Luxury Seychelles holidays from the UK are built around granite islands, clear reef water and a small choice of high-end resorts, reached with one change of plane on the way out. Most trips centre on one or two of the three main islands, Mahé, Praslin and La Digue, with private islands as a further step up. Our Seychelles holidays page lists what is on sale.
This guide covers the choices that shape the trip. It explains which island to base yourself on, how island hopping works and which coast suits your month. It then shortlists resorts and sets out the paperwork to sort before you fly.
Quick answer
The three decisions that shape a luxury Seychelles holiday are the island, the month and the coast your hotel faces, because the wind decides which beaches are calm. Our twin-centre packages start from £2,699pp for 9 nights in Dubai and the Seychelles (Economy, two sharing, November 2026). Return flights from the UK are included, and every package is ATOL 10713 protected.
- Flying from the UK
- No direct flights. One stop via Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi, Istanbul, Addis Ababa or Nairobi. Dubai to Mahé takes about 4 hours 35 minutes.
- Time difference
- Seychelles Time (UTC+4), with no daylight saving. That puts it 4 hours ahead of London in winter and 3 hours ahead during British Summer Time.
- Entry for UK passports
- No visa. A free visitor’s permit for up to 3 months is issued on arrival.
- Currency
- Seychelles rupee (SCR).
- Languages
- Seychellois Creole, English and French.
Which Seychelles island should you stay on?
The inner islands are granite, which gives the Seychelles its boulder-framed coves and steep, forested interiors. Each of the three main islands feels different, so the base you pick decides the pace of the holiday.
Mahé
Mahé is the largest island and home to the capital, Victoria, and the international airport. Its spine is Morne Seychellois National Park, with rainforest trails and viewpoints over both coasts. It has the widest spread of five-star hotels, from Beau Vallon in the north-west to the quieter coves of the south-west. Mahé suits a first visit, a short stay or anyone who wants restaurants and excursions within a short drive.
Praslin
Praslin is the second-largest island and quieter than Mahé. Its headline sight is the Vallée de Mai, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983 and one of two places where the coco de mer palm grows wild. Entry costs SCR 450. Praslin suits a beach-led stay with a little walking, and it is the hub for boats to La Digue and the outer granite islands.
La Digue
La Digue is small, flat along its west coast and largely car-free, so visitors get around by bicycle or on foot. L’Union Estate, an old coconut and vanilla plantation, is the main sight. The island has no airport and only a handful of upmarket hotels. It works best as a second or third stop rather than a whole week’s base.
Private islands
Félicité, North Island and Frégate Island Private each hold a single resort, so the island itself is the hotel. Nothing else shares the beaches, and meals, diving and excursions are arranged by the resort. These stays cost well above the main-island resorts and are quoted individually.
Seychelles island hopping: how it works
Island hopping in the Seychelles means moving between Mahé, Praslin and La Digue by fast ferry or small plane. The distances are short, but the connections set the rhythm of each travel day.
| Route | By sea | By air |
|---|---|---|
| Mahé to Praslin | Cat Cocos fast catamaran, about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. | About 15 minutes on a Twin Otter of up to 16 seats, with several flights a day. |
| Praslin to La Digue | Inter-island ferry, about 15 minutes. | No airport on La Digue. |
| Mahé to La Digue | Cat Cocos via Praslin. | Fly to Praslin, then take the ferry. |
The ferry carries more luggage and runs to a fixed daily timetable, and the crossing to Praslin can be lively when the trade winds are up. The flight is quicker, but the small aircraft have tighter baggage limits, so check the allowance when you book. Private boat and helicopter transfers serve the private islands.
How many nights on each island
Seven nights suits a single island. With ten nights you can split the time two ways: Mahé 3, Praslin 4 and La Digue 3, or Praslin 7 and La Digue 3. More than three moves in ten nights costs too many half-days in transit.
If your long-haul flight lands on Mahé late in the day, spend the first night on Mahé and take the ferry or flight to Praslin the next morning. Chasing the last connection after a night flight rarely pays off.
