Al Hajjarah Village - Hiking the Haraz Mountains in Yemen

Last updated:25/04/2021

Envisage a scene from the Arabian Nights – the tallest tale in a fantastical dream.

Amid waves of weird mountains and cloud, a cluster of stone-towers stand guard on a crag.

Awake, Al Hajjarah!

Al Hajjarah village in the Haraz Mountains of yemen — The 11th century Al Hajjarah village in the Haraz Mountains of Yemen.

From Manakhah it’s an Easy 5 km Hike to Al Hajjarah Village

village perched on Haraz mountains of Yemen — Lush fields surround a village on a hike in the Haraz mountains.

Use Manakhah as a Base to Visit Al Hajjarah

Manakhah is a good base to explore the Haraz Mountains, with a regional market, reasonable transport links to Sanaa and the Red Sea coast.

Manakhah also has a few hotels.

LEFT: Shy girl carrying bushes on route. RIGHT: Local boy shows me the Jewish Star of David carved over house door in Al Hajjarah village; these families left Yemen.

Transport on route from Manakhah market day haraz mountains in Yemen — Overcrowded Toyota 4WD – public transport on route from the Manakhah market day in the Haraz Mountains.

village on route from manakah hiking haraz mountains panorama yemen — Another village on the hike between Al Hajjarah and Manakhah.

Old man in traditional clothes at Harjjarah village in Haraz Mountains
of Yemen — Old man in traditional Yemeni clothes, including ceremonial dagger, at Al Harjjarah village in the Haraz Mountains of Yemen.

Al Hajjarah stone tower village and high walls — Ancient Al Hajjarah village is entered thru a narrow gate within its high walls that are the foundations of the tower houses.

Travel Advice

Hiking the Haraz Mountains in Manakhah & Al Hajjarah

CAUTION: I was in Yemen in 2005. But now in 2021, civil war and a humanitarian crisis grips much of Yemen; and I assume the Haraz Mountains are inaccessible to most travelers. Check first for the latest updates for Yemen.

There are very few other accommodation choices.

ROOMS: Manakha Tourist Hotel – simple mattress on floor with shared bathroom and amazing views of mountains and villages. It’s located on route to the market on the main road into Manakhah.

The price also includes decent meals in a family-run atmosphere.

ALSO POSSIBLE: Staying in a guesthouse in Al Hajjarah village.

yemeni tradition food in manakha haraz mountains — Range of excellent small dishes that was my dinner at my guesthouse: Manakha Tourist Hotel.

How to Get to Manakhah + Al Hajjarah

Shared taxis from Sanaa to Manakhah take about 2.5 hours (or get one going to Al-Hudayda – but jump out at the nearby turn-off town of Al-Maghraba).

From Manakhah, getting to Al Hajjarah village is an easy 5 km hike following a scenic, unsealed mountain road.