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Voykit pocket guide · Mauritius
Port Louis
Port-Louis
Port Louis is a weekday day-visit city: waterfront and market in the morning, the citadel before the heat, and out by mid-afternoon to beat the traffic — it is 45–60 minutes from the airport and far from most beach hotels.
Port Louis is compact but busy: heavy traffic at rush hour, streets that empty on Sunday, and a market district that is hot by noon. The trips that go wrong arrive on a Sunday, drive in at 08:00 or out at 17:00, or try to reach the airport by public bus with bags. Four small clusters cover a first visit on foot; beaches and the plateau are trips away from wherever you sleep.
- Country
- Mauritius
- Local name
- Port-Louis
- Best months
- Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct · Nov
- Time zone
- Indian/Mauritius
- Stay
- 1 days: Caudan, Aapravasi Ghat and the Central Market before 14:001 days: Caudan, Aapravasi Ghat and the Central Market before 2:00 PM
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- MUR
- Money
- Mauritian rupees (Rs). Cards work in hotels, malls, restaurants and larger shops; keep Rs 1,000 in small notes and coins for stalls, buses and taxis.
- Daily spend
- Budget Rs 800–1,500 excl. bed · Mid Rs 1,500–3,500 excl. bed · High Rs 3,500+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Buy an Emtel or my.t (Mauritius Telecom) tourist SIM at the airport or a branded shop with your passport (check current offers).
- Emergency
- Police 999 or 112 · Ambulance 114 (SAMU) · Fire 115
- Plugs
- 230 V, 50 Hz; type C (two round pins) and type G (British three-pin) sockets. Bring a UK or universal adapter.
- Tipping
- Not obligatory. Round up a taxi fare or leave 10% in a restaurant if service is not already added; a small tip for a guide or porter.
- Water
- Tap water is treated and generally drinkable, but many visitors prefer bottled water; ask your hotel.
- Toilets
- Cafés, malls (Caudan Waterfront), museums and the market (small fee possible). Public toilets are few; carry tissues.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee (café or hotel) | Rs 60–150 |
| Dholl puri | Rs 25–60 |
| Beer (Phoenix), bar or restaurant | Rs 120–220 |
| Short taxi ride | Rs 250–500 |
| Airport taxi to the city | Rs 2,000–2,800 |
| Tourist SIM, about a week | Rs 300–800 |
| Museum entry | Rs 0–450 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport (MRU)
- MRU to Port Louis: one pre-booked or airport taxi, 50–70 minutes over about 50 km (31 mi) — the risk is not the ride but the rush-hour jam on the Port Louis motorway.MRU to Port Louis: one pre-booked or airport taxi, 50–70 minutes over about 31 mi (50 km) — the risk is not the ride but the rush-hour jam on the Port Louis motorway.
By rail and road
| Station | Serves | To the centre |
|---|---|---|
| SSR International Airport (MRU) (Aéroport SSR) | Flights to Europe, Africa, Asia and the region | Taxi 50–70 min |
| Metro Express light rail (Metro Express) | Port Louis to Rose Hill, Quatre Bornes and Curepipe (check current stops) | Already there or a short walk |
| Victoria Square and Immigration Square bus stations (Gares d'autobus) | Island-wide buses | Short walk |
Typical fares
- Airport to Port Louis, taxi
- Rs 2,000–2,800, 50–70 min depending on traffic
- Short taxi ride in town
- Rs 250–500
- Port Louis to Grand Baie, taxi
- Rs 1,200–2,000, 45–60 min
Show 8 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Eat, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Walk inside a cluster by day; take a taxi to Fort Adelaide and the racecourse and for the airport. The Metro Express serves the plateau towns, buses are slow, and traffic jams the motorways at rush hour.
| How | Fare | Use for |
|---|---|---|
| Walking | Free | Between the waterfront, the ghat, the market and Chinatown |
| Taxi | Rs 250–500 in town | The fort, the racecourse and the airport |
| Metro Express light rail | Rs 20–50 (check) | Rose Hill, Quatre Bornes and Curepipe |
| City and island buses | Rs 20–60 | Long cheap routes |
| Rental car | Rs 1,500–3,500 a day | The coast and the south |
| Car with driver | Rs 3,000–5,000 a day (check) | Day trips and cross-island days |
Fares are estimates; check before you ride.
