Mauritius 7 Day Itinerary 2027: The Best One-Week Travel Plan

Last checked: 10 October 2026.

One week is the length most people actually book, and it is enough — but only if the route respects the geography. Mauritius is small, which fools visitors into thinking everything is close to everything. It is not the distance that costs you, it is crossing the island twice in a day.

This plan uses two bases and one move, gives each region a continuous block of days, turns the move itself into the south-coast drive, and leaves departure day empty on purpose. It is built for a first trip that wants the whole island without a forced march.

Is 7 Days Enough in Mauritius?

Yes, for a first trip. A week is enough for the north, the west coast, the Chamarel and Black River Gorges interior, the wild south and either a lagoon day or the Blue Bay marine park. It is not enough to add a full Port Louis day and a serious mountain hike on top — a seven-day plan that promises all of it is promising a week in the car. The two decisions that make the difference are two bases with one move, and nothing scheduled on departure day.

Quick Facts

—   Days — 7 days, 6 nights

—   Bases — 2. West for nights 1–4, south-east for nights 5–6

—   Route days — 4 mapped routes: Days 2, 3, 4 and 5

—   Boat days — 1, on Day 6, from the second base. Not on the move day — the timings do not work

—   Flex — Day 6 has a boat version and a land version, so bad sea state costs you nothing. Day 7 is a departure half-day with nothing scheduled

—   Driving intensity — moderate. The longest route is Day 5 at 95.1 km, and that is the base change, so none of it is retraced

—   Best for — first-time visitors, couples, and families who want every coast in one week

7-Day Mauritius Itinerary at a Glance

Six nights, two bases, one boat day. Distances are the end-to-end figures from our route pages and do not include the leg back to your hotel, which matters on Days 2, 3 and 4 and not at all on Day 5. Driving intensity is relative to Mauritius, where almost nothing is more than about ninety minutes away — a "high" day here would be an easy day almost anywhere else.

—   Day 1 — Arrival and your first beach. Settle in, swim, eat locally. Base: west. Stops: none. Driving: airport transfer only.

—   Day 2 — The north: gardens, heritage and beaches. Pamplemousses, the calm north-coast beaches, Cap Malheureux. Base: same. Stops: 8 over 35 km, plus the run back. Driving: medium.

—   Day 3 — The west coast: Albion to Le Morne. Lighthouse, beaches, Tamarin, sunset. Base: same. Stops: 8 over 49.7 km, plus the run back. Driving: medium.

—   Day 4 — Chamarel, Black River Gorges or Le Morne. The signature nature day. Base: same. Stops: 2 core plus a choice; the nearest mapped route runs 7 over 91.5 km end to end. Driving: high, and the most winding.

—   Day 5 — Move base along the wild south. Bel Ombre, the Natural Bridge, Gris Gris, arriving south-east. Base: switch to south-east. Stops: 6 over 95.1 km. Driving: high, but one way only.

—   Day 6 — Île aux Cerfs, or Blue Bay and Mahébourg. The boat day, or the marine park and town — pick one. Base: same. Stops: 2 by boat, or 5 over 56.9 km. Driving: low either way.

—   Day 7 — Slow morning and departure. Breakfast, one last swim, airport. Stops: none. Driving: airport transfer only.

If your flight lands late on Day 1 or leaves early on Day 7, treat those as half days and plan nothing into them. The single most common way a one-week trip goes wrong is squeezing an excursion into departure day.

Best Area to Stay for This Itinerary

Two bases in six nights sounds like a lot of moving. It is one move, and the move is itself a sightseeing day: the road from the west to the south-east is the wild south coast. Days 2 to 4 all run from the west; Day 6 runs from the south-east. Doing Day 6 from a western base would cost you the best part of two hours in the car before anything started, twice.

Nights 1–4: the west

—   Flic en Flac or Tamarin (west) is the default. Day 3's route starts on your doorstep, Day 4's begins at Le Morne just down the coast, and Day 2's run north is straightforward on the motorway. The west is also the driest coast.

—   Grand Baie, Pereybère or Trou aux Biches (north) if you want restaurants and shops within walking distance and boat operators on the doorstep. It shortens Day 2 and lengthens Days 3 and 4 — a fair trade if evenings matter more to you than mornings.

