Visas & entry
French Polynesia has entry rules distinct from metropolitan France despite being a French overseas collectivity. French/EU nationals generally travel under French/EU rules; many short-stay visitors from the US, Canada, UK, Australia and New Zealand are visa-exempt, but confirm current French Polynesia-specific requirements, passport validity and any onward-ticket rules before booking.
Getting in
- Papeete–Faa’a International Airport, Tahiti: The territory’s near-universal international gateway and the realistic starting point for almost every itinerary. Domestic flights, the Moorea ferry, hotels and onward boat transfers all funnel through the Papeete/Faa’a area; build in an overnight buffer before an expensive international departure.
- Port of Papeete, Tahiti: Used by cruise ships and the Aranui cargo-passenger voyage to the Marquesas. It is not a substitute for Papeete airport for most independent arrivals, but it matters for cruise and expedition-style itineraries.
Getting around
Treat inter-island travel as the main logistical cost and time sink. Air Tahiti links Tahiti with the Leeward Islands, Tuamotus, Marquesas and outer archipelagos, but even a 40–60-minute flight can consume half a day with transfers, check-in and resort boats; multi-island passes help only if their fixed routing suits you. The Tahiti–Moorea ferry is the major exception: it is cheap, frequent and takes roughly 25–45 minutes. On Tahiti and Moorea, rent a car for real independence; on atolls and remote islands, pre-arranged airport, lodge and boat transfers matter more than a car.
Money
The currency is the French Pacific franc (XPF/CFP). Cards work well at resorts, larger restaurants and established operators, but carry cash for roulottes, markets, small pensions, remote islands and incidental transfers; French Polynesia is expensive even before activities and domestic flights. Tipping is not expected in the North American sense, though rounding up or a small thank-you for notably good service is appreciated.
Daily budget · XPF (French Pacific franc; CFP). EUR is the practical reference currency: 1 EUR is fixed at 119.33 XPF.
- Value
- 18,000–32,000 XPF per person/day, excluding international flights, assuming two people share a room.
- Mid-range
- 40,000–75,000 XPF per person/day, excluding international flights, assuming two people share a room.
- High-end
- 120,000–300,000+ XPF per person/day, excluding international flights, assuming two people share a room.
- Value-minded means a pension/guesthouse or simple apartment, groceries and roulottes, limited excursions, and using the Tahiti–Moorea ferry where possible. It is realistic mainly on Tahiti and Moorea; Bora Bora and the remote atolls are poor places to chase a bargain.
- Mid-range covers a solid guesthouse or three-/four-star room, some restaurant meals, a rental car on Tahiti or Moorea, and a lagoon excursion or dive day, with domestic flights averaged across the trip.
- High-end means leading resorts, motu boat transfers, resort dining, premium or private excursions, and at least some overwater-bungalow nights. Bora Bora can exceed this range quickly.
- The real budget decisions are Bora Bora versus Moorea, resort versus pension, and how many domestic flights, boat transfers and dive/lagoon days you add. Accommodation is only the beginning; transport and water activities compound fast.
- Domestic flights are a meaningful fixed cost: indicative Air Tahiti return fares from Tahiti start around 16,573 XPF to Moorea, 31,881 XPF to Raiatea, 33,227 XPF to Huahine and 40,246 XPF to Bora Bora, subject to fare and schedule variation. Multi-island passes can work for a committed flight circuit, but do not buy one before checking that its routing fits the actual timetable.
- Solo travelers should budget substantially more per day because rooms, airport transfers and many boat arrangements are priced per room or per transfer rather than per person.
Eating well
- Try poisson cru at a market snack bar or family pension at least once; the resort version is rarely the point.
- On smaller islands and atolls, restaurant choice is thin: confirm meals with your pension and do not assume spontaneous dining options.
- Use Papeete for the widest spread of casual food; remote islands are better approached as places for simple, local meals than restaurant-hopping.
Book before you land
Aranui cargo-passenger voyage to the Marquesas · Heiva i Tahiti headline dance and music performances in July · Hawaiki Nui Va’a period accommodation and inter-island transport along the Huahine–Raiatea/Taha’a–Bora Bora route
- Do not schedule a tight domestic-to-international connection. Air Tahiti advises at least 120 minutes from domestic to international, but an overnight Tahiti buffer is the sensible choice for a costly long-haul ticket.
