Trace the island’s Dutch, French and British past on a private Mauritius history tour, from the Île aux Aigrettes reserve to Vieux Grand Port and the Mahebourg naval museum.
Boat crossing to this remarkable coral island restored to its pre-human state by the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation. Meet giant Aldabra tortoises, spot rare endemic birds and explore endemic forest. Boat trip and entry included.
One of the most important coral reef systems in the Indian Ocean. Crystal-clear turquoise lagoon, remarkable coral cover and abundant marine life in a protected marine park.
The oldest European settlement in Mauritius. Dutch colonial ruins from 1638 on an active archaeological site. The museum tells the story of the Battle of Grand Port, Napoleon’s only naval victory over the British.
A quietly charming coastal town on the bay where the 1810 Battle of Grand Port took place. The Naval Museum is housed in a magnificent 1772 French colonial mansion with artefacts from the battle.
Comfortable private air-conditioned vehicle exclusively for your group. Your driver provides cultural insights in English or French throughout the day.
A Mauritius history tour is the best way to understand how a small island in the Indian Ocean ended up with Dutch ruins, French mansions, British forts and a population descended from India, China and Africa. This private Mauritius history tour covers the south east coast, where the island was first settled and where most of that history is still standing. You travel in a private air conditioned vehicle with your own licensed driver, so the car belongs to your group alone and the pace is yours. Hotel pickup is at 09:00 from anywhere on the island and you are back by around 17:00.
The Mauritius history tour opens with a boat crossing to Île aux Aigrettes, a coral island nature reserve managed by the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation. It is one of the few places left where you can walk through the coastal ebony forest that once covered the whole island, and it is home to free roaming giant Aldabra tortoises and rare endemic birds brought back from the edge of extinction. Visits are guided and you stay on marked paths. The route then continues to Blue Bay Marine Park, where the water is clear enough to see the coral from the surface.
After lunch in the Mahebourg area the Mauritius history tour reaches Vieux Grand Port, the oldest settlement on the island and the point where the Dutch first landed in 1598. The ruins are modest but the site matters, and the Frederick Hendrik Museum next to them sits on an active archaeological dig, so what is on display changes as more is uncovered. This is the part of the day where the sequence of Dutch, French and British occupation stops being an abstraction and becomes something you can stand in.
The history tour finishes in Mahebourg, a low key coastal village with wide streets and colonial architecture that has largely escaped resort development. The Naval Museum occupies a French mansion built in 1772 and holds material from the Battle of Grand Port, a rare French naval victory over the British, fought in the bay just outside the windows. There is time to walk the waterfront before the drive back. If you would rather swim than read, Blue Bay earlier in the day is the stop for that, so bring swimwear.
Transport on this Mauritius history 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. The heritage add-on at €28 per adult and €20 per child aged 3 to 11 covers all entry fees and the boat to Île aux Aigrettes, with infants under 3 travelling free. Lunch is at your own expense, and the tour should be booked at least 24 hours in advance.
Your private driver collects you for the drive to the south-east coast.
Boat crossing to this remarkable coral island restored to its pre-human state by the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation. Meet giant Aldabra tortoises, spot rare endemic birds and explore endemic forest. Boat trip and entry included.
One of the most important coral reef systems in the Indian Ocean. Exceptional lagoon clarity and coral coverage in a protected marine park. Swimwear recommended.
Authentic Mauritian cuisine at a local restaurant in the Mahebourg area. Diverse flavours reflecting the island’s Indian, Creole, Chinese and French heritage.
The site of the very first European settlement in Mauritius, Dutch colonists arrived in 1638. Ancient ruins on an active archaeological site. The museum tells the story of the Battle of Grand Port, Napoleon’s only naval victory over the British (1810).
A charming coastal town on the bay where the 1810 naval battle took place. Explore the covered market, waterfront promenade and the Naval Museum housed in a magnificent 1772 French colonial mansion.
Comfortable door-to-door return transfer to your accommodation.
Your driver collects you from your hotel entrance. The exact pickup time is confirmed in your booking email based on your hotel location.
This Mauritius history tour covers key heritage sites including the restored Île aux Aigrettes coral island, Blue Bay Marine Park, Dutch colonial ruins at Vieux Grand Port, the Frederick Hendrik Museum (built on an active archaeological site), and Mahebourg’s Naval Museum housed in a 1772 French mansion. You will learn how nearly half a million indentured labourers shaped modern Mauritius. See all our island tours.
Yes. The tour is conducted in a private air-conditioned vehicle at your own pace, making it comfortable for all ages. Your driver provides cultural insights in English or French throughout the day. Children will especially enjoy meeting the giant tortoises at Île aux Aigrettes and swimming at Blue Bay.
Select your vehicle type and travel date using the booking form on this page. You will receive instant email confirmation. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the tour. Also need an airport transfer?
Instant email confirmation · Free cancellation