Getting Around Somaliland: Taxis, Drivers and the Open Road
Getting around Somaliland is simpler than many visitors expect. Inside Hargeisa, taxis, apps and buses do the work. Beyond the capital, you travel by car with a driver, and your hotel arranges the rest. Here is how it all fits together.
TRAVEL · PRACTICAL GUIDE
Most trips in Somaliland start in Hargeisa. The capital’s Egal International Airport is the main entry point for flights into the country. From the city, one road runs to the coast at Berbera, about 160 km away. Another heads west to Tog Wajaale on the Ethiopian border. This guide covers moving around the city, trips beyond it and life on the road. For arriving in the country, read How to Get to Somaliland.
Getting around Somaliland at a glance
Here are the main options, and when each one fits.
| Option | Best for | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Taxi | Trips inside Hargeisa | Agree the fare first; fares are negotiated |
| Ride-hailing app | Trips inside Hargeisa | Dhaweeye shows the fare before you ride |
| City bus or minibus | Cheap rides in Hargeisa | About 2,000–3,000 shillings a ride in 2022 |
| Car with driver | Day trips and travel between towns | Trips beyond Hargeisa normally include a police escort |
| Domestic flight | Rarely an option | No current timetable confirmed between Somaliland towns |
Getting around Hargeisa: taxis, apps and buses
Hargeisa has a large taxi fleet. Back in 2017, more than 4,000 cars offered taxi services in Hargeisa, Govsea reported. Fares are negotiated, so agree the price before you set off.
Ride-hailing has arrived too. The local app Dhaweeye launched in March 2019, Radio Ergo reported. It shows the pickup point, distance and fare, then matches you with a nearby driver. Its App Store listing is written in Somali, and the app was updated in October 2026. Your hotel’s front desk can help you set it up. In 2022, the IOM put its fares at a $1 minimum plus $0.50 per kilometre. In 2022 it could also be booked with the short code *3000#.
Buses are the most common public transport in Hargeisa. The main operator is the Hargeisa City Bus Cooperative. There is no fixed timetable: a bus leaves as soon as the one ahead is full. Quieter districts are served by minibuses and three-wheelers. In 2022, a ride on a large bus cost about 2,000 to 3,000 Somaliland shillings, roughly $0.20 to $0.40. For shillings, dollars and paying by phone, read our guide to money in Somaliland.
By day, you can also explore on foot. In December 2025, Ynet’s travel writer found Hargeisa safe to walk around during the day.
Leaving the capital: car, driver and police escort
Beyond the capital, getting around Somaliland works differently. Trips outside Hargeisa are normally made with a police escort, CNN reported in November 2025. Ynet described the same arrangement a month later: an escort from a special police unit travels with visitors outside the capital. Rather than renting a car yourself, you travel with a local driver.
In practice, that means hiring a car with a driver, with the escort travelling alongside you. Ask your hotel to arrange all three. What does it cost? In December 2025, Ynet put a day trip at roughly $150 to $200. That covered a four-wheel-drive car, driver, guard and fuel.
Arrangements like this can change, so confirm the current details with your hotel before you book.
Somaliland also has intercity buses. Express services now cover all the major cities and run to a schedule, Govsea reported. One operator, Sahal, lists Berbera, Borama, Gabiley and Wajaale among its destinations. Ask your hotel whether they suit your plans before you buy a ticket.
The road to Berbera, and up to Sheikh
For most visitors, the big journey is the drive to the coast. Berbera is the end of the road from Hargeisa, about 160 km away. The same road forms part of the Berbera Corridor, the trade route from Berbera port to Ethiopia.
This corridor has brought investment. The 234 km Berbera–Togochale highway was being upgraded as part of a wider US$400 million programme. By December 2021, about 85% of the road was built, The Reporter wrote. Meanwhile, a 22.5 km bypass completed in 2023 takes heavy traffic around Hargeisa.
From Berbera, a second road climbs inland into the mountains. Sheikh lies about 71 km from Berbera. Wikipedia calls this highway one of the most scenic drives in Somaliland. In March 2025, the rebuilt 69 km Sheikh–Berbera road was completed, with new drainage, culverts and traffic calming. Find out what waits at the top in Sheikh: Somaliland’s Mountain Town.
Sheikh is also the natural turning point. The highway continues about 60 km to Burao, in the Togdheer region, where current UK travel advice is more cautious, so most visitors turn back here.
