Flights not included
Now from
$1190
Was from
$1590
Days
8
HISTORY, JUNGLE, DIAMONDS, ISLAND BEACHES

Freetown, Forests and Island Light

This 8-day Sierra Leone trip begins and ends in Freetown, then reaches into the country's harder-to-find stories: the slave trade history of Bunce Island, the rice fields and fireside traditions of Boma Village, the forested calm of Tiwai Island, the diamond heritage around Kenema and the warm, slow beauty of the Banana Islands.

It is not a polished resort-style vacation. It is a close-up, people-first journey through a country where travel still feels raw, generous and wonderfully unscripted.

Why You'll Love This Trip

  • Freetown With Context
    Explore Freetown with a local guide, visiting its markets and historic landmarks, including King’s Yard Gate. The city introduces the history and everyday life of Sierra Leone before you travel into the countryside.
  • Bunce Island History
    Travel to Bunce Island to visit the remains of its slave fort with a guide. This encounter with a difficult chapter of Atlantic history adds important context to the journey.
  • Boma Village Nights
    Meet Boma’s female chief and spend a night at a community campsite. Depending on the season, join rice planting or harvesting before an evening of shared stories and dancing.
  • Tiwai Island Wilderness
    Explore Tiwai Island’s forest with local guides, watching for the primates that inhabit this protected environment. A boat trip on the Moa River and a night walk offer different perspectives on the island.
  • Kenema Diamond Stories
    Visit Kenema’s diamond fields to learn about mining and its role in local lives. Try sifting alongside miners and share lunch as you hear more about their work.
  • Banana Islands Slowdown
    Spend two nights on the Banana Islands, with time to swim, relax and explore at your own pace. Discover Dublin’s historic ruins or cross the causeway towards Ricketts during your free day.
This is Sierra Leone with the doors open: city history, village hospitality, forest nights, river travel and beaches that still feel beautifully low-key. Come with curiosity, patience and a flexible spirit, and the trip gives back in ways that feel rare.
Itinerary
Day 1 - Freetown
Day 2 - Freetown
Day 3 - Boma Village
Day 4 - Tiwai Island
Day 5 - Kenema
Day 6 - Banana Islands
Day 7 - Banana Islands
Day 8 - Freetown
Tour program
  • Cush, and welcome to Sierra Leone. Your trip starts in Freetown with a 6 pm welcome meeting, so plan to be at the hotel in time for introductions and practical details.

    If you arrive early, you might visit the Cotton Tree, a powerful symbol of freedom in the center of town, or ease into the trip with time on Lumley Beach. Tonight, dinner with the group is a good way to settle in and start putting names to faces.
  • Accommodation
    Hotel - 1 night
  • Included activities
    Complimentary Arrival Transfer
  • Special information
    A complimentary shared arrival transfer is included. Please send your flight details when booking, or no later than 14 days before the trip begins. The welcome meeting matters because your leader will collect insurance details and emergency contact information. If you are delayed, let your travel agent or hotel reception know, then check reception or the lobby notice for the meeting location.
  • Set out with your local leader for a deeper look at Freetown. This is Sierra Leone's capital and a busy port city, but today's walk also reaches into much heavier history. You will move through local market life and visit places tied to the transatlantic slave trade, including King's Yard Gate on the waterfront, where freed people once passed into a new chapter of life.

    Later, travel to Bunce Island for a guided visit to the former slave fort and a fuller understanding of the country's past. This evening, you may want to head out for dinner with the group.
  • Accommodation
    Hotel - 1 night
  • Meals
    • Breakfast
  • Included activities
    • Freetown - City Tour
    • Bunce Island - Guided Tour
  • Leave Freetown behind and travel to Boma Community Village. On arrival, meet the village chief, one of the few female chiefs in Sierra Leone, and receive a local welcome before walking through the community.

    Rice is at the heart of daily life here. There is even a saying that if a meal does not include rice, you have not really eaten. Depending on the season, join community members in planting or harvesting rice, then continue to the community-built campsite for the night. After dark, gather by the fire for storytelling and traditional dancing, including the Devil Dance.
  • Accommodation
    Camping with basic facilities - 1 night
  • Meals
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
  • Included activities
    • Boma Village - Fireside Story Telling & Traditional Dancing
    • Boma Village - Rice Farming
  • Special information
    Expect a simple, community-run campsite with basic facilities. Staying here offers time to meet your hosts and learn about daily life in rural Sierra Leone.