—   The honest comparison: on a seven-day trip the west wins slightly, because two of your four route days start there. On a ten-day trip the gap widens.

Nights 5–6: the south-east

—   Blue Bay, Pointe d'Esny or Mahébourg (south-east) for the marine park, the best easy snorkelling on the island, and about fifteen minutes to the airport — which is what makes Day 7 genuinely relaxed rather than a dash.

—   Belle Mare, Palmar or Trou d'Eau Douce (east) if the long, wide beaches appeal more than the marine park. It puts you on the doorstep of the Île aux Cerfs jetty, which shortens Day 6 — but it lengthens both the Day 5 arrival and the Day 7 airport run.

—   Blue Bay is the one that buys you a last morning rather than a last hour. Take the east coast instead only if those beaches are the reason you came.

If you only want one hotel

It works, and for six nights it is a reasonable choice. Stay in the west, keep Day 5 as a there-and-back south-coast drive, and accept that Day 6 becomes a long round trip — or drop Day 6 and give the time back to the west coast and the interior. What does not work is a single northern base: north to south-east is the longest regular drive on the island, and you would do it twice.

Before You Start: Car, Driver, Transfers or Tours?

This decision shapes the whole week and is worth making before you book accommodation.

—   Hire car. The right default. Days 2, 3, 4 and 5 are all multi-stop routes that no single organised excursion strings together, and every one of our route pages has car rental built into it. Driving is on the left. Main roads and the motorway are good; village roads are narrow and winding. Petrol is a fixed national price — Rs 70.65 a litre, effective 15 August 2026 per the State Trading Corporation — so fuel is a minor line over a week.

—   Private transfers only. Workable if nobody wants to drive. Published 2026 tariffs are per vehicle, not per person: around €35 for a sedan to Grand Baie, Flic en Flac, Belle Mare, Trou aux Biches or Port Louis, and about €45 to Le Morne or Bel Ombre. A minivan runs to about €55. Fine for the airport and the base change; expensive as a daily habit.

—   Driver for the day. A good middle path for Day 4, which has the most winding road and the most stops. Agree the price and the route before you set off — taxis here are rarely metered.

—   Organised excursions. Best for the water. Day 6's boat is the one part of this week where going with an operator clearly beats going alone.

—   Buses. Cheap, from around Rs 12, and a genuinely interesting way to see the island — but too slow to build a seven-day route around.

Day 1 — Arrival, First Beach, No Ambition

Why this day is worth doing properly: because doing nothing on it protects the next six. Most European flights land in the morning after an overnight, and everyone arrives more tired than they feel.

Clear the airport, complete your transfer, get to the base. The one thing worth doing is finding your nearest swimmable beach and getting in the water. Most people find that daylight and a swim help more than a dark room does; either way, eat somewhere local rather than at the hotel and go to bed early rather than late.

—   Stops and distance: no route today. Airport transfer only.

—   Must do: check in, swim, eat locally, sleep.

—   Optional add-on: a walk along the coast road at sunset to work out what is within walking distance for the week.

—   Driving: the airport transfer only. Allow longer than you think to the west.

—   Plan B: if it rains, this is the best possible day for it to happen.

Day 2 — The North: Gardens, Heritage and Calm Beaches

Why: the north holds the botanical garden and the calmest swimming beaches on the island, and the whole loop is short. It is the lowest-driving route day of the week, which makes it the right one to do while you are still adjusting.

Start at the Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanical Garden at Pamplemousses — giant water lilies, palm avenues and deep shade. It is the best heat escape on the island and works with any age group. Château de Labourdonnais is nearby if colonial heritage interests you. Then run the coast: Trou aux Biches and Mont Choisy are the calmest and most shaded swimming beaches in Mauritius, Grand Baie is where the restaurants and shops are, Pereybère and Bain Boeuf are the quieter swims beyond it, and Cap Malheureux with its red-roofed church closes the day at the island's northern tip.

—   Stops and distance: 8 stops, 35 km, following our Roadtrip North route, which the route page runs 09:00 to 18:00. The 35 km is Pamplemousses to Cap Malheureux; add the run back down to your base.

—   Must do: Pamplemousses in the morning, one long beach stop, Cap Malheureux at the end.

—   Optional add-on: Port Louis on the way back — the central market and Caudan Waterfront. Be honest with yourself about whether you want a city stop at the end of a beach day; the capital deserves better than an hour, which is why the ten-day plan gives it one.

