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Quick Answer
- Best time: January to March, the dry northeast monsoon; February averages just 38.1 mm of rain.
- Wet season: mid-May to November, with lower prices and rougher seas.
- Taxes: Green Tax of 12 dollars a night at resorts, 6 dollars at small local-island guesthouses; 17% Tourism GST.
- Budget option: local islands such as Maafushi, from around 86 dollars a night for a double in January.
- Entry: 30-day visa on arrival, IMUGA declaration within 96 hours before landing.
At a glance
- Best time
- Jan–Mar dry season; Dec and Apr transitional
- Time needed
- 5 to 10 days
- Currency
- Maldivian rufiyaa (MVR); cards widely accepted
- Language
- Dhivehi; English widely used in tourism
- Visa
- 30-day visa on arrival, IMUGA declaration
- Getting around
- Seaplanes, speedboats, public ferries
The Maldives is 1,192 coral islands in 26 atolls, and only around 200 of them are inhabited, according to Visit Maldives. Every trip lands at Velana International Airport, next to the capital Malé, and then splits: resort or local island, seaplane or speedboat. Prices, taxes and rules below were checked on 10 October 2026.
The Maldives month by month
It is warm all year: the Maldives Meteorological Service puts average temperatures between 25 and 32°C. What changes is rain and wind. The figures are the service’s 1981-2000 averages for Hulhulé, the airport island next to Malé, published on the WMO World Weather Information Service.
| Month | Average high / low | Rain | Rain days | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30.3°C / 25.7°C | 114.2 mm | 6 | Dry season, peak demand |
| February | 30.7°C / 25.9°C | 38.1 mm | 3 | The driest month |
| March | 31.4°C / 26.4°C | 73.9 mm | 5 | Calm seas, very warm |
| April | 31.6°C / 26.8°C | 122.5 mm | 9 | Hottest month, transition |
| May | 31.2°C / 26.3°C | 218.9 mm | 15 | Monsoon starts, prices fall |
| June | 30.6°C / 26.0°C | 167.3 mm | 13 | Low season deals |
| July | 30.5°C / 25.8°C | 149.9 mm | 12 | Low season deals |
| August | 30.4°C / 25.5°C | 175.5 mm | 13 | Showers between sunny spells |
| September | 30.2°C / 25.3°C | 199.0 mm | 15 | Wet, quiet, cheaper |
| October | 30.2°C / 25.4°C | 194.2 mm | 15 | Wet, quiet, cheaper |
| November | 30.1°C / 25.2°C | 231.1 mm | 13 | The wettest month |
| December | 30.1°C / 25.4°C | 216.8 mm | 12 | Holiday peak, still showery |
The service describes January to March as the dry northeast monsoon and the southwest monsoon as running from mid-May to November, with December and April as transition months. Look at December in the table: the festive peak is popular, but around Malé it is still one of the wetter months, so do not book it expecting the clear skies of February. The wet months are also the low season, when resort prices drop.
Top Cities to Explore
Best time to visit the Maldives by trip type
Winter sun (December to March)
This is the classic escape from a European or North American winter, and the reason resorts charge the most from late December to March. February and March are the safest bets for sunshine and calm water. If the long-haul fare is the sticking point, our where to go in January and where to go in February guides compare it with closer winter sun.
Snorkelling and diving
Water is warm all year. The dry northeast monsoon brings the calmest seas and is the easiest time for snorkelling and boat trips, while rough seas in the southwest monsoon can cancel excursions. Pack a refillable bottle (see our best travel water bottles) because days on the water are hot.
Honeymoons and luxury
A private island with overwater villas is the trip most people picture. Our luxury travel guide puts it in context with other high-end destinations. If the budget is tight, compare the same villa in the wet months, when rates fall.
Budget trips
Guesthouses on inhabited islands changed what the Maldives costs. Base yourself on a local island, use public ferries or shared speedboats, and spend the savings on snorkelling and sandbank trips booked through your guesthouse. You also pay the lower 6 dollar Green Tax at guesthouses with 50 rooms or fewer.
Resort island or local island?
| Option | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Resort island | Privacy, overwater villas, all-in convenience | Highest prices, 12 dollar Green Tax, transfer costs |
| Local-island guesthouse (Maafushi, for example) | Budget, meeting Maldivians, cheap excursions | Dress rules, no alcohol, limited swimwear areas |
| Malé or Hulhumalé hotel | A transit night before or after a seaplane | City, not a beach holiday |
Choose a resort if the island itself is the holiday. Choose a local island if you want to spend on excursions rather than the room: a Booking.com check on 10 October 2026 found four nights on Maafushi in mid-January for two from around 346 US dollars in total, about 86 dollars a night. Arriving late? Spend the first night near the airport; our Malé city guide compares Malé and Hulhumalé.
How much does the Maldives cost?
