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Maldives

Indian Ocean

Yacht charter in Maldives

Choose from 35 yachts across Maldives. Spread over 1 sailing regions. Prices from €1,310 per week.

Browse 35 yachts See regions
  • 35
    Yachts available
  • €1,310
    From / week
  • 1
    Charter regions
  • 2
    Marinas

Why this country

Sailing in Maldives

The shape of the Maldivian fleet tells you what chartering here actually is. Twenty-nine of our thirty-five boats are motor yachts averaging almost thirty-two metres — these are crewed liveaboards, the vessels locally called safari boats, chartered whole with a captain and crew aboard. A handful of sailing yachts and catamarans exist alongside them, but the norm here is a captained charter rather than a boat you take out yourself.

That is partly geography. The country is twenty-six atolls spread over 800 kilometres of open ocean, separated by deep water and entered through passes in the reef where tidal streams run hard. Navigation between atolls is not casual coastal pilotage, and much of what you would want to see sits inside protected areas or resort zones with their own permits and mooring rules.

Bareboat is not impossible — unlike the Galápagos, nothing in law forbids it — but it is genuinely rare, and where operators offer it they ask for more than a basic certificate: Day Skipper or ASA 104 as a floor, often Coastal Skipper or above, plus fifty to a hundred logged miles as skipper. If you want to steer, say so early and expect a short list. If what you want is the water, the reefs and the manta rays, the crewed route is not a compromise here; it is how the place works.

First look

What you can actually charter in Maldives

Infinitea

Infinitea

Malé · 14.42 m

Atoll Villa

Atoll Villa

Malé

North Seven

North Seven

Hulhumale

Over Reef

Over Reef

Malé

Sail La Vie

Sail La Vie

Malé

On the water

Sailing conditions in Maldives

What the fleet actually is
Crewed liveaboards

29 of 35 boats are motor yachts averaging 31.9 m — safari boats chartered whole with crew. Weekly rates start around €11,000.

Bareboat
Possible but rare

Limited by regulation, by the difficulty of inter-atoll navigation and by operator policy. Not forbidden, just uncommon.

The geography
26 atolls over 800 km

Deep ocean between them, entered through reef passes where tidal streams run hard. Not casual coastal sailing.

Where trips start
Malé and Hulhumalé

35 boats between the two, next to the international airport. Most itineraries work outward from North and South Malé atolls.

Worth the detour

Where to drop anchor in Maldives

  • 1

    Hanifaru Bay, Baa Atoll

    A UNESCO biosphere reserve where manta rays and whale sharks gather to feed on plankton, usually between May and November. Entry is permit-controlled and numbers are capped.

  • 2

    Ari Atoll

    The most reliable whale shark water in the country, along the southern rim. Also the atoll most liveaboard itineraries are built around.

  • 3

    North and South Malé atolls

    Closest to the airport and where most trips begin and end. Channel dives in the passes here are among the best known in the Indian Ocean.

  • 4

    Vaavu Atoll

    Thinly populated, with a long reef edge and night dives where nurse sharks gather. Quieter than Ari.

  • 5

    Malé fish market

    The capital is small, dense and worth a few hours before departure — the fish market and the old Friday mosque in particular.

  • 6

    Uninhabited islands

    Much of the archipelago has no permanent population. Sandbanks that appear at low tide and vanish at high are a standard stop on a crewed itinerary.

  • 7

    Local islands versus resort islands

    Inhabited islands follow local custom, including dress and alcohol rules ashore. Resort islands do not. Crews brief you on the difference.

  • 8

    Surf breaks, North Malé

    A small but serious surf scene on the eastern reefs, best from March to October. Several liveaboards run dedicated surf charters.

Suggested routes

Where a week in Maldives could take you

A central atolls liveaboard week

7 days

The shape most crewed charters take. Routes shift with the season and the swell, so treat this as the pattern rather than a fixed plan.

  1. 1

    Malé / Hulhumalé

    Board in the afternoon and move out to North Malé atoll.

  2. 2

    North Malé channels

    Pass dives on the tide; the current is the attraction.

  3. 3

    South Malé atoll

    Across the Vaadhoo Kandu channel.

  4. 4

    Vaavu Atoll

    Thinly populated reef edge; night dives.

  5. 5

    Ari Atoll — south

    Whale shark water along the outer rim.

  6. 6

    Ari Atoll — north

    Manta cleaning stations, seasonal.

  7. 7

    Back to Malé

    Return across the atoll for the flight home.

