The checklist as a PDF
Entry, health, money, transport and safety, laid out for print, with their sources and verification date.
The Viafro verdict
For whom, and for which trip.
An editorial bearing, with no percentage and no rating: our criteria are written down, and every “good to know” links to its source.
- For which trip
- Freetown · Tiwai Island · Lungi-Town · île de Sherbro
- Best season
- December to April, from Freetown’s normals
- Length
- Allow at least 8 days for these 4 essentials, one stop every two or three days. (Viafro’s rule of thumb)
Best time to visit
Twelve months, in colour.
Hover or tap a month: its reading and its source appear. Bars measure rain, the figure is the capital’s mean maximum.
Possible
November
Freetown: mean maximum 30 °C, 148 mm of rain · frequent rain.
- Mean maximum
- 30 °C
- Rain
- 148 mm
- Station
- Freetown
Source: Wikipedia (climate normals)
Before you go
The essentials, tab by tab.
Entry, health, safety, money and facts: dated official extracts, never paraphrased.
Visa, passport, customs
GOV.UK advice, written for British passport holders. French travellers: see France Diplomatie (https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/information-par-pays/sierra-leone/conseils-aux-voyageurs-entree-sejour).
- To enter Sierra Leone, your passport must have an ‘expiry date’ at least 6 months after the date of your visa application. Check with your travel provider that your passport and other travel documents meet requirements. Renew your passport if you need to.
- You must have a visa to enter Sierra Leone.
- To enter Sierra Leone, you must have a certificate to prove you’ve had a yellow fever vaccination. For more details about medical entry requirements and recommended vaccinations, see TravelHealthPro’s Sierra Leone guide.
Vaccines, malaria, water
This is not medical advice: talk to your doctor or an international vaccination centre before you travel.
- At least 8 weeks before your trip: Water-borne diseases, including cholera, are endemic in Sierra Leone with outbreaks, particularly during the rainy season, in areas where there is poor sanitation. You should drink or use only boiled or bottled water and avoid ice in drinks.
- Hospitals, medical facilities and services in Sierra Leone are severely limited. The standard of care is much lower than in the UK, including basic services such as blood screening. Many facilities, particularly outside of Freetown, only accept cash payments.
Per the ministries
Viafro gives no safety rating: here are the zones and advice published by the French ministry (in French) and the official extracts, with their dates.
Vigilance zones published by France Diplomatie (in French) · page updated on 15 Sept 2026 · see the official map
- Zone · Zones déconseillées sauf raisons impératives
Il est déconseillé sauf raison impérative de se rendre dans la zone frontalière avec le Libéria, la situation y demeurant instable.
- Yellow · Zones de vigilance renforcée
Le reste du pays est placé en zone de vigilance renforcée.
La Sierra Leone a connu une guerre civile entre 1991 et 2002. Les combats ont cessé depuis le début des années 2000. Aujourd’hui, la situation sécuritaire permet de se déplacer sur l’ensemble du territoire.
- In a small number of incidents, British nationals have been robbed, sometimes at knifepoint. Robberies have taken place in Congo Cross, Wilkinson Road, Lumley Beach, Aberdeen and at beach resorts along the Freetown peninsula and surrounding islands.
- There is a high threat of terrorist attack globally affecting UK interests and British nationals, including from groups and individuals who view the UK and British nationals as targets. Stay aware of your surroundings at all times.
What the country’s law provides
Photography, alcohol, drugs, relationships: the rules published by the ministries, quoted as they stand, without comment.
- Sierra Leone has a tolerant, multi-religion culture. Always respect local traditions, customs, laws and religions and make sure your actions do not cause offence.
Currency
leoneViafro publishes no price or budget range without a source: amounts will come from our own expenses recorded on the ground, dated and itemised.
- There are strict rules about goods you can take into or out of Sierra Leone. You must declare anything that may be prohibited or subject to tax or duty.
Express card
Structured data from Wikidata and the CIA World Factbook, re-checked at every site update.
- Population · 2025
- 8,819,794
- Time zone
- −1 h from Paris
- Plugs and voltage
- Type G plugs · 230 V
- Driving side
- Driving on the right
- Calling code
- +232
- Languages
- English, Krio
- Area
- 71,740 km²
- Highest point
- Mount Bintumani, 1,945 m
- Main religions
- Muslim 77.1%, Christian 22.9%
Getting there and around
Airports, roads and transport.
- KBSBo AirportBo
- HGSHastings AirportFreetown
- FNALungi International AirportFreetown
- BTESherbro International AirportBonthe
Direct flights from Paris are to be checked on the airport’s or airline’s website.
On the road
- If you are planning to drive in Sierra Leone, see information on driving abroad. You can use a UK photocard driving licence to drive in Sierra Leone for up to one month after you arrive.
Destinations
The essentials.
Freetown
Freetown (Krio: Fritɔun) is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone.
Tiwai Island
Tiwai Island (Mende for 'Big Island') is a wildlife sanctuary and tourist site in Sierra Leone.
