Flights, car hire and accommodation are already expensive enough. Here are 12 activities from €5 to €50, ranked by price, to enjoy Reunion Island without breaking the bank.
A trip to Reunion Island can quickly get expensive: flights, car hire, accommodation. The car is one cost you can trim straight away, by comparing total rental prices before you book. And the island makes up for the rest with plenty of cheap, and sometimes free, things to do.
Here's a selection of 12 paid activities at €50 maximum, ranked by price band, with location, duration, who it suits and checked price. For completely free ideas, see the article “10 must-do free things to do”.
Short activities for all levels. Ideal for starting your trip without spending much.
At €5 for 30 minutes, stand-up paddleboarding is probably the cheapest water activity on the island. The La Saline lagoon is calm, shallow and considered one of the finest in the Indian Ocean. Expect €10 for 1 hour and €18 for 2 hours at the same spot.
Go early morning or late afternoon to avoid the hottest hours and the weekend crowds.
For €15, a guided tour of the Savanna distillery (founded in 1948) in Sainte-Suzanne, on the east coast. You follow Reunion Island rum from start to finish: growing the sugar cane, the distillation column, the ageing cellar, then a tasting of the house rums. Sugar cane has shaped the island's economy for 200 years.
The tour lasts around 1.5 hours and ends with a tasting (barrel-aged Lontan blends) and a stop in the shop. The tasting is for ages 12 and up. Easy to combine with the Niagara waterfall, a 5-minute drive away.
For €12, a guided tour of the Maryen Peroumal temple, one of the largest Tamil temples in Reunion Island, in Saint-André on the east coast. A local guide tells the story of the Malbar community (Reunion Islanders of Tamil descent), the temple's architecture (carved gopuram tower, deities) and the great ceremonies: fire-walking and the cavadee (a Tamil procession of devotion).
Dress respectfully: shoulders covered, and bare feet inside the sanctuary. The visit is most meaningful between December and February, the season for fire-walking and cavadee ceremonies. Saint-André is 45 minutes from Saint-Denis.
Half-day to full-day outings. The best value for seeing the island's highlights.
A group surf lesson with a state-qualified instructor. Trois-Bassins is one of the island's few spots with a shark-watch system (Vigirequin / CRA programme), so you can surf safely when the green flag is flying.
Check the "swimming and water activities" status on the prefecture's website on the day. There's no guarantee of a green flag, so have a plan B in case of a red flag.
A boat trip off Saint-Gilles to watch pods of spinner and Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins. You are very likely to see them all year round. Trips follow the local code of conduct (slow approach, minimum distance of 100 m).
It's the most reviewed trip on the west coast (4.9/5 from over 120 reviews), suitable from age 2. Book a morning trip for calmer seas and better visibility.
For €50, a half-day at Piton Maïdo (2,205 m) by shared shuttle, with return transfers from your accommodation in the west. The drive climbs the forest road through the mountain tamarind forest, then there is free time at the viewpoint to take in the Mafate cirque and its hamlets. Ideal if you don't have a car.
Go early to enjoy the view before the clouds roll in late morning. Bring a fleece and a windbreaker: it's cold at 2,205 m, even in the southern summer.
A 1-hour horse ride in the highlands of Saint-Paul, with views over Mafate and the west coast. Horses used to beginners, a pace that suits each rider, led by an instructor. No experience required.
Several packages are available (1 hour, 2 hours, half-day, full day) with tiered prices. The 1-hour ride is a good test before committing more time and budget to a longer package.
Rafting down the Marsouins, one of the finest rivers in the east of the island. Led by a state-qualified instructor, full equipment provided (wetsuit, helmet, life jacket, paddle). Suitable for families with children from age 6.
Ideal season: December to April (wet season, good water flow). Outside this season, some rivers run low, so check the flow before booking. Bring closed shoes that can get wet.
Full outings with a professional guide. The ones you'll remember for a long time.
A guided descent of the Rivière des Roches with swimming sections, jumps (3 to 11 m, all optional), natural rock slides. Striking scenery: Bassin la Paix, basalt columns, volcanic formations. Wetsuit and helmet provided.
A water hike is gentler than canyoning (no abseiling) but does require swimming. Go in the wet season, when the pools are full.
A glass-bottom kayak trip on the Trou d'Eau lagoon at sunset, with a free cocktail back on the beach. A clear view down onto living coral, stingrays, sometimes green turtles. Nature briefing included, guided by an instructor.
Small groups (6-8 max), so book 24-48 hours ahead in high season. The morning trip (7am) without the cocktail costs around €35 if you want to save.
Fun on the water: 4 to 6 people climb onto an inflatable (sofa, banana or doughnut), a speedboat tows it, and off you go for 30 minutes of spins. Safety briefing, life jacket. Several packages depending on group size.
Prices drop for bigger groups (6 people = around €25/person). A guaranteed hit for a children's party, as long as everyone can swim.
A guided trip through the lava tunnels left by Piton de la Fournaise's 2004 eruption. Helmet, head torch and gloves provided. Remarkable geology: lava stalactites and stalagmites, ropy basalt. Easy caving, suitable from age 7.
Park at the 2004 lava flow car park on the Route des Laves between Sainte-Rose and Saint-Philippe. Book 48 hours ahead: groups are small and places limited.
Not a budget option, but one of the island's most memorable experiences. 25 minutes over Piton de la Fournaise from €205, or 55 minutes for the full tour at €345. One to keep in mind for the trip's big splurge.
See helicopter pricesArticle updated on 30 September 2026. Prices verified on the Manawa and Funbooker platforms at the time of writing.