ISLAND DISPATCH / YOUR FIRST VISIT
Seychelles itinerary for 6 or 8 days
At a glance: For 6 days, stay on Mahé and Praslin, visit La Digue for the day, then return to Mahé for your final night. For 8 days, add a night on La Digue and a genuine third day on Mahé. Skip a fourth island: hotel check-ins and jetties take time too.
This is a planning example, not a live ferry or flight timetable. Check your carrier, hotel and weather before committing to any non-refundable journey.
Choose your duration
Six days means fewer overnight bases; eight means less rushing
- Mahé: two nights first, plus the final night.
- Praslin: two nights.
- La Digue: a day trip from Praslin.
- One main activity on a transfer day.
Leave out: an overnight on La Digue, a fourth island and a full boat excursion on departure day.
- Mahé: three nights first, plus the final night.
- Praslin: two nights.
- La Digue: one night.
- A separate day for a reserve or beach.
Still leave out: changing hotels every night or stacking two sea activities that both depend on the weather.
Arriving late afternoon and leaving before noon do not provide two sightseeing days. If flight times consume half a day, add a night or remove an activity rather than squeezing the same plan into less time.
Your island route
Switch duration to see where you sleep and cross
The plan counts nights and luggage transfers, not just sights. Each day shows its workload and an alternative if sea conditions or energy change.
6 days: two nights on Mahé, two on Praslin, then a buffer night on Mahé.
A short route that does not gamble on departure day
- 01SEZSleep: Mahé
Arrive on Mahé: settle in, not a full tour
Meet your transfer, check in and establish the distance to a nearby beach or restaurant. Do not attach a separately booked ferry to an international arrival: delayed bags or immigration can break the connection. Save transfer tickets and hotel addresses offline.
Load: light • Fixed booking: arrival transfer only - 02MAHÉSleep: Mahé
Victoria + one trail or beach
Start with the market, gardens or central Victoria. Then choose a suitable official trail such as Copolia after checking SPGA conditions, or a beach on the side best suited to the wind. Do not combine a hot hike with a full south-island tour.
Load: moderate • Alternative: gardens and a nearby beach - 03FERRYSleep: Praslin
Mahé → Praslin, then Vallée de Mai if time allows
Leave your hotel with time for the port, check-in and luggage. Cat Cocos publishes approximately 1 hour 15 minutes between Mahé and Praslin; that is not a door-to-door time. After hotel check-in, choose Vallée de Mai only if admission times and energy allow; otherwise move it to day five.
Load: transfer + walking • Fixed bookings: ferry and hotel - 04LDISleep: Praslin
La Digue for the day, without large bags
Cross from Praslin in the morning; published schedules put the journey at around 15 minutes. Collect a suitable bicycle or alternative transport. Choose L’Union Estate and Anse Source d’Argent, or one beach route appropriate to sea conditions. Return before the last comfortable option: a sunset photograph should not threaten your ferry.
Load: active • Fixed bookings: both ferry sectors - 05PRI→SEZSleep: Mahé
A gentle Praslin morning, then your buffer night
Visit Vallée de Mai if you have not already, or choose a nearby beach without a full boat trip. Return to Mahé on a service that gives you a real buffer, then stay in an area suited to tomorrow’s flight. Do not schedule Curieuse or a long dive before the return ferry.
Load: transfer • Priority: reaching Mahé - 06DEPARTDeparture
No island between you and the international airport
Leave your Mahé hotel according to your airline’s timing, allowing for the road and airport procedures. With a late flight, choose a nearby activity you can drop and confirmed luggage storage. Do not book a boat excursion or mountain trail on travel day.
Load: travel • No non-refundable activity
One night adds another hotel check-in, luggage transfer and a combined return journey before flying. A day trip from Praslin gives the island reasonable space and keeps the route simple. If La Digue is your top priority, replace a Mahé night rather than compressing everything.
Three overnight islands, with the final night on Mahé
- 01SEZSleep: Mahé
Arrive on Mahé and find your rhythm
Transfer to the hotel, eat nearby, enjoy a short beach visit if daylight remains, then rest. Check the Praslin transfer and remaining bookings without filling arrival day.
Load: light • Alternative: complete rest - 02MAHÉSleep: Mahé
Victoria and the highland landscape
Combine central Victoria with a garden or one SPGA trail suited to the weather and your fitness. The authority lists several official trails in Morne Seychellois National Park. Check access hours, fees and whether a guide is needed before setting out.
