Visas & entry
French Polynesia has entry rules separate from metropolitan France and Schengen. U.S., Canadian, EU/EEA, UK, Australian and New Zealand citizens generally can visit visa-free for short tourist stays (commonly up to 90 days), but passport validity, return/onward proof and accommodation/funds requirements apply; nationalities needing a French Polynesia short-stay visa must obtain the correct territory-valid visa before travel. Verify current rules with the French High Commission or your nearest French consulate before booking.
Getting in
- Tahiti–Faa'a International Airport: The international gateway. Nearly everyone flies here first, then connects on Air Tahiti to the Leewards; do not schedule a tight same-day international-to-outer-island connection without allowing for delays.
- Bora Bora Airport: The main high-demand Leeward arrival for Bora Bora stays. The airport is on a motu, so every arrival continues by boat—usually a paid resort transfer or a public shuttle toward Vaitape.
- Raiatea Airport: The practical regional hub for Raiatea and boat access to Taha'a. Use it for an Uturoa base, sailing charters, or pre-arranged Taha'a transfers; Taha'a has no airport.
- Huahine–Fare Airport: The direct air entry for Huahine, close to Fare. It is the cleanest way to start or finish a Huahine road-and-lagoon stay without routing through Raiatea.
- Maupiti Airport: The small, schedule-dependent gateway for Maupiti. Flights and sea links are limited and weather-sensitive, so build a buffer before any long-haul departure.
Getting around
Fly between the main islands: short sectors do not mean frequent service, and Air Tahiti schedules should dictate the island order. Raiatea and Taha'a are connected by pre-booked boat transfers and lagoon excursions, not a turn-up-and-go network; Bora Bora airport transfers are also by boat. Rent a car on Huahine and Raiatea, where a road day is central to the visit; Bora Bora works by bike, scooter, car or taxi, while Maupiti is best on foot or bicycle. Treat boats to Maupiti and inter-island sea travel as weather- and timetable-dependent rather than dependable transport.
Money
The currency is the French Pacific franc (XPF/CFP), fixed at €1 = CFP 119.33; CFP 10,000 is roughly €84. Cards are normal at resorts, larger hotels, dive shops and bigger restaurants, but carry cash for snacks, small pensions, taxis, markets and remote islands—especially Taha'a and Maupiti. Tipping is not expected; round up or leave something only for genuinely standout service.
Daily budget · XPF/CFP (French Pacific franc), pegged at €1 = CFP 119.33; CFP 10,000 is roughly €84.
- Value
- CFP 24,000–38,000 (€200–320), assuming two people share a room; excludes international flights but includes lodging, food, ordinary local transport and some activities.
- Mid-range
- CFP 45,000–85,000 (€375–710), assuming two people share a room; includes good lodging, restaurant meals, road transport, periodic lagoon/diving activities and domestic flights averaged across the trip.
- High-end
- CFP 140,000–350,000+ (€1,170–2,930+), especially for Bora Bora motu resorts, overwater villas, resort dining and private or semi-private boating.
- Value travel is most realistic on Huahine and Raiatea: use pensions or simple bungalows, snacks and groceries, shared excursions, and scooters or bikes instead of daily car hire. Bora Bora only works at this level if you stay on the main island and avoid motu-resort dining.
- Bora Bora is the budget breaker: indicative rates run about CFP 15,000–30,000 per guesthouse room versus CFP 100,000–250,000+ for an overwater villa; a half-day lagoon tour is roughly CFP 10,000–15,000 and resort mains CFP 5,000–9,000.
- The costs that matter are inter-island flights, airport and resort boat transfers, overwater rooms, meal plans, alcohol, car hire and water excursions—not admission fees.
- Spend intelligently: base on a main island when possible, mix one splurge meal with Vaitape or Matira snack-bar meals on Bora Bora, and use Uturoa for provisions before road days or boat trips. Domestic-air fares fluctuate sharply, so price island hops before locking accommodation.
Eating well
- Breakfast is commonly included at hotels and pensions; use it.
- Lunch is easiest at a snack bar or as part of a lagoon excursion.
- Reserve dinner at least a day ahead on Taha’a, Maupiti and resort motus: guesthouses may cook only for booked guests, and independent places can keep limited hours.
- Book Polynesian buffets/shows and Christmas–New Year meals well ahead; some resorts impose gala dinners over the holidays.
- Markets outside Uturoa and Vaitape are modest. Do not plan elaborate self-catering on every island.
- If staying on a Bora Bora motu, alternate resort meals with food on the main island when logistics allow; captive-resort dining escalates costs fast.
Book before you land
Air Tahiti inter-island flights, especially July-August, Christmas/New Year and any itinerary involving Maupiti · Maupiti accommodation and flights · Bora Bora motu-resort accommodation and airport boat transfers · Hawaiki Nui Va'a-period accommodation and transport around Huahine, Raiatea, Taha'a and Bora Bora (late October) · Limited-capacity lagoon tours, diving and private boat charters in peak season · Special Polynesian buffets/shows and compulsory Christmas/New Year resort dinners
- Book lodging and flights as one plan: a 25-minute flight can run only on selected days, and Air Tahiti passes generally require a forward sequence with each island visited once.