Find a boat for this route

Before you book

Local rules and paperwork in Maldives

The honest answer on bareboat
Available in principle, scarce in practice. Nothing forbids it, but regulation, inter-atoll navigation and operator policy keep the number of boats small. Ask early rather than assuming the fleet you see is all bareboat.
If you do charter bareboat
Day Skipper or ASA 104 is the floor. Many operators prefer Coastal Skipper or higher, plus 50–100 logged nautical miles as skipper. This is a stricter bar than most destinations in our catalogue.
Protected areas
Permits, guides and mooring rules apply. Hanifaru Bay in particular is permit-controlled with capped numbers. Resort-exclusive zones have their own restrictions.
Ashore on local islands
Local custom applies. Inhabited islands are not resorts: dress modestly and expect no alcohol ashore. Crews brief guests on which island is which.
Season
Two monsoons, different strengths. The north-east monsoon from roughly December to April is drier with better visibility; the south-west monsoon brings plankton and with it the manta and whale shark aggregations from May to November.

Checked October 2026. Rules change — confirm the detail that matters for your trip when you book.

What is here

The Maldives fleet at a glance

The fleet in Maldives is made up of 29 motor yachts, 3 sailing yachts, 2 catamarans and 1 gulets.

Most boats here are motor yachts, averaging 31.9 metres.

Weekly prices start in the under €1,500 range, where 1 boats are listed.

Boats sleep between 2 and 25 guests, with cabins up to 11.

The most common size band is over 20 m, with 30 boats.

35 boats can be chartered with a skipper; 0 are available bareboat.

The fullest month on the calendar right now is Feb 2027: 77% of the fleet already has at least one booking, while 8 boats are still completely open.

29
Motor yachts
from €11.001
3
Sailing yachts
from €1.310
2
Catamarans
from €11.685
1
Gulets

Budget

Charter prices in Maldives

Weekly rate, set by the operator. No booking fee.

Space on board

Boat sizes

Sleeping 2–25 guests

  • 10 – 13 m 2
  • 13 – 16 m 1
  • 16 – 20 m 2
  • over 20 m 30

Availability

How full is the calendar in Maldives?

Share of the Maldives fleet that already holds at least one reservation, for each of the next twelve months. Taken from the operators' own calendars and refreshed daily — a boat with one week booked can still be chartered in the others.

Months further out look emptier simply because they are further away — most charters are booked a few months ahead, not a year.

Most booked month

Feb 2027

77% of the fleet already booked

Most still open

Jul 2027

34 boats with no booking yet

Pick a month to see what is still open that week.

  • Quiet
  • Picking up
  • Busy
  • Peak
71%
Oct
’26
10 open
66%
Nov
’26
12 open
74%
Dec
’26
9 open
71%
Jan
’27
10 open
77%
Feb
’27
8 open
77%
Mar
’27
8 open
66%
Apr
’27
12 open
6%
May
’27
33 open
6%
Jun
’27
33 open
3%
Jul
’27
34 open
37%
Aug
’27
22 open
60%
Sep
’27
14 open

Most common models in Maldives

Counted from our live catalogue.

Motoryacht
25 available · from €18.492
Wooden motor yacht
2 available · from €11.001

The fleet

Yachts in Maldives

35 yachts available · from €187 / day

6
motoryacht

Kismet

Malé

3 cabins 6 guests 19.5 m 2013
From €5.666 / day €39.660 / week
View
6
motoryacht

Stella 2

Malé

2 cabins 6 guests 21.6 m 2007
From €1.589 / day €11.123 / week
View
6
sailboat

Alice

Malé

10 cabins 20 guests 31.26 m 2019
Price on request
View
6
motoryacht

CAB1

Hulhumale

1 cabins 3 guests 36 m 2010
Price on request
View
See all 35 yachts Filter by dates, size and budget

Where to sail

The one sailing region in Maldives

Every region we have boats in, largest fleet first — with the number of departure bases so you can see where a week actually starts.

Indian Ocean

Mostly Motoryachts — 83% of the local fleet.

Yachts
35
Bases
2
From
From €187 / day €1.310 / week

Good to know

Frequently asked questions

Weekly prices in our catalogue break down as: under €1,500 (1), €6,000 – €12,000 (4), over €12,000 (5). The lowest published weekly rate is €1,310. These are the operators' own prices — we add no booking fee.
Our Maldives catalogue currently lists 29 motor yachts, 3 sailing yachts, 2 catamarans, 1 gulets.
Booking pressure is highest in Feb, when 77% of the fleet already holds at least one reservation. Jul is the quietest month in our calendar. Availability shown on this site is synchronised daily from the operators' own reservation systems.
0 of the 35 boats we list in Maldives are available bareboat, meaning you sail them yourself. A recognised licence is required; the listing states which. 35 boats can be chartered with a skipper.
Boats in Maldives sleep from 2 up to 25 guests, with the largest offering 11 cabins. Most groups book a boat in the over 20 m size band.

Ready to explore Maldives by sea?

35 verified yachts across 1 regions.

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