Three islands, seven days, and one ferry schedule that doesn’t bend to jet lag. The classic Seychelles circuit—Mahé, Praslin, La Digue—packs more variety per kilometre than almost any other Indian Ocean trip at a comparable price point. Mahé gives you granite highlands and a functioning capital; Praslin holds the only forest on earth where coco de mer palms grow wild; La Digue demands you slow down to bicycle speed, which is exactly the point. This itinerary maps each day with approximate timings, real logistics, and the honest trade-offs that come with island-hopping on a week-long leash.
Cat Cocos ferries run 365 days a year linking Mahé, Praslin, and La Digue — the backbone of any multi-island week in Seychelles.
One week across Mahé, Praslin, and La Digue works — but only if you lock in ferry bookings and La Digue accommodation before anything else. The itinerary below assumes you’re comfortable with two accommodation changes and one early start. If that sounds like too much movement, drop La Digue and spend the full week on Praslin instead.
First-time visitors
Nature lovers
Beach enthusiasts
| Day | Island | Morning | Afternoon | Key Tip |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mahé | Arrive SEZ, collect car | Beau Vallon swim + sunset | Book accommodation near Beau Vallon or Victoria |
| 2 | Mahé | Copolia Trail (start 9am) | Sans Souci road: Mission Lodge, SeyTé Tea | Don’t leave valuables in car at trailhead |
| 3 | Mahé | Craft Village + Takamaka Rum | South beaches loop | Check beach facing direction for current season |
| 4 | Praslin | 7:30am Cat Cocos ferry | Vallée de Mai then Anse Lazio | Book ferry online at least 2 weeks ahead |
| 5 | Praslin | Curieuse + St Pierre boat trip (~9am–4:30pm) | Return to Praslin | Pack insect repellent and sunscreen |
| 6 | La Digue | Early ferry, rent bikes | Anse Source d’Argent before tour-boat crowds | Book La Digue accommodation first — limited inventory |
| 7 | La Digue → Mahé | Ferry return (~1.5 hrs) | Buffer afternoon on Mahé, evening flight | Keep final night on Mahé before departure |
Each day below includes approximate timings, transport notes, and the specific choices that make the difference between a good week and a great one.
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Day 1: Arrival on Mahé — Beau Vallon and the Capital
Most international flights land at Seychelles International Airport (SEZ) in the late afternoon or evening. From the terminal it’s roughly 20–45 minutes by taxi or rental car to your accommodation, depending on whether you’re staying near Victoria or up the coast at Beau Vallon. A fixed-fare taxi into town runs about SCR 300 (around €19–21) for up to four passengers — carry rupees in cash, as most drivers won’t take a card. If you’re renting a car, pick it up at the airport; local operators like K Rent often offer better walk-in rates than the international desks at the terminal.
Spend the first evening easing in. Beau Vallon beach stretches roughly two kilometres along the northwest coast and catches the best light between 15:30 and 17:45. The water is the calmest on this side of the island, which makes it the safest bet for a jet-lagged swim. A handful of beach bars serve Creole fish curry and grilled reef fish within steps of the sand. If you arrive earlier in the day, Victoria’s Sir Selwyn Selwyn-Clarke Market and the 1903 Clock Tower (a replica of London’s Vauxhall Bridge clock) are worth a quick wander — the market is liveliest on weekends, and both are free.
Note: Beau Vallon is the busiest beach on Mahé, which also makes it the most targeted for opportunistic theft. Leave valuables in your accommodation safe, not on the sand.
Day 2: Mahé — Copolia Trail or Ste Anne Marine Park
You’ve got two distinct paths for today, and the choice depends mostly on how your body feels after the flight. Option A is the Copolia Trail in Morne Seychellois National Park, a strenuous 90-minute to two-hour hike that climbs through granite boulders to a viewpoint overlooking Victoria, the east coast, and St Anne Marine National Park — on a clear day you can see Praslin in the distance. Start by 9am to beat the heat and the worst of the humidity. The trailhead is behind Victoria; the entry fee is roughly SCR 100. Check current trail conditions on the SPGA website before you set out, and don’t leave anything visible in your parked car. A GPS smartwatch like the Garmin Fenix 8 Solar is handy for tracking the hike and navigating the less-marked sections of the trail.
Option B is a half-day boat cruise around Ste Anne Marine National Park, which includes snorkelling stops and a visit to Moyenne Island to see giant tortoises. The park entry fee is around SCR 200 (card only at the gate — no cash accepted). Full-day versions with lunch run roughly €100–170 per person, depending on the operator. Whichever route you take, aim to be finished by mid-afternoon so you can drive the Sans Souci mountain road across the island. Stops worth making: Mission Lodge, a former school for children of liberated slaves with a sweeping hillside view, and the SeyTé Tea Factory on the same hillside, which offers guided tours of tea production in the morning hours.