Load: moderate • Booking: depends on the trail - 03MAHÉSleep: Mahé
Coast or marine reserve, not both in full
Choose a south/west coastal drive with a few beach stops, or an operating marine-reserve excursion. This is your weather-flexible day: if the sea changes, switch to land rather than shifting a cancelled activity onto ferry day.
Load: flexible • Alternative: land route and a sheltered beach - 04FERRYSleep: Praslin
Cross to Praslin and start gently
Allow time to reach the port, then check in on Praslin. Keep the rest of the day to a nearby beach or Vallée de Mai if admission times suit. Do not add Curieuse after the sea crossing and hotel transfer.
Load: transfer • Fixed booking: ferry - 05PRASLINSleep: Praslin
Vallée de Mai + beach, or Curieuse instead
Vallée de Mai is a World Heritage site in central Praslin with a largely natural palm forest. Visit first, then choose one beach. If Curieuse is the priority, make it a separate marine day instead of combining everything; check the operator, park fees and sea conditions.
Load: moderate or marine • Do not combine both options - 06LDISleep: La Digue
Praslin → La Digue, then take your time
Cross with light bags, check in and collect a suitable bicycle or arrange alternative transport. Start with L’Union Estate and Anse Source d’Argent; leave a distant beach for another day. An overnight stay frees your evening from a same-day return ferry.
Load: active • Bookings: ferry and hotel - 07LDI→SEZSleep: Mahé
A La Digue morning, then back via Praslin
Choose a nearby beach or Veuve Reserve if its hours allow, then return the bicycle and head to the port. Your route may stop or change at Praslin. Verify whether the two sectors form one journey or separate tickets, and preserve a buffer before the final night on Mahé.
Load: combined transfer • Priority: Mahé before evening - 08DEPARTDeparture
The airport from Mahé
No jetty or domestic flight stands between you and the international departure. Use the morning only if flight times allow and keep any local activity optional. The aim is an early arrival, not using every last minute.
Load: travel • No non-refundable activity
A full flexible day on Mahé, a night on La Digue and better separation between Praslin’s forest and the optional marine excursion. They do not add a fourth island: they buy calmer mornings and evenings and room for changing sea conditions.
Between islands
Vehicle time is not transfer time
About 1:15 on the published timetable
Cat Cocos publishes an approximate 1 hour 15 minute crossing. Add hotel-to-port travel, check-in, baggage, disembarkation and the next hotel transfer. Check the latest schedule, sea conditions and amendment policy before booking.
Check the official Cat Cocos scheduleAbout 15 minutes in the air
Air Seychelles describes its domestic flight as around 15 minutes, but compare airport access, procedures, luggage and transfers at both ends. It can work particularly well with a protected connection or for travellers sensitive to sea crossings.
Check Air Seychelles domestic servicesAbout 15 minutes
The short crossing makes La Digue possible as a Praslin day trip, but does not remove the return timetable, bicycle arrangements or jetty time. Check whether a Mahé service stops at Praslin as shown in the timetable.
Verify current ferry sectorsThese are published operating durations, not promises of hotel-to-hotel arrival times or guaranteed operation on your dates.
The route’s most important decision
Spend your final night on Mahé before the international flight
This reduces reliance on the sea, a ferry timetable and another sector on departure morning. Choose your hotel area around flight time and the road, not just a beach photograph.
Consider this only after confirming a protected ticket, through-checked luggage and the carrier’s minimum connection time. Two separate flights do not become a protected connection simply because they operate on the same day.
Order of commitment
Secure the structure before marine activities
- 01
International flights and entry
Set arrival and departure dates and times, then check entry requirements in the Seychelles guide. Know your usable days before paying for island hotels.
- 02
The final night on Mahé
Secure this first within the route to protect the more expensive flight. Match the hotel area to airport timing and check-out policy.
- 03
Island nights and sectors
Arrange Praslin and La Digue stays alongside ferries or domestic flights. Check luggage allowances, amendment policies and the precise port or airport.
- 04
Time-specific activities
Vallée de Mai, marine parks, diving and private excursions come after transport. Check official sites, the licensed operator and sea conditions.
- 05
Beaches, restaurants and alternatives
Keep these flexible where possible. A nearby alternative beach protects your day better than stacked reservations crossing the island.
Make room by substitution
Every major addition should replace something
Vallée de Mai or Curieuse?
