Somaliland Itinerary: 7 Days from Hargeisa to the Coast

Most first trips to Somaliland begin and end in Hargeisa. The capital sits at about 1,334 metres in the highlands, and from there a road runs down to the sea: Berbera is the end of the road from Hargeisa. This route follows it. You spend two days in the city, see the rock art of Laas Geel on the way to the coast, and give Berbera two days. Then you climb into the Golis Mountains to Sheikh and finish back in the capital.

Every stop sits in Somaliland’s three western regions, Maroodijeh, Sahil and Awdal, the part of the country most visitors see.

Your 7-day Somaliland itinerary at a glance

Here is the whole week in one table. Distances are approximate.

Day	Route	Highlights	Overnight
1	Arrive in Hargeisa	War memorial, tea, the city at night	Hargeisa
2	Hargeisa and Geed-Deeble	National museum, Waheen market, cheetah centre	Hargeisa
3	Hargeisa to Berbera, about 160 km	Laas Geel rock art on the way	Berbera
4	Berbera	Old town, port, beaches	Berbera
5	Berbera to Sheikh, about 71 km, and back	The mountain road, Sheikh town	Berbera
6	Berbera to Hargeisa	Naasa Hablood at sunset	Hargeisa
7	Hargeisa	Markets, last tea, departure	–

Days 1–2: start your Somaliland itinerary in Hargeisa, the highland capital

Day 1: arrival. Flights arrive at Egal International Airport in Hargeisa. Take the first afternoon of your Somaliland itinerary slowly. Have a glass of spiced tea, then walk to the city centre, where a Somali Air Force MiG-17 stands on a plinth as a memorial to the victims of the 1988 bombardment. In the evening, ask your driver to take you up to a hill above the city to see the lights.

Day 2: the city and the cheetahs. Spend the morning at the new Somaliland National Museum and in the lanes of Waheen market. In the afternoon, head out to Geed-Deeble. The Cheetah Conservation Fund’s rescue centre lies about an hour outside Hargeisa. It is a working rescue centre, not a zoo, so contact the centre well in advance; our story Saving Somaliland’s Cheetahs explains why.

For an hour-by-hour plan of these two days, see our 48-hour guide to things to do in Hargeisa.

Day 3: Laas Geel on the road to Berbera

Leave early, because day 3 takes this Somaliland itinerary from the highlands to the coast. The rock shelters of Laas Geel lie halfway between Hargeisa and Berbera, so they make a natural stop on the way to the coast. Their paintings of cattle and people are estimated to be around 4,500 to 5,500 years old. Visits are arranged through your hotel or a licensed guide, and our guide to visiting Laas Geel explains how.

After the shelters, the road keeps dropping towards the sea. By late afternoon you reach Berbera, about 160 km from Hargeisa, and the air turns warm.

Day 4: a day in Berbera

Berbera, the coastal stop of this Somaliland itinerary, rewards an early start. Walk the old town in the cool of the morning with a local guide, then look out over the harbour. CNN singled out the abandoned ships at the old port as one of the sights of the region.

Spend the afternoon by the water. Local beaches such as Bathela and Batalale have earned Berbera the nickname Beach City. Expect open sand rather than resorts. For the full story of the town, read Berbera: Where the Desert Meets the Sea.

Day 5: into the Golis Mountains to Sheikh

For many travellers, this is the drive of the week. From Berbera the highway runs flat across the coastal plain. Then, after about 46 km at the village of Laaleys, it starts to climb. Hairpin bends carry it up to the Sheikh Pass at about 1,490 metres.

Sheikh itself lies about 71 km from Berbera, at around 1,430 metres. After the heat of the coast, the cool air feels like another country. Stop for tea and a walk, and read about the town’s medieval ruins and famous school in Sheikh: Somaliland’s Mountain Town Above the Clouds.

Sheikh is the turning point of this Somaliland itinerary. The highway continues about 60 km to Burao, in the Togdheer region, where current UK travel advice is more cautious, so this route heads back down to Berbera for the night.

Day 6: back to Hargeisa

Retrace the road inland, with time for any stop you missed on Day 3. In the late afternoon, look out for Naasa Hablood, a pair of hills on the outskirts of the city, named for their distinctive conical shape. In the evening light they make a fine last view of the countryside.

Day 7: a last morning in Hargeisa

Keep the final day loose and stay close to the city. Go early to the livestock market, buy a souvenir in Waheen, and drink one more glass of tea. Our guide to Somaliland food will tell you what to order for a farewell lunch.

Extend your Somaliland itinerary: add Zeila

If you have two extra days, look west. The old port of Zeila lies in the Awdal region, close to the Djibouti border, and UK advice for Awdal is the same as for Hargeisa and Berbera. Plan the trip through your hotel or a trusted contact in Hargeisa, and travel in daylight. Read Zeila: Somaliland’s Ancient Port on the Gulf of Aden before you decide.

Planning your Somaliland itinerary

• When to go: Hargeisa gets most of its rain between April and September. On the coast, average highs reach about 40 °C from June to September, so this route is most comfortable from November to March, when Berbera’s average highs stay below about 31 °C. See the best time to visit Somaliland.
• Getting there and entry: start with how to get to Somaliland, and read our Somaliland visa guide before you book.
• Getting around: arrange a car and driver through your hotel. Trips outside Hargeisa are normally made with a police escort, CNN reported in 2025, and your hotel can organise it.
• Money: our guide to money in Somaliland explains shillings, dollars and paying by phone.
• Before you go: have a look at the latest UK travel advice in the week you travel, and read Is Somaliland Safe?

Seven days is enough to see Somaliland’s highlands, its coast and its mountains, and to start planning a second trip. Begin with the capital: our Hargeisa travel guide has everything you need for your first day.

Sources

1. Hargeisa, Wikipedia (accessed 28 October 2026).
2. Berbera, Wikipedia (accessed 28 October 2026).
3. Sheikh, Somaliland, Wikipedia (accessed 28 October 2026).
4. Laas Geel, Wikipedia (accessed 28 October 2026).
5. Rock Art Sites of Somaliland, CyArk (accessed 28 October 2026).
6. Hargeisa War Memorial, Wikipedia (accessed 28 October 2026).
7. Fifty-two cheetahs rescued from illegal wildlife trade given new home, Cheetah Conservation Fund, 9 March 2023.
8. More than 50 cheetahs rescued from illegal trade find new home, The National, 12 March 2023.
9. Naasa Hablood, Wikipedia (accessed 28 October 2026).
10. Zeila, Wikipedia (accessed 28 October 2026).
11. If Somalia is dangerous, why is it experiencing a surge in tourism?, Richard Collett, CNN Travel, 17 November 2025.
12. Somalia travel advice: regional risks, UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (accessed 28 October 2026).
13. Somalia travel advice, UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (accessed 28 October 2026).

Last checked 29 October 2026. Found an error or something out of date? Tell us.