Monday 17th May 

• Arrival in Hargeisa as per your own schedule

• Airport pick-up and we will take you to our hotel, Hotel Sugaal.

• Dinner at a lively canteen off the main drag of Hargeisa. You will have a chance to chat with them and hear how they find life in Somaliland.

• After dinner, you can walk around the bustling city centre in Hargeisa, and have some chai with the friendly locals or do some shopping for t-shirts and flags for Independence Day. 

Tuesday 18th May – Independence Day in Somaliland

• Not many people can say there were in Somaliland for the official Independence Day festivities but today is the day you get to experience this. Remember you will be taking part on the Independence Day celebrations of a country that is not recognised! After breakfast, we will be making our way onto the streets which will be emblazoned in colour and parades of the military and citizens

• Somaliland national museum and cultural center. A great place to chat with some local young people.

• We will have a traditional dinner at Summer Time Restaurant, an institution in town, that evening and toast to this small nation!

• Overnight in Hargeisa

Wednesday 19th May

• Visit the two hills called Naaso Hablood (“Girl’s Breasts”) also known as Hargeisa’s landmark. On the way we visit the cemetery for British Soldiers who died here battling against the Italians during the Second World War. Hargeisa is the former capital of British Somaliland, while Italy controlled what is now Somalia

• Delicious lunch at a Somali-Yemeni restaurant and the chance to hear about the cultural and social history of the county and how it exists today from learned locals. A walking tour of the city of Hargeisa is a great way to take in the remarkable atmosphere of the place. We will see all the key sites in the city centre including the Fighter Jet Memorial in memory of the those killed during the civil war here

• We check-out the bustling market in Hargeisa before getting some dinner and a night out in the city

Thursday 20th May

• Agriculture and farm animals are the lifeblood of many in the country, so after breakfast this morning we visit the commercial hub for the trading of camels and many other species important to the local people and even the economy of Somaliland

• We travel to Laas Geel, estimated at the 10,000 years old is the site of some the most significant and artistically colourful early rock art anywhere

• Make the 60km drive back to Hargeisa

• Buffet dinner at a Yemeni Restaurant

Friday 21st May

• Today we will take in quite a few sites and there will be an opportunity to experience more of this remarkable country. We will visit Barbera Port which is a key piece of infrastructure for the nation. We will have lunch at Ottoman houses after a visit to a mosque

• Later we will take a quick boat ride to see boat wrecks which have succumb to the Gulf of Aden. There are some great beaches that we can stop at and take a swim. (Note: Ladies will need to be covered even while swimming) 

• In the evening we will explore and discover Barbera centre and admire its combination of Persian, British and Ottoman architecture. Afterwards, we will relax and enjoy a seafood dinner on the waterfront

Saturday 22nd May

• Breakfast this morning and afterward, you can take a last look around Barbera. 

• As an added little bonus, we will have the opportunity to visit the town of Sheikh located way up in the mountains. It’s really nice up here and we will have some tea and refreshments.

• Make our way back again to Hargeisa city for a farewell dinner with the group. Afterward, we hit the arcade, check out some local sports, bowling, and shisha.

• Overnight at hotel. 

Sunday 23rd May

• End of Somaliland Independence Day Tour. If you are not doing the Somaliland & Eritrea Independence Horn of Africa Tour, you can say your last goodbyes to the group and we will drop you to the airport for departure as per your own schedule.