—   Lunch: Grand Baie has the widest choice on the route. Mont Choisy is the better picnic stop.

—   Driving: medium. The route itself is short, but Pamplemousses sits in traffic and the return leg from the northern tip is another half-hour on the motorway.

—   Plan B: Pamplemousses is deep shade and works in heat; the beaches need sun. If the forecast is cloud rather than rain, swap this with Day 4. In actual rain, do not drive inland — the central plateau catches more of it than the coast does.

Day 3 — The West Coast: Albion to Le Morne

Why: the whole west coast runs in one line, and it ends at the most photographed mountain in Mauritius. No backtracking, no decisions, and the driest coast on the island.

Work south down the coast. Albion Lighthouse and its caves open the route, then Albion village beach and Flic en Flac — long, flat and swimmable, with restaurants behind it. Tamarin is where the dolphin boats leave from and where the surf culture lives. Les Salines salt pans and La Preneuse break up the drive, the giant banyan tree at La Gaulette is worth the five minutes, and the route finishes at Le Morne, which is where tomorrow starts.

—   Stops and distance: 8 stops, 49.7 km, following our Road Trip West route. That figure is Albion down to Le Morne; the drive back up to a Flic en Flac base adds roughly half of it again, in the dark if you stay for sunset.

—   Must do: Flic en Flac, Tamarin, and the Le Morne stretch at the end.

—   Optional add-on: a west-coast dolphin trip in the morning, booked in advance — see the note below before you choose an operator.

—   Lunch: Flic en Flac or Tamarin. Both have real choice; the Le Morne end has far less.

—   Driving: medium. The route itself is gentle and entirely coastal, but the return from Le Morne is the part people forget.

—   Plan B: works in cloud. The west is the driest coast, so this is a strong day to hold when rain is forecast elsewhere.

If you add the dolphin trip, know the rules. The Mauritius Tourism Authority's communiqué of 5 July 2024 states that it is an offence for a skipper to allow anyone on board to swim, dive or snorkel with whales. Humpback whales are present roughly July to November and sperm whales are around year-round, so this is a live question on a west-coast boat rather than a hypothetical. Choose an operator who states their approach policy, and treat any operator promising to put you in the water with whales as a reason to book elsewhere. Dolphin watching is regulated separately, and the rules on approach and in-water contact have changed more than once — the fact that a trip is sold does not mean it is compliant. Ask your operator which permit they hold and check the Tourism Authority's current dolphin guidance before you book.

Day 4 — Le Morne, Chamarel and Black River Gorges: The Nature Day

Why: this is the most scenically dense day in Mauritius, and everything on it sits within a short drive of everything else. It is also the most winding driving of the week — more tiring per kilometre than Day 5's longer coastal run — so start early and do not add anything.

The Chamarel Seven Coloured Earth Geopark covers the coloured dunes, a tortoise enclosure and the waterfall viewpoint in about an hour; resident and non-resident rates differ and are only shown inside the booking system, so check before you go. Black River Gorges National Park is free to enter, with the Pétrin entrance near Grand Bassin and the Black River visitor centre on the west side; both information centres run roughly 07:00 to 17:00 on weekdays and from 09:00 at weekends. The Gorges viewpoints trail is the accessible option at around two and a half hours.

Le Morne Brabant is a UNESCO World Heritage cultural landscape and the most recognisable mountain in Mauritius. The hike is free to access and runs about 3.5 to 4.5 hours return over roughly 5 to 8 km. The first half is a wide, gradual trail; the upper section is technical, exposed and steep enough to need your hands. A guide is strongly recommended for that upper part, and local guiding runs around Rs 2,000 to 2,500. Do not attempt it in heavy rain or on wet rock.

—   Stops and distance: 2 core stops plus a choice — Chamarel geopark, then either a Black River Gorges viewpoint or the Le Morne hike. You will not fit all three. Our nearest mapped route, Roadtrip South West to South East, covers this cluster in 7 stops over 91.5 km end to end; a round trip from a western base is shorter, but it is all interior road.

—   Must do: Chamarel, plus one of the gorges or the mountain. That is a full day on its own.

—   Optional add-on: none. This is the day where adding one more stop is how people end up on interior roads after dark.

