Island hopping from Maafushi costs between USD 1.50 and USD 180 a person depending on how you do it. The public ferry to Gulhi is MVR 22 (about USD 1.50). A shared half-day snorkel-and-sandbank boat booked on the jetty is USD 25–55. The full-day trip most people take – nurse sharks, a shipwreck, dolphins and a barbecue on a sandbank – is USD 55–85 when you book it on the island, and USD 100–140 when you book the same boat through an online tour platform before you arrive. A resort day pass with lunch and transfers runs USD 100–180. This guide sets out what each trip actually includes, what time you leave, and which one is worth your money.
Quick answer: Maafushi day trips compared
| Trip | Price per person (shared) | Time | What you see |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gulhi by public ferry | MVR 22 (USD 1.50) each way | 15–25 min ride, full day there | A quieter local island, its bikini beach, lunch at a local café |
| Half-day snorkel + sandbank | USD 25–55 | 4–6 hours | Two reef stops (turtles, coral garden), an hour on a sandbank |
| Full-day island hop with BBQ | USD 55–85 locally / USD 100–140 online | 7–9 hours | Nurse sharks, Keyodhoo shipwreck, dolphins, Fulidhoo or Gulhi stop, sandbank barbecue |
| Resort day pass | USD 100–180 | 8 hours | Pool, beach, buffet lunch and (usually) alcohol at a resort such as Adaaran Club Rannalhi or Fihalhohi |
| Whale shark trip to South Ari | USD 90–140 locally / USD 230–300 online | 8–9 hours, 2 hours each way by speedboat | Whale shark search, one or two reef snorkels |
| Sunset dolphin cruise | USD 25–40 | 2 hours | Spinner dolphins, sunset, sometimes fishing |
Why Maafushi is the island to do this from
Maafushi has more excursion boats than any other local island in the Maldives, so prices are competitive and there is a departure most mornings even in low season. It sits in South Malé Atoll, 45 minutes by speedboat from the airport (see our airport to Maafushi transfer guide), with Gulhi 6 km to the north and Guraidhoo 6 km to the south. The reef sites that fill the day-trip menus – the turtle point, the coral garden, the nurse shark spot, the Keyodhoo wreck – are all within 20 to 60 minutes by dhoni, which is why a full day from Maafushi packs in four or five stops.
Check guesthouse prices in Maafushi
Live prices from Booking.com and other partners. Booking through our links supports this site at no extra cost to you.
Flights to Malé are the biggest single cost of the trip, so compare fares to Velana (MLE) on book.toptravelsky.com before you lock in dates.
The full-day island hop: what actually happens
This is the trip almost every Maafushi guesthouse sells, and the boats are usually shared between 10 and 20 people. You meet at the harbour at 8:30 or 9:00 AM. The dhoni heads south-east towards Vaavu Atoll, stopping first at a coral garden for 40 minutes of snorkelling. Next is the nurse shark point near Alimatha or Fulidhoo, where the guides drop food in the water and 10 to 30 nurse sharks and a few stingrays circle the boat – you snorkel from the stern. After that most boats go to the Keyodhoo shipwreck, a cargo boat sitting upright in shallow water with soft coral growing on it. Around 1:00 PM you land on a sandbank – often Furafathi or one of the unnamed Vaavu banks – where the crew grills tuna, chicken and vegetables. On the way home the captain looks for spinner dolphins; most days you find them. You are back on Maafushi between 4:30 and 5:30 PM.
Some operators swap the shipwreck for a stop on Fulidhoo or Gulhi so you walk through a second local island. Ask which version you are buying – the sandbank-and-wreck format is more popular, but the island stop is better if you want photos of a village and a shop selling cold drinks.
Booking online versus booking on the jetty
The same full-day boat that costs USD 115–140 on an international tour platform is USD 55–85 when you walk into one of the tour shops near the Maafushi harbour (Sea Drops, Kaani, iCom and a dozen others) the evening before. Your guesthouse will book it for you at the local price too, sometimes with a small commission added. The online listings are the same operators reselling with a margin; they are only worth it if you want a confirmed seat on a specific date in peak season (Christmas to mid-January, Easter, Chinese New Year), when boats do fill up. Pay in US dollars cash – most shops add 3–5% for card. See dollars or rufiyaa for how to carry money here.
