Mahe island tour by buggy or SUV: local guide, hidden spots

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/10

Duration5h–7h

GroupPrivate

LanguagesEN · DE +1

PickupAt your hotel

Five to seven hours across Mahe: freshwater swimming, rainforest ruins, rum tasting, and beaches locals still use

A private island tour of Mahe by buggy or SUV with a Seychellois guide who has lived on the island for decades and speaks English, French or German. The route covers freshwater pools, an artist village, a former slave school deep in the rainforest, a rum distillery and exotic garden with giant tortoises, a tea factory with views across the southwest, and a sequence of beaches from white sand to quiet turquoise bays. Small snacks and water are included; the tour runs five to seven hours and accommodates up to three adults. Pickup is included with at least one option.

5h–7h

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore island highlights by buggy or SUV

Visit small artist village
See former boarding school in rainforest
Enjoy rum tasting and exotic garden
Meet giant tortoises
Visit tea factory and rainforest
Relax at white sand beach in south Mahe
Visit popular long beach with locals
Pass by quiet bay with turquoise waters
Stop at long white sandy beach in Marine Park
Swim in fresh water if in wet season

The Experience

Francois has been running this tour for twenty years and grew up on the island, so the stops are not the ones in the guidebook. You start with a freshwater pool—worth the swim in the wet season, though the dry season leaves it empty—then move through a small artist village and into the rainforest to a former boarding school for freed slave children, a structure that sits in the middle of dense green with a view that stops you. The rum distillery and exotic garden come next, along with giant tortoises; the tea factory sits higher up with old processing equipment still in place and a shop, and the drive there cuts through rainforest that makes clear why the island feels the way it does.

The beaches anchor the second half. An impressive white sand stretch lies on Mahe's south coast, then the route moves to one of the longest and most popular beaches on the island—a place where locals still gather, not just tourists—and finishes at a quiet bay on the southeast with turquoise water held calm by a reef in front and views of a small island. A long white sandy beach in the Marine Park on the northwest is also on the route, known for photographs. You travel by private buggy or SUV depending on which option you choose, and the driver handles all the stops and timing.

The group stays small: maximum three adults, minimum two people. Water and a snack travel with you in the car. Francois speaks German, is Seychellois, and has a reputation for showing people things they would not find on their own.

What’s included

Private transportation by buggy or SUV.
a Seychellois guide fluent in English, French or German.
small snacks and water during the tour.
access to all stops including the freshwater pool, artist village, former slave school, rum distillery, exotic garden with giant tortoises, tea factory, and multiple beaches.

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfant seats availablePublic transport nearby

Operated by Mahé-Tours.com Seychelles, by Francois Island Tours

Is this one for you?Book the buggy if you want an open-air ride and easier photo stops; choose the SUV if you prefer air conditioning or are traveling with young children who need specialized infant seats. Either way, Francois's twenty years on the island means you'll see places and hear stories that standard tours don't reach.