13 Things to Do in Sierra Leone in 2026 | Epic African Tour Guide

Sierra Leone attracts you with shores that gleam under the sun, animals moving through thick greenery, yet stories echoing in every dance. Things to do in Sierra Leone blend adventure, history, and relaxation in a way few destinations can match. Exploring Sierra Leone’s rushing rivers, old pathways carved by time, moments where silence settles deep. Each experience peels back a layer, not promising more, just real, unpolished presence.

Shahzeb Shaikh, the founder of SimCorner, expresses, “Sierra Leone’s experiences are mixed with wild trails, quiet ruins, slow mornings by saltwater, stitched together without force. Amazing country with incredible beauty!”

Whether you are seeking Sierra Leone beaches or wildlife encounters, this comprehensive Sierra Leone travel guide covers the best places to visit in Sierra Leone.

1. Explore Freetown Peninsula Beaches

Sierra Leone’s beaches are so calming, making them some of the most relaxing things to do in Sierra Leone for first-time visitors.

The Freetonly peninsula wraps around coastlines sharp with beauty, golden light pools on warm-toned sand, then slips into waves so clear they seem poured from stillness. Some show up chasing swells, boards tucked under arms; a few stay simply to drowse beneath palms, tasting sea-damp air. Each stretch of shore breathes slow, shaped by tides and quiet footsteps.

Fresh fish sizzles on open grills while rhythms drift from nearby speakers, unhurried and warm. Lumley Beach and River Number Two Beach are notable Sierra Leone tourist attractions.

Visit River No. 2 Beach, trading crowds for quiet lagoons and simple stays such as Franco's. Then reach Tokeh Beach, its untouched stretch of sand perfect for riding waves along Sierra Leone’s coast.

Local surf schools help newcomers get started, whereas rising waters open paths to adjacent coastlines. Among the destinations near Freetown, these stretches of sand stand out due to their easy accessibility.

2. Visit Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary

Visit the Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary, a sanctuary for orphaned primates in lush rainforest, one of the most meaningful things to do in Sierra Leone for wildlife lovers.

Strolling through misty trees, you’ll find Tacugama, where chimps without families get a second chance. Bala and Sharmila Amarasekaran founded this place with an embrace for the wildlife and nature in Sierra Leone.

Over one hundred apes now roam its forest paths, rescued from quiet loneliness. Nestled inside the national park, it breathes life into wild spaces others forget. Nature here isn’t staged; it simply grows, untamed, alongside those learning freedom again.

3. Discover Banana Islands

A quick boat trip from Kent brings you to the Banana Islands, about twenty minutes on the water. These little spots, named Dublin, Ricketts, and Mes-Meheux, sit quietly off Sierra Leone's coast. Instead of crowds, there are stretches of untouched sand, and boat riding in these places is one of the most peaceful things to do in Sierra Leone.

Beneath the surface, clear waves cover coral gardens buzzing with bright fish. Snorkels work well here. So does a rod, if fishing’s what draws you, ideal for outdoor activities in Sierra Leone. Hike trails that lead to old landmarks, while coastal breezes rock hammocks above the Atlantic surge.

4. Tour Historic Bunce Island

Visiting Bunce Island is among the most powerful things to do in Sierra Leone, offering a sobering glimpse into traumatic history.

When you tour Bunce Island, you will find echoes of what once was, a place shaped by hardship and a dark past. You can reach it in forty-five minutes by boat from Freetown. Once active between 1670 and 1807, this outpost served as a hub for the forced slave trade. More than thirty thousand slaves moved through this infamous threshold known as the Door of No Return.

This essential stop among places to visit in Sierra Leone honours resilience and supports ongoing historical preservation by local scholars. Crumbling structures, built by colonial hands, now lie tangled in greenery, silent, weathered, speaking without words.

A guided walk out of Freetown leads to Tasso Island, where a break brings cool drinks under shade.

5. Wander Historic Freetown

Wandering through historic Freetown is one of the most culturally rich things to do in Sierra Leone. This key spot on any Sierra Leone itinerary stands as a quiet tribute to endurance. Coming here helps sustain the work of community keepers of history.

Walking through Freetown's aged paths means rising along hillsides that stare across waves, homes of timber tilt into salt-heavy gusts near crowded trading alleys. Founded by freed souls back in 1792, its roads hum with quiet defiance, subtle yet stitched into daily life.

Among stone foundations and weathered signs, two spots stand, not because they shout, but because they hold quiet weight: the national museum holding fragments of memory, then Tower Hill rising with stories tucked in its corners.

6. Spot Wildlife at Tiwai Island

Exploring Tiwai Island Wildlife Sanctuary ranks high among things to do in Sierra Leone for nature enthusiasts. Wander through Tiwai Island, where thick old-growth forest clings to the curves of the Moa River across twelve quiet kilometers. Pygmy hippos slip between waterways here, unseen but felt, while birds, over a hundred thirty kinds, call from canopy gaps.

This patch hosts more primates per stretch than anywhere else in Sierra Leone, tucked beside the vast Gola Rainforest National Park.

Locals guide every trail, their stewardship rooted in EFASL, shaping visits that feed back into village needs instead of outside pockets. With over 700 plant species, Tiwai stands out for wildlife and nature in Sierra Leone.

