Last update: 20 Oct 2026
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Maldives Summary
These place ratings give you a quick overview of how well a destination matches different types of trips.
‘Best for’ scores:
The specific interest scores show where this place really shines – whether it's ideal for hiking, food & drink experiences, museums or other activities. These highlights help you understand what makes the destination special at a glance.
‘Your personal’ scores:
This reflects how well a place matches your personal preferences. You can adjust the importances of travel topics or other personal requirements categories in your account settings.
‘Suited for’ badges:
These give you a quick overview of how well a destination suits specific types of travellers, to help you find the places that match your lifestyle, preferences or travel situation.
Suited for
Maldives – Quick facts
| Power Grid: |
230 V, 50 Hz Plug: Type G
Type G:
 Read about power adapters |
|---|---|
| Currency: |
Maldivian Rufiyaa (MVR) £1 ≈ MVR 20.58 |
| Cashless info: |
Rating 4/5
Cashless payments are widely accepted on resort islands, in hotels, and in high-end restaurants. Outside tourist areas, cash is more common, though Visa and Mastercard are often accepted in urban areas.
Save with a travel credit card |
| eSIM providers: |
Best value: Saily Flexibility: Airalo Read our in-depth comparison |
| Tipping: | Tipping is not compulsory in the Maldives but is appreciated, especially in tourist areas. In restaurants, a 10% service charge is often added. It's common to leave small tips (5-10%) for hotel staff and taxi drivers. |
|---|---|
| Public drinking: | Public drinking is not allowed in the Maldives, except in designated hotel areas or private resorts. Alcohol is prohibited in public spaces on the islands, and guests should drink alcohol only in licensed establishments. |
| Public smoking: | Smoking is allowed in designated areas, but it is prohibited in many public indoor spaces. Many hotels and restaurants have specific smoking zones. |
| Independence Day (26 July) |
Celebrated with national parades |
|---|---|
| Eid al-Fitr (variable) |
Celebrated with family gatherings and local festivities |
| Emergency contact: | Emergency Number: 119 (Police), 102 (Ambulance) |
|---|---|
| Taxi apps: | None, Taxis can be arranged through hotel concierge or local agents |
| Other: | The Maldives is known for its beautiful beaches, clear waters, and luxury resorts. Visitors should be prepared for limited medical facilities, particularly outside major islands. |
Best times to travel
The best times to travel section shows how the months compare for a visit, so you can find the time of year that fits what you want to do.
Background colours of the months:
The colour shows the typical temperature: yellow (hot), green (mild) and blue (cold). How strong the colour is shows the travel season: full colour means high season, soft colour means shoulder season and soft-striped means off season.
Weather symbols:
Each month has one symbol showing what the weather is typically like, such as hot and sunny, freezing or a rainy or snowy season. Use them to quickly spot months that match the weather you want, or to avoid the ones that don't.
Crowdedness:
The people icon shows how busy the place usually is. The more people, the more crowded it gets.
Additional notes:
The grey info boxes point out special things worth knowing, like recurring weather issues or seasonal events.
for Maldives, Maldives
Dry season December to April is calmest and most expensive, wet season is cheaper with usually short showers
Surf season June to October on the outer atolls
Manta ray and whale shark season varies by atoll, roughly May to November on the west side
Don't miss
- 🏝️ Stay in an overwater villa surrounded by turquoise lagoon
- 🦈 Snorkel with reef sharks and manta rays at Hanifaru Bay
- 🌌 Watch a glowing beach at night on Vaadhoo Island
- 🍽️ Dine underwater at a glass-walled restaurant
- ✈️ Go island hopping across remote atolls by seaplane
- 💆♀️ Relax with a sunset massage over the water
You've been here?
Log in to manage your own bucket list! Why travel to Maldives?
The sea is the draw. The atolls enclose shallow lagoons with clear water and many islands have a house reef that you can snorkel straight from the beach. Diving is a major draw, with sites in the North and South Malé Atolls and around Addu Atoll in the far south. Manta rays gather at Hanifaru Bay in Baa Atoll in parts of the year and whale sharks are seen in several atolls. The Maldives works in two ways. One is the resort island, where a single hotel occupies the whole island and the villas, restaurants and dive centre are all on site. The other is a guesthouse on a local island, where you stay in a Maldivian community, eat local food and join day trips by boat. Local islands cost much less but have rules on dress and alcohol. Tourists swim at a designated beach. Resorts cost more and give you privacy and more space. Many travellers split a trip between the two. Seas are calmest in the dry months from about December to April, which is also the busiest and priciest period. The wetter months bring wind and showers, lower prices and surf. A week suits one island and two weeks lets you combine a local island with a resort. Malé deserves a few hours for its fish market and the Hukuru Miskiy mosque.
