Located in the Indian Ocean, the Maldives is a dream destination that annually draws in hordes of visitors. The archipelagic country boasts a string of islands dotted with deluxe all-inclusive resorts, turquoise waters, and tons of activities.
Before enjoying sun-basking days on white-sand beaches in the idyllic island nation, you have to get here first. As a country surrounded by nothing but water, you’ll have to board an airplane regardless of where you’re coming from.
Traveling to the Maldives is nearly as magical as the destination itself—but it can take some time. How long this takes depends on the starting destination for your travel to the Maldives.
Luckily, this no longer has to be a guessing game as you can find the answer to the pertinent question of “how long is the flight to the Maldives?” below. Of course, this only covers a select few countries from different parts of the world.
Flying to the Maldives From the US
Americans are one of the island nation’s main tourists, with thousands descending here annually. However, the answer to “how to get to the Maldives from the US?” and the flight time isn’t as simple as many would like.
Maldives sits 9,656 miles from the USA, meaning visitors are in for long flights that require a lot of patience, rewarded by the island. There are also no direct flights from the Maldives to the US due to the distance. Therefore, US travelers must connect to the Maldives via Europe, Asia, or the Middle East, increasing flight time.
The US to Maldives flight time depends on factors like your airline, departure location, and where your stopover will be. The two main airports catering for the US to Maldives route are Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and the John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). However, travelers can find flights that connect to these two or an airport abroad from other major cities.
If traveling from LAX to Velana International Airport (MLE) in the Maldives, you can expect your USA to Maldives flight time to range between 25 and 34 hours. If you’re traveling from JFK to MLE, expect flights to last between 19 and 35 hours. Similarly, other major city airports also offer flights in this time range.
Opt for stops in the Middle East if you don’t want to spend a long time on planes. Flights with stopovers in cities like Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha tend to make your journey of getting to the Maldives from the US shorter than elsewhere.
How Long Does it Take to Get to the Maldives from Russia?
Russians have, for years, been one of the main tourist groups heading to the Maldives. Unlike the US, there is the possibility of hopping on direct flights to the Maldives from Russia. However, these are more scarce than the one-stop and two-stop rides.
The Russian population can only enjoy the convenience of direct flights from the nation’s capital of Moscow. Additionally, only the Vnukovo International Airport (VKO) offers these types of flights, with other airports in the city offering one-stop rides. If you opt for the former, your VKO to MLE ride will take 8 to 10 hours.
Non-direct flights between the two countries can be found in the Krasnodar International Airport and Platov International Airport. They’re also available from Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport and the Sheremetyevo International Airport. These single or double-stop flights usually have stopovers in Dubai, Manama, Vienna, and Colombo, among other cities.
So, how long is a flight to the Maldives from Russia? In the case of non-direct flights, expect to spend between 11 and 22 hours in the air before landing on the Maldives’ sun-kissed atolls. Opt for stops in Dubai for the shortest flights, which last 4 hours or less.
How Long Is the Flight to the Maldives from the Middle East?
Of all regions listed here, the Middle East enjoys the closest proximity to the Maldives. As a result, tourists departing from the Middle East are spoiled for choice when it comes to direct flights. This holds true for various countries in the region, some of which are covered below.
United Arab Emirates to the Maldives
Citizens of the United Arab Emirates enjoy direct flights to the Maldives from either Dubai International Airport or Abu Dhabi International Airport. Before setting foot on the picturesque island, you’ll spend around 4 hours and 30 minutes to 5 hours in the air.
Qatar to the Maldives
As you may have already guessed, based on Doha being a popular stopover destination, Qataris have direct flights to the Maldives at their disposal. Unlike the UAE, though, citizens only have one airport to board from: the Hamad International Airport. Flights from Doha to Malé in the Maldives last around 5 hours.
Saudi Arabia to the Maldives
Saudi Arabians can hop aboard direct flights from the King Abdulaziz International Airport and the King Khalid International Airport. Like Qatar and the UAE, the ride lasts around 5 hours.
