Sierra Leone

Is Sierra Leone safe to visit?

Yes, for most visitors who plan carefully, but it is not an easy destination. Sierra Leone has been at peace since 2002, it has no recent history of terrorism, and the UK advises against travel to no part of it, which makes it one of the calmer countries in West Africa. The 2026 Global Peace IndexGlobal Peace IndexAn annual ranking of 163 countries by how peaceful they are, based on conflict, crime, militarisation and political instability.More in the glossary ranks it 74th of 163, just ahead of Ghana. What makes a trip risky is ordinary: some of the weakest health care in the region, unlit and badly maintained roads, rising robbery in Freetown and a sea with no lifeguards. We score Sierra Leone 58, above Côte d'Ivoire (51) and level with Senegal (58).

Our confidence is low. The latest national homicide figure is from 2020 (WHO's model for 2021 is more than three times higher), and WHO's road estimates swing from 33.0 deaths per 100,000 in 2019 to 13.8 in 2021.

Health care is the biggest weakness

The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says hospitals and medical services are severely limited, the standard of care is far below the UK's even for basics such as blood screening, many places outside Freetown take only cash, and ambulances are unreliable in Freetown and unavailable in most of the country. Seriously ill or injured travellers may have to get to hospital by taxi. Any serious problem means evacuation, so insurance that covers it is essential.

Disease risk is high. Malaria is present all year, with an estimated 283 cases per 1,000 people at risk in 2024 (WHO via the World Bank), and CDC recommends preventive tablets for everyone. Sierra Leone confirmed its first mpox case on 10 January 2025, and by 9 June the outbreak had spread to all 16 districts with 3,922 confirmed cases, according to WHO. Cholera is endemic and peaks in the rainy season, so drink only bottled or boiled water. CDC also lists Lassa fever, spread by rats. A yellow fever certificate is required at entry. In 2026 the country added Ebola screening and an online health declaration for all arrivals because of the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; no cases have been reported in Sierra Leone itself.

Roads and getting around

WHO estimatesWHO road-death estimateThe World Health Organization's estimate of road traffic deaths per 100,000 people in a country, adjusted for deaths that police statistics miss.More in the glossary 13.8 road deaths per 100,000 people in 2021, lower than in Liberia (15.3) or Guinea (37.4), though its 2019 estimate was 33.0, so treat the roads with care. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary lists the reasons: poorly maintained vehicles, erratic motorbike riders, unlit roads and vehicles, people and animals on the road, and rainy-season damage. Mobile coverage is patchy and emergency response unreliable, and crowds can form around a car after a crash. British diplomats do not drive outside the Freetown peninsula at night, and the US says do not travel outside the peninsula after dark.

Avoid poda-podas (minibuses), kekes (rickshaws) and okadas (motorbike taxis); the FCDO says their drivers and passengers have robbed foreigners. For trips upcountry, hire a well-maintained car with a driver, leave early and arrive before dark. From Lungi airport, take a scheduled water taxi across the estuary rather than the three-hour road.

Crime in Freetown

Sierra Leone's recorded homicide rateHomicide rateThe number of people killed on purpose each year for every 100,000 residents. It is the most comparable crime figure between countries.More in the glossary, 2.2 per 100,000 in 2020, is low, though WHO's modelled estimate for 2021 is 7.5, and the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary calls crime comparatively low. But it also says violent and organised crime are rising, and Britons have been robbed, sometimes at knifepoint, around Congo Cross, Wilkinson Road, Lumley Beach, Aberdeen and beach resorts on the peninsula and islands. The US says robbery and assault are frequent in Freetown and the police struggle to respond. Pickpocketing and mugging are the most likely problems for short visits.

If you need a police report for insurance, the police charge foreigners a fee; pay it into the official account at the Bank of Sierra Leone, not to an officer.

Politics and unrest

Sierra Leone's politics can turn violent around elections and protests. According to the US State Department, police killed 30 protesters and protesters killed six police officers in demonstrations in August 2022. On 26 November 2023 gunmen attacked the country's main military barracks and prisons in Freetown, freeing inmates, and the government imposed a nationwide curfew; a military court later convicted 24 soldiers over what AP called a failed coup. Avoid demonstrations and follow any curfew.

Rain, mudslides and the sea

The rainy season runs from May to October and is extremely wet. On 14 August 2017 mudslides hit hillside districts of Freetown; UN OCHA reported 150 bodies buried the next day and more than 600 people missing. Rough seas can also cancel water taxis. On the beaches, currents are strong and there are no lifeguards anywhere.

How we scored it

Health (30) is the weakest factor and pulls the score down. Road safety (58) uses WHO's 2021 estimate of 13.8 deaths per 100,000. Conflict (70) is the strongest, with no terrorism and no no-go areas, held back by coup and protest violence. Violent crime (70) follows WHO's 2021 homicide estimate of 7.5 per 100,000, with robbery rising in Freetown.