Day trips · Maldives
5 best day trips from Maldives
Where to go when you want a day away from Maldives, and how long it really takes.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Alexey Potov - Noblige, CC BY-SA 2.5
Quick answer
The classic day trip from Maldives is Maafushi (About 30–45 minutes by shared speedboat). The closest option is Maafushi, about 27 km away.
Key facts
- Day trips in this guide
- 5
- Closest
- Maafushi (27 km)
- Most popular
- Maafushi
Day trips compared
| Destination | Distance | Travel time | How | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maafushi | 27 km | About 30–45 minutes by shared speedboat | Shared speedboat or public ferry from Malé | Budget, Solo travellers |
| Thulusdhoo | 28 km | About 30–40 minutes by speedboat | Shared speedboat or public ferry from Malé | Solo travellers, Budget |
| Fulidhoo | 55 km | About 1 hour by speedboat | Shared speedboat or public ferry from Malé | Quiet stays, Budget |
| Rasdhoo | 60 km | About 1–1.5 hours by speedboat | Shared speedboat from Malé | Solo travellers, Quiet stays |
| Dhigurah | 95 km | About 1.5–2 hours by speedboat; best overnight | Shared speedboat, or domestic flight to Maamigili and a boat | Budget, Beach, Solo travellers |
The day trips
27 km · About 30–45 minutes by shared speedboat
1.Maafushi
The busiest guesthouse island in South Malé Atoll makes an easy introduction to local-island life, with a bikini beach, cafés and excursion desks offering snorkelling, sandbank and resort day trips.
- Getting there
- Shared speedboat or public ferry from Malé
- Best for
- Budget, Solo travellers
28 km · About 30–40 minutes by speedboat
2.Thulusdhoo
A local island in North Malé Atoll known for the Cokes and Chickens surf breaks, a bikini beach and a laid-back surf-camp atmosphere.
- Getting there
- Shared speedboat or public ferry from Malé
- Best for
- Solo travellers, Budget
55 km · About 1 hour by speedboat
3.Fulidhoo
A small, quiet island in Vaavu Atoll where nurse sharks and stingrays gather by the harbour in the evening and the house reef offers good snorkelling. It feels much more traditional than Maafushi.
- Getting there
- Shared speedboat or public ferry from Malé
- Best for
- Quiet stays, Budget
60 km · About 1–1.5 hours by speedboat
4.Rasdhoo
A local island in the small Rasdhoo Atoll at the northern tip of Ari, known among divers for early-morning hammerhead dives at Rasdhoo Madivaru and for turtles on its reefs.
- Getting there
- Shared speedboat from Malé
- Best for
- Solo travellers, Quiet stays
95 km · About 1.5–2 hours by speedboat; best overnight
5.Dhigurah
A long, narrow local island in South Ari Atoll with a sandbank at one end, guesthouses and daily boat trips to look for whale sharks on the outer reef. It is better as a stay of several nights than a day trip.
- Getting there
- Shared speedboat, or domestic flight to Maamigili and a boat
- Best for
- Budget, Beach, Solo travellers
Day-trip tips
- Leave early: most trips are more relaxed with a morning departure and a return before dinner.
- Buses link the airport with Malé and Hulhumalé across the Sinamalé Bridge, a cheap alternative to taxis.
- For trips over about 150 km, an overnight stay or an organised tour saves a lot of travelling.
Questions travellers ask
+What is the best day trip from Maldives?
Maafushi. The busiest guesthouse island in South Malé Atoll makes an easy introduction to local-island life, with a bikini beach, cafés and excursion desks offering snorkelling, sandbank and resort day trips.
+How long does it take to get from Maldives to Maafushi?
About 30–45 minutes by shared speedboat — Shared speedboat or public ferry from Malé, about 27 km.
+How long does it take to get from Maldives to Thulusdhoo?
About 30–40 minutes by speedboat — Shared speedboat or public ferry from Malé, about 28 km.