Maldives
Maldives
Best time to visit: November to April, the dry season. May–October brings rain and lower resort rates.
About Maldives
Highlights
What Maldives costs
Per person, twin-sharing, for 5 days. Flights are live fares; ground costs are typical ranges, not quotes.
| Component | Budget | Mid-range |
|---|---|---|
|
Return flights
DEL–MLE
Compare prices →
|
₹33,454 | ₹45,163 |
|
Hotels
4 nights, twin-sharing
Compare prices →
|
₹24,000 | ₹100,000 |
|
Food
5 days
|
₹12,500 | ₹30,000 |
|
Local transport
Airport transfers, intercity travel
|
₹6,000 | ₹25,000 |
|
Sightseeing & activities
Entry fees, tours, day trips
Compare prices →
|
₹5,000 | ₹15,000 |
| Total per person | ₹80,954 | ₹215,163 |
Budget assumes guesthouses, local food and public transport. Mid-range assumes 3–4 star hotels, a mix of restaurants and private transfers. Shopping and travel insurance are not included. Airfare checked 23 Aug 2026 and changes daily.
When to fly to Maldives
Cheapest return fare found for each month. Picking your month carefully saves up to ₹2,446 per person.
Cheapest is not always best. November to April, the dry season. May–October brings rain and lower resort rates.
Fares are the cheapest return tickets found from DEL and refresh through the day. Months with no data are not shown.
How many days do you have?
Pick a trip length — the itinerary and the cost both change to match.
Local island escape — 4 days
Arrive and transfer
Public ferry or speedboat to Maafushi. Sunset on the bikini beach.
Reef and sandbank
Snorkelling trip to nearby reefs and a picnic on a bare sandbank.
Dolphins or diving
Dawn dolphin cruise, or two dives with a local school. Afternoon at leisure.
Departure
Morning transfer back to Velana International.
Where you'll stay
3 nights across 2 places.
- Maafushi · 1 night Compare hotels →
- Atoll · 2 nights Compare hotels →
The full trip — 5 days
Arrive and transfer
Speedboat or seaplane out to your island. Sunset from the jetty.
House reef day
Snorkel the house reef, kayak the lagoon, and give the afternoon to the spa.
Sandbank and dolphins
Picnic on a bare sandbank, then a dolphin-spotting cruise at dusk.
Local island or diving
Half a day on a local island for a look at everyday Maldives, or two dives on a nearby wreck.
Departure
A last swim, then the transfer back to Velana International.
Where you'll stay
4 nights across 4 places.
- Malé · 1 night Compare hotels →
- Resort island · 1 night Compare hotels →
- Atoll · 1 night Compare hotels →
- Maafushi · 1 night Compare hotels →
Things to do in Maldives
Our picks, with what each one costs and how long it takes.
House reef snorkelling
Most islands have living coral within swimming distance of the beach — turtles, reef sharks and rays without a boat. Ask which side of the island has the drop-off.
Check tickets & tours →Sandbank picnic
A boat drops you on a bare crescent of sand in open ocean with a picnic and nothing else. The single most photographed experience in the Maldives, and rightly so.
Check tickets & tours →Whale shark & manta snorkelling
South Ari Atoll has resident whale sharks year-round and mantas in season. Boats are shared and rules are strict — no touching, no flash, keep three metres away.
Check tickets & tours →Sunset fishing trip
Hand-line fishing from a traditional dhoni as the light goes, with the resort or guesthouse grilling your catch for dinner. Popular with families.
Check tickets & tours →Overwater spa treatment
Massage in a glass-floored pavilion over the lagoon, watching fish beneath you. Expensive but distinctly Maldivian; local islands offer beach versions for a tenth of the price.
Check tickets & tours →📍 Where to Go
- Resort islands — one resort per island, all-inclusive, private.
- Local islands (Maafushi, Dhigurah, Thulusdhoo) — guesthouses at a fraction of resort prices.
- Malé — the dense capital, worth half a day at most.
🎯 Things to Do
- Snorkel the house reef
- Sandbank picnic and dolphin cruise
- Dive or snorkel with whale sharks and manta rays
- Sunset fishing trip
- Spa treatment over the water
🚌 Transportation
Getting to your island is the biggest cost and the biggest planning decision. Speedboat transfers (₹8,000–₹15,000 return) serve islands within about 45 minutes of Malé; anything further needs a seaplane (₹25,000–₹45,000 return, daylight only). Public ferries to local islands cost under ₹200 but run infrequently and not on Fridays. Confirm the transfer cost before booking a resort — it can add more than the flight.
🍽️ Best Restaurants
Resorts are effectively closed economies; half-board or all-inclusive plans are usually worth it because à la carte meals run ₹3,000–₹6,000 a head. On local islands, guesthouse meals cost ₹500–₹900 and Maldivian curries with tuna and coconut are excellent. Note that alcohol is illegal on local islands — it is served only at resorts and on floating bars.
🏨 Best Hotels
Resort islands for privacy, overwater villas and included activities. Local islands like Maafushi for one-fifth of the price, with the trade-off of modest dress in public and no alcohol. Many travellers split: three nights local, two nights resort.
🛡️ Safety & Travel Tips
Very safe, with negligible crime. The real risks are marine: strong currents between islands, coral cuts, and sun exposure. Local islands are conservative Muslim communities — swimwear is confined to designated 'bikini beaches' and modest dress is expected elsewhere. Medical facilities outside Malé are minimal, so travel insurance covering evacuation matters more here than almost anywhere.
Trip snapshot
- Flights from
- ₹33,454
- Suggested length
- 5 days
- Visa for Indian passports
- Free 30-day visa on arrival for Indian passport holders. Proof of onward travel and a confirmed hotel booking are required.
- Best time to go
- November to April, the dry season. May–October brings rain and lower resort rates.
Cheapest return airfare found from Delhi, refreshed from live fare data. Trip cost depends on hotels and activities you book.