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Maldives travel guide

Best time to visit from the UK, weather, festivals, flights from London and FCDO travel advice.

Malé
Malé. Photo: Shahee Ilyas, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
11hflight from London
Rufiyaacurrency
No visafor UK passports
Type C, D, G, J, K, Lplugs

Overwater villas above the clearest water you'll ever see

Don't miss

  1. Overwater villas
  2. Coral reef snorkelling
  3. Whale sharks
Good forBeachesIslands

Best time to visit Maldives from the UK

Best value: May, Sep–Nov. Dec–Apr: dry season. Busiest and priciest: Dec–Apr.

27.3 C27°J27.5 C28°F28.1 C28°M28.6 C29°A28.7 C29°M28.3 C28°J28 C28°J27.8 C28°A27.6 C28°S27.6 C28°O27.4 C27°N27.4 C27°D
Best valueBusy and pricierQuietAverage temperature in Malé, °C, 2001–2025 (NASA POWER).

Each bar is the average temperature in Malé for that month, and its colour shows the season for visitors: best value (good weather, fewer crowds and lower prices), busiest and priciest, or quiet (off-peak, sometimes because the weather is poorer).

  • Our pick: May and SeptemberThe warmest of the best-value months (28–29°C), with fewer crowds than peak season.
  • Peak season: Dec–AprUsually 27–29°C. The busiest time, so book flights and rooms early and expect higher prices.
  • Quiet season: Jun–AugAround 28°C. The cheapest and least crowded time, though often because of rain or heat.
  • Warmest: May (29°C) · coolest: January (27°C)Temperatures barely change through the year, so the season matters more than the weather.
Temperatures as a table
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
27.327.528.128.628.728.32827.827.627.627.427.4

Festivals and events

  • Maldives Independence Day Jul · Nationwide
  • Eid celebrations Varies · Nationwide

Festival dates move from year to year: check before you book.

Getting there from the UK

Flight time
About 11h
Distance
8,538 km
Main airport
MLE

Flight times are straight-line estimates for a direct flight from Heathrow; journeys with a change take longer.

Add Maldives to your bucket list Search flights to MLE

Practical info and travel guidance

RufiyaaCapital: Malé
Type C, D, G, J, K, L · 230VUK plugs fit
Drive on the leftSame as the UK
119
EmergencyAmbulance 102
Drink bottledOr treated water
  • VisaNo visa neededFree 30-day visa on arrival
  • HealthcareNo free healthcareYou pay for treatment, so travel insurance with medical cover is essential.
  • LGBT+ travellersSame-sex relations are illegal or prosecutedRead the FCDO LGBT+ advice before you go.
  • Women travellersNo specific FCDO warningTake the usual precautions.

For British passport holders, summarised from the FCDO's advice for Maldives, checked October 2026. FCDO page last updated 12 August 2026. Rules change: read the official FCDO travel advice for Maldives before you book and again before you go.

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