West to Wajaale and the Ethiopian border
Heading west from the capital, the corridor road reaches Tog Wajaale. The border town lies 92.8 km west of Hargeisa, in Gabiley District. It is the main crossing for goods entering and leaving Somaliland. On the Ethiopian side, the town is called Togo Wuchale.
If you plan to cross into Ethiopia, check both countries’ advice. In Ethiopia’s Fafan zone, the UK advises against all travel within 30 km of the border. However, it makes an exception for the border town and crossing at Wajale and the main road to Jijiga.
Getting around Somaliland by air
Flying is rarely the way to get between Somaliland towns. In June 2024, flights from Hargeisa went to Addis Ababa, Dubai, Nairobi, Djibouti and cities in Somalia, but none to other Somaliland towns. Wikipedia lists one airline flying between Hargeisa and Berbera, but we could not confirm a current timetable. Borama‘s airport, in the west, is not in use. So plan your trips by road.
Road sense for getting around Somaliland: checkpoints, rain and safe driving
A few practical points make road trips smoother.
Checkpoints. There are checkpoints at Hargeisa’s western (Gabiley) and north-eastern (Berbera) exits. They are mainly for customs checks. Keep your passport with you, and follow the instructions of police and military personnel.
Rain. The UK notes that localised flooding may stop you reaching some areas, including in Somaliland. If heavy rain falls, ask your driver about the route before you leave.
Driving standards. Road safety is a national priority. In November 2025, its president called road accidents a national emergency. The transport minister linked most crashes to speeding, driver negligence and poor vehicle condition. Choose a driver your hotel trusts, and feel free to ask for a relaxed pace.
Tips for getting around Somaliland
- In Hargeisa: use a taxi or the Dhaweeye app, and agree taxi fares in advance.
- Beyond Hargeisa: ask your hotel to arrange a car, a driver and the escort.
- Where to go: most visitors stay in the western regions of Awdal, Maroodijeh and Sahil, home to Hargeisa, Berbera and Zeila. UK advice is more cautious about Togdheer, Sool and Sanaag in the east. Have a look at the latest advice before you go, and read Is Somaliland Safe?
- Crossing to Ethiopia: read the UK advice for both Somalia and Ethiopia before you set off.
Getting around Somaliland takes a little planning, but with a good driver the road becomes part of the trip. Begin with the drive to the coast, and meet the town at the end of it in Berbera: Where the Desert Meets the Sea.
Sources
- Hargeisa: mobility and accessibility (COI Report – Somalia: Country Focus, section 2.2.2), European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA), May 2025.
- Somaliland’s booming informal transport sector: pitfalls and potentials, Warsame M. Ahmed, Govsea, via Hiiraan Online, 15 July 2017.
- Popular online taxi firm employing more than 2,000 in Hargeisa, Radio Ergo, 16 September 2019.
- Dhaweeye, Tabaarak ICT Solutions, Apple App Store (accessed 28 October 2026).
- SAHAL bus service: booking, SAHAL Transport Group (accessed 28 October 2026).
- If Somalia is dangerous, why is it experiencing a surge in tourism?, Richard Collett, CNN, 17 November 2025.
- Somaliland, the destination you never thought of visiting and what awaits Israeli travelers there, Roy Elman, Ynet News, 29 December 2025.
- Berbera, Wikipedia (accessed 28 October 2026).
- Tog Wajaale, Wikipedia (accessed 28 October 2026).
- Berbera-Togochale road project nears completion, Amanuel Yelkal, The Reporter (Ethiopia), 4 December 2021.
- Hargeisa Bypass road construction, TradeMark Africa (accessed 28 October 2026).
- Sheikh, Somaliland, Wikipedia (accessed 28 October 2026).
- Somaliland President inaugurates Sheikh–Berbera road upgrades, now open for trade, Mohamed Duale, Horn Diplomat, 23 March 2025.
- Somalia travel advice: regional risks, UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (accessed 28 October 2026).
- Somalia travel advice: safety and security, UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (accessed 28 October 2026).
- Ethiopia travel advice: regional risks, UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (accessed 28 October 2026).
- Hargeisa Airport, Wikipedia (accessed 28 October 2026).
- Borama, Wikipedia (accessed 28 October 2026).
- Somaliland President declares road deaths a national emergency, Mohamed Duale, Horn Diplomat, via AllAfrica, 26 November 2025.
Last checked 28 October 2026. Found an error or something out of date? Tell us.
