3 Days in Seychelles: First-Timer Itinerary
Three days means two full days on Mahe plus a single day trip across to Praslin, not an overnight stay there, La Digue stays out of reach at this length. Ready for more? The 4-day version turns that Praslin day trip into a proper overnight, and the 7-day reaches all three islands.
Book these before you go
- Mahe hotel near Victoria or Beau Vallon: check current rates on Booking.com
- The Seychelles Travel Authorisation (SVA): seychelles.govtas.com
- Cat Cocos round-trip ferry tickets to Praslin, book ahead in peak weeks: catcocos.com
- A guided Vallee de Mai walking tour, handy if you’d rather have a naturalist explain the coco de mer: GetYourGuide
| Day | Island | Ferry/travel | Rough daily cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Mahe | Airport transfer only | SCR 700-1,600 (EUR 45-100) |
| Day 2 | Mahe | None, boat tour optional | SCR 900-2,200 (EUR 55-135) |
| Day 3 | Praslin (day trip) | Cat Cocos round trip, ~EUR 116 | SCR 1,600-2,800 (EUR 100-175) |
Day 1: Arrival, Victoria and Beau Vallon
- Land at Seychelles International Airport (SEZ) on Mahe, the country’s only international gateway, about 10km/10 minutes south of Victoria. A fixed-fare taxi into town runs roughly SCR 300 (EUR 19-21) for up to four passengers, carry SCR cash since most drivers won’t take a card
- Check in, then walk the compact capital: the 1903 Clock Tower, a scaled-down replica of the one on London’s Vauxhall Bridge, and the Sir Selwyn Selwyn-Clarke Market five minutes away, liveliest on weekends, both free
- Afternoon and evening at Beau Vallon, Mahe’s main beach strip, for a swim and sunset. Keep your bag in sight, Beau Vallon is one of the spots flagged for opportunistic beach theft, precisely because it’s the busiest stretch of sand on the island
- Creole dinner in Victoria or right on Beau Vallon, fish curry and grilled reef fish are the dishes to order
Day 2: Morne Seychellois and the marine park
- Morning hike in Morne Seychellois National Park, the island’s largest protected area at over 3,000 hectares. The Copolia trail (SCR 100) is the shortest worthwhile option, Trois Freres (SCR 150) climbs higher for better views; current trail status is posted by SPGA
- Afternoon boat trip to Ste Anne Marine National Park (SCR 200 entry, card-only on-site, cash isn’t accepted at the gate) for snorkeling and a look at Moyenne Island’s free-roaming giant tortoises; a full-day guided version with lunch runs roughly EUR 100-170
- Prefer to skip the boat cost? The National Botanical Garden in Victoria (roughly SCR 250) covers giant tortoises and coco de mer specimens on dry land instead
- Evening Creole dinner back in Victoria, or an early night on Beau Vallon before tomorrow’s ferry crossing
Day 3: Praslin, a day trip
- Catch an early Cat Cocos ferry (about 1 hour, roughly EUR 58 one-way economy including the EUR 2 port fee) across to Praslin
- Spend the morning at Vallee de Mai (SCR 450 gate, 10% off if booked online in advance through the Seychelles Islands Foundation, under-12 free), the UNESCO-listed forest where the giant coco de mer palm grows wild
- If time allows before the return sailing, a quick stop at Anse Lazio (free, roughly SCR 100 parking) for a swim
- Catch the last Cat Cocos sailing back to Mahe in the early evening, confirm the day’s schedule before you leave your hotel since this is a day trip, not an overnight stay, then fly out from SEZ the next morning
Is a Praslin day trip from Mahe actually worth it?
Yes, if Vallee de Mai is the priority. The round trip (about 2 hours each way including the crossing and transfers) still leaves a genuine 4-5 hours on the island. It’s a rushed way to see Praslin’s beaches properly though, Anse Lazio and Anse Georgette both deserve more time than a single afternoon, so treat this as a preview, not the full Praslin experience.
Can I book the Cat Cocos ferry and Vallee de Mai together?
Not as a single bundled ticket. Book each separately, Cat Cocos direct through catcocos.com and Vallee de Mai online through the Seychelles Islands Foundation for its 10% discount, but doing both the moment your dates are fixed avoids a sold-out sailing or ticket during peak weeks.
Three days is a real Seychelles trip, just not a complete one. Book the Cat Cocos round trip and the Vallee de Mai ticket together so Day 3 doesn’t hinge on walk-up availability, and if Praslin’s beaches turn out to be the highlight, that’s your own hint to book the 4-day version next time.