Can an American Drive in Lesotho? — IDP Advised + Drive on the Left

An American licence holder can drive in Lesotho. Your US licence is the basis for it, and an International Driving Permit is advised to carry with it — handy at the police checks that are common in the region and at rental counters. Arrange the IDP at home; you will not get one in Maseru.

Lesotho is a small, very high-altitude country — it is sometimes called the “Kingdom in the Sky” — and the driving story here is about two things, neither of which is the alcohol law.

You switch to the left. The United States drives on the right; Lesotho drives on the left. For an American driver this reversal is the single most important adjustment, and it is compounded by the terrain. Don’t make your first left-hand miles a mountain pass: take a quiet, flat stretch first, get comfortable with the mirror and gear positions, then build up to the climbs.

Mind the terrain over the numbers. Town limits sit around 50 km/h, open roads near 80, with anything signed as a highway around 100 km/h — but Lesotho’s roads wind through steep mountains where weather changes fast, surfaces can be poor, and livestock and pedestrians share the carriageway. Drive well below the limit on unfamiliar passes, especially in mist or after rain. The alcohol limit is 0.08, similar to home, but at altitude on exposed roads, zero is the wiser choice.

The general emergency number is 112. Keep your passport, US licence and IDP accessible for checkpoints. For the full picture read the Lesotho driving guide and confirm your paperwork with the Driving Permit Checker. Respect the left-hand switch and the mountains, and Lesotho is one of the most spectacular self-drive destinations in southern Africa.