- Passes
- No pass. Taxis are unmetered in many cases: agree the fare first.
- Late at night
- No rail link to the airport: the Metro Express light rail runs from Port Louis to the plateau towns, not to the airport. Taxis are your last-service plan.
See and do
01Aapravasi Ghat
The World Heritage depot where indentured labourers landed; the key to the island's mix of peoples.
Hours: best Morning · Price: Free or small (check) · Time: 1 h · -20.1622, 57.5027
02Central MarketBazar Central
Fruit, spices, textiles and street snacks in one busy hall.
Hours: best Before 11:00 · Price: Free to browse · Time: 45–60 minHours: best Before 11:00 AM · Price: Free to browse · Time: 45–60 min · -20.1626, 57.5054
03Dholl puriDholl puri
The signature street snack, for a few rupees.
Hours: best Before noon · Price: Rs 25–60 · Time: 20 min · -20.1624, 57.5052
04Blue Penny Museum
The famous 1847 stamps and the colonial story, in an air-conditioned building.
Hours: best Midday · Price: Rs 300–450 (check) · Time: 1 h · -20.1612, 57.4985
05Fort AdelaideLa Citadelle
A hilltop fort with the best view of the harbour.
Hours: best Before 10:00 · Price: Small fee (check) · Time: 30–40 minHours: best Before 10:00 AM · Price: Small fee (check) · Time: 30–40 min · -20.1567, 57.5116
06Jummah Mosque
The city's main mosque, a calm 19th-century landmark.
Hours: best Mid-morning, outside prayers · Price: Free · Time: 15–20 min · -20.1638, 57.5088
07Boulettes in ChinatownBoulettes
A warm bowl of dumplings and a look at the Chinese-Mauritian quarter.
Hours: best Lunch · Price: Rs 50–120 · Time: 30 min · -20.1641, 57.5083
08Natural History MuseumMauritius Institute Natural History Museum
The dodo and old exhibits in a museum of the colonial era.
Hours: best Weekday morning · Price: Free or small (check) · Time: 40 min · -20.1625, 57.4995
09Race day at the Champ de MarsChamp de Mars
The oldest racecourse in the southern hemisphere.
Hours: best Race day · Price: Rs 100–500 (check) · Time: 2–3 h · -20.1585, 57.5115
10Pamplemousses Botanical Garden
Giant water lilies and tortoises, 30–45 minutes away.
Hours: best Morning · Price: Small fee plus a car · Time: Half day
Hours and prices are desk estimates (checked 2026-09); anything marked (check) is not confirmed. Coordinates open in any map app.
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanical Garden (Pamplemousses) | Car or taxi about 30–45 min | Half day |
| Grand Baie and the north coast | Car about 45–60 min | Full day |
| Flic en Flac and the west coast | Car about 40–60 min | Full day |
| Chamarel, Black River Gorges and Le Morne | Car about 1.5–2 h | Full day |
| Blue Bay and Île aux Aigrettes (south-east) | Car about 1–1.5 h | Full day |
Eat
| Where | What · area | Price | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dholl puri stalls (Central Market area) | Dholl puri with curry and chutney · Central Market | Rs 25–60 | Budget |
| Gato piment and snack stalls | Gato piment, samosas and fritters · Market streets | Rs 5–50 | Budget |
| Alouda and cane-juice stalls | Alouda or cane juice · Market | Rs 40–80 | Budget |
| Boulettes in Chinatown | Boulettes (dumpling soup) · Chinatown | Rs 50–120 | Budget |
| Briani lunch canteens | Briani with meat or vegetables · Near the mosque | Rs 150–300 | Mid-range |
| Caudan Waterfront restaurants | Creole curry or fish of the day · Waterfront | Rs 450–900 | Mid-range |
| Seafood restaurants on the coast | Grilled fish, lobster or a tasting menu · Grand Baie, Flic en Flac | Rs 1,500–3,500 | Splurge |
Per person, one dish or one meal, 2026 estimate. Hours change: check the day before.
