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Voykit pocket guide · Sierra Leone
Freetown
Freetown is a daylight city: see the museum and cathedral in the morning, take the beach in the afternoon, and be at your hotel before dark; book the airport crossing before you fly.
Freetown's traffic is slow, its roads are crowded and its airport is across an estuary, so the trips that go wrong are the ones that move at the wrong hour: a late arrival with no crossing booked, a cross-town drive at rush hour, or a rainy-season afternoon. Four small walking areas cover the centre, the harbour front, Lumley Beach and the east end, and every leg between them is a car ride with a known driver.
- Country
- Sierra Leone
- Best months
- Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · Nov · Dec
- Time zone
- Africa/Freetown
- Stay
- 2 days: Central sights morning, Lumley Beach afternoon, second day beach or harbour
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- SLE
- Money
- Cash is king. Bring US dollars or euros in clean, recent notes to exchange at a bank or licensed bureau. Cards work at a few big hotels and some restaurants; ATMs are limited and can run empty.
- Daily spend
- Budget SLE 250–500 excl. bed · Mid SLE 500–1,200 excl. bed · High SLE 1,200+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Buy a local SIM at the airport or at a shop in town (bring your passport). Data works in the city and on the beaches, less well in the hills and on boats.
- Emergency
- Police, ambulance, fire Ask your hotel for the current numbers on arrival and save them; they may not connect · Your hotel and your driver Save both numbers offline
- Plugs
- 230 V, 50 Hz; UK-style three-pin (type G) and sometimes two-pin round sockets (type C). Bring an adapter and a power bank; power cuts are common.
- Tipping
- Not compulsory. Round up at restaurants, tip a driver who waits for you, and check whether a service charge is already on the bill.
- Water
- Do not drink tap water. Use bottled or filtered water and avoid ice unless your hotel says it is made from treated water.
- Toilets
- Hotels and larger restaurants; carry tissues and hand gel. Public toilets are rare.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or soft drink | SLE 30–70 |
| Canteen meal | SLE 60–120 |
| Restaurant main course | SLE 200–500 |
| Hotel car across town | SLE 150–400 |
| Bottle of water | SLE 10–25 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- Lungi International Airport (FNA)
- FNA to your bed: pre-book the airport pickup and the crossing to Freetown before you fly — the estuary is the risk, not the distance, and the crossing may not run after dark.
By rail and road
| Station | Serves | To the centre |
|---|---|---|
| Lungi International Airport | Flights to Europe, Africa and the Gulf | Crossing by ferry or water taxi plus a car, about 2.5–4 h in total (check); or a long road drive round |
| Aberdeen and Government Wharf ferry landings (Aberdeen and Government Wharf) | Ferry and water-taxi crossings from Lungi and Tagrin | Car 10–30 min to the hotels |
| Road connections (Regent Road and Wilkinson Road) | The peninsula beaches, Waterloo and the roads east | Traffic is heavy at rush hour |
Typical fares
- Hotel car across town
- SLE 150–400 one way; agree before you go
- Airport crossing
- SLE 300–1,500 by operator (check)
Show 8 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Eat, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Use a car with a driver from your hotel for every leg, and walk only inside an area. Public transport is crowded and not recommended for visitors.
| How | Fare | Use for |
|---|---|---|
| Walking | Free | Inside Lumley or the museum and cathedral area |
| Hotel car with a driver | SLE 150–400 for a short ride; SLE 1,000–1,500 for a half day (check) | Every leg between areas |
| Taxi (licensed) | SLE 100–300 across the centre | Short rides when a hotel car is not available |
| Shared taxi and minibus | SLE 5–20 per ride | Only for confident, experienced travellers |
| Okada (motorbike taxi) | Varies | Not recommended |
| Ferry and water taxi | SLE 300–1,500 by operator (check) | Airport crossing and boat trips |
Fares are estimates; check before you ride.
- Passes
- No pass. Agree the fare before the ride; fares rise in rain and traffic.
- Late at night
- No rail; shared taxis and hotel cars run, but avoid moving after dark.
See and do
01Sierra Leone National Museum
The best single overview of the country's history and cultures, next to the Cotton Tree site.
Hours: best Weekday morning (check) · Price: Small fee (check) · Time: 1 h
02Cotton Tree siteThe Cotton Tree
The site of the city's symbol; the founding story of Freetown.
Hours: best Early morning · Price: Free · Time: 10 min
03St George's Cathedral
A church from the 1820s in the old centre.
Hours: best Late morning · Price: Free · Time: 20 min
04Lumley Beach
Sunset, sea air and grilled fish.
Hours: best 16:30–18:30 · Price: Free; food SLE 200–450 · Time: 2 hHours: best 4:30 PM–6:30 PM · Price: Free; food SLE 200–450 · Time: 2 h
05Old Fourah Bay College
The oldest university in West Africa, seen from outside with a guide.
Hours: best Morning · Price: Free · Time: 30 min
06Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary
Rescued chimpanzees in a forest reserve.
Hours: best Morning · Price: About US$15–25 (check) · Time: Half day
07Bunce Island
Ruins of a slave-trading fort in the river; a sober and important place.
Hours: best Dry season · Price: Boat and entry fees (check) · Time: Full day
08River No. 2 beach
The best-known peninsula beach.
Hours: best Nov–Apr · Price: Car and fees (check) · Time: Full day
09Lebanese restaurants and shawarma, AberdeenLebanese restaurants, Aberdeen
A dependable, cool meal.
