Western Area · Sierra Leone
Where to stay in Freetown
Freetown is a city in Western Area, Sierra Leone, home to about 951,000 people.
- Nearest airport
- FNA15 km · Lungi International Airport
- Currency
- SLEleone
- Time zone
- Africa/Freetown
- Language
- English, Krio
About
About Freetown
Freetown (Krio: Fritɔun) is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean and is located in the Western Area of the country.
Freetown, like the rest of Sierra Leone, endured some very difficult times during the civil war. It was occupied by rebels twice and the resident population and infrastructure suffered badly. As stability returned, many Sierra Leoneans fled the rural areas to the city to escape the carnage. The country has been peaceful since 2002. The population of the city is much higher than it was prior to the war and has grown rapidly. This has put pressure on land and local services. Many areas of jungle have been cleared to house the new residents.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Freetown
See
Many of Freetown's attractions are underdeveloped and not well publicised. The relatively low numbers of tourists visiting has meant there was not adequate incentive or financial reward for developing them. However, there are many hidden gems that can be well worth finding. It is not unusual to be the only visitor to some of them. A visit to the Aberdeen district will give a break from the busy city centre. It's a short drive from any part of Freetown by car or taxi. The roads are now very good, but watch the speed bumps on the beach road and Sir Samuel Lewis Road. There are small stalls along the beach road selling 'tourist' fare.
- Cape Sierra Leone Lighthouse
- National Rail Museum
- Sierra Leone National Museum
- Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary
- Charlotte falls
- Remains of Cotton tree
- Supreme Court building
- Portuguese steps
- St. Johns Maroon Church
- St. George's Cathedral
- Fourah Town Mosque
- Sacred Heart Cathedral
Do
- Freetown Golf Club
- Casino Leone
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Which part of Freetown to stay in
Freetown has some high standard hotels. All in the splurge section will offer air conditioned rooms with power available 24 hours per day. Hotels in the Aberdeen area are closest to Lumley beach. There are very few options in the main part of the town itself. During the busiest time of the year (December–March) it can be hard to find a room in the better hotels. Booking ahead is advised.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Hotels in Freetown
11 hotels within 25 km of the centre, as recorded in Wikidata. Each name links to its encyclopedia article where there is one.
| Hotel | Opened | From centre |
|---|---|---|
| Atlantic Lumley Hotel | 5.4 km | |
| Bintumani Hotel | 5.9 km | |
| Home Suites Boutique Hotel | 5.8 km | |
| Hotel Barmoi | 6.8 km | |
| New Brookfields Hotel | 1.9 km | |
| Pangolin Guesthouse | 4.7 km | |
| Radisson Blu Mammy Yoko Hotel | 6.0 km | |
| Sierra Palms Resort | 5.5 km | |
| The Country Lodge Hotel | 4.1 km | |
| The Family Kingdom Resort | 6.2 km | |
| The Swiss Hotel Freetown | 4.7 km |
When to go
The best time to visit Freetown
Freetown has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. March is the warmest month, with average highs of 32 °C; August is the wettest, with about 917 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Freetown: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Lungi International Airport (FNA), about 15 km from the city centre in a straight line; Ahmed Sékou Touré International Airport (CKY, 128 km) is also within reach.
Getting around
Local taxis run fixed routes and are shared rides. For the uninitiated, there is no real way to figure out where they are going, and they're busy making a living rather than trying to explain everything to foreigners. But they're so cheap (Le1,000), you can just hail one and see how long it takes you the right way before making a turn! Empty taxis will assume that foreigners want to charter a taxi (see below) and not share it. To let them know you prefer a shared ride, just declare "no cha cha" when you get on board.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
FNA · Lungi International Airport
CKY · Ahmed Sékou Touré International Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Freetown
Eat
Freetown has many high-quality restaurants, but very little in the tier below that. Being on the Atlantic coast, some excellent seafood is on offer. Barracuda, grouper, and lobster are readily available. Freetown has a large Lebanese community. Consequently, some very good Lebanese food is available at most restaurants. Following the opening of an ice-cream factory, ice cream cafés are becoming popular.
Drink
Apart from the hotels and restaurants, there are many bars along the beach road. There are countless small bars along every street, often catering for just a handful of customers. A former "must-see" for any visitor was Paddy's on the road into Aberdeen which was renamed as Quincy's. This bar was famous and was the only place to be consistently open during the war. Sadly it no longer exists and has replaced with an apartment block. Star beer is available on tap in better bars. Also worthy of a visit is the Hill Station Club at Hill Station. This old gentleman's drinking club was looted during the war, but the building survived and the bar will be opened for visitors.
Stay safe
Violent crime is rare in Freetown. However, there have been some incidents in Lumley and Aberdeen at night, near the clubs and bars. Petty crime is common - take care of possessions and be wary of leaving valuables in rooms. Thefts from luggage at the airport on the way out of Sierra Leone aren’t as common anymore, but do not leave luggage unattended.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Freetown: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Freetown?
Freetown has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. March is the warmest month, with average highs of 32 °C; August is the wettest, with about 917 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Freetown?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Lungi International Airport (FNA), about 15 km from the city centre in a straight line; Ahmed Sékou Touré International Airport (CKY, 128 km) is also within reach.
What currency is used in Freetown?
leone (SLE).
Nearby
Destinations near Freetown
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.