Socotra Classic Circuit
8 days, 7 nights · Camping, a new camp each night · up to 8
The full lap of the island in eight days, camping somewhere new each night.
About $1,600
per person, land only · flight extra
A week of guided boat dives around Socotra: the reef at Dihamri, the east coast, the Rosh marine reserve, and the wrecks off Ras Irissel and near Shuab. You camp by the sea between dives, and spend the last full day on land in the forest, so there is a proper gap before you fly home.
This trip is for certified divers. Conditions, visibility and what you see change with the season and the sea, and nothing is guaranteed.
Highlights
- Eight guided boat dives
- The Dihamri reef
- The Rosh marine reserve
- Wreck dives off Ras Irissel and near Shuab
- A dry day at Firmihin before the flight
The route
Seven nights camping near the dive sites, with eight guided boat dives
- 1Arher Dunes
- 2Ras Irissel
- 3Dihamri Marine Protected Area
- Rosh Marine Reserve
- 4Shuab Beach
- 5Detwah Lagoon
- 6Diksam Plateau
- Wadi Dirhur
- 7Firmihin Forest
Day by day
We do not print driving times: almost none are published for Socotra, and we would rather leave them out than guess.
Gerry & Bonni · CC BY 2.0Day 1EastArrive, and out to Arher
From the airport to the east coast and the Arher dunes, with time to climb them before the light goes. The first camp is near Ras Irissel.
- Arher Dunes
- Ras Irissel
Overnight: Camp near Ras Irissel
Gerry & Bonni · CC BY 2.0Day 2North-eastDihamri
Kit checks with the local dive master, then two boat dives on the Dihamri reef, where turtles, rays, moray eels and big groupers are commonly reported.
- Dihamri Marine Protected Area
Overnight: Dihamri camp
- Day 3East coast
The east coast
A boat dive on the soft coral reefs of the east coast, with a second dive optional. Camp further along the coast.
Overnight: East coast camp
Gerry & Bonni · CC BY 2.0Day 4North-eastRosh
Two boat dives in the Rosh marine reserve, where operators report reef sharks, rays and turtles over large coral heads.
- Rosh Marine Reserve
Overnight: Rosh camp
Hardscarf · CC BY-SA 4.0Day 5EastThe Ras Irissel wrecks
Shallow wreck diving off Ras Irissel at the island's eastern tip, with a second dive optional, then a beach camp.
- Ras Irissel
Overnight: Beach camp, east coast
Valerian Guillot from Cambridge, United Kingdom · CC BY 2.0Day 6WestShuab and the big wreck
By boat to Shuab, often with spinner dolphins alongside, for two dives on the largest wreck off the island, then on to camp beside the Detwah lagoon.
- Shuab Beach
- Detwah Lagoon
Overnight: Detwah lagoon camp
Rod Waddington from Kergunyah, Australia · CC BY-SA 2.0Day 7CentreA dry day in the forest
No diving today, on purpose: after several days of diving you need at least 18 hours on the surface before flying. The day goes to the Diksam plateau, the Dirhur canyon and the dragon's blood trees of Firmihin.
- Diksam Plateau
- Wadi Dirhur
- Firmihin Forest
Overnight: Diksam plateau camp
- Day 8
Out
Pack up and drive to the airport, three hours before departure.
What is included
- Socotra entry permit, arranged through the operator
- Airport transfers on Socotra
- 4x4 with driver throughout
- English-speaking Socotri guide, plus local guides at the cave, canyon and forest
- All meals, snacks and drinking water
- Entry fees for the protected areas on the route
- A local dive master
- Eight guided boat dives, and all boat trips
- Dive equipment: wetsuit, BCD, regulator, mask, fins and weights
- Tent, mattress and bedding, set up by the crew
What is not
- Return flight Jeddah–Socotra, usually about $950–1,100, which we book for you
- Flights to and from Jeddah
- Travel insurance, which needs a policy that covers Yemen (see our insurance guide)
- Tips for the crew
- Personal spending: bring US dollars in cash
- Drone permit, if you bring one
- Dive insurance: you need cover for scuba as well as travel insurance
- Extra dives and night dives
What it costs
The trip
About $2,750
Per person: everything on the island in the list above.
The flight
About $950–1,100
Return, Jeddah to Socotra. Seats are not sold online, so we book it for you.
Both figures are approximate. The exact price depends on your dates, your group size and the flight rotation, and you get it in writing when you enquire, before you pay anything. Why the same trip is quoted so differently across the market is covered in what Socotra actually costs.
Socotra is a cash-USD island: no working ATMs, no card acceptance. Bring $500–800 in small denominations, and note that only crisp notes from 2009, 2013 or 2017 onwards are reliably accepted.
This suits you if
- Certified divers who want a diving week that also sees the island
- Divers happy to camp
- Anyone who wants reefs and wrecks in one trip
Pick something else if
- Divers without a certification card
- Non-divers travelling with divers: the days revolve around the boats
- Anyone who needs guaranteed big-animal sightings
If the flight does not come
In January 2026 roughly 600 travellers sat on Socotra for about a week when the rotation stopped. It is the clearest risk on the trip, and the written terms across this market are all over the place: one operator charges $100 per person per day and says plainly that no cash refund will ever be issued for a cancelled flight, offering only non-transferable credit; another promises a full deposit refund; two put every extra night entirely on the traveller; one is silent on force majeure altogether. Travellers who were caught in January 2026 have publicly described recovering money by bank chargeback after being ignored, and being billed with no cost breakdown. Before you pay anything, get the terms for your dates in writing: who keeps the camp, food, vehicle and guide running, who pays for the extra nights, and what is refunded. We ask the operator for exactly that and send it to you with your quote. Treat a vague answer from anyone as an answer.
More on the risk in is Socotra safe and insurance and health.
Frequently asked questions
What certification do I need?
You need to be a certified diver, and to bring your card and logbook. The local dive master sets each dive plan to your certification and experience.
Is dive equipment included?
Yes: wetsuit, BCD, regulator, mask, fins and weights. If you have your own computer and mask, bring them.
Why is there no diving on the last day?
Flying soon after diving raises the risk of decompression sickness. The usual guidance after several days of diving is to spend at least 18 hours on the surface before flying, so the last full day is spent on land.
What will I see?
Operators on Socotra report turtles, rays, moray eels, big groupers and reef sharks, as well as several wrecks. Nothing is guaranteed: visibility and sightings change with the season and the sea.
Is the flight included?
No. The return flight between Jeddah and Socotra is extra, usually about $950–1,100, and we book it for you: seats are released to licensed operators rather than sold online. The price shown is the land price per person.
How exact is the price?
It is an approximate land price per person. The final figure depends on your dates, the size of your group and the flight rotation, and you get it in writing when you enquire, before you pay anything.
Do I need a visa?
Socotra uses an entry permit sponsored by a licensed local operator, not a visa you apply for yourself. It is arranged for you and included in the price. It is usually issued a week or two before travel, so do not leave booking to the last minute.
When can I go?
October to April. The southwest monsoon closes the island from roughly May to September: winds pick up, sea crossings stop and flights are often cancelled.