For dinner, Victoria and Beau Vallon both have plenty of Creole restaurants. Fish curry and grilled reef snapper are the standards, and fresh coconut juice is sold at roadside stalls across the island.
Day 3: Mahé — South Coast Loop
The southern half of Mahé — below the airport — feels different from the north: less developed, quieter roads, and a string of beaches that face the trade winds. Rent a car for the day if you haven’t already; local operators charge roughly €30–50 per day, and the freedom to stop at any cove is worth the cost. Start at the Craft Village, a former plantation house where local artisans sell carved wooden pieces, candles, and t-shirts at reasonable prices — the money goes directly to the makers, and the old house itself is free to wander through.
From there, head to the Takamaka Rum Distillery at La Plaine St André. Free guided tours run weekdays at 11am, 1pm, and 3pm (less frequently on Saturday, closed Sunday). The tour includes a tasting, a small museum, a medicinal garden, plantation ruins, and a resident group of giant tortoises. Bottles are available to buy at the end.
The afternoon is for beach-hopping. The Grand Police road leads to a trio of coves — Anse Bazarca, Anse Petit Police, and Anse Grand Police — that see very few visitors except local families on weekends. Further south, Petite Anse sits inside the Four Seasons property but is open to the public: sign in at the security gate, get a wristband, park, and walk down. There’s no charge for the beach itself, though the bar and loungers are for hotel guests only. Other south-coast options include Anse Takamaka, Baie Lazare, and Anse Intendance. Check which direction the wind is blowing before you pick — in the southeast trade-wind season (May to September), exposed south and east beaches can have dangerous currents and heavy shore break.
In the southeast season, skip Anse Intendance for swimming and head to Anse Forbans or Petite Anse instead — both are sheltered and much calmer. In the northwest monsoon (November to March), the situation flips: north and west beaches get the seaweed and chop, so aim for the south coast.
Day 4: Praslin — Ferry, Vallée de Mai, and Anse Lazio
The 7:30am Cat Cocos ferry from Victoria to Praslin is the smartest departure of the week. The crossing takes roughly one hour and 15 minutes, and the morning sea is almost always calmer than afternoon sailings — by midday the trade wind builds a noticeable chop. Book your ticket online at Cat Cocos at least two weeks ahead during peak season (July–August and December–January). Arrive at the terminal about an hour early: digital tickets aren’t enough — you need to collect a printed ticket, drop your bags, and join the boarding queue.
Once on Praslin, collect a hire car (recommended — the island’s beaches and the Vallée de Mai are too spread out for taxis) and drive straight to the Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve. This UNESCO World Heritage Site, managed by the Seychelles Islands Foundation, is under 20 hectares and holds the only wild population of coco de mer palms — the plant that produces the largest seed in the kingdom, weighing up to 30 kilograms. The walking trails take 60–90 minutes, and the light filtering through the palm canopy is best between 14:00 and 16:00. Entry is roughly SCR 450 per adult; children under 12 enter free. Keep an eye out for the Seychelles black parrot, which nests in the valley.
From the Vallée de Mai, drive to Anse Lazio on the north coast. This beach regularly appears on world’s-best lists, and for good reason: pale sand, granite boulders at the northern end that create sheltered tidal pools for snorkelling, and water that stays calm through most of the year. Arrive before 10am if you want the beach mostly to yourself; by 11am it fills up, and by early afternoon the tour boats arrive. Parking is roughly SCR 100 for the day.
Note: If you’d rather not drive, a full-day guided tour from Praslin combining Vallée de Mai and Anse Lazio includes transport and commentary — a solid alternative for solo travellers or anyone uneasy with the narrow roads.
Day 5: Praslin — Curieuse and St Pierre Island Trip
Today is boat day. A full-day excursion from Praslin — roughly 9am to 4:30pm — visits two or three of the small islands off the north coast: Curieuse, St Pierre, and sometimes Cousin or Coco. Most operators include lunch, soft drinks, hotel pickup, and transfer to the Baie Sainte Anne jetty. The highlight is Curieuse Island, a marine national park where several hundred Aldabra giant tortoises roam freely. Males can exceed 250 kilograms and live over 100 years — some are thought to be more than 200 years old. A guided walk from the landing beach to the old leper colony ruins takes about 40 minutes each way and passes through mangrove forest.
