Tours by Locals in Mauritius in 2026: The Best Sightseeing

Sightseeing in Mauritius is a drive across a volcanic island with Indian, French and African layers on top. The centre and south-west hold the volcanic sights. Trou aux Cerfs is a dormant cinder cone in Curepipe with a crater about 80 m deep. Grand Bassin, a crater lake near 550 m up, is the Hindu pilgrimage site where a 33 m statue of Shiva stands, and Maha Shivaratri draws close to half a million pilgrims. Chamarel adds mounds of iron-rich earth in several colours and a waterfall of roughly 100 m. In the capital, the Aapravasi Ghat, listed by UNESCO in 2006, marks where indentured labourers from India landed. The botanical garden at Pamplemousses grew from the estate La Bourdonnais bought in 1735, and the north also has the red-roofed church at Cap Malheureux, with Coin de Mire offshore.

Mauritius sightseeing tours are mostly private driver-guide days of seven to eight hours, built by compass. The south-west day links the volcano, lake, falls and gorge viewpoint, then adds a rum distillery, an ebony-forest jeep drive, the Gris Gris sea cliffs or a crocodile park. The north day takes the garden, a sugar museum, a colonial mansion and Port Louis. The east day pairs a tea factory with Mahebourg and a boat leg. Specialist days cover shopping in the capital, a night tour with dinner, water sports at Belle Mare and a photographer. Group days are fewer and mostly go by boat to Ile aux Cerfs.

Practical. Daytime highs reach 29C in January and February, and July and August nights fall to 16C. The central plateau is cooler and wetter than the coast, so Curepipe and Chamarel call for a light rain jacket. February and March are the wettest months and October the driest. Temples ask for covered shoulders and knees, and shoes come off at the door.