Port Louis Street Food and Heritage Walks

Two ways to walk Port Louis work well: a guided tasting tour and a loop you plan yourself. Both stay in the old centre.

Option 1: a guided food walk

The Taste Buddies Port Louis Street Food Tour lasts about three hours and sets off around 10:30. Meet near the casino at Le Caudan Waterfront. Bookings take no more than 8 people. The route calls at Jardin de la Compagnie, Chinatown and the market for food. Reseller listings show roughly EUR 50 per person, with USD 58 to 63 on other sites. The operator is at tastebuddies.mu.

Option 2: a free self-guided loop

  1. Le Caudan Waterfront. Start here. If you plan to enter the Blue Penny Museum, it opens at 09:30 Monday to Saturday.
  2. Aapravasi Ghat. A UNESCO memorial on Quay Street to the labourers who arrived from India from 1834. Reported free, weekdays from about 09:00. Walk through quietly, and confirm times with the Trust Fund.
  3. Place d’Armes and Government House. Outside views only.
  4. The Natural History Museum and its neighbour, Jardin de la Compagnie. Dodo displays. Opening times vary by day.
  5. Central Market. Lunch stop.
  6. Chinatown and the Chinese Friendship Gate.
  7. Fort Adelaide. Ride a taxi up Sebastopol Hill, or walk up from Plaine Verte if you are happy with a steep climb. Late afternoon light over the harbour is the reward.

What to eat at the market

Dholl puri, alouda, gateau piment and boulettes are the usual snacks. Prices are low and cash is required. Go in the morning, and do not expect stalls to keep going into the evening.

Five rules for walking the centre

  1. Begin around 09:00 and be back at your hotel before dusk.
  2. Wear sturdy shoes. Open drains run along many pavements.
  3. Skip Sundays, when most of the centre is shut.
  4. Stay on lit streets. Official advice is not to walk alone at night in dimly lit places, and it highlights the backstreets of the business district.
  5. Read the current government advice for Mauritius, and do not join or watch demonstrations.

Climate and timing

From November to April it is hot and humid, so carry water and walk early. Cyclone season runs roughly November to May.

Moving between stops

The Metro Express operates from Port-Louis Victoria to Curepipe every day from 06:00 to 19:00, and taxis handle the short hops.

Read more: sightseeing , attraction tours and the 2 day Mauritius itinerary .

Food tours and city walks can be compared on GetYourGuide . Visitor pages: Taste Buddies and Metro Express .