Sanaa’s food scene is part of the city experience. Choose from 25 restaurants and food districts with location notes and planning tips.
sanaaDar Fez Restaurant
Cuisine: Moroccan Address: Movenpick Hotel, Berlin Street, Dhahar Hemyer, Sana'a Timings: 6pm to 1145 pm A traditional Moroccan atmosphere awaits you at the Dar Fez Restaurant. This place is ideal for couples and business groups, due to its serene ambience and polite service. The food isn’t that bad either – you will get to experience some of the best authentic Moroccan cuisine outside of Morocco.
sanaaZorba’s
Cuisine: American/Greek Address: Hadda Street Illy coffee in the morning, special milkshakes and lemon and mint juices in the afternoon, and a Greek menu all day long. Also available are pizzas, sandwiches, finger snacks, desserts, and soups. Outdoor seating in the evenings. Take-away and delivery options also available. Friendly staff, clean and well-maintained interior. Appropriate for couples.
sanaaPalace Restaurant
Cuisine: Chinese Address: Sheraton Hotel, Berlin Street, Sana'a Timings: 7pm to 11pm. Come for the soups and the spicy noodles! Spices added as per your taste. Pleasant interior, with richly colored oriental elements. Nice place for couples.
sanaaBroadway
Cuisine: International Address: Sheraton Hotel, Berlin Street, Sana'a Timings: Saturdays to Thursdays, 6pm to 1am A fascinating rooftop restaurant, open for dinner only. Take in the view of the city at night as you chew on your tasty American and Continental order.
sanaaAl-Fakher
Cuisine: Middle Eastern Address: Hadda Street Phone: +967 1 427888 / 427999 An expensive place, definitely not worth the price. You can get better varieties of the same food at any other Hadda Street diner, at much lower prices. This place has a pretty interior, however, so it may be good for a business meeting. Menu includes Egyptian and Lebanese dishes, and seafood. Some of the soups are also worth tasting.
sanaaDéjà vu
Cuisine: Coffee/Snacks Cuisine: Hadda Street Small café with a rather scrumptious selection of fast food, finger snacks, and meals on the go. Very well-maintained interior, and an outdoor court for the evening. Ideal for small business get-togethers. A full meal can get expensive, but light snacks and coffee for a small group are quite manageable.
Sanaa masjids and Muslim travel
Landmark masjids and prayer-aware notes for visitors planning salah, family movement, and halal-friendly days.
Where to stay in Sanaa
Choose where to stay by trip style, from landmark luxury and family bases to central, airport, and neighborhood-led stays.
sanaaMovenpick Hotel
Address: Berlin Street, Dhahar Hemyer, Sana'a Phone: +967 1 54 66 66 Fax: +967 1 54 60 00 Email: [email protected] Website: www.moevenpick-sanaa.com
sanaaSheraton Hotel
Address: Berlin Street, Sana'a Phone: (967) (1) 237500 Fax: (967) (1) 251521 Email: [email protected]
sanaaSheba Hotel
Address: Ali abdulmoghni Street, Sanaa, Yemen Phone: +967-1-272372 Fax: +967-1-274129 Email: [email protected] Website: shebahotel.com
sanaaBurj al Salam Hotel
Address: Al Fleehy Area, Sana'a Phone: +967 1 483333, +967 1 483340 Fax: +967 1 483330 Email: [email protected], [email protected]
sanaaMercure Sana’a Al-Saeed
Address: Al Zubery Street Phone: (+967)1/212544 Fax: (+967)1/212487 Email: [email protected]
History and today in Sanaa
Read the city today, its history, residents, culture, and character before planning your route.
Visa Information
If you have evidence of travel to Israel stamped on your passport, you cannot apply for, and will not be issued, a visa to visit Yemen.
City Information
When to go
Sana'a can be quite warm in the summer, and winters are generally cool and enjoyable. Summers are also quite dusty and dry, and your clothes can soon turn an annoying shade of beige as you traverse the city. Hot also means you will be more prone to exhaustion, and you might be tempted to try a locally prepared unhygienic drink just out of immense thirst, with grave consequences. In short - it is better to avoid Sana'a in the summer months. Unfortunately, it seems, the largest annual festival in Sana'a, one that is held especially to welcome tourists to the city, is held during the whole month of June. This offers perfect insight into the life and culture of the residents. If you love a city for its festivals, its people, and their sense of communal fun, then summer months would be the ideal choice for you to visit the city. Otherwise, it is better to visit the city any time during September-February. The hordes of tourists will be dying out, the city will be cleaner, cooler, and more accessible, and you can get to explore more of local life rather than bumping into a foreigner on every other corner.
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Fast Facts
Location: Sana’a, Yemen Dialing code: +967 01 X (where +967 is the international code for Yemen, 01 is the regional code for Sana’a, and X is the local number) Emergency numbers - Fire Brigade 191 - Water Problems 171 - Telephone enquires 118 - Accident (traffic) 194 - Foreign Affairs 202544/7 - Inter-City Bus Co. 262111 - Red Crescent 203131
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Exchange Rates
The currency used is the Yemeni Riyal (YER). Banknotes are present in denominations of 10, 20, 50,100, 500, 1000, and 5000 Rupees. Coins are also used for 1, 2, and 5 Rupees.
