Best time to visit the Maldives from the UK: seasons, wildlife and safety

Visit Maldives describes the Northeast monsoon, from November to April, as generally sunny, and says the Southwest monsoon, from May to October, brings rain. Which month suits you also depends on what you want to see, because some whale shark and manta sightings fall in the Southwest monsoon months.

We read GOV.UK's Maldives travel advice and the Visit Maldives travel information page on 9 November 2026. The advice page shows that it was updated on 12 August 2026 and that it was still current on 9 November 2026. The Visit Maldives pages show no update date, so the dates in this guide are the dates we read them. Visit Maldives gives its seasons as two monsoon periods, so this guide works season by season rather than month by month.

The two monsoons set the rhythm of the year: rain from May to October and generally sunny weather from November to April, as Visit Maldives has it.

Visit Maldives gives one year-round average rather than a figure for each season: a high of 31.5°C and a low of 26.4°C. The sea is around 28°C, according to the same site's surfing page.

GOV.UK's advice on swimming safety tells you to speak to resort staff to find out where it is safe to swim, and to keep in regular contact with them to see if local conditions change.

Whale sharks are listed as year round at South Ari Atoll and at Gnaviyani Atoll, and from May or June to October or November at Baa Atoll, according to Visit Maldives. Its pages give each site's window separately, so match the month to the atoll you will be staying near.

Visit Maldives links Baa Atoll's window to plankton. It says the Southwest monsoon causes a massive build-up of plankton there, drawing in plenty of whale sharks.

South Ari Atoll's whale shark site is a marine protected area, according to Visit Maldives, which says it has the highest re-sighting rate of any whale shark hotspot in the world. It is also the place GOV.UK names for a warning: there have been fatal accidents involving boat propellers in the South Ari Marine Protected Area and nearby whale shark tourism sites, and the advice is to take extra care when swimming or snorkelling near boats.

For divers, Visit Maldives says the reefs of Addu Atoll were not affected by the coral bleaching event of 1998 and that the atoll is suitable for less advanced divers because the currents are weaker than at other dive sites around the country. In North Malé Atoll it describes the Maldives Victory wreck, at a depth of about 35 metres, which sank in 1981.

Outside holiday resorts, GOV.UK says you should not eat, drink or smoke in public in the daytime during Ramadan. It gives the dates for 2026, when Ramadan began on 17 February and finished on 19 March, and says that in 2027 it may start on 7 February and last for 29 or 30 days.

The same page asks visitors to make sure their actions do not offend, especially during Ramadan or when visiting religious areas around mosques. If you plan a February trip, check the dates on the GOV.UK safety and security page before you book, because GOV.UK says the dates vary by year and country. We read that page on 9 November 2026 and it shows no update date of its own.

The Maldives is made of 1,192 islands along 871 kilometres, grouped in 26 atolls, and Visit Maldives says only 200 of them are inhabited. Four of the historic places it describes are in the table, from the capital to the far north.

For the ferry to Kaashidhoo, Visit Maldives says to contact your guesthouse or resort for schedules. Dress with care at religious sites: GOV.UK's advice mentions the areas around mosques specifically.

Visit Maldives lists four kinds of stay, and its home page showed 175 resorts, 16 hotels, 158 liveaboards and 843 guesthouses on 9 November 2026.

The kind of stay changes what you can do about alcohol. Visit Maldives says import of alcohol by individuals is not permitted, though alcohol is available at all the resorts. GOV.UK says alcoholic drinks are only available on resort islands, and that you can be arrested and deported for possessing and drinking alcohol, or being intoxicated outside resorts and on inhabited islands.

Visit Maldives also notes a Tourism Goods and Service Tax of 16% on all goods and services at tourist establishments, and a Green Tax payable per person per day. Its travel information page gives the Green Tax rate for each type of stay, so read it before you compare places.

