When to go · Freetown
Freetown in January
Great month. Dry and dusty (harmattan haze); good for beaches.
Key facts
- Verdict
- Great
- Temperature
- 31°C (88°F)88°F (31°C) / 23°C (73°F)73°F (23°C)
- average high / low
- Rain days
- 1
- Crowds
- Medium
- Sierra Leone overall
- Prices
- Medium
- Sierra Leone overall
Verdict
Dry and dusty (harmattan haze); good for beaches.
All twelve months in one grid — weather, crowds and prices, with gaps left as unknown.
Is another month better than January?
No other month rates higher than January for Freetown in this guide.
Weather in January
- FreetownHighs around 31 °C (88 °F), lows around 23 °C (73 °F), rain on about 1 dayHighs around 88 °F (31 °C), lows around 73 °F (23 °C), rain on about 1 day
- Freetown Peninsula and coast, Sierra Leone · Freetown, River No. 2, Bureh, Banana Islands, Bonthebest weather
One of the wettest capitals in the world: over 3 m of rain a year, most of it July–September, with floods and landslides.
Dry season season
Sun, calm seas and the best beach weather; the road to the peninsula is dry.
Watch: Harmattan haze in Dec–Feb; peak prices around Christmas.
Festivals and holidays
Dates as our data lists them. Moving holidays (lunar and Islamic calendars, Easter) shift every year: check the date for your year before you build a trip on it.
Dry season
About November to April · Whole city
Best weather for beaches and travel; harmattan haze from December to February.
Christmas and New Year
25 Dec–1 Jan
Returning families fill the beaches and hotels; book early.
Crowds and prices
- Crowds · Sierra Leone overall
- Medium
- Prices · Sierra Leone overall
- Medium
Sierra Leone overall: Dry and sunny, some Harmattan haze; peak beach season.
Compare two months
Weather, crowds and prices for any two months in Freetown, side by side.
Verdict
Jan: Great
Feb: Great
Daytime high
Jan: 31 °C (88 °F)88 °F (31 °C)
Feb: 32 °C (90 °F)90 °F (32 °C)
Night low
Jan: 23 °C (73 °F)73 °F (23 °C)
Feb: 24 °C (75 °F)75 °F (24 °C)
Rain days
Jan: 1
Feb: 1
Crowds
Jan: Medium
Feb: Medium
Prices
Jan: Medium
Feb: Medium
Festivals listed
Jan: 2
Feb: 1
January: Dry and dusty (harmattan haze); good for beaches.
February: Dry and hot; the best month for beaches.
Freetown: figures are long-term averages from this guide, not a forecast.
What to pack
- Light, breathable clothes, a sun hat and sunscreen