- Tahiti–Moorea is the only genuinely easy ferry hop. For Bora Bora, Huahine, Raiatea, the Tuamotus and the Marquesas, assume flights and transfers—not spontaneous island hopping.
- A resort on a motu often requires a paid boat transfer; confirm its schedule before booking flights. Taha’a is reached via Raiatea plus boat, and some Rangiroa lodging islands have no passenger ferry from the airport.
- After scuba diving, leave at least 24 hours before flying. This is especially relevant when combining Rangiroa or Fakarava with Society Islands.
- Whale encounters from roughly July to November should be done only with properly licensed operators. Weather, swell and wildlife conditions can cancel trips.
- French and Tahitian are central locally; English is common in the resort circuit but less dependable in the Marquesas and outer islands. A few French greetings and patience with slower schedules go a long way.
Entry rules change — verify visa requirements for your passport before booking this country.
Season by season
January–March
This is the hottest, most humid and wettest stretch, with the highest chance of prolonged rain, rougher seas and tropical-weather disruption, though waterfalls and interior vegetation are at their best.
lower-priced resort stayslush landscapes and waterfallswarm lagoon swimmingtravelers with flexible plans
Do not build a tightly sequenced multi-island trip around fixed boat excursions or short flight connections; cyclone-season disruption is a real risk.
April–May
Rainfall and humidity usually begin to ease while the islands remain green, making this a notably good shoulder-season window for Tahiti, Moorea and the Leeward Islands.
first visitsTahiti and Moorea road tripslagoon staysbetter availability than peak winter
April remains within cyclone season, so insure properly and leave connection buffers; May availability tightens as the dry season begins.
June–August
The driest, coolest-feeling and most dependable period, with temperatures still tropical but stronger trade winds at times and the territory at its busiest.
broad first-time itinerarieshiking and outdoor dayscultural travel in Julywhale season from July onward
Bora Bora resorts, family-friendly properties and domestic flights are in high demand, with peak prices and less room for spontaneous changes.
September–October
Still relatively dry and warm, generally less crowded than July–August, with excellent lagoon conditions and humpback whales present through roughly November.
all-round first tripswhale watching with licensed operatorssnorkeling and lagoon timeSociety Islands plus a Tuamotu add-on
Late October's Hawaiki Nui Va’a can fill rooms and transport across Huahine, Raiatea/Taha’a and Bora Bora; reserve early if following that route.
November–December
Heat, humidity and rain increase as the wet season returns, while visitor numbers and, often, resort prices ease from dry-season highs.
flexible honeymoon staysresort-focused tripsquieter traveltravelers prioritizing lower prices over guaranteed weather
Less suitable for hiking, small-plane-dependent itineraries and once-in-a-lifetime diving plans where weather reliability matters; cyclone-season risk resumes.
Events worth planning around
Heiva i Tahiti · Usually July · Tahiti, especially Papeete
French Polynesia's major annual season of dance, music and traditional performance; plan around it if culture is central, but book Tahiti accommodation and headline performances well ahead.
Hawaiki Nui Va’a · Usually late October · Huahine, Raiatea/Taha’a and Bora Bora
This major outrigger-canoe race brings real atmosphere but puts pressure on rooms, inter-island transport and boat services along its route; reserve early or avoid those islands during race week.
What to eat
Eat beyond the resort buffet: French Polynesian cooking is Mā’ohi ingredients and methods—raw fish, coconut, taro, breadfruit, bananas and pork—filtered through French cooking and a long Chinese influence. Seek poisson cru at Papeete market snack bars and family pensions, then use island specialties such as Taha’a vanilla to give meals some regional texture.
Poisson cru au lait de coco (i’a ota ha’ari): raw, usually tuna, cured with lime and mixed with coconut milk and vegetables.Ma’a Tahiti: the traditional Tahitian feast tradition, built around local starches, pork, fish and coconut-based preparations.Fresh tuna and lagoon fish.Taro, breadfruit, bananas and other root vegetables.Taha’a vanilla.
Tahiti and Papeete: Poisson cru from market snack bars and casual local eateries. · Roulotte and market food rather than relying entirely on hotel restaurants.
Taha’a: Vanilla, including visits to vanilla farms and dishes or products using local vanilla.