Sierra Leone · Local picks
100+ Places to Visit in Sierra Leone
These are the places worth your time in Sierra Leone, from Freetown's beaches and history to the islands, rainforest and northern hills. Classics sit beside quiet corners few visitors ever see, so every kind of traveller finds something to love.
Places to Visit in Freetown
Things to Do
- Lumley Beach (Lumley)
Freetown's long city beach, busiest at sunset when football games and grills fire up along the sand. - Bunce Island (Sierra Leone River)
The ruined British slave fort upriver that is central to the story of the transatlantic trade and the Gullah connection. - Lumley Beach Road promenade (Lumley)
The beachfront road where families stroll, kids play and vendors sell grilled corn and fish.
Arts and Culture
- Sierra Leone National Museum (Siaka Stevens Street)
A small collection of masks, Bai Bureh's memorabilia and historic photographs in the heart of the city. - Old Wharf Steps (Wallace Johnson Street)
The old stone steps, often called the Portuguese Steps, where freed Africans first came ashore. - King's Yard Gate (Connaught Hospital)
The surviving gateway where liberated Africans from captured slave ships were received in the nineteenth century. - St John's Maroon Church (Siaka Stevens Street)
A small white church built by Jamaican Maroon settlers around the start of the nineteenth century. - St George's Cathedral (Gloucester Street)
The oldest Anglican cathedral in West Africa, with memorial plaques that tell Freetown's early history. - Fourah Bay College (Mount Aureol)
The historic university on the hill, founded in 1827, with wide views over the city and harbour. - Sierra Leone Railway Museum (Cline Town)
Restored locomotives and carriages from the colonial narrow gauge railway, a surprise hit with children. - Krio board houses of Wilberforce and Gloucester (Central Freetown)
Wooden board houses with stone bases and verandahs, the signature Krio architecture. - Cotton Tree site (Siaka Stevens Street)
Where the famous Cotton Tree stood for centuries before a storm felled it in 2023, still a city landmark.
Shopping and Markets
- Big Market (Wallace Johnson Street)
The classic craft market for country cloth, gara tie dye, carvings and baskets over several floors. - Lumley Market (Lumley)
A busy everyday market for fruit, fish and household goods, good for seeing local life.
Nature and Outdoors
- Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary (Regent)
A respected sanctuary in the hills caring for rescued chimpanzees, with guided visits and eco lodges. - Charlotte Falls (Charlotte)
A forest waterfall in the hills above the city, reached by a short walk from a mountain village. - Leicester Peak (Leicester)
A hilltop viewpoint with a panorama over Freetown, the harbour and the peninsula mountains. - Regent village walk (Regent)
A historic mountain village founded for liberated Africans, with an old stone church and forest trails. - Western Area Peninsula National Park (Freetown hills)
The rainforest that covers the mountains behind the city, home to birds and monkeys.
Restaurants
- Radisson Blu Mammy Yoko restaurants (Aberdeen)
Reliable international dining by the sea, with a pool terrace for sundowners. - Lumley Beach fish grills (Lumley)
Simple beach shacks grilling barracuda and snapper with spicy sauce and fried plantain. - Cookery shops of Central Freetown (Central Freetown)
Small local canteens serving cassava leaf, potato leaf and groundnut stew over rice at lunchtime. - Roy's (Lumley Beach Road)
A long standing beach bar and restaurant on stilts with grilled fish and ocean views. - Country Lodge Hotel restaurant (Hill Station)
A quieter hilltop dinner with cool air and views over the city lights. - Lumley Beach Road street food (Lumley)
Evening stalls for roast corn, fried fish, puff puff and kanya peanut sweets.
Cafés
- Ginger beer and kanya stalls (Central Freetown)
Street sellers of homemade ginger beer and peanut kanya, the classic Krio snack.
