10-day Mauritius itinerary with kids
A 10-night family itinerary for Mauritius with a coast change: what to do each day, when to rest, wet-weather plan B and how to space out the excursions.
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The structure that works
| Days | Base | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrival | Land, settle into the resort, nothing else |
| 2–5 | First coast | Acclimatise, one sea excursion |
| 6 | Transfer | Coast change with a cultural stop |
| 7–10 | Second coast | One land excursion, beach and rest |
| 11 | Departure | Flight home |
Which coast comes first depends on the month. May to September, favour the west or north. November to March, the east is more pleasant thanks to the breeze. We set this out in best time to visit.
Day 1 — Arrival, and plan nothing
The overnight flight from London lands in Mauritius in the morning. The temptation is to make the most of the day; the right call is not to.
- Morning: transfer to the resort, taking 30 to 75 minutes depending on the coast.
- Afternoon: pool, beach, getting your bearings. Nothing that requires punctuality.
- Evening: early dinner. With only three or four hours of time difference there is no real jet lag, but a night on a plane still tells.
Wet-weather plan B: this is the ideal day for rain. Exploring the resort under cover costs you nothing.
Days 2–5 — First coast
Day 2: resort day
No excursions. Let the children take possession of the pool, the beach and the kids club. A good moment to try the guided snorkelling inside the lagoon, which is almost always included.
Day 3: the sea excursion
If you are on the west coast, this is the dolphin day: early start, private, responsible operator. You leave at dawn and are back mid-morning, so the afternoon stays free.
If you are on the east coast, take the private catamaran to Île aux Cerfs, with snorkelling stops and lunch aboard. That is a full day.
Day 4: recovery
Beach, pool, kids club. After a full-day excursion this is not wasted time — it is what makes day 5 appealing.
Day 5: explore the area
Hire a car for the day and get out of the resort. A village, a local market, a public beach, lunch at a table d'hôte. It tends to be one of the most memorable days and one of the cheapest.
Wet-weather plan B: the interactive museum at Chamarel or a rum distillery, both under cover.
Day 6 — Coast change
The transfer crosses the island in a little over an hour, so it is worth using rather than enduring. Stop on the way:
- Pamplemousses botanical garden, if you are heading north.
- Grand Bassin sacred lake and the Chamarel area, if you cross the centre-south.
- Curepipe, on the plateau, if the textile shopping appeals.
Arrive at the second resort mid-afternoon. Quiet evening, unpack, straight to the pool.
Days 7–10 — Second coast
Day 7: resort day
Repeat the day 2 pattern. Changing hotel means new rules, new timings and new spaces — children need a day to make it theirs.
Day 8: the land excursion
The botanical garden with a specialist guide, if you did not stop there in transit. Or the mountain route and the seven-coloured earths. Or the cultural day of temples and markets.
With teenagers, this is the day to add some adrenaline: karting, quad biking or sailing.
Day 9: the genuinely free day
No plan. This day exists so the holiday is not a race, and it usually ends up everyone's favourite.
If the budget and the calendar allow, this is the night for the bubble on a private island under the stars, dinner included.
Day 10: last hours
Any outstanding shopping, a final beach, unhurried packing. If your flight leaves late, many resorts offer late check-out for a reasonable supplement — with children, worth every penny.
If you only have a week
With seven nights, do not change coast. Pick one base according to the month, do two excursions and give the rest to the resort and the beach. The transfer eats half a day you cannot spare in a week.
If you have 14 nights or more
Then three bases make sense, or adding Rodrigues, or a multi-stop with Dubai or South Africa. Always with the same rule: the active part first, Mauritius last.
Why this does not improvise well
Fitting together two resorts, an internal transfer, each property's board arrangements and excursions that sell out is exactly the sort of puzzle where an agency pays for itself. Nextdestinium builds this two-coast itinerary routinely and knows which resort pairings work together and which leave a dead day in the middle.
Frequently asked questions
How many days do you need in Mauritius with children?
Nine to twelve nights is the optimum. It lets you split the stay across two coasts, fit in three or four excursions and still keep whole days with no plan. Under a week the flight dominates the trip, and beyond a fortnight it is worth adding Rodrigues or a multi-stop with Dubai or South Africa.
Is it worth changing resort in Mauritius?
With 10 nights or more, yes. The island crosses in a little over an hour, so the transfer costs half a day and in return you get two coasts, two landscapes and two restaurant offers. With only a week it does not pay — that half day matters too much. Plan it from the start so transfers and board basis line up.
Do you need to hire a car in Mauritius with kids?
Not for the whole stay, but yes for a day or two. Driving is on the left, roads are in good condition and traffic is manageable outside Port Louis. A day with a car to leave the resort, see a village and eat at a local table d'hôte is usually among the most memorable and cheapest days of the trip.
What can you do in Mauritius with kids when it rains?
There are indoor options that work well: the interactive optical-illusion museum in the Chamarel area, a rum distillery, the central market in Port Louis, or textile shopping in Curepipe. This is one of the advantages Mauritius holds over other Indian Ocean islands — wet days have a real alternative.
How many excursions should you plan in 10 days in Mauritius?
Three or four at most, split into two at sea and one or two on land. Filling the diary further is the classic error: children are exhausted by the midpoint and you lose the rest that justifies flying to the Indian Ocean. The days with no plan usually end up being the favourites.
Related pages
- Mauritius with kids: an honest family travel guideA practical guide to Mauritius with children: when to go, which coast to choose, which resorts work with kids, what to do beyond the beach and what it really costs.
- Things to do in Mauritius with kids: sea, nature and cultureThe best family experiences in Mauritius: responsible dolphin swimming, private catamaran to Île aux Cerfs, Pamplemousses botanical garden, rum distilleries and Hindu culture.
- Family resorts in Mauritius: how to choose the right oneHow to choose a resort in Mauritius with kids: real kids clubs and teens clubs, private-pool villas, board basis, sport and picking the right coast for your month.