—   Lunch: Chamarel village. This is the part of the island where a booked table saves you an hour.

—   Driving: high, by Mauritian standards. Winding roads through the interior.

—   Plan B: the interior gets around six hours of sunshine a day against 7.5 to 8 on the coast, per the Mauritius Meteorological Services, so cloud here is normal and does not ruin the coloured earth. Actual rain is different: the plateau holds it longer than the coast, and rain on the Le Morne trail ends the hike.

Day 5 — Move Base Along the Wild South Coast

Why: the drive from the west to the south-east runs along the wild south anyway, so the move is the sightseeing rather than a day lost to it. This is the one day of the week where the car goes one way and stays there.

Check out after breakfast and work east along the south coast. Bel Ombre opens the run, the Natural Bridge and the south-coast viewpoints follow, and Gris Gris at Souillac is the headline — open ocean hitting cliffs with no reef to stop it, which after four days of lagoon is a genuine change of scene. La Roche Qui Pleure is the rock formation beside it. The south-coast villages are the best place on the island to eat cheaply and well. Arrive at the new base in the late afternoon.

—   Stops and distance: 6 stops, 95.1 km, following our Roadtrip South route, which the route page runs 09:00 to 17:00. The stops above are the ones worth planning around; the route page lists the full six. This is the longest driving day of the week, and the only one with no return leg — you end it where you sleep.

—   Must do: Gris Gris, and one long lunch in a south-coast village.

—   Optional add-on: a stop at Le Morne on the way out if you did not get enough of it on Day 4.

—   Driving: high, but all of it is progress. Leave by 09:00 so you are not arriving in the dark.

—   Safety: do not go past the barriers at Gris Gris. The swell there is why the place is famous.

—   Plan B: works in cloud and is the natural choice in poor weather, because nothing on it needs clear water. It does not work in a storm — the south coast is fully exposed. In that case take the motorway across and settle in early.

Day 6 — Île aux Cerfs, or Blue Bay and Mahébourg

Why: this is the day the second base pays for itself, and it is the one real choice in the week. Both versions run from the same hotel. Pick on the sea state and on whether you want a boat day at all.

Option A — The Île aux Cerfs boat day

The classic version is the full-day catamaran to Île aux Cerfs from Trou d'Eau Douce, taking in the Grand River South East waterfalls, with lunch and drinks on board. A published example runs €67 per adult and €37 per child aged 3 to 12, infants free, roughly 09:30 to 15:30, checked 18 September 2026; hotel pickup is usually an optional extra. Trou d'Eau Douce is up the coast from a Blue Bay base, so confirm the pickup or allow the drive. Speedboat versions are shorter and faster and suit people who do not want a full day on the water.

—   Stops and distance: the boat legs are not road kilometres. On the water it is Île aux Cerfs and the Grand River South East waterfall, from the departure jetty at Trou d'Eau Douce.

—   Best for: anyone who came for the lagoon, and the single best photograph of the trip.

—   Book it before you travel. It is the one thing on this itinerary that sells out and the one that moves for weather.

—   Plan B: if it is cancelled for sea state, take Option B instead. They run from the same base on the same morning, which is the whole reason the boat sits here rather than on the move day.

Option B — Blue Bay and Mahébourg

The gentler day, and the better one with small children. Blue Bay Marine Park is the clearest easy water on the island. Glass-bottom boats go out from the beach and take you over the coral without anyone getting into the water at all, which is what makes it work with children; if you do want to snorkel, this is the gentlest place in Mauritius to try it. Use life jackets for children on any boat, whatever the operator offers. Pointe d'Esny is the quieter beach next door, and Mahébourg is a working town rather than a resort strip, with a waterfront, a Monday market and the National History Museum.

—   Stops and distance: 5 stops, 56.9 km, following our Roadtrip South East route. The three above are the ones worth planning around; the route page lists the full five. It loops from the base, so the figure is close to the real driving.

—   Best for: families, snorkellers, and anyone who has had enough of being in a car.

—   Driving: low. This is the least demanding day of the week after Day 1.

—   Plan B: the glass-bottom boat needs reasonable water clarity, which drops for a day or two after heavy rain. The town and the museum do not care.

Day 7 — Slow Morning, Then Home

Why: because a rushed departure day undoes a good week, and because a cancelled excursion on the way to the airport is a real risk.