Bars and Nightlife
- Paddy's (Aberdeen)
Freetown's best known open air bar and dance floor, busy with locals and visitors at weekends. - Lumley Beach sunset bars (Lumley)
Beach bars with plastic chairs in the sand for a cold Star beer as the sun sets. - Aberdeen nightlife strip (Aberdeen)
The cluster of bars and clubs around Aberdeen where Freetown goes out on Friday and Saturday nights.
Events
- Freetown Lantern Parade (Central Freetown)
A colourful night parade of giant illuminated floats held in the festive season. - Independence Day celebrations (Freetown)
Parades and parties every 27 April marking independence in 1961. - Christmas and New Year on Lumley Beach (Lumley)
The beach becomes one huge party as the diaspora comes home for the holidays. - Eid celebrations (Freetown)
Muslim and Christian neighbours celebrate together, with prayers, new clothes and family feasts.
Stays
- Radisson Blu Mammy Yoko Hotel (Aberdeen)
A dependable international hotel on the beach with pool, gym and generator power. - Hill Valley Hotel (Hill Station)
A well run hillside hotel with views, a pool and quieter surroundings above the city. - Golden Tulip Kimbima Hotel (Aberdeen)
A seafront hotel with rooms over the rocks and a pool facing the ocean. - Hotel Barmoi (Murray Town)
A long established mid-range hotel on the water, popular with returning families. - Tacugama Eco Lodges (Regent)
Simple wooden lodges in the forest where you wake to the calls of chimpanzees. - Country Lodge Hotel (Hill Station)
A peaceful hill hotel with gardens and sweeping views of Freetown.
Places to Visit in Freetown Peninsula
Nature and Outdoors
- River Number Two Beach (River Number Two)
The postcard beach where a river meets white sand and turquoise sea, run by the village community. - Tokeh Beach (Tokeh)
A wide, quiet sweep of sand backed by palms and hills, perfect for long walks. - Bureh Beach (Bureh Town)
Sierra Leone's surf beach, with a community surf club and gentle waves for learners. - Lakka Beach (Lakka)
The closest of the peninsula beaches to Freetown, with simple bars and fresh fish. - John Obey Beach (John Obey)
A lovely, often empty beach near a turtle nesting area and fishing village. - Sussex Beach (Sussex)
A family friendly beach with calm water and small guesthouses. - Kent Beach (Kent)
The village at the tip of the peninsula, with fishing boats and the jumping off point for the Banana Islands. - Hamilton Beach (Hamilton)
A local beach with fishing life and simple shacks just past Lakka.
Things to Do
- Surfing at Bureh Beach Surf Club (Bureh Town)
Lessons and board rental from a local surf club that trains young Sierra Leoneans. - Canoe trip on River Number Two (River Number Two)
Local guides paddle you upriver into the mangroves to a small waterfall. - York village (York)
A historic Krio village with old board houses on the road down the peninsula.
Restaurants
- River Number Two beach restaurant (River Number Two)
Grilled lobster, barracuda and rice served at the community run beach restaurant. - Lakka beach fish shacks (Lakka)
Plastic tables in the sand and fish fresh from the canoes. - The Place Resort restaurant (Tokeh)
Candlelit dinners on a beach terrace at Tokeh.
Bars and Nightlife
- Bureh Beach bar (Bureh Town)
Cold drinks and music by the waves after a day of surfing.
Stays
- The Place Resort (Tokeh)
A comfortable beach resort with chalets on the sand at Tokeh. - Bureh Beach Surf Club guesthouse (Bureh Town)
Simple community run rooms and huts right on the surf beach. - River Number Two guesthouse (River Number Two)
Basic community chalets so you can see the beach at dawn before the day trippers arrive.
Shopping and Markets
- Waterloo market (Waterloo)
A big roadside market town where upcountry produce arrives for the city.
Events
- Easter Monday beach outings (Lakka)
Families flock to the peninsula beaches for picnics on Easter Monday.