🏙️Cities & Regions
-
1
Malé
Capital city on a chain of islands in the Indian Ocean, Male offers modern infrastructure and cultural sites. Visitors can explore historic mosques, bustling markets and nearby marine parks while enjoying easy access to the Maldives' renowned coral reefs.
🏯Places worth seeing
🎡Places for activities
🏞️Natural landmarks
🛍️Shopping
🎈Events
-
Maldives Independence Day
-
Republic Day
-
Ramadan (Eid celebrations)
-
Maldives Surfing Championships
-
Fisherman's Day
-
International Maldives Travel Market
-
Bodu Eid Festival
-
New Year’s Eve Events at Resorts
-
Victory Day
-
National Day
Knowledge before you go
- Submit the free IMUGA arrival declaration up to 96 hours before landing.
- On local islands cover shoulders and knees in town and swim only at designated bikini beaches.
- Alcohol isn't sold on local islands and customs can take any you bring in.
- Seaplanes don't fly after dark, so late arrivals should plan a night near the airport or take a speedboat resort.
How to travel to Maldives
Nearly everyone arrives by air at Velana International Airport (MLE) on Hulhulé island, right next to Malé. It has flights from Gulf hubs such as Dubai and Doha, from India, Sri Lanka and Singapore and from several European cities, some of them seasonal. A public ferry crosses to Malé in about 10 minutes and a bridge links the airport island with Malé and Hulhumalé. Resort transfers by speedboat or seaplane are arranged through the resort when you book and a representative greets you in the arrivals hall. Guesthouse guests use shared speedboats or public ferries. Some larger guesthouses send their own boat to the airport. A tourist visa is granted on arrival without applying in advance. Immigration asks for a passport valid for at least a month, a confirmed return ticket, a prepaid booking at a registered accommodation and enough funds. Cruise ships and private yachts also call at some ports.
Access summary
- Fly into Malé Velana International Airport (MLE) from Asia, Europe, Middle East.
- From Sri Lanka, India, nearby: short regional flights into Malé, then boats.
- National carrier Maldivian based at MLE; not part of major alliances.
Check your route from anywhere
Where to stay in Maldives
Visitors choose between resort islands, local-island guesthouses, hotels in Malé and liveaboard boats. The Maldives has well over a hundred resorts and hundreds of guesthouses, so there's a lot of choice at every price level. Resorts occupy their own island and range from simple to very luxurious, with overwater villas, house reefs and meal plans from half board to all-inclusive. They're the most expensive option and transfers add to the cost. Guesthouses on local islands such as Maafushi, Thulusdhoo and Dhigurah are far cheaper and let you see daily island life, though alcohol isn't sold and swimwear is limited to a beach for visitors. Liveaboards suit divers who want to cover several atolls in a week. Hotels in Malé and Hulhumalé work for a night before an early flight. Peak months from December to April sell out early, so book well ahead. Check whether a price covers meals and boat or seaplane transfers.
Hotel recommendations
*by rating and popularity. Commissions have no influence on the rankings.
Meeru Maldives Resort Island
Villa Nautica Paradise Island Resort
Bandos Maldives
Summer Beach Maldives - Free Airport Return Transfer & 10% discount on Food & Beverages
Vilamendhoo Maldives Resort Island
Veligandu Maldives Resort Island
h78 at Hulhumale Maldives
Arena Beach Hotel at Maafushi
Grand Park Kodhipparu Maldives
Hurawalhi Island Resort
How to get around Maldives
Almost everything outside Malé happens by water or air.
Transfers:
Resort guests are normally met at the airport and taken by speedboat or seaplane. Speedboats cover short and medium distances and run in fair weather. Seaplanes reach farther atolls and cost the most, with a luggage limit of about 20 kg per person. Domestic flights serve more distant atolls, often with a short boat leg at the end.
Public ferries:
Public ferries link local islands cheaply but run on fixed schedules that change with the weather and can take several hours. Shared speedboats are faster and often fill up in peak months, so book them ahead. Because transfers run to a timetable, plan your onward trip around the last boat of the day.
On land:
In Malé and Hulhumalé you can walk, take a short taxi ride or use buses. A bridge links Malé with the airport island and Hulhumalé. On a resort or small island most distances are walkable.
Food in Maldives
Seafood is the base of the cuisine and tuna appears in nearly every Maldivian meal. Local dishes include mas huni, a breakfast mix of shredded smoked tuna, coconut and onion eaten with flatbread called roshi. Garudhiya is a clear tuna broth served with rice, lime and chilli. Hedhikaa are small fried or baked snacks eaten with tea in the afternoon.
Resorts mainly serve international food with a few local dishes and meal plans cover most of the day. On local islands small cafes and family-run restaurants serve fish curries and short eats at much lower prices. Pork and alcohol aren't sold outside resorts and liveaboards. Most local islands have only small shops, so bring snacks if you have specific needs. Vegetarians can eat well on rice, vegetable curries and fruit, though choices are narrower on small islands.