Breakfast without hurrying, one last swim, pack. If you are based in the south-east you are about fifteen minutes from the airport, which is the whole argument for that second base. Check your late check-out options and, importantly, when the meal plan ends — it frequently stops at breakfast.

—   Stops and distance: no route today. Airport transfer only.

—   Must do: nothing that has a schedule.

—   Optional add-on: if you have a late-evening flight and a late check-out, one short beach or town stop near the airport.

—   Driving: the airport transfer only.

—   Plan B: none needed, which is the point.

Alternative Routes by Travel Style

These are modifications to the route above, not separate itineraries. The empty final day stays in all of them. The base split is the part that genuinely varies.

Couples and honeymooners

Swap the shared catamaran on Day 6 for a private charter if the budget allows — a private half-day runs around €465 for the boat before the per-person lunch supplement, against €67 per adult on the shared full-day trip. For two people that is roughly three and a half times the price for half the time on the water; what you are buying is the route and the absence of forty strangers. Drop the Day 2 Port Louis add-on and give the time to the west coast. If you would rather have the scenery than the lagoon, Bel Ombre or Le Morne works as a second base instead — Day 5's south-coast drive ends there naturally and it is quieter — but it takes Île aux Cerfs off the table and makes Day 7 a transfer of an hour or more rather than fifteen minutes.

Families with children

Cut the driving. Keep the west base, make the second base Blue Bay for the calm marine park and the short airport run, and take Option B on Day 6 — the glass-bottom boats there need nobody to swim. Choose the gorges viewpoint over the Le Morne hike on Day 4, or the Chamarel tortoises instead. Excursion child rates are real and substantial — the Île aux Cerfs catamaran charges €37 for a child aged 3 to 12 against €67 for an adult. Watch the two age lines, because they do not match: the boat's child band runs 3 to 12 inclusive, so a thirteen-year-old pays adult, while the €3 per night tourist fee starts at twelve. A twelve-year-old is a child on the boat and an adult at check-in.

Active and hiking travellers

Give Le Morne its own day by dropping the Day 2 north route, which is the one with the least at stake. That frees Day 4 for a Black River Gorges trail — the Macchabée forest loop or the Mare aux Joncs waterfall walk, both around three hours and moderate. Note the Parakeet Trail is a seven-and-a-half-hour hard route and does not fit a seven-day trip alongside everything else. Trails are free, but both park information centres close at 17:00 and being on the wrong side of a closed gate is a real problem.

Resort-first and slow travel

This is the one version that drops the second base. Use one base in the west and treat Days 5 and 6 as optional day trips rather than a move. Keep Day 3 and Day 4, because the west-coast run and the Chamarel day are the two things you cannot do from a sun lounger, and keep a boat day — book a west-coast catamaran from Tamarin at around €64 per adult instead of crossing the island for Île aux Cerfs. Six nights at one property with three good days out is a perfectly respectable version of this week — and a better one than a forced lap of an island you did not come to drive around.

What to Book in Advance

—   Both bases, with the room configuration confirmed in writing.

—   The hire car, if you are driving. Check the insurance excess, the mileage policy, the airport surcharge and the delivery terms — these vary sharply between operators.

—   The Day 6 boat, if you are taking Option A. It is the one thing on this itinerary that sells out and the one that moves for weather.

—   A west-coast dolphin trip, if you are adding it to Day 3 — after checking the operator's permit and the current rules.

—   A Le Morne guide, if you are hiking the upper section.

—   Airport transfers, unless you are picking the car up at the airport.

—   Travel insurance, bought when you book rather than before you fly, so cancellation is covered for the whole period.

—   The Mauritius All-in-One Travel Digital Form, completed before departure at the official government portal. Check the current requirements for your nationality.

—   A restaurant table at Chamarel on Day 4 if you want lunch without a wait.

What to Do if It Rains or the Sea Is Rough

Seven days is short enough that one bad day matters. The route is built so that nothing is lost, only moved.

—   Day 6's boat cancelled → take Option B instead. Same base, same morning, no rearranging. This is the reason the boat is not on the move day.

—   Cloud on Day 2 or Day 3 → swap with Day 4. The interior is at its best under cloud; beaches are not. In heavy rain, do the opposite — the central plateau holds rain longer than the coast, so driving inland to escape it usually fails.

