When is the best time to visit Sierra Leone?

Sierra Leone promises beautiful white sand beaches and turquoise waters, wild landscapes and sacred mountain ranges. Here, you can also explore some of the last remaining tracts of West African rainforest, home to endangered pygmy hippos and western chimpanzees.

Advertisement

The country has two main seasons: rainy and dry, with other weather phenomena occurring throughout the year as well. While the dry season makes for sunnier days and easier travel – and is undoubtedly the best time to visit – the rainy season is not without its charms.

Here’s a season-by-season guide on the best times to visit Sierra Leone.

November to May is best for sunshine and blue skies

November or December marks the start of the dry season in Sierra Leone, ushering in bright sunshine and cloudless skies. If you’re planning to visit Outamba-Kilimi National Park, Tiwai Island or the Turtle Islands, or counting on a beachy holiday, time your trip for the dry months, when you’ll have a better chance of seeing wildlife – or enjoying uninterrupted rays while lying in a hammock. Once the rains kick in, you’ll likely experience challenges getting to and from national parks, nature reserves and the islands.

While exact seasonal timings vary from year to year, the northern hemisphere’s winter holidays are a popular time to travel to Sierra Leone, and almost always offer brilliant blue skies. If you fly in from Europe then, you’ll be in the company of Sierra Leoneans from the diaspora, who travel back to the homeland in this timeframe for a season of warmth, family and beach parties. 

Advertisement

Humidity tends to be lower during this time – especially between December and February, before the serious heat builds up again. And with little to no rainfall, the dry season is definitely the best time to travel around the country, as you’ll avoid the floods, muddy roads and poor visibility of the rainy season.

December is the best time for beach festivals

As the holiday season ushers in laid-back beach vibes and vibrant parties, December offers two major festivals.

First is the Ma Dengn beach festival, usually held over a mid-December weekend on Lumley Beach, the main palm-lined stretch of Freetown, the capital. Expect live music from Sierra Leonean stars – in recent years, Isho Boy, Aminish, Shady Baby and DJ Kasho have appeared – who come together to honor the soul of sweet Salone. The festival is a smorgasbord of drum circles, fresh seafood grills, cocktails, pop-up venues and all-night dance parties. Tickets are available on the door or ahead of time, with discount packages available at the nearby Radisson Blu.

Ecofest is West Africa’s biggest music festival, and also folds in comedy, fashion, food and art. Although its location rotates between countries and venues, in 2024 it was held in Sierra Leone, and may return there in future years. It usually takes place toward the end of December, but before Christmas and New Year. Expect headline acts and musical royalty, including Afrobeats and hip-hop icons from Sierra Leone, Nigeria and other West African countries.

January and February sometimes bring dusty skies 

The seasonal desert winds that sometimes blow in dust from the Sahara can be beautiful, lending an ethereal sandy mist to the skies. Yet the harmattan can post health challenges, especially to countries north of Sierra Leone, with people coming down with coughs and sore throats during this time. Since it affects visibility, light aircraft may not be able to operate on hazy days (large passenger jets are unaffected). If you’re in Sierra Leone during this time, you might notice some days that feel heavier and more overcast, as if a fine curtain of sand were hanging over the country. But much of the time, the harmattan isn’t really noticeable in Sierra Leone. 

April is when you’ll get to experience Independence Day

Sierra Leone’s iconic Lantern Parade Festival has been held intermittently in recent years, and is on the cards again for 2026. The event is a showcase of handcrafted lanterns by textile artists from many of Sierra Leone’s ethnic and community groups, who parade their designs through the streets of Freetown, celebrating unity and connection. The festival usually takes place in the weeks leading up to Sierra Leone’s Independence Day, which is celebrated every year on April 27 with a public holiday, national gatherings and community parties. 

May is best for marathon runners and athletes

Right at the end of the dry season, May is when the annual Sierra Leone Marathon usually takes place, in the northern town of Makeni. It’s an amazing, sweaty, challenging race that attracts a joyful crowd, including amateur runners and professional athletes from around the world. Organized by the nonprofit organization Street Child as a fundraiser for their Sierra Leone education initiatives, the marathon snakes along terracotta tracks in the shadow of sacred mountains, passing rural communities where children run out to cheer you on. Whether you’re a beginner or a serious runner, it’s worth timing your trip with the race – there are 5K, 10K, half and full marathon options, as well as a 70km cycle ride.

June to October is for muddy adventurers and fans of rainstorms

When it comes to rainstorms, Sierra Leone doesn’t play around. When the rainy season rolls around in May – increasing in intensity by June – spectacular thunder and lightning storms roll in, making it sound as if the sky is breaking open. An umbrella made for European or American skies won’t cut it. You can find heavy ponchos and substantial umbrellas at markets during this time, including wonderful rainbow-colored designs that light up the streets.

If you travel to Sierra Leone during this time, you should be ready for floods and long traffic jams, especially if you’re heading into the northern province, where you’re more likely to get stuck on muddy roads. The mud can get pretty deep: it’s not that uncommon for cars to get stuck for hours or even overnight, and it’s wise to make sure that your driver brings a shovel. If you’re travelling for work, bear in mind that meetings are more likely to get cancelled during the rainy season. Many people who live in communities without adequate infrastructure find it challenging to get to work during the most intense rainstorms.