Day Trips from Hargeisa: Rock Art, Cheetahs, Hills and the Coast
The best day trips from Hargeisa reach ancient rock art, granite hills, rescued cheetahs, farm country and, on a long day, the sea. Here is how far each one is, what you will see and how to plan the trip.
PLACES · DAY TRIPS
Hargeisa makes an easy base. The capital sits at about 1,334 metres in a valley of the highlands, and its altitude spares it the extreme heat of the coast. The countryside starts at the edge of town. Within an hour or two you can stand in a painted rock shelter, climb a granite hill or watch cheetahs in a rescue centre. This guide gathers the classic trips in one place, with links to our full guide for each.
Day trips from Hargeisa at a glance
Here are the main options. Distances are approximate and come from the sources linked below.
| Trip | Distance from Hargeisa | Why go |
|---|---|---|
| Laas Geel | About 50–60 km | Painted rock shelters, thousands of years old |
| Naasa Hablood | On the outskirts | Twin granite hills and wide views |
| Geed-Deeble | About 23 km | The cheetah rescue centre |
| Gabiley | About 58 km west | Farmland and one of the oldest towns |
| Tog Wajaale | About 93 km west | The border market town |
| Berbera and Batalaale | About 160 km | The coast, beaches and old port |
Laas Geel: rock art on the road to the coast
Laas Geel is the trip most visitors make first. Its ten rock shelters hold paintings roughly 5,500 to 4,500 years old, according to Wikipedia. They show long-horned cattle, some in ceremonial robes, as well as people, a dog and a giraffe. A French team recorded the site in 2002, though local people had known it for centuries.
Sources differ slightly on the distance. AFP put it at about 50 km from Hargeisa, while former US ambassador John Price, writing in The Washington Times, gave about 37 miles north of the capital. Either way, it is a half-day trip. Price also noted that the site lies about three miles off the Berbera road, along a rough track that needs a four-wheel-drive car.
Our guide to visiting Laas Geel explains how visits are arranged and what to expect on the day.
Naasa Hablood: the twin hills
For the shortest of day trips from Hargeisa, look at the skyline. Naasa Hablood is a pair of hills on the outskirts of the city, made of granite and sand. The name is usually translated as “Woman’s Breasts”, after their conical shape. According to Wikipedia, the easiest way to the top is on foot.
Go early in the morning or late in the afternoon, when the light is soft and the air is cooler. Take water and good shoes, and ask your driver where to start.
Geed-Deeble: the cheetah rescue centre
Just outside the capital lies Geed-Deeble, an area the EU describes as a well field 23 km from Hargeisa. The Cheetah Conservation Fund calls it about an hour’s drive from Hargeisa.
The centre cares for cheetahs rescued from the illegal wildlife trade. In March 2023, CCF moved 52 cheetahs to its 800-hectare centre there. The site sits within a 50,000-hectare area that the government decreed would become Geed-Deeble National Park.
This is a rescue centre, so arrange any visit with CCF well before you go. Read the full story in Somaliland’s cheetah rescue centre.
West to Gabiley and Wajaale
Head west for farm country. Gabiley lies about 58 km west of Hargeisa, at about 1,460 metres, in the Qalax Valley. Wikipedia describes it as Somaliland’s main farmland and one of its oldest towns. Nearby Dhagax Gurre has rock paintings that the same page describes as more than 5,000 years old.
Further on, the road reaches Tog Wajaale, about 93 km west of Hargeisa on the Ethiopian border. It is Somaliland’s main crossing for goods, most of them coming up from the port of Berbera. A new market opened around 2021. The two towns make a full and varied day trip from Hargeisa, with farmland, markets and trade in one loop.
Berbera and Batalaale: a long day to the sea
The coast is the most ambitious of these day trips from Hargeisa. Berbera lies about 160 km from the capital, on the Gulf of Aden. You can combine it with Laas Geel, which sits just off the same road.
It is possible to go and return in one long day, but the coast rewards a night or two. Spend an afternoon at Batalaale beach, then walk the old town in the cool of the next morning.
From Berbera, a scenic road climbs to Sheikh, about 71 km away in the Golis Mountains. That makes a good extra day from a base on the coast, rather than a trip from Hargeisa. Read Sheikh: Somaliland’s mountain town before you go. Beyond Sheikh, the road continues to Burao in Togdheer, a region where UK advice is against all travel, so plan to turn back at Sheikh.
Planning your day trips from Hargeisa
A little planning makes every trip smoother.
- Escort and driver: in December 2025, Ynet reported that any travel outside the capital requires an armed escort from the special police unit. Your hotel can arrange a car, a driver and the escort together. Our guide to getting around Somaliland explains how it works.
- Cost: the same report put a day trip at about $150 to $200, covering a four-wheel-drive car, driver, guard and fuel. Prices change, so confirm before you go.
- Timing: leave early. Hargeisa gets most of its rain between April and September, so ask your driver about tracks after heavy rain.
- Official advice: the UK advises against all but essential travel to Maroodijeh and Sahil, the regions of Hargeisa and Berbera. Check the latest advice before you book, and read is Somaliland safe?
Choosing your day trips from Hargeisa
If you have only one day, choose Laas Geel. It is close, and it sits on the way to the coast. With two or three days, add Geed-Deeble and a sunset at Naasa Hablood, then save Berbera for an overnight stay. For a full week that strings these day trips from Hargeisa together, follow our Somaliland itinerary.
Sources (13)
- Hargeisa, Wikipedia (accessed 7 November 2026).
- Laas Geel, Wikipedia (accessed 7 November 2026).
- Rocky future for Somalia’s ancient cave art, AFP via The Express Tribune, 26 June 2016.
- Ancient art in diplomatic limbo, John Price, The Washington Times, 1 May 2013.
- Naasa Hablood, Wikipedia (accessed 7 November 2026).
- Water is life: transforming communities in Hargeisa, Somaliland through access to clean water, Delegation of the European Union to Somalia, 22 March 2023.
- Fifty-two cheetahs rescued from illegal wildlife trade given new home by Cheetah Conservation Fund and Republic of Somaliland, Cheetah Conservation Fund, 9 March 2023.
- Gabiley, Wikipedia (accessed 7 November 2026).
- Tog Wajaale, Wikipedia (accessed 7 November 2026).
- Berbera, Wikipedia (accessed 7 November 2026).
- Sheikh, Somaliland, Wikipedia (accessed 7 November 2026).
- Somaliland, the destination you never thought of visiting and what awaits Israeli travelers there, Roy Elman, Ynetnews, 29 December 2025.
- Somalia: Regional risks, UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, updated 4 June 2026 (accessed 7 November 2026).
Last checked 7 November 2026. Found an error or something out of date? Tell us.
