The capital in the south
Mogadishu is the federal capital and the main international gateway, home to Lido Beach, the old quarter of Hamar Weyne and a lively food scene led by returning diaspora. It is also where official travel advice is most severe, so most visitors come for family, work or a specific purpose, and stay in hotels with strong security.
The north: Somaliland
In the northwest, the self-declared Republic of Somaliland runs its own administration, visa and currency. Hargeisa is its capital and the most common base for leisure travellers, with busy markets, a famous book fair and easy access to Laas Geel, whose painted rock shelters are among the best preserved in Africa. On the coast, Berbera is an old Red Sea trading port with coral stone houses, fresh fish and long, quiet beaches.
The northeast: Puntland
Bosaso is Puntland's port and commercial hub on the Gulf of Aden, a trading city with a strong diaspora link and the gateway to the frankincense country of the Cal Madow mountains. Official advice for Puntland is strict, so it is mostly visited by people with family or business ties.
How to combine them
Roads between the regions cross areas that official advice warns against, so most travellers fly between cities. A typical leisure trip spends five to seven days in Hargeisa, Laas Geel and Berbera. Diaspora visits often centre on one city and family. Use our places to visit list for specific spots and the free trip planner to shape a route.