Hours: best Lunch · Price: SLE 200–500 · Time: 1.5 h
10Sierra Leone Railway MuseumRailway Museum, Cline Town
Old locomotives and railway history.
Hours: best Weekday morning (phone ahead) · Price: Small fee (check) · Time: 30 min
Hours and prices are desk estimates (checked 2026-09); anything marked (check) is not confirmed. Coordinates open in any map app.
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary | Car with a driver, about 45–60 min from the centre | Half day |
| River No. 2 and the peninsula beaches | Car with a driver, about 45–90 min | Full day |
| Bunce Island | Boat from the wharf side, about 1–1.5 h each way (check) | Full day |
| Banana Islands | Boat from the peninsula, about 1–2 h (check) | Full day or overnight |
Eat
| Where | What · area | Price | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rice-and-stew canteens | Rice with cassava leaf, groundnut stew or grilled fish · Central Freetown | SLE 60–120 | Budget |
| Roadside snacks, central Freetown | Fried plantain, roast corn, bread and egg · Central Freetown | SLE 10–50 | Budget |
| Fresh fruit stalls | Pineapple, mango, banana in season · Roadsides | SLE 10–40 | Budget |
| Seafood grill on Lumley Beach | Grilled fish, prawns or chicken with rice and salad · Lumley Beach | SLE 150–350 | Mid-range |
| Beach bars and grills, Lumley Beach at sunset | Grilled fish, beer and chips · Lumley Beach | SLE 200–450 | Mid-range |
| Lebanese restaurants and shawarma, Aberdeen | Shawarma, mezze and mixed grill · Aberdeen | SLE 200–500 | Mid-range |
| Hotel restaurants on the coast | International and seafood menus · Aberdeen and Lumley | SLE 500–1,200 (check) | Splurge |
Per person, one dish or one meal, 2026 estimate in leones. Addresses and hours change: check with your hotel.
Sleep
| Band | Price a night | Where | What |
|---|---|---|---|
| budget | SLE 700–1,200 double | Central Freetown and inland | Guesthouses and small hotels |
| mid | SLE 1,800–3,500 | Aberdeen and Lumley | Hotels and guesthouses on the beach road |
| splurge | SLE 4,500+ | Aberdeen, Lumley and the peninsula | International hotels and resorts |
Per room per night in leones, 2026 estimate; Dec–Jan and Independence week add 20–40%.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Kushɛkoo-sheh |
| How are you? | Aw di bɔdi?aw dee bo-dee |
| Thank you | Tɛnkiten-kee |
| How much is it? | Aw mɔs?aw moss |
| Please | Plizpleez |
| I need help | A nid wan pɔsin fɔ ɛp miah need wan poh-sin foh ep mee |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greetings: Greet before you ask for anything: Kushɛ, a handshake and how is the body. Use the right hand to give and receive.
- Dress: Modest clothes in the city, in mosques and in churches; swimwear only at the beach.
- Photos: Ask before photographing people; do not photograph police, the military, government buildings, the port or the airport.
- Religion: The population is mostly Muslim, with a large Christian minority: respect prayer times and fasting in Ramadan.
- Bargaining: Bargain at markets and for crafts and rides; be friendly and do not haggle over small sums.
- Pace: Things start late and run slowly: build buffers, especially for crossings and flights.
Red lines
- Do not photograph the military, police, government buildings or the airport.
- Ask before photographing people.
- Use your right hand to give and receive.
Scams and watch-outs
- Airport touts and fake porters offering a crossing or a taxi: book through your hotel, and agree the fare in writing before you set off.
- Overpriced "official" fees and fake guides at sites: ask your hotel what fee is normal.
- Taxi drivers who quote a high fare to foreigners: agree the price before you get in, or ask your hotel for a driver.
- Rear-window and street bag snatching in traffic jams: keep bags off the seat by an open window.
One and two days
1 day
A stopover between crossings. Skip: The east end and the peninsula: both need a driver and more time.
- 08:308:30 AMMuseum and Cotton Tree site
- 10:0010:00 AMCathedral
- 12:0012:00 PMLunch in the centre
- 16:004:00 PMLumley Beach and sunset
- 18:006:00 PMBeach grill, then hotel car
2 days
A usual short stay. Skip: Big Market and night walks.
Day 1 — centre and beach
- 08:308:30 AMMuseum, Cotton Tree site and cathedral
- 12:3012:30 PMLunch in the centre
- 16:304:30 PMLumley Beach at sunset
Day 2 — east end or peninsula
- 07:307:30 AMOld Fourah Bay College with a guide
- 09:309:30 AMRailway museum (phone ahead)
- 13:001:00 PMLunch at a Lebanese restaurant
- 16:004:00 PMBeach and back before dark
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Sierra Leone National Tourist Board: www.ntb.gov.sl/
- Sierra Leone Airports Authority: www.slaa.gov.sl/
- Wikivoyage — Freetown: en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Freetown
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Freetown
Pliz tek mi go na
Please take me to
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Take me to
- The Cotton TreeCotton Tree site
- Lebanese restaurants, AberdeenLebanese restaurants and shawarma, Aberdeen
- Railway Museum, Cline TownSierra Leone Railway Museum
- Police, ambulance, fireAsk your hotel for the current numbers on arrival and save them; they may not connect
- Your hotel and your driverSave both numbers offline
Write your embassy or high commission number below; some cover Sierra Leone from another capital.
Cash is the safest default: write down what you are carrying and keep it in two places.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/freetown). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.