Choose the Maldives for a relaxed stay by the lagoon, snorkeling from the beach and overwater villas, from January to April. Choose the Seychelles if you want to get around: granite beaches, hiking, the Vallée de Mai forest and a circuit between Mahé, Praslin and La Digue, ideally in April-May or October-November. The Maldives can be cheaper thanks to local islands; the Seychelles remain expensive.
Maldives or Seychelles? Two Indian Ocean archipelagos, warm all year, often weighed against each other for a honeymoon or a winter sun trip. Yet the experience on the ground is completely different. This comparison draws on our guides to the Maldives and the Seychelles.
Maldives or Seychelles: the essentials
- Maldives: nearly 1,200 flat coral islands; best time from January to April.
- Seychelles: 115 islands, the main ones granitic; best times April-May and October-November.
- Budget (roughly, converted from euro estimates): Maldives about US$90-170 a day on a local island, US$280-335 and up at a resort island; Seychelles about US$135-225 on a small budget, US$335 and up for comfort.
- Entry: free 30-day visa on arrival plus the IMUGA traveller declaration in the Maldives; a paid online travel authorisation in the Seychelles (UK FCDO, checked 12 November 2026).
- Cyclones: the main islands of the Seychelles lie outside the cyclone zone.
Maldives or Seychelles: criteria compared
| Criterion | Maldives | Seychelles | Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best time | January to April (dry season, calm sea) | April-May and October-November (between the monsoons) | Tie (different calendars) |
| Climate | 30-32 °C (86-90 °F) by day all year; wetter from May to November | 29-31 °C (84-88 °F) in the afternoon; wetter from December to March, windier from June to September | Tie |
| Budget on the ground | Roughly US$90-170 a day (local island); US$280-335 and often much more (resort island) | Roughly US$135-225 a day (small budget); US$335 and up (comfort) | Maldives (local islands) |
| Getting there | Fly into Malé (MLE); check current routes from your departure city | Fly into Mahé (SEZ); check current routes from your departure city | Depends on where you start |
| Entry requirements (UK citizens) | Free 30-day tourist visa on arrival; IMUGA traveller declaration within 96 hours before arrival; passport valid at least one month after arrival | No visa, but a paid online travel authorisation before travel; passport valid for the duration of your stay; return or onward ticket, accommodation and funds may be asked for | Maldives (no fee for the visa) |
| Type of trip | Staying on one island, lagoon, snorkeling, overwater villas | Island-hopping, granite beaches, hiking, nature | Depends on your plans |
Which archipelago for your travel style?
Honeymoon and couples
Advantage Maldives for pure relaxation. On a resort island, a single hotel occupies the whole island: you stay, eat and book your activities on site, with the option of an overwater villa. Advantage Seychelles for a more active trip: La Digue by bike, Anse Source d’Argent, the Vallée de Mai, with boutique hotels or guesthouses.
Small budget
Advantage Maldives, on the local islands. Since tourism in local communities opened up, guesthouses make it possible to stay for roughly US$90-170 a day, against roughly US$135-225 on a small budget in the Seychelles, an expensive destination where much of the food is imported. On the local islands of the Maldives, alcohol is banned and covered-up clothing is expected away from the designated beaches.
Diving and snorkeling
Advantage Maldives. The house reef of many islands lets you swim straight from the beach or the deck. Manta rays gather at Hanifaru (Baa Atoll), generally from June to November, and whale sharks are seen at South Ari all year. In the Seychelles, Sainte Anne Marine National Park, Baie Ternay and the islets around La Digue offer good sites, with the best conditions in April-May and October-November.
Nature, hiking and scenery
Advantage Seychelles. Morne Seychellois National Park (up to 905 m / 2,969 ft), the UNESCO-listed Vallée de Mai with its coco de mer, the giant tortoises of Curieuse and the Cousin bird reserve: the Seychelles are worth exploring on land too. The Maldives, made up of flat coral islands, are lived above all in the water.
Families
Advantage Seychelles, by a small margin. The variety of activities on land keeps children busier on a long stay. In the Maldives, choose a beach villa: with young children, an overwater villa demands constant vigilance and many hotels set a minimum age. In the Seychelles, several beaches on the east coast of La Digue are dangerous for swimming.
Going in winter (December to March)
Advantage Maldives. This is their dry season. In the Seychelles, December to March is the wettest season, with January the rainiest month.