Sleep
| Band | Price a night | Where | What |
|---|---|---|---|
| budget | Rs 2,000–4,000 | Port Louis centre, Plaine Verte | Guesthouses and small hotels |
| mid | Rs 5,000–10,000 | Caudan Waterfront, Ébène | 3–4 star business hotels |
| splurge | Rs 15,000–40,000+ | Coast resorts (Grand Baie, Flic en Flac, Le Morne) | Beach resorts |
Per room per night in MUR, 2026 estimate.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Bonzourbon-zoor |
| How are you? | Ki manyer?kee man-yair |
| Thank you | Mersimair-see |
| How much is this? | Konbien sa?kom-byen sa |
| Not spicy, please | Pena piman, souplepe-na pee-man soo-play |
| No meat, please | Pena lavian, souplepe-na la-vyan soo-play |
| Please take me to this address | Amenn mwa dan sa ladres la, souplea-men mwa dan sa la-dress la soo-play |
| How much to the airport? | Konbien pou al laeropor?kom-byen poo al la-ay-ro-por |
| No problem | Pena problempe-na pro-blem |
| Help | Lekourle-koor |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greetings: Say bonzour or hello; a smile goes a long way, and shopkeepers expect a greeting before any question.
- Temples and mosques: Remove shoes, cover shoulders and knees, and follow instructions; avoid prayer times and Friday midday at the mosque.
- Photos: Ask before photographing people, worshippers and stall holders; do not photograph government buildings or security.
- Left hand: Use the right hand or both hands to pass money and food.
- Modest dress: Beachwear is for the beach; cover up in the capital.
- Ramadan: Avoid eating or drinking openly near mosques in daylight; be discreet.
- Bargaining: Haggle politely at the market; not in shops with price tags.
Red lines
- Remove shoes and cover shoulders and knees at temples and mosques, including the Jummah Mosque.
- Ask before photographing people, especially at religious sites.
- Do not fly a drone without permission from the authorities.
Scams and watch-outs
- Unlicensed taxi drivers at the airport or near the market offering a 'special price': use the official rank, a hotel-booked car, or agree the fare before you get in.
- Overpriced souvenirs and 'guides' at the market: ask the price in two shops, bargain politely, and decline a guide who approaches you.
- Bag snatching and theft in crowded market streets and from parked cars: keep valuables out of sight.
- Rental-car damage claims: photograph the car at pickup and return, and read the contract.
- Street money-changers: use a bank or bureau de change.
One and two days
1 day
A stopover between flights. Skip: Chinatown and the beaches; they need more time.
- 08:008:00 AMFort Adelaide by taxi
- 09:309:30 AMCentral Market and dholl puri
- 11:3011:30 AMAapravasi Ghat
- 13:001:00 PMLunch at the waterfront
- 14:302:30 PMBlue Penny Museum, then leave before 16:00Blue Penny Museum, then leave before 4:00 PM
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage — Port Louis: en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Port_Louis
- UNESCO — Aapravasi Ghat: whc.unesco.org/en/list/1227/
- Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority: www.tourism-mauritius.mu/
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Port LouisPort-Louis
Amenn mwa dan sa ladres la, souple
Please take me to this address
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Take me to
- Bazar CentralCentral Market
- Dholl puriDholl puri stalls (Central Market area)
- La CitadelleFort Adelaide (the Citadel)
- BoulettesBoulettes in Chinatown
- Mauritius Institute Natural History MuseumNatural History Museum
- Champ de MarsChamp de Mars racecourse
- Police999 or 112
- Ambulance114 (SAMU)
- Fire115
Most embassies are in Port Louis; write your own embassy's 24-hour line below.
Give the driver the street and a landmark; confirm the fare or the meter before you set off.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/port-louis). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.