Getting to Sierra Leone ...

All persons entering Sierra Leone must have a valid passport or travel document. Citizens of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) do not require a visa to enter the country. Visas are issued at Sierra Leone's overseas missions. If one isn't present in close proximity, please see our visa services page to find out how Visit Sierra Leone can help.

... By Air

Freetown International Airport The main option of getting to Sierra Leone is by air and land but you can also get there by sea.

Direct flights from Europe are available from London and Brussels through BMI and SN BRUSSELS. Sierra Leone lies in the same time zone as Europe and only 6 ½ flying hours direct from London and Paris. There is no jet lag flying this route.

You can use ROYAL AIR MAROC which departs from New York, if traveling from the United States.

KENYA AIRWAYS also flies from Nairobi via Accra. Kenya Airways operates in partnership with KLM which opens up more options for connecting flights. Other regional flights include, GAMBIA INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES (Cape Verde/Dakar) , ELYSIAN AIRLINES (Monrovia, Banjul) and BELLVIEW AIRLINES (Banjul, Lagos, Dakar)

All international flights arrive at Freetown International Airport, Lungi. Please see our flight schedule for more information. Click here if you require hotel reservation.

Lungi Airport Transport

Ferry The airport and mainland Freetown are separated by the Sierra Leone River. There are several options for crossing this waterway. There is the recently begun water taxi service. It costs $40USD for a crossing that takes approx. 25 minutes.

Another option is the UT Air helicopter service which costs $70 USD for a 7 minute flight on a helicopter with a less than sterling record.

Slightly more economical is the hovercraft ($50 USD), which seems to also suffer from breakdowns on a semi-regular basis.

The cheapest option of all is to take the Ferry to Freetown, which can take anything between 1.5 to 4 hours to get to your destination, but only costs Le5,000 for a 'VIP' seat. This excludes vehicle costs and don't expect much from a 'VIP' seat that costs less than $2 USD.

It is possible to drive to Freetown from Lungi (4+ hours) through Port Loko, but this makes more sense if you're heading up country rather than to Freetown. Keep in mind there are no vehicle rental agencies at Lungi, so private transport would have to be pre-arranged.

Tip: The best methods of transit have limited space and can fill-up rapidly therefore, it is best to make your arrangements as soon as possible after disembarking the plane, or in advance of your trip.

... By land

Currently Sierra Leone can be accessed by road from Guinea(Conakry) and Liberia. Special permits are required if transiting the border with a private vehicle. Private taxis, buses and trucks commute daily to and from Conakry/Freetown.