Detailed budget: Maldives or Seychelles?
| Item (per day, per person) | Maldives | Seychelles |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation, small budget | Roughly US$35-80 (local island) | Roughly US$55-100 (guesthouse, self-catering) |
| Accommodation, comfort | Roughly US$170-450 and up (resort island) | Roughly US$170-335 (boutique hotel or 4-star) |
| Meals, small budget | Roughly US$15-35 | Roughly US$20-40 |
| Meals, comfort | Roughly US$65-170 (meal plan) | Roughly US$65-110 |
| Transport | Roughly US$5-45 (ferry, shared speedboat); round-trip transfer of roughly US$170-780 at a resort island | Roughly US$5-15 (bus, bike) to US$45-80 (car, taxis), excluding ferries |
| Activities | Roughly US$20-65 (snorkeling) to US$55-170 (diving) | Roughly US$10-35 (hikes, beaches) to US$55-135 (boat, diving) |
The item that makes the difference in the Maldives is the transfer: a speedboat from the airport costs much less than a seaplane, which is charged per person. Advertised prices do not always include service charges, tourism GST and the green tax: compare the total price. In the Seychelles, add the price of ferries between Mahé, Praslin and La Digue.
Getting around: stay on one island or move around
Maldives: you reach your island from Malé airport by fast speedboat (Malé atolls, part of Ari), by seaplane (more distant atolls, daytime flights only) or by domestic flight followed by a boat. Public ferries link the local islands, slowly and cheaply, on fixed schedules and sometimes not every day. In practice, most travelers stay on one or two islands.
Seychelles: fast ferries link Mahé to Praslin (about 1 hour) and Praslin to La Digue (about 15 to 20 minutes), and short domestic flights link Mahé and Praslin. On Mahé and Praslin, take cheap public buses or rent a car (driving is on the left, mountain roads are narrow); on La Digue, the bicycle is the main way to get around. A classic itinerary splits the stay between two or three islands.
Why not both?
Combining the two archipelagos is possible but rarely worthwhile: there is no « natural route » between them, and each archipelago justifies one to two weeks on its own. If you want variety in the Indian Ocean, also compare Mauritius (see our comparison Mauritius or Seychelles). In the Maldives, a mixed formula (a few nights on a local island, then a resort island) is often the best way to vary the stay.
When to go: seasons that do not overlap
Maldives: January to April, the dry season of the northeast monsoon, with February and March the driest months in Malé. From May to November, the southwest monsoon brings more frequent showers, softer prices and the manta ray season. The most expensive period runs from mid-December to early January. More detail: when to go to the Maldives.
Seychelles: April-May and October-November, when the wind drops between the two monsoons and the sea is calm. July is the driest month in Victoria; from June to September, the trade wind makes the sea rougher on exposed coasts, a good time for sailing and kitesurfing. More detail: when to go to the Seychelles.
In practice: in February-March, advantage Maldives; in April, both are in good season; in October-November, advantage Seychelles.
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper, the Maldives or the Seychelles?
The Maldives if you stay on a local island (roughly US$90-170 a day per person); at a resort island, expect from roughly US$280-335 and often much more. The Seychelles need roughly US$135-225 on a small budget and US$335 and up for comfort (converted from euro estimates).
Maldives or Seychelles for a honeymoon?
The Maldives for a relaxing stay on a resort island, possibly in an overwater villa; the Seychelles to combine beaches, hikes and several islands.
What is the best time for each archipelago?
January to April for the Maldives; April-May and October-November for the Seychelles. April suits both.
Do I need a visa for the Maldives or the Seychelles?
According to the UK FCDO (GOV.UK, checked 12 November 2026), British citizens get a free 30-day tourist visa on arrival in the Maldives and must complete the IMUGA declaration within 96 hours before arrival; for the Seychelles, no visa is needed but a paid online travel authorisation must be obtained before travel. US citizens should check the U.S. State Department (travel.state.gov) before booking.
Should I choose a local island or a resort island in the Maldives?
It is the first choice to make: the resort island is the simplest and most comfortable formula (alcohol served, free beachwear) but the most expensive; the local island costs much less and shows daily life, with alcohol banned and covered-up clothing expected away from the designated beaches. A mixed formula is possible.
Where is the best snorkeling?
In the Maldives, thanks to the reefs close to the islands, the manta rays of Baa (generally June to November) and the whale sharks of South Ari. The Seychelles offer good sites, mainly in April-May and October-November.
Further reading
- Maldives travel guide
- When to go to the Maldives
- Seychelles travel guide
- When to go to the Seychelles
- Comparison: Mauritius or Seychelles
- All our comparisons
Our sources
- Our published guides, the source of the climate, budget and travel data on this page: Maldives and when to go to the Maldives (1991-2020 normals published by the World Meteorological Organization), Seychelles and when to go to the Seychelles (Victoria station normals)
- Entry requirements: UK FCDO, foreign travel advice for the Maldives and the Seychelles (GOV.UK and GOV.UK, entry requirements pages, checked 12 November 2026). The U.S. State Department pages (travel.state.gov) could not be read on that date, so no US-specific rule is stated.
- Euro budget estimates converted at the European Central Bank reference rate of 23 October 2026 (€1 = US$1.1193)
- Our methodology
Updated November 2026.