7 Days in Seychelles: First-Timer Itinerary
Seven days is the comfortable version of the whole island-hopping loop: two to three nights each on Mahe and Praslin, an overnight on La Digue, and a buffer day back on Mahe before an international flight. Tighter on time, drop to the 5-day or 6-day version, both built on this same route.
Book these before you go
- Mahe hotel, you’ll need it twice, arrival and departure: 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 | None (island day) | SCR 1,200-2,600 (EUR 75-160) |
| Day 7 | Mahe | Cat Rose+Cat Cocos, or a direct Cat Cocos sailing ~1h45 ~EUR 68 | SCR 800-1,800 (EUR 50-110) |
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
- 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 on La Digue for a last Creole dinner before heading back toward Mahe tomorrow
Day 7: Back to Mahe and departure
- Morning Cat Rose ferry to Praslin then Cat Cocos onward to Mahe, or the direct La Digue-Mahe Cat Cocos sailing (about 1h45, roughly EUR 68)
- Afternoon buffer on Mahe: a last souvenir run through Victoria’s Sir Selwyn Selwyn-Clarke Market, or one more swim at Beau Vallon
- Depart from Seychelles International Airport (SEZ), Mahe’s only international gateway and the one you’ll return through regardless of which islands you added along the way
Is seven days too long for Seychelles?
Not if you actually want all three islands without rushing any of them. Seven days gives Praslin and La Digue a real overnight each instead of a squeezed day trip, and the buffer day back on Mahe means a delayed ferry or a missed sailing doesn’t cost you your flight home.
What should I cut if I only get six days instead of seven?
Drop the Mahe buffer day, not an island. The 6-day itinerary removes exactly that cushion and keeps the full Mahe-Praslin-La Digue loop intact, just with less slack if a ferry runs late.
Buffer that final Mahe day deliberately. Cat Cocos and Cat Rose both run to a real schedule but neither is immune to weather delays, and SEZ is the only international gateway you have.