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Public Holidays
Religious (subject to appearance of moon): Islamic New Year (1 Muharram) Eid al-Fitr (1 Shawwal) Eid al-Adha (10 Zilhaj)
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Annual Temperature
January: low temperature: 6.9 °C high temperature: 19.8 °C precipitation: 0 mm
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Sana'a Residents
Just like the architecture and the infrastructure have survived over the centuries in their somewhat original form, the society itself within Sana'a has witnessed a minimal change. People are as welcoming and hospitable to visitors as they used to be during the ages of caravan travel. You will be greeted with delight, and people try to help out with subtle gestures wherever you go. A basic knowledge of the Arabic language is a bonus, as it helps you to mingle with the locals in a variety of contexts.
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Sanaa History
Sana'a is believed to be one of the oldest cities in the world, one that has continuously been inhabited over the centuries through times of drought, famine, war and major upheavals in social trends resulting from changes in its political and religious scenarios.
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Shopping in Sanaa
Explore 17 shopping stops, from malls, markets, and book bazaars to fashion streets and souvenir finds.
sanaaSana'a Trade Center
Address: Algeria Street Phone: +967 1 448369/7/70 Fax: +967 1 448471
sanaaHappyland
Address: Algeria Street, opposite Yemen Mall Phone: + 967 1 44 2000 Fax: + 967 1 44 79 09 Email: [email protected] Website: happyland-ye.com
sanaaYemen Mall
Address: Da'iry Street (Ring Road), near the Hadda Street intersection Phone: +967 144 8364
sanaaShumaila Hari Supermarket
Address: Hadda Street Shumaila Hari is a convenient departmental store that has everything from electronics to eatables, to very traditional handicrafts. It is modern and stylish, spread onto two floors, with shops categorized according to the products they sell. The topmost floor has a variety of boutiques and garment outlets, including children’s clothing, along with stores selling shoes and fashion accessories, bed sheets and blankets, and interior décor and home furniture. The first floor is a family-oriented shopping experience, where you can find clothes and other items of everyday domestic use. A special mention is a tailor’s shop that specializes in women’s apparel, hijab, abayahs and veils.
sanaaAl-Huda
Address: Zuberi Street Al-Huda is a relatively small but well-stocked supermarket, very popular amongst the locals, and almost always crowded. You can buy electronic household appliances, including refrigerators, ovens, stoves, hair dryers, and the like. Eatables like cheese, confectionery, cereals, nuts and canned/tinned food are also available here. Many of the goods in the eatables section are packaged under the Supermarket’s own brand name, which gives an assurance of quality.
Signature sights in Sanaa
A curated pick of the city's standout sights, led by the strongest editorial recommendations.
Festivals and events in Sanaa
Plan around 11 festival seasons, public events, Ramadan/Eid periods, book fairs, art cycles, and winter food activity.
sanaaMouloud
Date: 12 Rabi-ul-Awwal (Lunar Calendar) This event marks the birth of the Holy Prophet in the year 670 AD, and is generally a pleasant, cheerful day. Families get together at dinners, and mosques organize special gatherings and readings.
sanaaNational Unity Day
Date: 22 May A very significant day in the lives of all Yemenites, commemorating the day North and South Yemen became united as one republic. The day is declared a public holiday, and there is a general air of enthusiasm amongst the locals as families visit public parks and squares where processions and other public exhibitions are held.
sanaaSana'a Summer Festival
Date: all through June Quite a popular tourist summer fair, this event is all about the lifestyle in Sana'a. Held around the Bab al-Yemen in the Old City Area, the Summer Festival is a lively display of color, food, and folk dance. The main attractions are put up near the Bab al-Yemen, including craft and souvenir stalls, and kiosks selling local cuisine at discounts. Secondary events are held at public parks and squares, and even streets, around the city. These include art exhibitions, swings and rides for children, and displays of women’s handicrafts. Al-Sabeen Park holds a free workshop for children and youth where they can learn the basics of art from youthful, up-and-coming artists around Sana'a.
sanaaRamadan
Date: month of Ramadan (Lunar Calendar) A month of fasting and religious observance for the Muslims, during which eateries around the city are open only after sunset. It is considered unpleasant to eat out in public during the daylight hours, as everyone around you would be fasting.
sanaaEid-al-Fitr
Date: 1 Shawwal (Lunar Calendar) The primary religious festival for Muslims around the world, marking the end of the month of fasting. A day of thanksgiving, festivity, and spreading cheerfulness. A three-day public holiday, Eid is celebrated with much zeal, and you will get to eat a lot of sweet treats that are otherwise not so commonly sold out on the streets. Ideal time to photograph cultural/religious life!
Sanaa tours and experiences
Heritage walks, food crawls, coastal trips, museum circuits, family days, and guided ideas for an easier day out.
sanaaUniversal Touring Company
Address: al-Tahrir Square, Sana'a Phone: +967 1 272861/ 2 / 3 Fax: +967 1 275134 Email: [email protected] Website: www.utcyemen.com The most reliable in terms of quality of service and level of security. A bit on the expensive side though, but this should not be a concern for western travelers.
sanaaSinbad Tours
Postal Address: PO Box 19872, Sana'a Phone: +967 1 207231 Fax: +967 1 214736 Email: [email protected] Website: www.al-bab.com/sinbad
sanaaATG/YATA
Phone: +967 1 441260 Fax: +967 1 441259 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.atg-yemen.com
sanaaMarib Travel and Tourism
Address: Sana’a Phone: +967 1 426833 Fax: +967 1 426836 E-mail: [email protected]
sanaaCameleers Tours
Address: 12 Nouakchott Street, Sana'a Phone: + 967 1 464793 Fax: + 967 1 467544 Email: [email protected] Website: www.cameleerstours.com
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Sanaa travel guide sections
Focused sections for articles, directories, maps, and trip planning.