—   Rough sea on Day 5 → nothing changes. The south coast is a viewing day, and a big swell at Gris Gris is the point, from behind the barriers.

—   Drive out of it. The east and the central plateau catch more rain than the north and west. On an island 65 km by 45 km, relocating for the day is realistic.

—   Indoor options that are genuinely good: Odysseo Oceanarium in Port Louis, Curious Mauritius at Chamarel, L'Aventure du Sucre at Beau Plan, and the Caudan Waterfront.

—   After heavy rain, lagoon clarity drops and snorkelling the next day disappoints. Wait a day.

—   February and March are the wettest months and October the driest, per the Mauritius Meteorological Services. Annual rainfall averages 2,010 mm, of which 1,344 mm — about 67% — falls between November and April.

—   Cyclone season runs roughly November to May. A Class I warning is issued not less than 36 and not more than 48 hours before gusts of 120 km/h are expected, so you normally have more than a day's notice. Use it: follow the instructions your hotel and the national authorities give, and expect flights, excursions and shops to stop well before the wind arrives.

Driving Times and Route Planning Tips

Mauritius is about 65 km by 45 km and almost nothing is more than roughly ninety minutes from anywhere else. That makes people over-confident. What actually costs time is Port Louis traffic, the winding interior roads around Chamarel, and the temptation to add one more stop.

—   Check live drive times for your specific route on the day. Published estimates age badly and roadworks are common.

—   Port Louis is the bottleneck. Crossing it at rush hour can double a journey. Plan around it rather than through it — which is part of why this week's Port Louis stop is optional.

—   The motorway runs roughly north to south through the middle of the island and is the fast way between coasts. The coast roads are slower and much better looking.

—   Allow more time than the distance suggests on the south coast and through the interior.

—   Avoid driving unlit rural roads after dark, particularly after a long day. This is the argument for leaving Le Morne before sunset on Day 3 and for starting Day 5 by 09:00.

—   Fuel is a fixed national price, so where you fill up does not matter — Rs 70.65 a litre as of 15 August 2026.

—   Agree taxi fares before you get in. Metered taxis are uncommon.

Budget Planning for This Itinerary

Flights and accommodation dominate any Mauritius budget and both move with the season, so no honest guide quotes a single figure. What can be pinned down are the on-island costs. These were checked on 18 September 2026 and carry their sources.

—   The tourist fee catches people out. Mauritius has charged €3 per person aged twelve or over, per night, since 1 October 2025. It is collected at check-in and is not included in the room rate. Children under twelve are exempt. For two people over six nights that is €36.

—   Airport transfers are per vehicle, not per person: about €35 to most resort areas, €45 to Le Morne or Bel Ombre, around €55 for a minivan.

—   The boat day is the biggest single discretionary line. The Île aux Cerfs catamaran is €67 per adult and €37 per child aged 3 to 12; a west-coast catamaran is around €64 per adult and a private half-day charter around €465 for the boat.

—   Black River Gorges is free, and so are the beaches, the coastal walks, Gris Gris and the viewpoints.

—   Eating locally is cheap. A meal in an inexpensive restaurant is around Rs 300, roughly €5.40 at the rate below.

—   Petrol is Rs 70.65 a litre. Over four route days and one base change, fuel is a minor line.

—   Le Morne guiding runs around Rs 2,000 to 2,500 if you hike the upper section.

Our full cost guide breaks down what a Mauritius trip actually costs, with the flight and accommodation lines set out properly. Currency conversions here use the Bank of Mauritius indicative selling rate of 18 September 2026: €1 = Rs 55.48.

7-Day Mauritius Itinerary FAQs

Is 7 days enough in Mauritius?

Yes, for a first trip. Seven days covers the north, the west coast, the Chamarel and Black River Gorges interior, the wild south and a lagoon day. It will not also fit a full Port Louis day and a serious mountain hike — one of those has to go. Use two bases and leave departure day empty.

What is the best one-week itinerary for Mauritius?

West base for the first four nights, then south-east for the last two, with the move itself driven along the south coast so the transfer day is a sightseeing day. That keeps the north, west and Chamarel days near the first base and the lagoon and marine-park day near the second, and leaves you fifteen minutes from the airport on the last morning.