Lungi-Town
île de Sherbro
Freetown
Erik Cleves KristensenMust-try food
Six dishes, and where to taste them.
Cassava Leaf Stew
Sierra Leonean cuisine consists of the cooking traditions and practices from Sierra Leone. It follows the traditions of other West African cuisines. The country has 16 ethnic groups.
Groundnut Soup
Peanut soup or groundnut soup is a soup made from peanuts, often with various other ingredients. It is a staple in West African cuisine but is also eaten in East Asia (Taiwan), the United States (mainly in Virginia) and other areas around the world. It is also
Plasas
Palaver sauce or palava sauce (or plasas) is a type of stew widely eaten in West Africa, including Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone. The word palaver, meaning a talk, lengthy debate or quarrel, derives from the Portuguese language; palavra in general use means "sp
Jollof Rice
Jollof (), or jollof rice, is a rice dish from Senegal, West Africa. It is typically made with long-grain rice, tomatoes, chilis, onions, spices, and sometimes other vegetables and/or meat in a single pot, although its ingredients and preparation methods vary
Akara
Akara is a type of fritter made from cowpeas or beans that originated in Yorubaland, from the Yoruba ethnic group inhabiting parts of Nigeria, Benin and Togo. It is sometimes referred to as "bean cake" in English. It is found throughout West African, Caribbean
Palm wine
Palm wine, known by several local names, is an alcoholic beverage created from the sap of various species of palm trees such as the palmyra, date palms, and coconut palms. It is known by various names in different regions and is common in various parts of Afri
Culture and etiquette
Customs, dress, useful words.
- Hellohello
- Thank youthank you
- Pleaseplease
- Entries checked on Wiktionary.
- Religions: Muslim 77.1%, Christian 22.9%.
- Languages: English (official, regular use limited to literate minority), Mende (principal vernacular in the south), Temne (principal vernacular in the north), Krio (English-based Creole, spoken by the descendants of freed Jamaican slaves; a first language for 10% of the population but understood by 95%).
Festivals and events
The big dates.
- National holiday
Independence Day, 27 April (1961) ; independence: 27 April 1961 (from the UK).
Fixed dates and moveable events, each with its source; moveable dates change every year and are to be checked on an official calendar.
Did you know?
Three things to remember.
The country’s highest point, Mount Bintumani, reaches 1,945 m.
8,819,794 inhabitants in 2025 on 71,740 km², about 123 per km².
Independence on 27 April 1961 (from the UK).
Gallery
See it before you go.
Real photographs: free images under a verified licence and Viafro images. Never a generated image. Credits in the footer.
Share your trip with #viafro: the best images will join this gallery, with your credit.
Live, work, invest
A few key figures.
Sourced data (World Bank). No investment advice.
GDP per capita (current US$)846World Bank · 2025GDP growth4.6 %World Bank · 2025Inflation (consumer prices)7.5 %World Bank · 2025Unemployment (ILO estimate)3.2 %World Bank · 2025International tourist arrivals71World Bank · 2019
World Bank data (World Development Indicators), consulted on 28 Oct 2026. Tourist arrivals are the latest year published.
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Sources and verification dates · 18 sources, checked on 28 Oct 2026
Travel advice · GOV.UK (FCDO)Entry, visa, safety: the official page, kept up to date by the ministry. Travel health · US CDCVaccines and precautions from a reference medical source. World Heritage · UNESCOThe country’s inscribed sites and tentative list. WikidataCapital and currency, verified structured data.
- Wikidata · Sierra Leone (Q1044)
- World Bank · World Development Indicators
- GOV.UK (FCDO) · Sierra Leone · Foreign travel advice · Entry requirements (page updated on 19 Oct 2026)
- GOV.UK (FCDO) · Sierra Leone · Foreign travel advice · Health (page updated on 19 Oct 2026)
- GOV.UK (FCDO) · Sierra Leone · Foreign travel advice · Safety and security (page updated on 19 Oct 2026)
- Wiktionary · Checked entries (English)
- Wikipedia · Sierra Leonean cuisine (en article, dish verification; Viafro description)
- Wikipedia · Peanut soup (en article, dish verification; Viafro description)
- Wikipedia · Palaver sauce (en article, dish verification; Viafro description)
- Wikipedia · Jollof rice (en article, dish verification; Viafro description)
- Wikipedia · Akara
- Wikipedia · Palm wine
- Wikipedia · Freetown
- Wikipedia · Tiwai Island
- CIA World Factbook · Sierra Leone (public domain) (page updated on 29 Oct 2026)
- France Diplomatie · Sierra Leone · Travel advice · Security (zones, in French) (page updated on 15 Sept 2026)
- Wikidata · Airports of the country (IATA code, traffic) (page updated on 29 Oct 2026)
- Wikipedia (climate normals) · Freetown · monthly normals (NOAA,{{cite web) (page updated on 29 Oct 2026)
Information checked on 28 Oct 2026. Check the official source before you travel. Viafro gives no safety rating and publishes no price without a source.
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