Discover the capital on a full day private Port Louis city tour with hotel pickup, a sugar heritage museum, Pamplemousses gardens, the Central Market and Fort Adelaide.
One of the oldest tropical gardens in the southern hemisphere. Giant Amazonian water lilies, talipot palms and rare tropical species across landscaped grounds.
A renovated harbour complex with open-air cafes, shops and harbour views. A striking contrast to the market, modern, international, with cruise terminals and sailing boats moored at the quayside.
World-class museum in the restored 19th-century Beau Plan sugar factory. Tells the complete story of Mauritian sugar and society. Includes sugar and rum tasting.
The heart of the capital. Browse the covered Central Market with spices, crafts and street food. Walk through Chinatown’s ornate gate and family-run shops. Lunch at a local restaurant, the best place in Mauritius to try authentic Mauritian street food.
The British-built citadel on a hilltop above the capital. 360-degree views over Port Louis, the harbour, mountain ranges and the coast, the best vantage point in Mauritius.
Lunch at a local restaurant in or around the market. Try dholl puri, samosas, gateaux piments, alouda and fresh tropical fruit.
This private Port Louis city tour is the easiest way to see the capital of Mauritius and the north west of the island in one day, with no driving, no parking and no fixed group schedule to keep up with. Port Louis is where French colonial architecture, Chinese temples, Indian markets and a modern harbour front all sit within a few streets of each other. You travel in a private air conditioned vehicle with your own licensed driver, so the car belongs to your group alone. Hotel pickup is at 09:00 from anywhere on the island and you are usually back by around 17:00.
The morning of the Mauritius city tour covers the island’s colonial and agricultural past. L’Aventure du Sucre, set in the restored Beau Plan sugar factory, tells the story of sugar, slavery and indenture, and ends with a guided tasting of local rum and sugar. From there the city tour continues to the Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanical Garden at Pamplemousses, established in 1770 and one of the oldest tropical gardens in the southern hemisphere. It is best known for its pond of giant Amazonian water lilies and the talipot palms that flower only once in a lifetime.
The middle of the day belongs to the capital, and it is the part of the Port Louis city tour most guests remember. Your driver drops you at the Central Market, the largest covered market in Mauritius, where the produce halls sit alongside spice, craft and street food stalls. Chinatown is a short walk through its ornate gate. Lunch is at a local restaurant at your own expense, which means you eat dholl puri, boulettes, samosas, gateaux piments and alouda where Mauritians actually eat rather than at a tourist restaurant built for coach groups.
The afternoon of the city tour moves to Caudan Waterfront, a renovated harbour complex with open air cafes, shops, cruise terminals and boats moored at the quayside. It is a deliberate contrast to the noise of the market an hour earlier. The Port Louis city tour then climbs to Fort Adelaide, the citadel built by the British above the city in the 1830s. The 360 degree view from the ramparts takes in the whole capital, the harbour, the mountain ranges of the interior and the coast beyond. It is the best vantage point in Mauritius.
Transport on this Port Louis city tour is priced per vehicle rather than per person, so a couple and a family of seven pay the same fixed rate for the car. A sedan or SUV carries up to four passengers, a minivan up to seven and a minibus up to fourteen. Attraction entry is added at €30 per adult and €25 per child aged 3 to 11, with infants under 3 travelling free. Booking is confirmed instantly by email, cancellation is free, extra hours are charged at Rs 500 per hour, and the city tour should be booked 24 hours in advance.
Your private driver collects you for the drive north through the central plateau.
Explore the restored 19th-century Beau Plan sugar factory, now a world-class museum charting Mauritius’s sugar heritage, demography and colonial history. Includes a guided tasting of locally produced agricole-style rums.
One of the oldest tropical botanical gardens in the southern hemisphere, established in 1770. Best known for its pond of giant Amazonian water lilies and talipot palms that flower only once in a lifetime.
The heart of the capital. Browse the covered Central Market with spices, crafts and street food. Walk through Chinatown’s ornate gate and family-run shops. Lunch at a local restaurant, the best place in Mauritius to try authentic Mauritian street food.
A renovated harbour complex with open-air cafes, shops and harbour views. A striking contrast to the market, modern, international, with cruise terminals and sailing boats moored at the quayside.
The British-built citadel on a hilltop above the capital. The 360-degree views from the ramparts take in the entire city, the harbour, the mountain ranges of the interior and the coast beyond.
Comfortable door-to-door return transfer to your accommodation.
Your driver collects you from your hotel entrance. Pickup time is confirmed in your booking email and varies by hotel location across the island.
Port Louis is packed with culture and history. The Central Market is the largest covered market in Mauritius, selling spices, fresh produce, street food and handmade crafts. Chinatown has traditional shops and authentic cuisine, while the Caudan Waterfront offers harbour views and modern dining. Fort Adelaide provides the best panoramic viewpoint over the entire capital. See all our island tours.
Port Louis is the best place to try authentic Mauritian street food. At the Central Market you can sample dholl puri (flatbread with lentil filling), samosas, gateaux piments (chilli cakes) and alouda, a creamy local drink. The cuisine reflects the island’s multicultural heritage, Indian, Chinese, Creole and French influences all on one street.
Select your vehicle type and travel date using the booking form on this page. Your private driver will collect you from your hotel at 09:00 and stay with you for the full day. Instant email confirmation. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the tour. Also need an airport transfer?
Instant email confirmation · Free cancellation