St Pierre is a snorkelling stop around a granite islet, not a landing — the marine life here is the draw, not the beach. Cousin Island, if included, is a bird sanctuary where you’ll see Seychelles magpie robins, fairy terns, and white-tailed tropicbirds. The permit and boat transfer for Curieuse alone runs roughly SCR 500 per person through most Praslin operators. A Curieuse and St Pierre island adventure with Creole BBQ lunch is bookable through local operators and includes hotel pickup. Pack swimwear, sunscreen, and plenty of insect repellent — the mosquitoes on Curieuse can be aggressive.
Coco Island day trips — sometimes sold as the highlight of the tour — are often overpriced for what they deliver: a 45-minute stop on a sand strip with a crowd of other tourists and mediocre food. Redirect your budget to a half-day Curieuse trip and a second morning at Anse Lazio instead.
Evening back on Praslin: Côte d’Or beach (also called Anse Volbert) has a handful of restaurants where you can eat with your feet in the sand. It’s a practical base for the night before the La Digue crossing.
Day 6: La Digue — Bikes, Boulders, and Source d’Argent
The Cat Rose ferry from Praslin to La Digue takes about 15 minutes — the shortest and smoothest inter-island crossing in the chain. Multiple sailings run through the day; buy your ticket in advance through the Cat Cocos or Cat Rose website. As you step off the jetty, you’ll be met by bicycle rental stalls charging roughly SCR 100–150 per day. Take one. La Digue has very few cars, and the main circuit road is only about eight kilometres long, flat, and shared with ox-carts and pedestrians. You can cover the full loop in under two hours at a relaxed pace. A compact drone like the DJI Mini 3 Fly More Combo is small enough to pack on the bike and captures the boulder formations from an angle you can’t get from the sand.
Your first stop needs to be Anse Source d’Argent, accessed through the L’Union Estate gate (entry roughly SCR 150, cash or card, valid all day with re-entry). This is the most photographed beach in Seychelles — smooth pink granite boulders, turquoise shallows, pale sand — and it genuinely lives up to the images, but only before 9:30am. After that, day-trip boats from Praslin and Mahé disgorge crowds, and the experience shifts from contemplative to managed. Go early, stay for an hour or two, then come back for sunset if you want the same light without the people.
L’Union Estate itself is worth a wander: a former vanilla and copra plantation with an old plantation house, a copra mill, and a giant-tortoise enclosure. The La Digue cemetery, where early settlers are buried, sits on the same grounds. After Source d’Argent, bike east to Grand Anse (a long, powdery beach that can get busy and rough in the trade-wind season) and Petit Anse, one cove over and much quieter. The north-end road leads to a string of smaller coves that see almost no one.
The bikes on La Digue are heavy, single-speed, and not especially comfortable — but they’re adequate for the flat terrain. Before you leave the rental stall, test the brakes and the seat height. The short hill on the road to Grand Anse is steeper than it looks, and you’ll want brakes that work on the way back down.
For the more adventurous, southern beaches like Anse Cocos and Anse Marron require a 30–45 minute walk from where the bike path ends at Grand Anse. The scramble over the granite headland to Anse Marron is the most physically demanding beach access in the inner islands, but the reward — a boulder-fringed cove with extraordinary light around 10:30am — is worth the effort.
Note: La Digue accommodation books out further in advance than anywhere else in the itinerary, especially July–August and December–January. Book your room before you book anything else after the ferries.
Day 7: La Digue to Mahé — Buffer and Departure
The return journey involves two ferry legs — La Digue to Praslin (15 minutes) and Praslin to Mahé (1 hour 15 minutes) — totalling about 1.5 hours of crossing time plus the transfer between Cat Rose and Cat Cocos terminals on Praslin. A direct La Digue-to-Mahé sailing also runs on some schedules and takes roughly 1 hour 45 minutes, but the two-leg option is more frequent and easier to book. Whichever route you take, do not schedule your international flight on the same day as this return crossing. A 30-minute weather delay on the ferry can mean a missed connection, and SEZ is the only international gateway — there’s no backup. Keep the final night on Mahé as a buffer, ideally near the airport or in the Beau Vallon area.
Use that buffer afternoon however you want: a last swim at Beau Vallon, a souvenir run through Victoria’s Sir Selwyn Selwyn-Clarke Market, or a quiet meal at one of the beachfront restaurants. The airport is roughly 10 minutes south of Victoria, so you’re never far from departure.