    Today’s travel time is approximately 7 hours.
  • Travel to Tiwai Island, a community-led wildlife sanctuary often called the Land of the Apes. Chimpanzees, colobus monkeys and other species live here, though sightings can be difficult because past hunting and conflict affected the wildlife. The real gift of Tiwai is the feeling of being deep in the forest, surrounded by huge trees, thick green growth and quiet distance from the outside world.

    This afternoon, take a boat cruise along the Moa River, then join a community-led night walk to experience the forest after dark.
  • Accommodation
    Research Centre - 1 night
  • Meals
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
  • Included activities
    • Tiwai Island - Boat Cruise
    • Tiwai Island - Night Forest Walk
  • Special information
    Tonight’s accommodation is at Tiwai Island’s Research Centre. Rooms are simple, with a fan and mosquito netting. Bathroom facilities are shared, and meals are served in an outdoor dining area.

    Today’s travel time is approximately 3 hours.
  • Start the morning with a forest walk through the Upper Guinea Forest, then travel by boat toward Kenema. Once there, visit the local SK Mining Office to meet the owners and learn how diamond mining has shaped the region's economy, history and community life.

    From the office, continue to the diamond fields and walk with local miners still working in the area. You will try sifting for stones, then sit down for lunch with miners and hear more about their daily reality. The afternoon is free in Kenema, and your leader can point you toward markets or local dinner spots.
  • Accommodation
    Hotel - 1 night
  • Meals
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
  • Included activities
    • Tiwai Island - Morning Forest Walk
    • Kenema - Diamond Mine Visit
  • Special information
    Today’s travel time is approximately 5 hours.
  • Leave Kenema and travel toward the Banana Islands, a small island group off the coast of Yawri Bay.

    Once you arrive, the rest of the day is open. You might visit Dublin Island and see the ruins of a historic church, or simply let the pace drop and spend time by the beach. After the movement of the first half of the trip, this is where Sierra Leone starts to feel softer and saltier.
  • Accommodation
    Guesthouse - 1 night
  • Meals
    • Breakfast
  • Special information
    Today’s travel time is approximately 6.5 hours.
  • Today is completely yours. Swim in clear water, wander along the beach or walk the stone causeway to Ricketts, one of the three islands that make up the Banana Islands along with Dublin and Mes-Meheux. Keep it easy, follow the weather and let the day stay unhurried.

    Tonight, you might share a final dinner with the group and toast a trip that has covered a lot of emotional and physical ground.
  • Accommodation
    Guesthouse - 1 night
  • Say goodbye to the Banana Islands and return to busy Freetown. On arrival, you will be dropped at the finishing point hotel.

    If you would like more time in Freetown, arrange extra accommodation in advance with your booking agent.
  • Included activities
    • Complimentary Airport Departure Transfer
  • Special information
    Today's travel time is approximately 2.5 hours. A complimentary airport departure transfer is included if you are leaving on Day 8 or have booked post-tour accommodation through EurotourClub. Please provide flight details at least 14 days before travel. Do not book an international departure earlier than 4 pm today.
Sierra Leone stays with you in flashes: river light, market noise, campfire dancing, forest darkness and the hush of an island morning.
Inclusions and activities
  • Destination
    Sierra Leone
  • Meals
    5 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 2 dinners
  • Transport
    Private vehicle, boat
  • Accommodation
    • Hotel: 3 nights
    • Camping with basic facilities: 1 night
    • Research centre: 1 night
    • Guesthouse: 2 nights
  • Included activities
    • Complimentary Arrival Transfer
    • Freetown - City Tour
    • Bunce Island - Guided Tour
    • Boma Village - Fireside Story Telling & Traditional Dancing
    • Boma Village - Rice Farming
    • Tiwai Island - Boat Cruise
    • Tiwai Island - Night Forest Walk
    • Tiwai Island - Morning Forest Walk
    • Kenema - Diamond Mine Visit
    • Complimentary Airport Departure Transfer
Planning a group trip? Contact our manager at info@eurotourclub.com — we’ll help you organize every detail for a smooth and unforgettable journey.
Trip moments from our travelers
Before you book you should know
Is this trip right for you?
Tourism in Sierra Leone is still developing. This is an opportunity to explore places that receive relatively few visitors, but it also means limited infrastructure and less predictable schedules. Local partners may be new to group tourism, and sites can close at short notice or be affected by restoration work. A flexible approach is essential.
Accommodation is selected for the places visited and the style of this trip. Electricity may be available only at certain times, hot water and air conditioning can be unreliable, and Wi-Fi is limited outside Freetown. The community campsite and research centre offer basic facilities.
Expect some long travel days on roads that can be slow or rough. Weather and road conditions may require detours or last-minute changes, so journey times are approximate rather than guaranteed.
Parts of the route are remote, with limited access to medical facilities and emergency assistance. Reaching appropriate care may take time. Consider your health needs and preparedness for these conditions before booking.
Travelling during Ramadan can offer a different perspective on daily life, but restaurant opening hours, services and activities may change. Your leader will adapt the schedule where necessary.
Visa information
Check the entry requirements for Sierra Leone for your passport nationality before travelling. Visa and transit requirements depend on your citizenship and route, so confirm the current rules with the relevant embassy or consulate and official immigration sources.
If you use Sherpa to research or arrange a visa, note that its connection checker covers transit requirements, not the full entry requirements for your destination. Additional service fees may apply.
Accommodation
This trip uses 3 hotel nights, 1 night of basic camping, 1 night at a research centre and 2 nights in guesthouses. The accommodation listed in the itinerary is a guide, and similar alternatives may be used if availability changes.

