Experience the Indian Ocean with expertly guided small group tours. Our Indian Ocean Island Holidays are designed for travellers seeking remote beauty, cultural depth, and unspoilt landscapes, combining guided exploration with time to relax on some of the world’s most pristine beaches.
The Indian Ocean Islands stretch across turquoise waters between Africa and Asia, encompassing some of the world's most diverse and least-visited destinations. From the UNESCO-listed Stone Town of Zanzibar and the volcanic drama of Réunion to the extraordinary isolation of Rodrigues and the lush shores of Mahé, this is a region shaped by African, Arab, European and Creole influences — and still largely untouched by mass tourism.
Our small group Indian Ocean Islands tours bring seven of these remarkable islands together in a single 18-day journey. The Indian Ocean Explorer visits Zanzibar, the Comoros, Mayotte, Réunion, Rodrigues, Mauritius and the Seychelles — a rare island-hopping itinerary that combines cultural discovery, volcanic landscapes, pristine beaches and genuine off-the-beaten-track exploration in equal measure.
Indian Ocean Islands
Small-group departures led by local experts, plus private tailor-made itineraries shaped around your interests, pace and dates.
Few tour operators offer a single journey that takes in Zanzibar, the Comoros, Mayotte, Réunion, Rodrigues, Mauritius and the Seychelles. Indian Ocean Islands tour packages that cover all seven in 18 days are extraordinarily rare.
The Comoros Islands and Rodrigues rank among the least-visited inhabited islands on earth. These are not destinations found in mainstream travel brochures — they reward curious travellers who want authentic encounters, real community life and landscapes that haven't been shaped around tourism.
The Indian Ocean Islands offer a range of landscapes found nowhere else in such proximity — active volcanoes and lava fields on Réunion, forested peaks above spice plantations on Zanzibar, coral lagoons around Rodrigues, and the lush granite shores of the Seychelles. One journey holds extraordinary natural variety.
African, Arab, French, British and Creole influences have shaped these islands over centuries of spice trading, colonial rule and cultural exchange. Stone Town's UNESCO-listed architecture, the Tamil temple hidden among Mauritian sugar cane fields and the French colonial waterfront of Réunion's capital all tell parts of the same complex story.
See itinerariesAcross the Indian Ocean lie islands shaped by volcanoes, spice routes and cultures found nowhere else.
From the field
The Indian Ocean Islands span a wide geographical range, and climate varies between destinations. Generally, the region experiences a warm tropical climate year-round, with a wetter season from November to April — when cyclone risk is highest across Mauritius, Réunion and Rodrigues — and a drier, cooler season from May to October that brings calmer seas, clearer skies and more comfortable conditions for travel. Zanzibar and the Comoros follow a similar pattern, with the long rains arriving from March to May and shorter rains in November. The Seychelles receives rainfall throughout the year but remains pleasant outside the wetter months. Our Indian Ocean Islands tours depart in June, timed to catch the heart of the dry season across all seven destinations.
Looking to travel outside the typical windows? Our Indian Ocean Islands tailor-made team can advise on the best time for you.
Dispatches, field notes and practical advice from our specialists.
Reviews from across our small-group programme. Independently rated 4.9 Excellent on AITO by 250+ travellers.
Every one of our Indian Ocean Islands journeys can be rebuilt around your dates, pace and interests — or we’ll design something entirely new.
We’ll build one around you.
The Indian Ocean Islands lend themselves naturally to a tailor-made approach — the islands are spread across a vast ocean, and the right combination depends entirely on your interests, your pace and how long you have. A private itinerary might linger longer on Zanzibar for deeper cultural exploration of Stone Town, extend time in the Seychelles for snorkelling and diving on Mahé, or add a few days on Rodrigues to absorb the island's extraordinary isolation without a group timeline to follow.
Undiscovered Destinations can design a private Indian Ocean Islands itinerary around your preferred islands, with private transport, local guides and accommodation chosen to suit your travel style. Speak to our team to start planning.
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Our Indian Ocean Islands tour packages start from £9,950 per person. This includes accommodation throughout, most meals, all internal flights between islands, guided excursions and the services of a professional tour leader. A single room supplement of £1,995 applies for solo travellers who prefer their own room.
Shared across all tours that visit this destination. Read alongside your individual tour dossier for trip-specific details.
We constantly monitor official travel advice, including the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) Indian Ocean Islands Travel Advice, and will always advise clients of any warnings before departure. At the time of writing, there are no specific warnings against travel to the islands we visit on our Indian Ocean Islands tours — Zanzibar, the Comoros, Mayotte, Réunion, Rodrigues, Mauritius and the Seychelles.
Please contact us if you have any specific concerns or would like to understand what measures are in place to ensure your trip remains safe and trouble-free.
Join a small-group departure, or let our Indian Ocean Islands specialists craft a private journey shaped around your dates and interests.
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