When to Go and How to Move Between Islands
Seychelles sits a few degrees south of the equator, so temperatures stay warm year-round (25–31°C). The real variable is wind direction, which dictates which beaches are swimmable and how smooth the ferry crossings will be. The southeast trade-wind season (May to September) brings drier, breezier days and choppier seas on exposed coasts — west-facing beaches like Beau Vallon and Anse Lazio stay calm, while south and east beaches can be rough. The northwest monsoon (November to March) is hotter, more humid, and wetter, but the sea is flat and snorkelling visibility is at its best. The shoulder months of April and October often deliver the calmest conditions overall, with light winds and clear water.
Seaweed follows the wind: it washes onto whichever coast the breeze is blowing toward. In the northwest season, Praslin’s north and west beaches collect more seaweed; in the southeast season, the south and east coasts get it. Choose your beach by its facing direction for that week, and ask your hotel about current conditions — they change from week to week.
Ferry Bookings and Reality Checks
Cat Cocos and Cat Rose are the two ferry operators that run the Mahé–Praslin–La Digue circuit. Book tickets online via Cat Cocos at least two weeks ahead in shoulder season, and four to six weeks ahead during July–August and December–January. The Praslin–La Digue crossing is the most weather-dependent and can be cancelled without much notice if the swell picks up. That’s why the buffer night on Mahé before your flight is non-negotiable.
If seasickness is a concern, the Mahé–Praslin crossing is the roughest of the three. Take medication before boarding and sit where you can see the horizon. The Praslin–La Digue leg is short and smooth by comparison. An alternative for the Mahé–Praslin leg is Air Seychelles’ 15-minute domestic flight, which costs roughly €80–100 per person each way versus the ferry’s ~€30, but removes the channel crossing entirely — worth considering for young children or anyone who knows they’ll struggle with the motion.
If you’d prefer not to drive on either Mahé or Praslin, guided tours cover the same ground. A full-day Mahé highlights tour or a Vallée de Mai and Anse Lazio combo from Praslin both include transport and commentary — a solid alternative for solo travellers or anyone uneasy with narrow, winding roads.
Before You Go — Seychelles Island-Hopping
Is one week enough for Mahé, Praslin, and La Digue?
Yes, with the caveat that you need to lock in ferry tickets and La Digue accommodation before anything else. The itinerary above works because it follows the ferry schedule rather than fighting it. If you only have six days, drop the final Mahé buffer and fly out directly from La Digue or Praslin — but accept the risk that a delayed ferry could cost you your flight.
Which island should I book accommodation on first?
La Digue. It has the fewest rooms of the three islands, and they book out months ahead during peak season (July–August and December–January). Mid-range apartments there can cost upwards of €350 per night when booked close to arrival — you’ll do better with earlier planning. Book ferries first, then La Digue, then Praslin and Mahé.
Do I need a car on every island?
No. On Mahé and Praslin, a rental car is the best way to reach the beaches and trailheads efficiently — expect roughly €30–50 per day. On La Digue, bicycles are the only transport you need; the main circuit is only 8 km and flat. The island has no rental cars for tourists, and that’s part of the appeal.
What’s the biggest mistake first-timers make?
Bookending the trip with three nights on Mahé and only one rushed afternoon on La Digue. The southern beaches on La Digue — Anse Marron and Anse Cocos — require a full day each to reach and enjoy properly. Two full nights on La Digue is the minimum to experience the island at the pace it demands.
How do I handle the Travel Authorisation?
Apply online via the Seychelles Electronic Border System at least two weeks before your flight, and no more than 30 days ahead. You’ll need your flight booking and accommodation details. The fee is roughly €11, and the authorisation comes by email. Airlines check it before boarding, so don’t leave this until the airport.
Seven Days, Three Islands, One Rhythm
The ferry schedule is the spine of this trip — it dictates which island you wake up on and which beach you watch the sunset from. But the real payoff isn’t logistical efficiency; it’s the way each island rewrites the terms of your day. Mahé gives you a capital city and a mountain trail in the same morning. Praslin hands you a primeval forest and a world-class beach within a 20-minute drive. La Digue slows everything to bicycle speed and asks you to walk the last kilometre to the best cove. That variety — three distinct places in seven days — is what makes the circuit work, and why it’s worth the early alarms and the checked luggage.
For a deeper look at the wildlife that makes these islands extraordinary, read From Reef to Rainforest: A Biologist’s Guide to Seychelles’ Unique Ecosystem.
References
Finding the Universe. “Visiting the Seychelles — A 1-Week Seychelles Itinerary.” 2025. ↗
Ell’s Passport. “Blog Planning a Trip to Seychelles.” 2026. ↗
KOEK. “Seychelles 7 Day Itinerary.” 2025. ↗
L’Heure du Voyage. “1 Week Itinerary — Seychelles.” 2025. ↗
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