Africa · Seychelles
Three nights among the skyscrapers and souks of Dubai, then six days by the sea on Mahé, the largest island in the Seychelles, among granite beaches, forests and giant tortoises.
Quick facts
Indicative price from
€2,899
per person
This itinerary is a starting point: we'll adapt it with you in your tailor-made proposal.
Request informationTwo worlds in one trip. It begins in Dubai: the Burj Khalifa, the historic Al Fahidi district, an abra across the Creek to the gold and spice souks and, if you like, a desert outing at sunset.
Then a direct flight takes you to Mahé, the main island of the Seychelles. Beaches such as Anse Intendance and Beau Vallon, Morne Seychellois National Park with its forest trails, the botanical gardens of Victoria with their giant tortoises and the colourful market of one of the world's smallest capitals.
Private transfers in Dubai and breakfast throughout. If you want to see more, we can add a few nights on Praslin or La Digue, or a stay on a private island such as Denis.
10 days in the programme
Scheduled flight from Italy to Dubai, about six hours. On arrival, private transfer to the hotel. Dubai is three hours ahead of Italy in winter and two when Italy is on summer time. In the evening, a first outing to Downtown Dubai: on the artificial lake at the foot of the Burj Khalifa, the fountains dance to music and lights every half hour, and the show is free to watch from the promenade. Around it, the Dubai Mall and plenty of restaurants for a first dinner in the city.
A free day. One idea: in the morning, up the Burj Khalifa, at 828 metres the tallest building in the world, to the observation decks on levels 124 and 125 (tickets bought separately, best booked ahead). Then the Dubai Mall, with its large aquarium. In the afternoon, Palm Jumeirah, the palm-shaped artificial island, and Dubai Marina, with its promenade along the canal among the towers. Alternatively, an optional desert outing at sunset, with dinner at a camp.
A free day in the oldest part of Dubai. One idea: in the morning, the historic Al Fahidi district, with its coral-stone and gypsum houses and wind towers, the traditional way of cooling the rooms. A few steps away is the Bur Dubai abra station: aboard an abra, the commuters' wooden boat, you cross the Creek in a few minutes. On the other bank, in Deira, you wander on foot among the sacks of the spice souk and the windows of the gold souk.
Last hours in Dubai, then private transfer to the airport and direct flight to the Seychelles, about four and a half hours over the Indian Ocean. Mahé is in the same time zone as Dubai. It is the largest of the archipelago's more than one hundred islands, less than 30 kilometres long, with the capital Victoria and the airport on the east coast. On Mahé the transfer to the hotel is not included. If the timing allows, a first swim in the ocean.
A free day by the sea. One idea: the southern beaches, such as Anse Intendance, wide and wild, often with strong waves, and Anse Takamaka, among granite boulders and palms. For snorkelling there are the marine parks: Baie Ternay, on the north-west tip, and Sainte Anne, off Victoria, reached by boat on an optional trip, booked separately. In the Seychelles the sea changes with the wind seasons: depending on the time of year, one coast is calmer than the other.
A free day. One idea: Victoria, one of the world's smallest capitals, easily seen on foot in a few hours. In the centre stands the little clock tower, a copy of the one at Vauxhall in London, and a few steps away the Sir Selwyn Selwyn-Clarke market, with fish, fruit and spices. Then the botanical gardens, created in the early 20th century: among the coco de mer palms, which produce the largest seed in the plant world, live Aldabra giant tortoises. There is a fee to enter the gardens.
A free day for the interior. Morne Seychellois National Park covers more than a fifth of Mahé and rises to the 905 metres of the mountain of the same name, the highest peak in the Seychelles. The Sans Souci road crosses the forest from Victoria to the west coast: along the way, a tea plantation and the ruins of the Mission, a 19th-century school for the children of freed slaves, with a viewpoint over the coast. For a walk, the Copolia trail climbs in about an hour to a granite summit.
A free day. You can stay by the sea or book a separate trip to the nearby islands. From Victoria the fast ferry reaches Praslin in about an hour: here the Vallée de Mai, a UNESCO site since 1983, is the palm forest where the coco de mer grows. A quarter of an hour away by ferry is La Digue, where people get around by bike, with Anse Source d'Argent and its huge granite boulders by the sea. It is best to leave early and check the time of the last ferry back.
A last free day in the Seychelles. One idea, if you have not been yet: Beau Vallon, on the north-west coast, one of Mahé's longest and busiest beaches, with shallow water and light sand. Silhouette Island lies on the horizon and at sunset the sun goes down into the sea in front of the beach. Or a last swim near the hotel and an afternoon with no plans. There is also time to pack calmly before tomorrow's flight.
Departure for Mahé airport (the transfer is not included here) and scheduled flight back to Italy, with a stopover.
