Somaliland Expedition

Nov 14-18
5 Days
1150
ITINERARY
WHAT’S INCLUDED
GALLERY
FAQ

Somaliland unilaterally declared independence from Somalia in 1991, becoming an unrecognized country in the Horn of Africa but according to the rest of the world, it still belongs to Somalia.

Somaliland, however, is a self-administered territory that controls its own borders and has managed to stay away from all the issues that cause Somalia to be a failed state.

In this short, budget expedition, you will learn everything from Somaliland, join us on the first expedition we ever organize in this tiny country.

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November 14th to 18th, 2024

€1150

5 days

Lead by Oriol López

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Itinerary

Note that we always keep the itinerary flexible, and it may be subject to change, depending on the political situation.

Day 1 – Arrival in Hargeisa

Day 2 – Full day Hargeisa

Day 3 – Las Geel and Berbera

Day 4 – Berbera – Sheikh – Hargeisa

Day 5 – Hargeisa – departure

Day 1 – Arrival in Hargeisa

  • Arrival in Hargeisa. Airport transfer and check-in at the hotel.
  • Stroll around Hargeisa downtown to start soaking into the atmosphere.
  • Overnight in Hargeisa.

Day 2 – Full day in Hargeisa

  • In the morning, visit the famous camel market, one of the largest in the world, and one of the top tourist attractions in Somaliland.
  • Visit Naasa Hablood, two granite hills also known as Two Breasts Mountain.
  • Hargeisa city center highlights, which include the money market and the war memorial for Somaliland Independence.
  • Overnight in Somaliland.

Day 3 – Las Geel and Berbera

  • After breakfast, we’ll leave Hargeisa for Laas Geel, home to some of the most amazing Neolithic rock art in Africa, featuring wild animals and ancient pastoralists, and other scenes from prehistoric times.
  • Then, drive to Berbera, a coastal city with a rich Ottoman architecture
  • We’ll then take a boat trip, looking for shipwrecks in the Gulf of Aden.
  • Overnight in Berbera.

Day 4 – Berbera – Sheikh – Hargeisa

  • Drive into the mountains to the small town of Sheikh and visit the ruins of Ferdusa, a city from the 16th century.
  • Head back to Hargeisa, doing all necessary stops.
  • Overnight in Hargeisa.

Day 5 – Hargeisa – departure

  • After breakfast, we’ll take care of your transfer.
  • End of the tour.

Gallery of photos

Included

Letter of Invitation needed for visa on arrival

Private transportation around Somaliland

English-speaking Somali guide

International tour leader

Airport transfers

Travel permits

4 nights of accommodation in secured hotels mentioned in FAQ

Entrance fees to all places listed in the itinerary

Armed escort

Not Included

International flights to Hargeisa

Single supplement (€85)

Visa fees ($60)

Lunch & dinner

BOOK NOW

November 14th to 18th, 2024

€1150

5 days

Lead by Oriol López

Book Now

FAQ

Which hotels do we stay at?

These are the hotels where we stay. Note that they might be subject to availability.

How does the room distribution work?

Price of the tour includes accommodation in a twin room.

If you are a solo traveler, you will be sharing the room with another like-minded traveler from the group. We always try to group people of same gender and age together but note that this won’t always be the case. Moreover, in the hypothetical case there weren’t perfect pairs, one of the rooms would be a triple room.

If you wanted to have your own single room, you will have to pay an additional €85.

How to get to Hargeisa?

The easiest and cheapest way is via Addis Ababa with Ethiopian Airlines but you can also come via Dubai with Emirates.

How to get a visa?

With our Letter of Invitation, you will be able to purchase your visa on arrival (VOA) at the International Airport in Hargeisa. Visa costs 60 USD.

Note that VOA is only available at the airport in Hargeisa. If you want to overland from Ethiopia or Djibouti, you will have to get a visa at the respective Somaliland Mission in Addis Ababa or Djibouti City.

Also, keep in mind that VOA is not available for those flying from Djibouti with Air Djibouti, don’t ask me why.

Further details will be shared upon booking your spot.

How does payment work?

In order to secure your spot on the tour, we require a deposit.

All details will be shared upon booking your spot.

Do you recommend specific travel insurance?

Either you are joining one of our trips, or you are traveling by yourself, you might want to look for proper travel insurance. Against the Compass has been a partner with IATI for several years already, recommending it to all readers, as well as covering all Joan Torres’ personal trips.

We like it because It covers all the countries where the FCDO advises against all travel, it offers budget plans and covers all sorts of adventure activities.

Against the Compass readers can benefit from a 5% discount.

Get a quote here to claim your discount

What about the cancellation policy?

Please refer to our Terms & Conditions.