Gulhi and Guraidhoo by public ferry
The cheapest island hop in the country is the MTCC route 309 ferry, which links Malé, Gulhi, Maafushi and Guraidhoo every day except Friday. From Maafushi it leaves for Gulhi at around 7:25 AM (arriving 7:50) and the same boat comes back through Gulhi at about 4:15 PM, reaching Maafushi at 4:40. That gives you a full day on Gulhi for MVR 22 each way, paid in cash on board. Gulhi is smaller and quieter than Maafushi, with a decent bikini beach on its northern tip and three or four cafés doing lunch for USD 8–12. Guraidhoo is the other direction: the afternoon ferry reaches it at 5:05 PM but the only return is 7:00 AM the next morning, so Guraidhoo is an overnight rather than a day trip unless you charter a dhoni (USD 60–100 for the boat, split between your group). Both islands follow the same guesthouse rules as Maafushi – cover up away from the bikini beach, no alcohol – which we explain in our guesthouse rules guide.
Check guesthouse prices
Live prices from Booking.com and other partners. Booking through our links supports this site at no extra cost to you.
Always confirm the 309 times with your guesthouse the day before. MTCC adjusts the timetable around public holidays, there is an extra 10:00 AM Malé departure on some weekdays, and the schedule on mtcc.mv is not always the current one.
Resort day passes from Maafushi
If you want a swimming pool, a beer and a buffet for one day, Adaaran Club Rannalhi, Fihalhohi Island Resort and Olhuveli all sell day passes through the Maafushi tour shops. Expect USD 100–180 per person including the speedboat transfer (20–30 minutes), lunch and use of the pool and beach; some passes include a drinks allowance, others charge resort bar prices (USD 8–12 a beer). The boat leaves Maafushi around 9:30 AM and returns about 5:00 PM. It is the only way to drink alcohol on a Maafushi-based holiday, which is why the evening dinner-and-drinks version at Adaaran (USD 90–100, 6:00–10:00 PM) sells well too. Compare the two sides of this choice in best local islands in the Maldives if you are still deciding where to base yourself.
Mistakes to avoid
- Booking the full-day trip for your first morning. Flights land late, the boat leaves at 9:00 AM, and you will be tired. Day two is better.
- Going out on a windy day because it was pre-paid. In the south-west monsoon (May to October) the crossing to Vaavu can be rough and people are sick; ask the operator to move you to a calmer day – they usually will.
- Planning a ferry hop on a Friday. Route 309 does not run on Fridays, and shops close for prayers from about 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM.
- Wearing a bikini on Gulhi or Guraidhoo outside the marked bikini beach. On the sandbank it is fine; in a village it is not.
- Touching the nurse sharks. They are harmless if left alone, and the guides will stop the stop if people grab them.
- Forgetting reef-safe sunscreen and a rash vest. Four hours in the water near the equator burns fast.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a day trip from Maafushi?
A shared half-day snorkel-and-sandbank trip is USD 25–55 per person, the full-day island hop with nurse sharks and a sandbank barbecue is USD 55–85 booked on the island, and a resort day pass with lunch and transfers is USD 100–180. The public ferry to Gulhi is MVR 22 (about USD 1.50).
Can you do a day trip to Gulhi from Maafushi?
Yes. The MTCC route 309 ferry leaves Maafushi at about 7:25 AM and returns from Gulhi at about 4:15 PM every day except Friday, for MVR 22 each way. Guraidhoo is harder as a day trip because the return ferry is at 7:00 AM the next morning.
Is it cheaper to book Maafushi excursions online or on the island?
On the island. The tour shops by the harbour and your guesthouse sell the same boats for roughly USD 30–60 less per person than international tour platforms. Online booking only makes sense for guaranteed seats in the Christmas, Easter and Chinese New Year peaks.
Do the day trips run in the rainy season?
Yes, boats go out most days between May and October, but the crossing to the nurse shark site and the Vaavu sandbanks can be rough and trips are occasionally cancelled for wind. Operators will move you to another day; the half-day trips inside South Malé Atoll are a calmer fallback.
What should I bring on a Maafushi island-hopping trip?
Reef-safe sunscreen, a rash vest or T-shirt for snorkelling, a hat, a dry bag for your phone, a sarong to cover up on any local island stop, US dollars in small notes, and your own mask if you have one – the boat masks fit badly. Towels, snorkel gear, water and lunch are included on the full-day trips.
Prices and ferry times correct as of November 2026 and checked against operators on Maafushi and the MTCC route 309 timetable. TopTravelSky is based in Malé — tell us if you spot a change.