6 Days in Seychelles: First-Timer Itinerary
Six days adds a real overnight on La Digue to the 5-day loop: Mahe, then Praslin, then a full day and night on La Digue before heading back. Need the full week? The 7-day version adds one more buffer day on the return through Mahe; tighter, drop to 5 days .
Book these before you go
- Mahe hotel near Victoria or Beau Vallon: check current rates on Booking.com
- Praslin hotel or self-catering villa: check current rates on Booking.com
- La Digue guesthouse or self-catering, the fewest rooms of the three islands: check current rates on Booking.com
- The Seychelles Travel Authorisation (SVA): seychelles.govtas.com
- Cat Cocos ferry tickets, both directions: catcocos.com
| 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 | Cat Cocos, ~1h, ~EUR 58 | SCR 1,200-2,400 (EUR 75-150) |
| Day 4 | Praslin | None (island day) | SCR 1,400-2,800 (EUR 85-175) |
| Day 5 | La Digue | Cat Rose, ~15-20min, ~EUR 15 | SCR 1,200-2,600 (EUR 75-160) |
| Day 6 | La Digue then Mahe | Cat Rose+Cat Cocos, or a direct Cat Cocos sailing ~1h45 ~EUR 68 | SCR 1,400-2,800 (EUR 85-175) |
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: Ferry to Praslin and Vallee de Mai
- Cat Cocos ferry to Praslin (about 1 hour, roughly EUR 58 one-way economy including the EUR 2 port fee), check in for an overnight stay
- Afternoon 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 coco de mer palm grows wild and the Seychelles black parrot nests
- Evening at Cote d’Or beach, Praslin’s own busy strip, for dinner and a swim
Day 4: Praslin’s beaches
- Morning at Anse Lazio (free entry, roughly SCR 100 parking for the day), consistently rated Seychelles’ best beach for swimming, arrive before 10am since the small lot fills fast
- Afternoon boat trip to Curieuse Marine National Park (SCR 300, boat-access only) to see the hundreds of Aldabra giant tortoises introduced here since 1978, or, if you booked authorisation 3-5 days ahead through your hotel, the resort-gated Anse Georgette instead
- Evening back in Praslin for dinner, pack for an early Cat Rose crossing tomorrow
Day 5: Ferry to La Digue
- Morning Cat Rose ferry to La Digue, a separate operator from Cat Cocos, about 15-20 minutes, roughly EUR 15 one way, up to five sailings a day. Rent a bicycle (roughly SCR 150-200/day) at the jetty
- The L’Union Estate gate (SCR 150, cash or card, valid all day with re-entry) is the way in to Anse Source d’Argent, the granite-boulder beach on every Seychelles postcard; the ticket also covers the estate’s vanilla plantation and giant-tortoise pen
- Evening on La Digue, quieter than either Mahe or Praslin once the day-trip crowds leave on the last ferry
Day 6: La Digue by bike and the return to Mahe
- Full day biking the loop to Grand Anse and Petite Anse, plus the hike out to the Anse Coco viewpoint if your legs and shoes are up for it
- Return to Anse Source d’Argent early morning or late afternoon rather than midday, the tour boats from Praslin and Mahe crowd the beach hardest between about 11am and 3pm
- Evening or next-morning ferry back to Mahe (Cat Rose then Cat Cocos, or the direct sailing) to fly out from SEZ
Which island deserves the most nights?
Praslin, if forced to pick one. It pairs a UNESCO forest with two of the country’s best beaches and keeps enough infrastructure, shops, restaurants, a proper airport, that logistics stay easy. Mahe wins on range and ease, La Digue wins on atmosphere, but Praslin is the one visitors most often wish they’d booked an extra night for.
Do I need to book La Digue’s bike rental in advance?
Not usually. Several operators cluster right at the jetty and rarely sell out outside the very busiest holiday weeks, roughly SCR 150-200 a day. Reserve ahead only if you’re arriving during Christmas/New Year or Easter, when the whole island’s capacity, beds included, gets tight.
Book La Digue’s guesthouse before Mahe’s or Praslin’s, it has the fewest rooms of the three islands and sells out first in July-August and over the Christmas/New Year weeks.