Seychelles Itinerary: 6 Days of Incredible Island Hopping
Hubby and I recently came back from a bucket-list trip that combined a thrilling Tanzania safari at Dunia and Namiri Plains with island hopping through the stunning Seychelles. With six days to explore three islands, we chose a mix of 3 nights in La Digue, 2 nights in Praslin, and a short stop on Mahé. As dedicated snorkelers and foodies,
As dedicated snorkelers and foodies, we put together what I genuinely think is an ideal Seychelles itinerary, especially for first-time visitors who want to hit the highlights without feeling rushed.
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Day 1: Travel Day to La Digue + Bike Ride
8:30 am: We arrived in Mahe (SEZ). Creole Travel Services met us at the airport and then transferred us by a 15-minute bus ride to the Cat Cocos ferry terminal. We booked through seychellesbookings.com.
11 am: Cat Cocos ferry was on time! Arrived in Praslin at 12:20 pm for a brief stop and then reached La Digue by 1 pm. A hotel staff member transported us to the hotel. Checked into our rooms by 1:30 pm.Â
3 pm: We hopped onto our hotel bikes, grabbed a latte and carrot cake at Glorius Bakery, and headed north past Anse Severe and Patates (gorgeous beaches!) on our way to Chez Jules for a Takamaka cocktail.
5:30 pm: Enjoyed some pool time and watched the gorgeous sunset!
7 pm: Dinner at the hotel. Order the Togarashi Tuna!
Day 2: Bike + Hike + Kayak
7:10 am: Hopped on our bikes and biked 20 minutes over to the wild and beautiful Grand Anse Beach. FYI, that hill at the end is no joke!
7:30 am: Hiked 10 min. from Grand Anse to Petite Anse Beach and then another 20 min. to Anse Cocos Beach. 30-min. hike back to the starting point and a 20-min. bike ride back to the hotel. Great morning!
11 am: Biked to Anse Source D’Argent (famous beach) to do our crystal water kayak tour from 12-3 pm. Here’s my full kayak review!
5 pm: Gin and tonics by the hotel’s pool. Fantastic gin selection.
6:45 pm: Walked 3 minutes from our hotel to have a lovely romantic Italian dinner at Le Repaire. They are known for their specialty pizzas!
Overnight: Le Nautique
Day 3: Curieuse Island + 4 Snorkel Spots
8 am: Delicious breakfast and latte at the hotel.Â
9:30 am – 3 pm: Met the amazing Captain Jacques with Tranquility Boat Charter near the ferry terminal (only a 5 min walk from the hotel!) to do an all-day snorkeling tour at four unique spots (Felicite Island, Big Sister and Little Sister Island, and Anse Lazio). We saw a turtle, an eagle ray, a reef shark, and lots of beautiful reef fish! Plus, Jacques also took us to Curieuse Island to see the famous Aldabra Giant Tortoises! Wow, what an incredible day. Here’s my detailed review of this exciting private boat tour (with lots of photos!).
4 pm: Relaxing pool time + refreshing Gin and Tonics.
7 pm: Delicious dinner and a bottle of Champagne at the hotel (we were celebrating our wedding anniversary).
Overnight: Le NautiqueÂ
Day 4: Ferry to Praslin + Anse Georgette
8 am: Another lovely breakfast and latte at the hotel.
9:30 am: Ferry to Praslin. Hotel transferred us to the ferry terminal.
10 am: Met the lovely Meggie from Capricorn Car Rental at the Praslin ferry terminal to pick up our car rental. Fantastic service! Arrived at our gorgeous vacation rental at 11 am and then a quick grocery run (Farish Family Mart) for some basics (milk, cereal, coffee).
12:30 pm: Lunch reservation at The Nest at the luxury resort, Constance Lemuria. Only a 5-min. drive from our rental!
3 pm: Quick snorkel at Petite Anse Kerlan and then a fantastic snorkeling session at the world famous beach, Anse Georgette.
6 pm: Beautiful home cooked dinner at sunset at our vacation rental.Â
Overnight: Terasse sur Lazio (See my hotel review for all the details!)
Day 5: Fond Ferdinand + Anse Lazio
8 am: Delicious home-cooked breakfast (eggs, pancakes, fried banana fritters) with fruit and homemade jam made by Thérèse (the owner).Â
10 am – 12 pm: Walked through the Fond Ferdinand Nature Reserve to see the famous Coco de Mer. It’s the largest nut in the world! And it looks like … well, you tell me. Lol. We also hiked to a lovely viewpoint and saw some cute Aldabra Giant Tortoises.
1 pm: Relaxed briefly at our vacation rental before our next adventure.
2:30 – 4:30 pm: Started another hike close to the property to Praslin’s other famous beach, Anse Lazio, for some wonderful snorkeling.
5 pm: Enjoyed some Takamaka rum cocktails by the pool.Â
7:30 pm: Ate delicious leftovers (chicken curry) from the night before.
Overnight: Terrase sur Lazio
Day 6: Fly from Praslin to Mahe + Tour
7 am: Quick cereal breakfast at our vacation rental.
10:35 am: Flight from Praslin to La Digue (fun experience on a Twin Otter plane). Don’t miss my comparison: Ferry vs. Plane for Seychelles Island Hopping!Â
11 am – 4:30 pm: Mahe Island Tour with the amazing Niles. He took us to 7 amazing stops including an art studio (found a beautiful print to take back home), two beautiful beaches, a delicious ice cream shop, a nice beachside lunch stop, and a rum tasting at Takamaka Rum Distillery. Be sure to read my detailed review of this incredible private tour.
7 pm: Flight to Tanzania (JRO) via Doha with Qatar Airways.