- Base in Fare for Huahine, Uturoa for Raiatea, and Vaitape or Matira for independent Bora Bora. Resort motus are beautiful but deliberately inconvenient for groceries, cheap meals and independent transport.
- Taha'a is not a casual day-trip island unless you accept a long boat-and-lunch day. Confirm your boat transfer and dinner with the accommodation before leaving Raiatea.
- Sunday is quiet: small shops, food outlets and services may keep short hours or close. On smaller islands, pensions often cook dinner only when booked in advance.
- Reef shoes, reef-safe sun protection and a dry bag are useful; do not stand on coral, feed marine life or assume lagoon conditions are safe in wind or swell.
- Maupiti has little backup for food, medical needs, cash access or missed connections. Bring essentials, keep plans flexible and avoid making it your final stop before an international flight.
Entry rules change — verify visa requirements for your passport before booking this region.
Season by season
November–April
The warm, wet season brings tropical heat, high humidity and heavier rain; November and April are the more workable transitional months, while daylight remains roughly 11–13 hours year-round.
lower-season pricing outside holidaysflexible travelerswarm-water swimmingshort-notice trips in November or April
Stormy lagoon days and disrupted boat conditions are more likely, and Christmas/New Year brings high rates, limited rooms and obligatory gala dinners at some resorts.
May–June
Rain and humidity ease, with generally calmer lagoon conditions than the trade-wind peak; May can still see southern swells and heavy showers.
weather-to-cost balancelagoon excursionsroad touring on Huahine and Raiateatravel before peak-season crowds
June begins the high-demand period, while May is not a weather guarantee despite the onset of the drier season.
July–August
This is the driest-looking, lowest-humidity stretch, with reliable conditions for outdoor touring, snorkeling and lagoon time, though trade winds can be brisk on exposed coasts and crossings.
first-time visits with fixed datesoutdoor activitiesdiving and snorkelingsun-seeking travelers
Flights, Bora Bora motu resorts and the limited pensions on Maupiti and Huahine are at their most expensive and most booked-up; reserve well ahead.
September–October
Still relatively dry and sunny, with warmer water and usually less holiday pressure than July–August; it is the best overall compromise for most travelers.
first Leewards triplagoon swimmingisland-hoppingtravelers balancing weather and cost
Hawaiki Nui Va’a in late October can sharply tighten rooms, boats and inter-island transport along its race route.
Events worth planning around
Hawaiki Nui Va’a · Usually late October; in 2026, October 28–30. · Race course linking Huahine, Raiatea, Taha’a and Bora Bora.
French Polynesia’s major outrigger-canoe race makes the islands feel vividly local, but accommodation, boat capacity and transport around the course can be tight; book early or avoid the race-window logistics.
Christmas and New Year holiday period · Late December to early January. · Across the Leeward Islands, especially Bora Bora resorts.
Expect peak rates, scarce accommodation and compulsory festive gala dinners at many resorts; confirm meal-plan requirements before booking.
What to eat
Eat simply and locally on Huahine, Raiatea and Taha’a; save one deliberately expensive Bora Bora resort meal rather than making every meal a resort transaction. The essential flavors are raw lagoon fish with coconut and lime, root vegetables, coconut desserts and Taha’a’s floral Tahitian vanilla; dinners often need advance arrangement, especially at pensions and on smaller islands.
Ia ota / poisson cru: very fresh fish cured with lime and mixed with coconut milk and vegetables.Taha’a Vanilla tahitensis, used in fish sauces, desserts and vanilla po’e; buy whole beans directly from a producer.Po’e: soft taro, banana, papaya or pumpkin pudding with coconut milk.Ahima’a: communal underground-oven feast of pork, fish, taro and fe’i bananas.Grilled tuna, lagoon fish and coconut-based preparations.Locally made sugarcane rum, particularly worth seeking alongside a Taha’a vanilla visit.
Taha’a — Patio and Faaaha: Vanilla-farm visits and source-bought whole Tahitian vanilla beans. · Fish with vanilla sauce, vanilla po’e and other vanilla desserts. · Local cane-rum tastings when available.
Huahine: Family-run pensions and roadside snacks for grilled tuna, lagoon fish, coconut dishes and local produce. · Simple, place-specific meals rather than formal dining.
Raiatea — Uturoa: The region’s most practical stop for fruit, bread and picnic supplies for road days or boat charters.
Bora Bora — Vaitape and Matira: Main-island snack stands and casual meals that keep Bora Bora’s food budget sane. · One worthwhile resort dinner for the setting, especially if staying on a motu.
Maupiti: Guesthouse dinners. · Saturday Motu Tiapaa hima’a communal meal, when operating.