Sierra Leone offers pristine beaches along the Atlantic coast, vibrant culture in Freetown, and incredible wildlife experiences. From the chimpanzee sanctuary at Tacugama to the historic Bunce Island and stunning beaches like Tokeh and River No. 2, this West African gem combines natural beauty with rich history.
Top food tours
Guided experiences that show you Sierra Leone through its food.
Freetown Market Street Food Walk
A guided walk through Freetown's Big Market and surrounding street food scene, tasting groundnut soup, cassava bread, akara bean fritters, grilled suya skewers, and fresh fruit. Guides explain the cultural significance of each dish and introduce you to the vendors.
Lumley Beach Evening Food Tour
An evening walk along Lumley Beach Road visiting the BBQ stalls, fish vendors, and beach bars that transform the strip after sunset. Taste fresh grilled barracuda, suya, pepper soup, and palm wine while watching the sun set over the Atlantic.
Freetown Fish Market Dawn Tour
A dawn tour of the Government Wharf fish market as fishing boats return with the night's catch. See barracuda, snapper, lobster, and shrimp landed fresh, learn how local women process and sell the fish, and sample fried fish cake breakfast at the market stalls.
Aberdeen Village Street Food Circuit
Explore the Aberdeen neighbourhood food scene beyond the tourist restaurants, visiting local chop shops for fufu with groundnut soup, roadside cassava leaf vendors, and the popular Lebanese shawarma stalls that locals and expats queue for at lunch time.
Tour formats
Different ways to experience Sierra Leone's food scene.
Street food tours
Street food crawls through Big Market and Lumley Beach Road stopping at groundnut soup, suya, akara, and fried fish stalls
Market tours
Guided tours of Big Market and the fish market showing how Sierra Leoneans shop and cook daily
Restaurant tours
Multi-course meals showcasing Sierra Leonean cuisine at respected local restaurants including Bliss, Mamba Point Grill, and Paddy's
Specialty tours
Thematic tours focused on specific dishes: cassava leaf and groundnut soup, palm wine culture, or fresh seafood
Cooking classes
Take a piece of Sierra Leone home with you.
Groundnut Soup and Plasas Cooking Class
Learn to prepare Sierra Leone's two iconic dishes - groundnut soup (a rich peanut-based stew) and plasas (leafy greens with palm oil) - in a local home kitchen. The class covers ingredient sourcing at the market, traditional cooking techniques, and the cultural stories behind the dishes.
Beachside Seafood Cooking Workshop
A hands-on seafood cooking session at a Lumley or Tokeh Beach location, where you learn to prepare fresh-caught barracuda and prawns using Sierra Leonean spice blends and cooking methods. The class ends with eating your creations beachside with palm wine.
Akara and Cassava Bread Baking Class
A focused class in preparing Sierra Leone's beloved street food snacks: akara (black-eyed pea fritters), cassava bread, and groundnut cakes. Held in a traditional Freetown kitchen with a local home cook, this class offers the most authentic culinary experience available.
DIY self-guided food tour
Freetown's food scene is compact enough to explore independently in a morning or evening, starting at Big Market and ending at the beach restaurants.
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1
Stop 1: Big Market (6AM-9AM) for fresh fruit breakfast, groundnut cakes, and cassava bread from market vendors - budget $3-5
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2
Stop 2: Aberdeen Fish Market (8AM-10AM) for fresh fish landing and fried fish cake breakfast - budget $3
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3
Stop 3: Wilkinson Road Lebanese bakeries for freshly baked bread and pastries (mid-morning) - budget $3-5
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4
Stop 4: Chop shop near Cotton Tree for lunch of jollof rice, cassava leaf stew, or groundnut soup - budget $5-8
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5
Stop 5: Lumley Beach BBQ stalls (5PM onwards) for suya, grilled fish, and cold Star beer while watching the sunset - budget $8-15
Foodie tips
Get more out of every meal.
Cassava leaf stew and groundnut soup are the two dishes every visitor must try - order them at any local chop shop for under $5
Star Beer is Sierra Leone's local lager and the recommended accompaniment to any Sierra Leonean meal
Palm wine (local fresh and fermented) is available throughout the country but quality varies - the freshest is best tasted at source near palm groves outside Freetown
Seafood is Sierra Leone's strongest culinary suit - fresh barracuda, lobster, and prawns from the Atlantic are exceptional and priced well below Western equivalents
Chop shops (informal local eateries) offer the most authentic and affordable Sierra Leonean food - look for busy ones with rapid turnover of food
Many restaurants in Freetown are Lebanese or Indian-owned catering to the expat market - excellent food but not traditional Sierra Leonean cuisine
Akara (bean fritters) from street vendors makes an excellent breakfast - best eaten hot with pepper sauce
Fruit vendors on peninsula roads sell exceptional tropical fruit including mangoes, pineapples, and papayas at very affordable prices
Bottled water only - never drink tap water or use ice cubes unless from a reputable establishment
Ramadan significantly affects restaurant hours during the holy month when the Muslim majority fasts - plan meals accordingly