7. Hike Outamba-Kilimi National Park

Hiking Outamba-Kilimi National Park offers some of the most adventurous things to do in Sierra Leone, especially for travelers. In Outamba-Kilimi National Park, you will move under thick tree cover that shifts into open grasslands; this area has remained protected since '95.

See forest elephants padding beside chimps swinging above, while buffalo herds stand watchful near riverbanks where hippos submerge slowly, and leopards might flick a tail in the shadows.

Travel on foot with rangers who know every bend in the Kilimi River trail, or glide by canoe when water levels allow passage through narrow channels. This stretch borders Guinea, a terrain shaped by seasonal rains and animal paths older than maps.

8. Snorkel Turtle Islands

Snorkelling the Turtle Islands is among the most remote things to do in Sierra Leone, rewarding travellers with untouched marine life. They are one of the Hidden gems in Sierra Leone. They are like tiny dots on the map. Baki, Yele, and others make up the Turtle Islands chain. Locals from Sherbro have fished these waters for generations.

Along quiet shores, where mangrove roots twist into the sand, turtles crawl ashore at night. Dolphins sometimes cut through waves just offshore. Getting there means a speedboat ride from Freetown Peninsula. Takes about three hours, depending on the tide.

9. Trek Gola Rainforest National Park

Trekking in Gola Rainforest National Park is one of the most immersive things to do in Sierra Leone. Connected to Tiwai by a thread of wild green. Pygmy hippos move quietly here, alongside colobus monkeys leaping between canopy gaps, while elusive picathartes cling to rocky hides.

Old-growth trees stretch across valleys, home to slithering reptiles and more than seven hundred kinds of flora. Local efforts guard this place, hoping one day for UNESCO recognition. Long hikes discover signs of forest elephants, sometimes fresh tracks near riverbanks where otters play.

10. Surf and Chill at River No. 2 Beach

Relaxing at River No. 2 Beach remains one of the most laid-back things to do in Sierra Leone, blending surf culture with lagoon beauty.

A stretch of pale sand curls by Tokeh. River No. 2 Beach glimmers where water runs clean and shallow. When the sea pulls back, land stretches further out across bare sandbars; rising tides mean a ride in a wooden boat just to reach shore.

Near Cockle Point, small eco-huts sit perched above the surf, each with a slung hammock facing open blue. Waves here move steadily down the line, right for those who’ve learned their way past beginner swells. These lessons are handed down by locals who know how the swell bends around the coast.

11. Visit Charlotte Falls

Visiting Charlotte Falls is one of the most refreshing things to do in Sierra Leone, especially for hikers and swimmers.

Charlotte Falls tumbles down the forested slopes of the rural West Cascades, tucked beneath a thick rainforest canopy, perfect for hiking or slipping into cool water. Mist curls upward as the cascade crashes into jade-colored pools below, softening the air with spray. A quick drive leads to the Banana Islands, adding quiet detours to your path.

Footpaths twist near small villages where elders speak of the falls’ presence in Krio legends, voices low with memory.

Bring simple food to eat on rocky ledges overlooking the gorge, or test nerve and gravity with a swing tied by ropes into darker waters. This place can be one of your favourite outdoor activities in Sierra Leone.

12. Shop Big Market Freetown

Strolling through Big Market in Freetown feels like stepping into a lively echo of the 1700s, one of the most authentic things to do in Sierra Leone.

bustling, raw, alive. Shelves teem with shukublai baskets, hand-dyed fabrics, bits of folk art made without permission from trends. You’ll find kente weaves born from Temne roots, each pattern telling what words often miss. Wooden masks stare quietly from shadowed corners, carved slowly, meant to last a decade,

Instead of buying, think of it as trading stories, one trinket at a time. Spices pile high in mounds of red and gold, tangled with bottles of palm oil glistening under sun-streaked roofs. Bananas, okra, bitter leaf, all stacked without order, yet everything finds its place.

13. Summit Leicester Peak

Summit Leicester Peak rises above Freetown, watching over the peninsula like a quiet sentinel. Hikes here take little time yet give wide-open skies when the sun dips low. Paths wind past stands of eucalyptus, their scent sharp in the breeze. On the way to Tacugama, this spot slips easily into any day, just a short ride by car.

At the top, sightlines stretch in every direction: rooftops blur into sea haze while far-off peaks fade in the heat. It draws people who want space to film from above or speak life-changing words.

Morning brings runners breathing hard along the trail, uniting steps with others chasing rhythm up the slope. Capture Sierra Leone’s beauty from high ground - golden light spills across villages just as lamps blink awake beneath.

Capture and Share Your Journey through Sierra Leone Using SimCorner eSIM

Wander through Sierra Leone’s coastlines or jungles, SimCorner’s Sierra Leone eSIMs keeps you linked without fuss. Touch down at Lungi, and your connection sparks to life right away. Cruise online freely while mapping routes to Tacugama or reserving spots near Banana Islands. No surprise fees creep in, just steady access from arrival onward.

SimCorner eSIMs adapt to your journey through Sierra Leone. From city hubs like Freetown to hidden trails in distant parks. Coverage stays strong, shifting smoothly between 4G and 5G where available. You are getting,

• Unlimited data for maps and wildlife apps.
• Easy setup for sharing hidden gems.
• Nationwide coverage for every outing.
• Affordable plans to fuel your explorations.