There are also one-stop flights that last between 7 and 16 hours, with stopovers in Dubai, Doha, Delhi, Abu Dhabi, and Manama.
Turkey to the Maldives
Last but not least is Turkey, which offers its citizens direct and non-direct flights to the MLE airport in the Maldives. Direct flights can be boarded from the Istanbul International Airport, and passengers will spend approximately 8 hours in the air before landing at the dreamy destination.
Single-stop flights can be found at the Adana Airport, the Ankara Esenboga Airport, and the Sabiha Gokcen International Airport. These take between 9 and 17 hours.
How Long Is a Flight to the Maldives from Europe?
Europe is a significant travel partner to the Maldives, with citizens from various countries descending to the islands annually. The United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, France, and Switzerland have the highest share of visitors to the island nation. If you’re departing from one of these countries, here’s the long-awaited answer to “how long does it take to fly to the Maldives?”
The United Kingdom to the Maldives
The United Kingdom offers direct flights to the Maldives airport in Malé from London Heathrow via British Airways. This is the preferred way to travel to the Maldives for many UK citizens, mainly because flights last approximately 10 hours.
The only downside of the above flight choice is that British Airways doesn’t offer these flights every day. You won’t find any outgoings on Tuesdays and Thursdays, while return flights aren’t available on Wednesdays and Fridays. Additionally, you are forced to look at longer alternatives between May and September as the airline doesn’t offer rides between those months.
The alternatives are single and double-stop flights with stopovers in Doha, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Vienna, and Frankfurt. The flight time with these options ranges from 12 to 16 hours.
Italy to the Maldives
Italy also offers direct flights to Malé via the Leonardo da Vinci International Airport (FCO) and the Malpensa Airport (MXP), lasting around 9 hours. Italians have even more limitations than the British, with these flights available only once a week from either airport. FCO only has Sunday departures, while MXP has a departure once a week on varying days.
Alternatives exist with non-direct flights from Bologna, Naples, Florence, and Bari, lasting 12 to 20 hours. Rome and Milan’s citizens also enjoy a choice of stopover flights daily.
Germany to the Maldives
Germans can catch direct flights to the Maldives from either Munich or Frankfurt, although they only fly on select days. These rides last between 9 and 10 hours from either airport.
At the Frankfurt Airport, flights always fly on Tuesdays and Saturdays, with more days available in certain months. The Munich International Airport flies on Sundays and Wednesdays, with flights suspended between April and September.
Non-direct, daily alternatives can be found in Frankfurt, Munich, Stuttgart, Berlin, Hamburg, and Dusseldorf. With these, expect to be among the clouds for 13 to 21 hours.
France to the Maldives
The Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport is the only source of direct flights to the Maldives from France. Like other European nations, these aren’t daily but fly on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, and each flight lasts approximately 10 hours.
If you want to fly on other days, you can take single-stop flights from Nice or Lyon that take 15 and 21 hours.
Switzerland to the Maldives
Like France, Swiss airlines offer direct flights to the Maldives on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, departing from Zurich. Passengers will zoom into the awe-inspiring island nation in around 13 hours.
Alternatively, you can catch non-direct flights in Basel, Geneva, and Altenrhein, with flight times ranging from 11 to 23 hours.
Getting to Your Maldives Resort or Island
You now know how to fly to the Maldives and have seen the atolls surrounded by emerald waters from the sky. However, before being able to rest in your Maldives resort on these waters, you have to get there from Malé. After all, the country has thousands of islands for tourists to spend their time, further extending the length of travel.
Once in Malé, you can transfer to your little paradise via a speedboat or a seaplane. The total transit time varies from 15 to 40 minutes.
How Long is a Flight to the Maldives Answered
There it is, a comprehensive guide to help you plan your Maldives trip as best as possible. Armed with this knowledge, you should be able to get on a flight and start exploring Malé or rest in your luxury hotel—jet lag isn’t a joke.
Whether you were wondering how to fly to the Maldives from the US, the UK, Russia, or the Middle East, you should have found an answer here and can start planning your trip with the time logistics out of the way!
