Private

Private boat tours in the Seychelles: when the arithmetic works

A private boat in Sainte Anne Marine National Park starts at $535 — and that is for the boat, not per person. Against a shared trip at $163 a head, the break-even arrives at about four people, and what you get past it is the whole day on your own schedule.

9 min read Heights, distances and departure points checked against the published record and the operators’ own listings; prices, durations and ratings read off the live listings, September 2026

A private boat in the Sainte Anne Marine National Park

Quick answer

Private boats here run from $535 to $1,155, priced per boat. Divide by your group before comparing with a shared Moyenne Island tour: at four people the half-day private trip costs about the same each as a shared full day, and you choose the route, the timing and how long you stay on the island.

Private boats, at a glance

Cheapest private: $535four hours, 4.9 from 43
Full private day: $658seven hours in the marine park
Customisable charter: $924seven hours, route agreed with you
Most expensive here: $1,155eight hours from Praslin
Priced: Per boatnot per person
Break-even vs shared: About 4 peopleat the cheapest private rate
Route: Yoursagreed with the skipper on the day
Can it land on Moyenne?: Yes, if you askthe park fee still applies
Best for: Families and groupsand anyone on a tight schedule
Cancellation: Free to 24 hon most listings here

The arithmetic, honestly

Three group sizes

Two people: share. Four: it flips. Six or more: private wins.

Two people. A shared trip is cheaper and there is no way round it. Two seats on the seven-hour cruise cost far less than $535 for a boat. Worth it for an occasion; not for a normal day.

Four people. This is roughly where it flips. The half-day private trip divided by four is close to the price of a shared full day — and you get a boat with nobody else on it and a schedule you set.

Six or more. Private is straightforwardly better value, and the full-day and charter listings exist for exactly this. Check capacity before you divide.

What a private boat changes

Five differences

Two are worth money and three are quality of life.

You set the schedule
Leave before the shared boats, stay longer on Moyenne Island, skip a stop you do not want.
The deck is yours
On a shared Moyenne Island tour you are one of forty. On a private boat you are not.
The skipper talks to you
Which on a day built around one island’s peculiar history is worth more than it sounds.
Timing around children or older relatives
Leaving when you want to leave is the single most useful thing a private boat buys.
It still lands on the island
Ask when you book. The national park fee applies the same way.

Six reasons people book a private Moyenne Island tour

Ranked by how often they come up

None of them is "it goes somewhere different".

Leaving before the shared boats
The only way to have Moyenne Island close to empty for the first half hour ashore.
Small children
A private Moyenne Island tour means nobody else is waiting while you sort out a four-year-old.
Older relatives
Getting on and off a boat at your own pace, and leaving when you want to.
Photographs
The skipper will position the boat, wait, and go back. A shared trip cannot.
Groups of four or more
At which point the per-head price stops being a premium.
A specific occasion
Birthdays and anniversaries, which come up in the reviews of every private listing here.