Places to Visit in Banana Islands
Nature and Outdoors
- Dublin village and beach (Dublin)
The main village on the islands, with a colonial era church, cannons and soft beaches. - Ricketts village (Ricketts)
The smaller village reached by a forest path, home to descendants of freed Africans. - Snorkelling the reefs (Banana Islands)
Rocky reefs with colourful fish just off the islands' beaches.
Arts and Culture
- Dublin old church and cannons (Dublin)
A ruined church and old cannons from the island's slave trading and colonial past.
Things to Do
- Boat trip from Kent (Kent)
The short boat crossing past fishing canoes is half the fun of the day. - Island walk Dublin to Ricketts (Banana Islands)
A shaded forest walk between the two villages with sea views.
Stays
- Daltons Banana Guest House (Dublin)
Simple beach chalets with meals and boat transfers arranged.
Restaurants
- Fresh lobster in Dublin (Dublin)
Villagers grill lobster and fish caught that morning. - Sunset dinner at Daltons (Dublin)
A beach table and grilled fish as the sun drops behind the islands.
Places to Visit in Tiwai Island
Nature and Outdoors
- Tiwai Island Wildlife Sanctuary (Moa River)
A rainforest island with eleven primate species, including chimpanzees and Diana monkeys. - Pygmy hippo spotting (Moa River)
Night and dawn boat trips offer a rare chance to glimpse the elusive pygmy hippo. - Moa River canoe trip (Moa River)
Paddle past forest and rapids with community guides. - Night forest walk (Tiwai Island)
Guided after dark walks for frogs, owls and nocturnal mammals. - Gola Rainforest National Park (Kenema District)
The largest lowland rainforest in Sierra Leone, a great birding destination.
Things to Do
- Kambama village visit (Kambama)
Visit the village that co-manages the sanctuary and hear how conservation supports it. - Birding for the white-necked picathartes (Gola Rainforest)
A rare chance to see one of West Africa's most wanted birds.
Stays
- Tiwai Island research camp (Tiwai Island)
Tents and simple huts in the forest, with meals cooked by the community.
Places to Visit in Bo
Shopping and Markets
- Bo central market (Bo)
The bustling heart of the country's second city, full of produce and fabric.
Arts and Culture
- Bo School (Bo)
The historic school founded in 1906 for the sons of chiefs, one of the country's best known.
Restaurants
- Bo cookery shops (Bo)
Local canteens dishing up cassava leaf and plasas over rice.
Nature and Outdoors
- Kenema and the Kambui Hills (Kenema)
The eastern town at the foot of forested hills, a base for Gola. - Sherbro Island and Bonthe (Bonthe)
An old colonial trading town on a quiet island in the southern estuaries. - Turtle Islands (Bonthe District)
Remote islands of fishing villages and white sand far off the tourist trail.
Places to Visit in Kabala
Nature and Outdoors
- Wara Wara Mountains (Kabala)
Rocky granite hills around Kabala with walks and views over the northern plains. - Mount Bintumani (Loma Mountains)
West Africa's highest peak west of Mount Cameroon, a multi day trek through forest and grassland. - Loma Mountains National Park (Koinadugu District)
A remote park of montane forest and savanna, best visited with local guides. - Outamba-Kilimi National Park (Bombali District)
Savanna and riverine forest in the far north, with primates and elephants seen rarely. - Bumbuna Falls (Bumbuna)
Waterfalls and a lake on the Seli River near the country's big hydro dam.
Shopping and Markets
- Kabala market (Kabala)
A cattle and produce market where Fula, Koranko and Limba traders meet.
More to Explore
We are still checking these with fresh sources, so confirm opening times before you go.