Budget snapshot
Costs compared to home
We calculate the average costs when travelling to destinations and compare those with the living costs at your home. With this you can get an estimate of how expensive or cheap the destination is for you.
To customise this, you can set up which location and price level are used for the calculations in your account settings.
Daily expenses in Maldives are around 42% lower than the average across United States. That means you'll spend a lot less on meals and getting around.
Exchange rate trend
The exchange rate price factor shows how expensive or cheap a currency currently is compared to its historical average. It's a quick way to see if a country is currently more or less affordable due to exchange rate changes.
Your exchange rate (GBP to MVR) is 4% better than in recent years. That means travelling now costs around the same compared to the past.
Travel costs
To help you plan your trip, we provide estimated daily costs per person (when travelling as a pair) for different travel styles. These numbers give you an idea of what you might spend each day at this destination, including accommodation, food, transport and activities.
Additionally, we also provide average hotel costs for different travel styles to give you an estimate for the accommodation only.
Please note that these are only estimates. The real costs depend on booking times, season and other factors.
To help you plan your trip, we provide estimated daily costs per person (when travelling as a pair) for different travel styles. These numbers give you an idea of what you might spend each day at this destination, including accommodation, food, transport and activities.
Additionally, we also provide average hotel costs for different travel styles to give you an estimate for the accommodation only.
Please note that these are only estimates. The real costs depend on booking times, season and other factors.
Daily cost summary
Travel style categories explained:
Backpacker:
Staying in hostels or budget hotels, cooking your own meals or eating cheap and choosing low-cost activities.
Mid-range:
Staying in mid-range hotels, eating at a mix of restaurants and casual spots and enjoying a variety of activities.
Luxury:
Staying in luxury hotels, dining out at high-end restaurants and enjoying premium experiences without worrying about the price.
Travel style categories explained:
Backpacker:
Staying in hostels or budget hotels, cooking your own meals or eating cheap and choosing low-cost activities.
Mid-range:
Staying in mid-range hotels, eating at a mix of restaurants and casual spots and enjoying a variety of activities.
Luxury:
Staying in luxury hotels, dining out at high-end restaurants and enjoying premium experiences without worrying about the price.
| Backpacker | Mid-range | Luxury | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 💵 Total costs per day, including accommodation | |||
| 🏨 Accommodation per night, per person | |||
| 🍝 Food per day | |||
| 🚕 Transportation per day |
Food & Drink
| 🍽️ Restaurant Dinner, per person | |
|---|---|
| 🍛 Lunch Set, per person | |
| 🍟 Fast food combo | |
| 🍝 Preparing your own food, per day | |
| ☕ Cappuccino | |
| 🍺 Beer in a restaurant, 0.5 l |
Transportation
| 🚌 Public transport ticket | |
|---|---|
| 🚕 Taxi Ride, 10 km / 6 mi | |
| ⛽ Petrol, 1 l |
Other
| 🎞️ Cinema ticket | |
|---|---|
| 👩⚕️ Doctor's consult | |
| 🤧 Cold medication | |
| 💇 Basic haircut |
Safety information overview
General safety
The Maldives is very safe for visitors and violent crime is rare. Most incidents involve the sea, such as strong currents, rough boat crossings and sunburn. Local laws on drugs, alcohol and public dress are strict. Breaking them can bring fines or detention.
Health & Medical
Malé has two main hospitals and resorts have clinics, but serious cases may need evacuation to Malé or abroad. Dengue occurs so repellent helps. A decompression chamber in Malé serves divers. Comprehensive travel insurance with evacuation cover is strongly advisable.
Accessibility
Accessibility is mixed. Islands are flat but paths are sandy, jetties are long and boarding speedboats, ferries and seaplanes means steps and gaps. Malé has narrow, crowded streets and few ramps. Some resorts have accessible villas and buggies, so confirm details when booking.
Tap water
Tap water isn't recommended for drinking outside resorts, so use bottled or filtered water. Most islands rely on desalination plants and rainwater. Plumbing varies on local islands. Resorts supply safe drinking water and shops and cafes sell bottled water.
Packing recommendations for Maldives
Log in to add this place to a travel list and get a summary of all recommended items for your whole trip.
📷
Camera
🌞
Sun cream
👕
Light, breathable clothing
🪰
Insect repellent
🩱
Swimwear
🩴
Flip-flops
👟
Water shoes
🤿
Snorkelling gear
optional
🔋
Power bank
🩹
Basic first aid kit
👒
Sun hat
📃
Travel insurance
🪪
Copies of passport and important documents
📱
Travel eSIM
🔌
Universal travel adaptor
🩺
Prescription medicines
💳
Credit card with no foreign transaction fees
🛂
Passport
Related articles & guides for Maldives
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