Best time to visit the Seychelles
The Seychelles is warm all year, at roughly 24–31°C. What changes is the wind, and the wind decides which beaches are safe to swim from.
| Months | Wind and season | Sea and swimming | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| December to March | North-west monsoon. Hotter, more humid and the wettest time of year. | West-coast beaches can be unsafe. East-coast beaches are the calmer choice. | Lush scenery and Christmas escapes on an east-facing beach. |
| April | Transition. Light winds as the monsoon gives way to the trades. | The calmest, clearest water of the year on most coasts. | Snorkelling, diving and island hopping. |
| May to September | South-east trades. Drier, breezier and slightly cooler. | East-coast beaches can be unsafe. West and north-west coasts are more sheltered. | Walking, sailing and summer holidays on a west-facing beach. |
| October to November | Transition. Light winds as the trades fade. | Calm, clear water again before the monsoon. | Snorkelling, diving and island hopping. |
The practical rule is to choose the hotel’s coast to suit your month. The southern tip of Mahé is not suitable for swimming at any time of year, and Beau Vallon can have strong rip currents when the sea is rough. Lifeguards are few, so ask the hotel which beaches are safe each day. For cyclone risk and a comparison with the Maldives, read our Maldives vs Seychelles guide.
Luxury resorts for Seychelles holidays, island by island
Resort choice matters more here than in many beach destinations, because each hotel’s coast and terrain shapes the whole stay. This shortlist sticks to facts you can check with each hotel.
- Four Seasons Resort Seychelles, Mahé. Hillside villas above Petite Anse, a sheltered bay on the south-west coast.
- Anantara Maia Seychelles Villas, Mahé. Formerly MAIA Luxury Resort & Spa, with 30 pool villas above Anse Louis on the south-west coast.
- Raffles Seychelles, Praslin. 87 private pool villas set on the hillside and beachfront at Anse Takamaka.
- Six Senses Zil Pasyon, Félicité. The private-island option, with 30 villas and 3 private residences on one granite island.
Hillside villas trade direct beach access for views and privacy, while beachfront villas put the sea a few steps away. Ask which your villa category is before you book, as the difference can be a buggy ride each way.
Seychelles holidays from the UK: packages and prices
We sell the Seychelles as a twin-centre with a Gulf city, which breaks the journey and adds a few days of city life. Both packages include daily breakfast and private transfers.
| Package | Nights | City hotel | Seychelles hotel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai & Seychelles | 9 | 5* JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai | 5* Constance Ephelia, Port Launay, Mahé. |
| Abu Dhabi & Seychelles | 10 | 5* Jumeirah at Saadiyat Island Resort | 5* STORY Seychelles, Beau Vallon, Mahé. |
The Abu Dhabi package starts from £3,429pp (Economy, two sharing, June 2027). An island-hopping itinerary across Mahé, Praslin and La Digue, or a private-island stay, is tailor-made on request. For other two-country combinations, see our guide to the best twin-centre holidays from the UK.
What you need before you fly
Travel Authorisation
Every visitor needs a Seychelles Travel Authorisation before boarding, applied for online at seychelles.govtas.com or through the Seychelles E-Border app. You will need your passport, flight and hotel confirmations and a selfie, and there is a small online fee. Applications open up to 30 days before arrival, so apply ideally a few days ahead.
Passport and health
Your passport must be valid for the whole stay, and you should carry proof of your return flight and accommodation. A yellow fever certificate is needed only if you arrive from, or spend 12 hours or more in transit through, a country with yellow fever risk. Check TravelHealthPro at least 8 weeks before travel. Visitors pay for medical treatment, so travel insurance with medical cover is essential.
Environmental levy
Since 1 January 2026, hotels collect a Tourism Environmental Sustainability Levy per person per night. It is SCR 75 at hotels with 25 to 50 rooms and SCR 100 at hotels with more than 50 rooms, on yachts and at island resorts. Hotels with 24 rooms or fewer no longer charge it. The levy is paid locally and is not part of a package price.