- Dove Cut Market (Central Freetown, Freetown)
A crowded central produce market where Freetown does its daily shopping. - Kissy Road shops (East End, Freetown)
A long, lively shopping street full of fabric sellers and tailors who can make clothes from gara cloth. - Aberdeen Bridge and creek (Aberdeen, Freetown)
A spot to watch fishing canoes and herons on the creek between Aberdeen and the city. - Tasso Island (Sierra Leone River, Freetown)
The large island beside Bunce Island, with fishing villages and mangrove creeks to explore by boat. - Aberdeen fishing beach (Aberdeen, Freetown)
Watch painted canoes land the morning catch on the sand near the tip of Aberdeen. - Murray Town Amputee Sports Club grounds (Murray Town, Freetown)
Where the city's famous amputee football teams train on the beach, a moving and joyful sight. - Crown Bakery (Wilberforce Street, Freetown)
A long running central bakery and restaurant for breakfasts, pastries and simple lunches. - Mamba Point Hotel restaurant (Aberdeen, Freetown)
A popular spot for sushi and international plates with a view over the ocean. - Crown Bakery coffee counter (Wilberforce Street, Freetown)
A handy central pause for coffee and pastries between sightseeing. - Live music at Lumley Beach (Lumley, Freetown)
Weekend sound systems and live Afrobeats and Salone music along the beach road. - Ode Lay and Hunting society parades (East End, Freetown)
Masquerade societies dance through the streets at festivals, Easter and Eid. - Swiss Spirit Hotel Freetown (Aberdeen, Freetown)
A modern business hotel near the beach with reliable services. - Freetown Peace and Cultural Monument (Aberdeen, Freetown)
A memorial park marking the end of the civil war and the hope that followed. - Fula Town Mosque (Fula Town, Freetown)
One of the city's historic mosques, a reminder of Freetown's long Muslim heritage. - Gara cloth workshops (East End, Freetown)
Women dye bright gara cloth by hand, and many sell direct from their yards. - Boat trip on the Sierra Leone River (Government Wharf, Freetown)
A day on the water to the islands of the estuary, often combined with Bunce Island. - Mama Beach (Mama Beach, Freetown Peninsula)
A small curving beach near Tokeh, quieter than its neighbours. - Turtle watching at John Obey (John Obey, Freetown Peninsula)
Community conservation efforts protect sea turtles on the beaches here in season. - Weekend beach parties at Lakka (Lakka, Freetown Peninsula)
Freetown crowds head out on Sundays for music and dancing by the sea. - Sierra Leone Sussex beach guesthouses (Sussex, Freetown Peninsula)
Small family run guesthouses by a calm beach. - Tokeh Sands (Tokeh, Freetown Peninsula)
Upmarket beachfront villas and rooms on the Tokeh coast. - Mes Meheux island (Banana Islands, Banana Islands)
The tiny uninhabited third island, reachable by boat for a picnic. - Fishing with local fishermen (Dublin, Banana Islands)
Head out at dawn with island fishermen for a morning on the water. - Banana Island camping (Dublin, Banana Islands)
Camp under the stars with village permission and arrange meals locally. - Gola Rainforest Lalehun lodge (Lalehun, Tiwai Island)
Simple forest accommodation at the edge of Gola, ideal for birders. - Dohas Hotel (Bo, Bo)
A comfortable choice for a stopover between Freetown and the eastern forests. - Sir Milton Hotel (Bo, Bo)
A simple hotel in town used by travellers heading to Tiwai. - Mende textile weavers (Bo, Bo)
Watch country cloth being woven on narrow looms in nearby villages. - Bo city celebrations at Christmas (Bo, Bo)
Masquerades and street parties when families come home for the holidays. - Gbawuria Hill (Kabala, Kabala)
The hill above town, climbed for the view and the Christmas tradition of lighting it up. - Lake Sonfon (Koinadugu District, Kabala)
A sacred highland lake in rolling hills, with legends and birdlife. - Makeni Wusum Hills (Makeni, Kabala)
The northern city's hills and lively streets on the way to Kabala. - Kabala guesthouses (Kabala, Kabala)
Simple, friendly guesthouses that make a base for hill walks. - Kabala Christmas hill walk (Kabala, Kabala)
Townspeople climb Gbawuria Hill together over the holidays.