Should I stay on one coast or split a 7-day stay?

Split it, but only once. Two bases and one move costs you nothing, because the road between them is the wild south coast and you would want to drive it anyway. Three bases in six nights loses most of two days to packing. One base works if you drop the south-east day or accept a long round trip for it.

Which coast is best for a first visit?

The west for this itinerary, because two of the four route days start there and it is the driest coast. The north is the alternative if evenings matter more to you — more restaurants and shops within walking distance, at the cost of longer drives on Days 3 and 4.

How many excursions should I book in one week?

One is enough, and this plan gives it a dedicated day on Day 6. A second boat trip on the west coast is a good add-on for Day 3 if the water is what you came for. More than two organised excursions in seven days starts crowding out the driving days, which are where you actually see the island.

Can I visit all four coasts in 7 days?

Yes, and this route does. North on Day 2, west on Days 3 and 4, the south coast on Day 5, and the east or south-east on Day 6. What you cannot do is give each coast the time it deserves — that is the difference between this plan and the ten-day one, which adds a rest day, a full city day and a second boat day.

What should I pre-book for a one-week Mauritius holiday?

Both hotels, the hire car, the Day 6 boat and your airport transfers. Add a Le Morne guide if you are hiking the upper section and a Chamarel lunch table on Day 4. Complete the Mauritius All-in-One Travel Digital Form before departure, and buy travel insurance when you book rather than before you fly.

What is the best 7-day itinerary with kids?

The same route with less driving. Keep the west base, make the second base Blue Bay for calm swimming and a short airport run, take Option B on Day 6 so nobody has to be in deep water, and choose the gorges viewpoint or the Chamarel tortoises over the Le Morne hike. Child rates on the boat day are substantial. Watch the two age lines: the boat's child band is 3 to 12 inclusive, while the €3 tourist fee starts at twelve.

Continue Planning Your Mauritius Trip

Different trip length? The itinerary hub holds the shorter plans if you only have three or five days. If you have ten, our ten-day itinerary spends the extra time on a rest day, a full Port Louis day and a second boat day rather than on more driving.

Next steps: the Mauritius Travel Guide 2027 for the overview, best time to visit for the month-by-month picture, and the cost guide for what the whole thing adds up to.

Sources and Dates Checked

—   Our own interactive route pages. Stop counts and distances for Roadtrip North (8 stops, 35 km), Road Trip West (8 stops, 49.7 km), Roadtrip South East (5 stops, 56.9 km), Roadtrip South (6 stops, 95.1 km) and Roadtrip South West to South East (7 stops, 91.5 km). Crawled 20 September 2026.

—   Mauritius Tourism Authority — dolphin and whale watching communiqué. The prohibition on allowing passengers to swim, dive or snorkel with whales. Communiqué dated 5 July 2024; checked 20 September 2026.

—   Black River Gorges National Park visitor information. Free entry, Pétrin and Black River entrances, information centre hours, named trails with durations. Checked 20 September 2026.

—   Le Morne Brabant hiking guidance. Free access, 3.5–4.5 hours return, 5–8 km, technical and exposed upper section, guiding around Rs 2,000–2,500, wet-rock warning. Page updated 19 July 2026; checked 20 September 2026.

—   Mauritius Meteorological Services. Wettest and driest months, annual and summer rainfall, coastal versus plateau sunshine hours, cyclone warning classes and notice periods. Checked 18 September 2026.

—   Mauritius Revenue Authority — Tourist Fee. €3 per tourist aged twelve or over per night, exemptions, effective 1 October 2025. Checked 18 September 2026.

—   State Trading Corporation. Petrol Rs 70.65 per litre, effective 15 August 2026. Checked 18 September 2026.

—   Taxis Mauritius 2026 transfer tariff. Airport transfer prices by vehicle class and destination. Checked 18 September 2026.

—   Mauritius Attractions — excursion pages. Île aux Cerfs catamaran €67 adult / €37 child 3–12; west-coast catamaran €64 adult; private half-day charter €465. Checked 18 September 2026.

—   Bank of Mauritius — indicative exchange rates. €1 = Rs 55.48 selling rate for notes. Checked 18 September 2026.

—   Whale season. Humpback whales roughly July to November; sperm whales present year-round. Checked 20 September 2026.