Taxes are fixed by law, so they are the part you can budget exactly. Rooms swing hugely by island and season.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Green Tax, resorts and larger hotels | 12 US dollars per person per night |
| Green Tax, inhabited-island guesthouse or hotel with 50 rooms or fewer | 6 US dollars per person per night |
| Tourism GST on tourist services | 17% (from 1 July 2025) |
| Departure tax plus airport development fee, economy | 50 + 50 US dollars, collected by airlines |
| Airport ferry to Malé | 15 rufiyaa |
| Maafushi guesthouse double, mid-January | from around 86 US dollars a night (Booking.com, 10 Oct 2026) |
| Hulhumalé hotel double, mid-January | from around 93 US dollars a night (Booking.com, 10 Oct 2026) |
Children under two are exempt from Green Tax, according to MIRA. When you compare resort quotes, check whether the price includes Green Tax, the 17% Tourism GST, service charge and the transfer, because those lines can add a large share to the headline rate.
How to get around the Maldives
Seaplanes. Trans Maldivian Airways flies from Velana International Airport to more than 80 resorts. Seaplanes take off and land only between sunrise and sunset, so TMA advises arriving in the Maldives by around 15:30 to connect the same day. The allowance is 20 kg of checked luggage plus 5 kg of hand luggage, and extra weight costs 5 US dollars a kilo.
Speedboats. Resorts closer to Malé, and many guesthouse islands, use speedboats from the airport jetty and Malé terminals. Timings depend on marine weather, Velana International Airport notes.
Public ferries and buses. The Regional Transport Link (RTL) runs public ferries and buses, with timetables and digital tickets in the RTL Travel app. The airport ferry to Malé runs every 15 minutes from 05:30 to midnight for 15 rufiyaa.
Entry requirements, money and connectivity
Entry. Tourists receive a 30-day visa on arrival, according to the UK Foreign Office. Maldives Immigration requires a machine-readable passport valid for at least one month, a confirmed return or onward ticket, a prepaid confirmed booking at a registered facility and enough money for the stay. Submit the IMUGA Traveller Declaration within 96 hours before arrival. Entry is decided by the immigration officer at the border, so carry your booking confirmations.
Local customs. The Maldives is a Muslim country. Local islands are dry, and during Ramadan you should not eat, drink or smoke in public in daytime outside resorts, the UK Foreign Office advises. Resorts are separate islands with their own rules.
Money. The currency is the Maldivian rufiyaa (MVR), and Visit Maldives says all major credit cards are accepted.
Mobile data and plugs. Prepaid SIM cards from the two mobile networks are sold at the airport, and the supply is 240 volts; check our travel adapters by country guide and compare an eSIM for Asia before you go.
- Activate before you fly: data works on arrival
- Plans for 200+ countries from a few dollars
- Keep your number; no physical SIM swap
Combining trips. Sri Lanka is a short hop away, and Dubai and Qatar are common stopovers on the way; our free airline stopover programs guide explains how to add one at no extra fare.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best time to visit the Maldives?
January to March is the best time for most trips. The Maldives Meteorological Service describes January to March as the dry northeast monsoon, with December and April as transition months, and its Hulhulé records average just 38.1 mm of rain in February and 73.9 mm in March. The southwest monsoon, from mid-May to November, brings more rain and rougher seas, but also lower resort prices.
Is it cheaper to stay on a local island in the Maldives?
Usually, yes. Guesthouses and small hotels on inhabited islands such as Maafushi cost a fraction of resort rates: a Booking.com check on 10 October 2026 found double rooms on Maafushi in mid-January from around 86 US dollars a night. Smaller guesthouses also charge a lower Green Tax, 6 US dollars per person per night instead of 12. The trade-off is that local islands follow local dress rules and are dry.
How much is the Maldives green tax?
Since 1 January 2025, the Maldives Inland Revenue Authority sets Green Tax at 12 US dollars per tourist per night at resorts, hotels, tourist vessels and guesthouses. Hotels and guesthouses on inhabited islands with 50 or fewer rooms charge 6 US dollars per night. Children under two are exempt. A separate 17% Tourism GST applies to tourist services from 1 July 2025.
Do I need a visa for the Maldives?
Tourists receive a 30-day visa on arrival, according to the UK Foreign Office. Maldives Immigration requires a machine-readable passport valid for at least one month, a confirmed onward or return ticket, a prepaid booking at a registered hotel, resort or guesthouse, and enough money for the stay. Every traveller, including children, must also submit the free IMUGA Traveller Declaration within 96 hours before arrival.
How do you get from Malé airport to your resort?
Resorts arrange the transfer from Velana International Airport, either by speedboat from the airport jetty or by seaplane for more distant atolls. Trans Maldivian Airways seaplanes fly only between sunrise and sunset and allow 20 kg of checked luggage plus 5 kg of hand luggage, so a late international arrival may mean a night in Malé or Hulhumalé first.
What are the rules on local islands in the Maldives?
Local islands in the Maldives are conservative Muslim communities and they are dry, so the rules are stricter than on resort islands. Cover shoulders and upper legs in town, ask your guesthouse where swimwear is allowed, and during Ramadan do not eat, drink or smoke in public in daytime outside resorts, as the UK Foreign Office advises.
Start planning your Maldives trip
Dry-season rooms from late December to March sell first, and the cheapest guesthouses on popular local islands go early too. Fix your flights, then book the island and the transfer together so the seaplane or speedboat lines up with your landing time.
Find cheap flights to the Maldives | Compare Maldives hotel prices
More ideas: where to go in December, where to go in March and our Sri Lanka guide.