In some places, especially outside Freetown, accommodation is simple and locally run. Electricity can depend on generators, hot water and water pressure can vary, air conditioning is not always dependable and Wi-Fi may be unavailable. Mosquito nets may not always be provided, so pack with that in mind. Some properties outside Freetown accept cash only.

When the group arrives before standard check-in time, rooms may not be ready right away. In that case, luggage can usually be stored while the group heads out, and in some cases shared day rooms may be available.

If something is wrong with your room, tell the hotel staff and your tour leader as soon as possible so they can try to fix it locally.
Joining point
Joining point: Hotel Barmoi, 75C Cape Road, Aberdeen, Freetown, Sierra Leone.

A complimentary arrival transfer is included if you arrive on Day 1 or have booked pre-tour accommodation through EurotourClub. Flight details must be provided at least 14 days before the trip begins.

For a pre-booked transfer, a representative will meet you at the airport terminal exit with a sign. If you cannot find the representative, or if your flight is delayed, call +23279406129 or +23276258258. Your driver or representative should not ask you for extra payment.

If you are getting from Freetown International Airport to the hotel on your own, the Sea Coach Express ferry is recommended. Tickets cost approximately USD45 and can be purchased at the Sea Coach desk outside the airport terminal. A shuttle takes travelers to the jetty for the 30-minute boat ride to Aberdeen, Freetown. From there, taxis are available outside the terminal exit. The taxi to the hotel takes around 15 minutes and costs approximately USD20 per person.
Dates and prices
Lock in your trip with a 50% flexible deposit
  • Starting
    Wednesday 8 Oct 2025
  • Ending
    Wednesday 15 Oct 2025
  • Prices from
    $1500 $1800
  • Sunday 12 Oct 2025
  • Sunday 19 Oct 2025
  • $1800
  • Wednesday 15 Oct 2025
  • Wednesday 22 Oct 2025
  • $1800
  • Sunday 19 Oct 2025
  • Sunday 26 Oct 2025
  • $1500 $1800
  • Wednesday 22 Oct 2025
  • Wednesday 29 Oct 2025
  • $1500 $1800
Starting Wednesday 8 Oct 2025
Ending Wednesday 15 Oct 2025
$1500 $1800
Starting Sunday 12 Oct 2025
Ending Sunday 19 Oct 2025
$1500 $1800
Starting Wednesday 15 Oct 2025
Ending Wednesday 22 Oct 2025
$1500 $1800
Starting Sunday 19 Oct 2025
Ending Sunday 26 Oct 2025
$1500 $1800

Important notes

  1. A single supplement may be available if you prefer not to share a room. It covers every night of this trip and is subject to availability; ask your booking agent for details.
  2. A complimentary airport arrival transfer is included when you arrive on Day 1 or have booked pre-tour accommodation through EurotourClub. Provide your flight details at least 14 days before travel.
Reviews
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