7-Day Maldives Yacht Charter Itinerary

Our route read

Why this route?

For the Maldives, I like this route when clients want more than a beautiful lagoon week from one fixed resort. It stays in the central atolls, which is the sensible choice for seven days from Male: North Male gives you an easy start, Rasdhoo and Ari bring stronger dive and snorkel sites, Vaavu adds the wilder channel-and-drift-dive feel, and South Male keeps the return practical. This is a water-led itinerary, with reefs, sandbanks, channels, local-island atmosphere, and blue-water cruising. The pace is moderate, with a few three-to-four-hour passages, so I would choose it for guests who actually want to be in the water most days, ideally on a motor yacht or comfortable dive-capable catamaran.

Jessica EdmundsYacht charter broker with DMA Yachting

Daily overview

1Male to Bandos Island

2Rasdhoo Atoll

3Maaya Thila, North Ari Atoll

4Kudarah Thila, South Ari Atoll

5Vaavu Atoll

6South Male Atoll

7Back to Male

Day1

Distance: 6 nm · Duration: 40 m

Male to Bandos Island

North Male AtollEasy first dayQuick water access

Male, the capital city of the Maldives, is located in the very south of the North Male Atoll. This is where you will begin your yacht charter.

On the first day of your charter, you will stay within the North Male Atoll; it is only about 6 nautical miles to some of the best coral islands near Bandos Island, a good, easy stretch for your first day, and you will quickly be in the water!

Broker note“Distance: 6 nm. Duration: 40 m.”

Day2

Distance: 30 nm · Duration: 3 h

Rasdhoo Atoll

Barrier reefSnorkeling or divingHammerhead possibility

On the second day, you will leave the North Male Atoll and cruise west for 3 hours to the tiny Rasdhoo Atoll, located in the lee of the larger Ari Atoll, where you will head tomorrow.

You enter Rasdhoo Atoll, which is a perfect circle barrier reef, through a narrow passage in the south next to Rasdhoo Island. Get ready for a day of snorkeling or diving, likely encountering small clownfish, turtles, eagle rays, morays, colorful parrotfish, and, if you are lucky, hammerhead sharks!

Broker note“Distance: 30 nm. Duration: 3 h.”

Day3

Distance: 15 nm · Duration: 1 h 30 m

Maaya Thila, North Ari Atoll

Ari AtollPinnacle diveNight dive option

On day three, you will cruise for 1.5 hours down to the huge Ari Atoll, and you will head for Maaya Thila, a very small reef flat known as being the number 1 dive site in the Maldives! The dive features a pinnacle starting at 6 meters and going down to 30 meters, where divers can see whitetip reef sharks, moray eels, sea turtles, and stingrays.

It's especially popular for night dives, as the site comes alive with nocturnal species.

Broker note“Distance: 15 nm. Duration: 1 h 30 m.”

Day4

Distance: 34 nm · Duration: 3 h 30 m

Kudarah Thila, South Ari Atoll

South Ari AtollCoral pinnacleStronger currents

On day four, you will wind your way down the extensive Ari Atoll, zigzagging around its many reefs and sand patches. Maybe you will stop on the way for lunch and a quick beach walk. After a cruise of 3. 5 hours, you will arrive in the very south of the Ari Atoll and go to Kudarah Thila, another underwater pinnacle that rises from 30 meters up to 12 meters.

The site is famous for its vibrant coral, including soft corals, sea fans, and black coral trees, making it a colorful and lively dive. You can explore caves, overhangs, and a network of coral blocks, often encountering grey reef sharks, barracudas, jacks, tunas, and large schools of blue-lined snappers. The currents can be strong, adding to the thrill and also attracting dolphins.

Broker note“Distance: 34 nm. Duration: 3 h 30 m.”

Day5

Distance: 38 nm · Duration: 3 h 50 m

Vaavu Atoll

Felidhu AtollFotteyo FalhuDrift dives

On day five, we highly recommend you go to Vaavu Atoll, also known as Felidhu Atoll. The cruise is about 4 hours from southern Ari Atoll to this more authentic, lesser-known, and less crowded area.

The best spots in Vaavu Atoll are Fotteyo Falhu, the longest unbroken reef in the Maldives, and Fotteyo Kandu, a famous dive channel that is perfect for drift dives and is frequented by dolphins. Divers can explore vibrant coral caves, and encounter sharks, rays, and barracudas.

Broker note“Distance: 38 nm. Duration: 3 h 50 m.”

Day6

Distance: 28 nm · Duration: 3 h

South Male Atoll

South MaleKandusDive sites and water sports

On day six we take you back in the direction of Male, but your trip is nit done yet. YOu still have a full day and night at South Male Atoll. This Atoll, a more relaxed, laid-back vibe compared to its busier northern neighbor. And there is a lot on offer here including famous channels, Kandus, like Embudu Kandu, where divers can encounter reef sharks, rays, and schools of fish.

Popular dive sites include Kandooma Thila and Velassaru Caves, known for their stunning coral formations and diverse marine life. The area also attracts surfers and water sports enthusiasts.

Broker note“Distance: 28 nm. Duration: 3 h.”

Day7

Distance: 14 nm · Duration: 1 h 30 m

Back to Male

Return daySandbank lunch optionLast dive option

For your final day heading back to Male from South Male Atoll, it's not far, and you might choose to stop for lunch on a tiny sandbank or a last dive.

You know it by now: the underwater world in the Maldives doesn't end. And although this itinerary has taken you to some of Maldive's top locations, you have only seen a fraction. There is plenty waiting for your return, perhaps to the more rural northern atolls or the wavy south.

Broker note“Distance: 14 nm. Duration: 1 h 30 m.”

Plan it with a broker

Plan This Maldives Charter With Our Team

If this itinerary feels close to your brief, our team can help turn it into a real Maldives charter plan. We have brokers with firsthand Maldives yacht-crew experience, so the advice is grounded in what the destination feels like from the water: the passage rhythm, reef time, service flow, and how much distance makes sense in a seven-night charter. We can help you compare motor yachts, dive-led setups, and the smaller catamaran options that work here when the brief is right.

Start planning your charter now

Firsthand Maldives yacht-crew experience Yacht fit for passages and reef time Motor yacht, dive-led, and catamaran comparison

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