Vallée de Mai is a land visit on Praslin that can pair with a beach. Curieuse is a marine day dependent on an operator, fees and sea conditions. On a short day, choose one rather than hiding the transfers.
A trail or a marine reserve?
A trail needs suitable weather, fitness and time before the heat; a reserve needs suitable seas and an operator. Use them as alternatives on a flexible day, not simultaneous commitments.
A distant beach or a reliable return?
On a day trip, the ferry sets the afternoon limit. Do not start a distant route shortly before returning. An overnight makes another beach possible, subject to the road, sea and your energy.
Note outward travel time, return time, the cancellation deadline and an alternative for every activity. If you cannot say what gets dropped after a delay, the plan is overcrowded.
Families and access
Reduce transfers before reducing sights
With children
- One main activity + an optional beach.
- No early ferry after a long cycling day.
- Food, water and dry clothes in a day bag.
- Ask about a cot and room occupancy.
- Check child seats in transfers or on bicycles.
Limited mobility or seasickness
Do not assume that a jetty, boat or bicycle suits everyone. Ask hotels and operators about boarding, stairs and transfers. Compare the complete domestic-flight journey with the ferry. Arrange an alternative to cycling on La Digue before arrival.
Frequently asked questions
Answers before you commit to the nights
Are 6 days enough for Mahé, Praslin and La Digue?
Yes, for a focused route with overnight stays only on Mahé and Praslin and a day trip to La Digue from Praslin. This plan gives Mahé two nights first, Praslin two nights, then a final night on Mahé before departure. Do not add a fourth island.
How should I divide 8 days in Seychelles?
This plan gives Mahé three nights first, Praslin two nights, La Digue one night, then a final night on Mahé before the international flight. Each island gets a clear block of time while departure day stays protected.
Should I stay on La Digue or visit from Praslin?
For six days, make it a day trip: the Praslin–La Digue ferry crossing is relatively short and this reduces hotel changes. For eight days, one night gives you a quieter morning and evening, provided the luggage transfers and local transport suit you.
Ferry or flight between Mahé and Praslin?
The published Cat Cocos schedule gives approximately 1 hour 15 minutes for the ferry; Air Seychelles describes the domestic flight as around 15 minutes in the air. Compare hotel-to-hotel journeys, including ports or airports, luggage, sea conditions and the international connection.
Can I return from Praslin on the day of my international flight?
Do not build the itinerary around an unprotected same-day connection. Staying on Mahé the night before departure is the conservative option. With a protected, linked domestic and international ticket, check the carrier’s terms and minimum connection time rather than relying on this general plan.
Can I visit Vallée de Mai and Anse Lazio in one day?
They can be combined with an early start and arranged transport, but keep the beach flexible after the forest. Walking time, heat, rain and family stops can shorten the day more than expected.
Can I add Curieuse to the 6-day plan?
Add it by substitution, not on top: replace the Praslin morning and beach or the La Digue day trip according to your priorities. A marine excursion depends on an operator, weather and park fees; do not attach it to the day you return to Mahé.
Is cycling compulsory on La Digue?
No. Tourism Seychelles describes bicycles as a common main form of transport, but they do not suit every child or traveller with limited mobility. Ask the hotel or operator to arrange an alternative and check child seats, helmets and the route before booking.
Is this itinerary suitable for families?
Yes, with one main activity per day plus an optional beach or stop, and no early ferry after a long day. Carry food, water and dry clothes, and ask about pushchairs, transport seats and access at each hotel and jetty.
Does this page include prices and available hotels?
No; this page covers the distribution of days. Use the Seychelles cost guide for figures and assumptions, the season guide for wind direction, and the packages page for dates, hotels and current availability.
Sources and planning limits
Check the operators behind each journey
The route uses published transport durations and descriptions of the islands and sites. Schedules, prices, fees, trail access and sea conditions can change; verify each relevant service before booking.
- Tourism Seychelles — Mahé, Praslin and La Digue
- Tourism Seychelles — arrival and island transfers
- Cat Cocos — ferry schedules and durations
- Air Seychelles — Mahé–Praslin domestic service
- UNESCO — Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve
- SPGA — hours, fees and visitor information
Route planning: True Travel Seychelles destination team.
From a route to connected bookings
Send flight times before hotel names
Share arrival and departure times, duration, traveller ages, ferry tolerance, island priorities and mobility needs. The team plans nights and sectors first, then checks hotels and activities that can be booked.