Who Will Love This Seychelles Itinerary
- World-class beaches (the #1 reason to come to the Seychelles!)
- Snorkelers (beautiful reef fish, turtles, rays, sharks (if you know where to go), so be sure to read my Top Snorkeling Sites in the Seychelles).
- Hikers (several fantastic trails on Mahe, Praslin, and La Digue)
- Art enthusiasts (several great art studios on the islands)
- Animal lovers (cute tortoises!). A visit to Curieuse Island to see these gentle giants is one of my favorite things to do in the Seychelles!
Best Time to Visit the Seychelles
- If you love to snorkel or dive, April and November are the BEST months to be in the Seychelles since there is basically no trade winds. Seas are super calm. Temps are hot though since there’s no breeze.
- May and October are also nice months for snorkeling but are transitional, meaning in May they will be starting to pick up and in October they will be starting to settle down.
- Expect some short showers in December – March.
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We traveled in mid-May. If our trip had been solely to the Seychelles, I would have chosen April or November since we’re avid snorkelers. But we combined it with Tanzania—and wanted to avoid the usual safari/Zanzibar pairing. The dry season for safaris runs from June to October, which also means peak prices. By going in late May, we risked a bit of rain but still got decent weather and were able to stay at luxury lodges for a fraction of the cost. So that’s the (slightly long) reason we picked mid-May for our Seychelles escape.
Hotel
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Le Nautique Luxury Waterfront Hotel (3 nights). See my detailed hotel review!
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Amazing waterfront hotel and pool with incredible service!
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Terrase sur Lazio (2 nights). See my full hotel review here.
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Prime location, the kindest hosts, and killer 5-star views right next to two of the world’s most famous beaches!
Airlines & Lounges
Qatar Airways
- We flew with Qatar Airways connecting through Doha (DOH) to Mahe in the Seychelles (SEZ).
- We flew from Mahe (SEZ) to Tanzania (JRO) connecting through Doha for our safari. Then we flew back to the United States from JRO connecting back through Doha. Â
Lounges
- SEZ has a decent lounge (Salon Vallee de Mai) with good air conditioning, wine, beer, drinks, and snacks.
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We had access to two business class lounges in Doha: the Al Mourjan Business Lounge and the Al Mourjan Business Lounge – The Garden. This time, we opted for The Garden. We loved that you could book a shower (complete with a hair dryer!), which was perfect after getting a bit sweaty in Mahe before our flight. There was also à la carte dining available, along with the usual selection of alcoholic drinks.
How to Get Around
- La Digue: By bike! Hubby and I loved that you could bike everywhere. So much fun.
- Praslin: Rent a car or hire a taxi. Strongly recommend Capricorn Car Rental (Meggie is super sweet). As a heads up, they drive on the left, the roads are narrow and have dropoffs (you kinda hug the middle), and it’s quite hilly in sections. You need to be a confident driver. Here’s my full review of my car rental experience.
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Mahe: Rent a car or hire a taxi. Since we only had about five hours on the island before our international flight, we chose to do a guided island tour. A great tip is to take an island tour on your first day (Mahe is quite large), so you can get your bearings and identify the spots you’d like to revisit. Then, use a rental car for the rest of your stay to explore at your own pace.
Tours
- Crystal Water Kayaks Tour
- Tranquility Boat Charter
- Mahe Island Private Tour with Nils
Dinner Reservations
- Le Nautique (inform the hotel in advance if you want to dine, they are popular and book up!)
- Le Repaire (email hotel@lerepaireseychelles.com to book)Â
- The Nest at Constance Lemuria
What I Would Have Changed
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Mahe: As first-time visitors with only five nights in the Seychelles, I think our 3–2 split between La Digue and Praslin was the right choice. That said, if I return, I’d love to spend more time exploring Mahe. Two experiences at the top of my list would be hiking the Copolia Trail for its epic views and visiting Therese Island, which is said to offer incredible snorkeling.
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La Digue: I would have loved to book a guide for the hike to Anse Marron. There were also two snorkeling spots I was excited about, Anse Severe and Anse Patates, but unfortunately, the weather didn’t cooperate on the day we wanted to snorkel.Â
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If we had gone in April or November, we might have had the chance to snorkel at Ave Maria. It’s a group of rocks between La Digue and Praslin that’s often described as being like in an aquarium. The seas were too rough near that site on the day our boat tour took us out.Â
I’m Nichole, the author of all the blog posts on Enriching Pursuits. Think of me as your geeky DIY discerning travel friend who dives deep—Google Page 20 deep—to uncover the best ways to enjoy exceptional outdoor adventures and foodie experiences.
My husband and I are experienced snorkelers, day hikers, and casual cyclists who also love delicious street food, an incredible glass of wine, and the occasional Michelin-starred meal.
Balancing full-time careers, we cherish every second of our vacation days and love sharing tips to help you do the same. If this sounds like your kind of travel, subscribe below or drop me a note with any questions—I’d love to hear from you!
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Questions about my Seychelles itinerary?
Let me know in the comments below!
I just found your blog posts and read them all. I booked Capricorn car rental, found Treasure Island Retreat, and will follow your La Digue recommendations. Can you email me so that I can ask a few more questions? I’m going to Kenya (safari) and Seychelles in early April.
Thanks so much for following along and for reading the blog. It really means a lot.
Your April trip sounds incredible! We have not been to Kenya yet, but we paired our safari in Tanzania with Seychelles and absolutely loved that combination. I know a lot of people choose Zanzibar after safari, but Seychelles felt extra special to us.
Feel free to drop your questions here. I am always happy to answer them since they can help other readers planning their own Seychelles adventure too. If it is something more personal, you can reach out through my contact page at the bottom of the blog post.
Enjoy the planning. You have such a special trip ahead!