How long do you need to spend in Seychelles in order to make the most out of your holiday? This is a question that gets asked quite often. So we figured we would provide a general guideline so that you can get in as much as possible without completely tiring yourself out.
When planning how long your ideal holiday in Seychelles should be, it’s important to firstly have an idea of what you would like to do whilst you’re there. We know that obviously the beach will be somewhere at the top of the list. But have a think about some of the other activities you want to include as well, such as hiking, sight-seeing, snorkelling and island hopping. Your stay will very much depend on how much you want to do.
We’ve seen many people advise a week at the minimum. Personally, we think this is cutting it very close. This is because, unless you stick to an extremely tight schedule, you will likely be leaving without ticking something off your Seychelles holiday bucket list.
Let me explain…
When you travel to Seychelles (or anywhere for that matter), the chances of actually doing anything on the first day of arriving are extremely low. By the time you get out of the airport, get to the hotel, try and get settled in and get something to eat, you’re going to be exhausted. This will be even more so if you’re travelling with kids. And don’t forget about the jet lag! Plus, it’s a good idea to wind down from your hectic travelling schedule and get acclimatised to the heat and humidity. At the most, maybe you could check out the pool or beach near your hotel.
The same goes for your last day. You’ll be busy packing up, checking and double-checking the hotel room, making your way to the airport, and so on and so forth.
Essentially, what we’re saying is, forget about your first and last days on the islands. More than likely, you will not be doing much of anything on these days. These count as ‘travel days’ and not as ‘holiday days’.
So, if you had planned to spend a week in Seychelles, you really only have 5 days in which to actually do anything. That’s really not a lot when you think about it.
Instead, we would advise a minimum of 9 days. Minus your two ‘travel days’ and you actually have 7 days in which to enjoy your holiday and explore the islands.
Now that you have a general idea of how long you should be spending in Seychelles, let’s look at what you can do during your 7 (full) days of vacation.
How to Spend Your Time In Seychelles
So, how exactly do you spend your 7 days in Seychelles? Most holiday makers spend the majority of their time on the three main islands of Mahé, Praslin and La Digue.
Mahé
In our opinion, three days on Mahé is a fair amount of time. This gives you some time to explore the capital city of Victoria and take in the main attractions. It also gives you time to visit the beach and check out some of the hiking trails.
Clock in Victoria, Vicuna R, CC BY-SA 2.0 , Flickr
At the least, your stay on Mahé should include the following:
- A tour of the capital, Victoria
- A drive around the south of the island, stopping off at a beach or two
- A visit to mission lodge and some hiking trails
- Spending some time on Beau Vallon beach
We would suggest hiring a vehicle during your holiday. It just means you can explore in your own time.
We’ve got a great guide to Victoria that you can check out. It includes all the main sites in the tiny capital. You can also check out our post about some of the most beautiful beaches on the islands. Beau Vallon, mentioned above, is definitely a must.
Praslin
Praslin is worth another 3 days. It is home to the Vallée de Mai, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here, you will find the endemic Coco de Mer palm along with many other exotic plants.
Coco De Mer, David Stanley, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
From Praslin, it is also possible to hop over to the island of Curieuse, where you can interact with the free-roaming giant tortoises. Another must on Praslin is the Anse Lazio beach. Named one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, your visit to Seychelles would not be complete without it. So, add that to your bucket list!
You can travel from Mahé to Praslin either by ferry, which takes about 45 minutes to an hour, or by taking a 15 minute plane journey.
La Digue
Finally, we have La Digue, the third most populated island. This is just a short 15 minute ferry ride from Praslin. La Digue is much more laid back compared to Praslin and Mahé. It is more traditional in a sense. There are only a few vehicles on La Digue and people mostly cycle around the island.
L’union Estate is the most popular tourist attraction on the island. You can visit the old plantation house, the old copra mill, as well as the vanilla and coconut plantations. At the end of the road of L’union, you will find the path to the Anse Source d’Argent beach, the most famous beach in Seychelles. Two days on La Digue should give you an adequate amount of time to explore the island and maybe some of its satellite islands as well.
A quick tip in relation to L’union Estate – there is an entrance fee of SCR115. (With the current exchange rate, this is around $8, but obviously can fluctuate around that price). Also note that only cash is accepted at the entrance to L’union.
Concluding Remarks
We have suggested 9 days in Seychelles as a minimum, but obviously the longer you spend in Seychelles, the more you will have the opportunity to see and discover. We are however, all too aware that time off and finances play a major role in planning any holiday.
With that being said, if at all possible to spend a bit longer, then obviously we would advise you to do so. Not only will you be able to take in more of what the islands have to offer, but you can do it at a more relaxed pace.
We hope that this post has given you a better idea of how to go about planning your holiday to Seychelles. Feel free to get in touch if you have any questions.
And if you need some advice about what to pack for your holiday, check out this post. It gives you a list of all the important bits plus a free printable checklist.
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I’ve never been to Seychelles but it sounds lovely. I’m looking forward to being able to travel again and islands are always a good idea! Great post.
Five days seems like a good amount of time to spend in a location. You really have to take into account the jet lag.
Seychelles looks like such a beautiful place to visit. This is my first time hearing about it but it’s a vacation spot I would love to see someday. And thanks to your article, I know to plan for more than a week and which spots to visit first.
Great suggestions, I would love to see the free-roaming giant tortoises in person. And yes, you have to see Anse Lazio beach. I wouldn’t mind several days just enjoying that beach!
Great post. We went to Seychelles for our honeymoon. And what you have suggested seems good amount to explore the country. Thanks for sharing. Brought back lots of memories😊
Thank you.
This a really good question to answer, as when we planing to go somewhere we never know how long is enough! Thanks for sharing!
There are so many different answers to this question, so we figured we would try and break it down. So happy it’s useful!
Great and insightful article. Seychelles has been on my bucket list of places to visit one day. Honestly, I thought it was just 1 island. It looks so tropical and beautiful.
It really is beautiful! I hope you are able to visit one day.
This really makes me miss traveling! Such a great post.
Thank you Cyndi.