Velana International Airport is the Maldives' principal international gateway, according to its operator, Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL), which says the airport connects the country with over 40 destinations worldwide. From there Visit Maldives says speedboat transfer is the norm to resorts close to the airport, and that the rest are reached by seaplane or domestic flight.

MACL says it operates the world's largest seaplane hub, the Noovilu Seaplane Terminal. Visit Maldives adds that several daily flights operate from Velana to the 12 domestic and international airports in the country. See the MACL website for the airport itself.

Two practical points from Visit Maldives: the Maldives is 5 hours ahead of GMT, and prepaid SIM cards are available from two mobile service providers at the airport. Maldives Immigration's home page, under Immigration Statistics 2025, says over 1.7 million tourists entered the Maldives.

The FCDO says crime levels are low in the exclusive resort islands but petty crime does happen, and that terrorist attacks in the Maldives cannot be ruled out. Its advice was still current on 9 November 2026, and it adds that no travel can be guaranteed safe.

Read the GOV.UK safety and security page in full before you fly. It also says the Maldives is an Islamic country, where it is illegal to publicly observe a religion other than Islam. Our entry guide below sets the local laws out in a table.

On our guide to the Maldives visa and entry rules for UK citizens, which covers the visa, the traveller declaration, passport rules, extending a stay and the local laws, each read against GOV.UK and Maldives Immigration. Our entry requirements hub lists the other destinations we have checked.

Start with your connections. GOV.UK says escalation in the Middle East has caused widespread travel disruption, including airspace closures, delayed and cancelled flights, and that this may impact connections to and from the Maldives.

You can also read the Maldives guide on TravelHealthPro. More preparation points sit in our travel tips for UK travellers.

• When is the best time to go to the Maldives?

  Visit Maldives describes the Northeast monsoon, from November to April, as generally sunny, and says the Southwest monsoon, from May to October, brings rain. For whale sharks and mantas the months differ by atoll, so check the wildlife table above.

• What are the temperatures in the Maldives?

  Visit Maldives gives a year-round average high of 31.5°C and an average low of 26.4°C, and calls it a hot tropical climate. It gives no separate figures for each season.

• When can you see whale sharks in the Maldives?

  It depends on the atoll. Visit Maldives lists South Ari Atoll and Gnaviyani Atoll as year round, Baa Atoll from May or June to October or November, and North Malé Atoll in May or June.

• When is the surfing season in the Maldives?

  Visit Maldives says conditions are good throughout the surfing season, from mid-February to November, and that the best conditions are from March to May and from September to the end of November.

• Is the Maldives safe for British tourists?

  The FCDO says crime levels are low in the exclusive resort islands, but petty crime does happen, and that terrorist attacks cannot be ruled out. It also says no travel can be guaranteed safe. Read the full advice on GOV.UK before you travel.

• Is it safe to swim in the Maldives?

  The FCDO warns that strong tidal currents can drag you away from the shoreline, resulting in drownings. It says to only swim in well supervised areas, areas designated as safe for tourists, or where lifeguards are available.

• Can you drink alcohol in the Maldives?

  GOV.UK says alcoholic drinks are only available on resort islands. Visit Maldives says import of alcohol by individuals is not permitted, though alcohol is available at all the resorts.

• Does Ramadan affect a holiday in the Maldives?

  GOV.UK says that during Ramadan you should not eat, drink or smoke in public in the daytime, outside of holiday resorts. For 2027 it says Ramadan may start on 7 February and last for 29 or 30 days.

• Which airport do you fly into for the Maldives?

  Maldives Airports Company Limited describes Velana International Airport as the Maldives’ principal international gateway. Visit Maldives says speedboat transfer is the norm to resorts close to it, and that the rest are covered by seaplane or domestic flight.

• How far are hospitals from the resort islands?

  GOV.UK says the only fully equipped hospitals are in Malé and Hulhumalé, and that many resort islands are several hours’ travel away from emergency treatment.