Things to do · Fiji
17 best things to do in Fiji
17 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Dead.rabbit, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
The essential sights in Fiji are Mamanuca island day cruise, Blue Lagoon and Monuriki. Of the 17 picks below, 4 are free, 2 work on a rainy day and 5 suit children. Allow about 10 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- Mamanuca island day cruise
- Free sights
- 4
- Good on a rainy day
- Sri Siva Subramaniya Temple
- Time to see the highlights
- 10 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mamanuca island day cruise | Mamanuca Islands | Full day | Expensive |
| Blue Lagoon | Yasawa Islands | Half a day to a full day | Free |
| Monuriki | Mamanuca Islands | Half a day | Expensive |
| Sawa-i-Lau Caves | Yasawa Islands | Half a day | Low cost |
| Sri Siva Subramaniya Temple | Nadi | 45 minutes | Low cost |
| Garden of the Sleeping Giant | Sabeto Valley | 1–1.5 hours | Low cost |
| Sabeto mud pools and hot springs | Sabeto Valley | 1–2 hours | Low cost |
| Sigatoka Sand Dunes National Park | Coral Coast | 1.5–2 hours | Low cost |
| Beqa Lagoon shark dive | Pacific Harbour | Half a day | Expensive |
| Navua River trips | Pacific Harbour | Full day | Expensive |
| Fiji Museum | Suva | 1.5–2 hours | Low cost |
| Suva Municipal Market | Suva | 1 hour | Free |
| Colo-i-Suva Forest Park | Suva | 2–3 hours | Low cost |
| Levuka | Ovalau | 1–2 days | Free |
| Bouma National Heritage Park and Tavoro Waterfalls | Taveuni | Half a day | Low cost |
| Rainbow Reef | Taveuni | Half a day | Expensive |
| 180th meridian marker | Taveuni | 30 minutes | Free |
The 17 best things to do
Island · Mamanuca Islands
1.Mamanuca island day cruise
Catamarans and smaller boats leave Port Denarau each morning for day trips to Mamanuca islands, with snorkelling over coral reefs, lunch on the beach and swimming in clear lagoons. Some trips stop at sandbanks or at Monuriki, the uninhabited island where Cast Away was filmed.
Choose a trip with a long stop at one island rather than several short ones, and pack reef-safe sunscreen and a rash vest.
- Time needed
- Full day
- Cost
- Expensive
- Iconic
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Nature
Waterfront · Yasawa Islands
2.Blue Lagoon
A clear, sheltered lagoon between Nanuya Lailai and neighbouring islands in the northern Yasawas, named after the 1980 film The Blue Lagoon, which was shot on nearby Nanuya Levu. It offers some of the best snorkelling and swimming in the Yasawas, with resorts on its beaches.
Stay a night or two on Nanuya Lailai or a nearby island rather than visiting on a short stop from the catamaran.
- Time needed
- Half a day to a full day
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Couples
- Nature
- Photo spot
Island · Mamanuca Islands
3.Monuriki
A small uninhabited island at the western edge of the Mamanucas, where the film Cast Away was shot. Its beach, steep green hills and surrounding reef are visited on day cruises from Port Denarau and nearby resorts.
Combine it with snorkelling on the reef in the lagoon; landing depends on sea conditions.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Expensive
- Iconic
- Photo spot
- Nature
Nature · Yasawa Islands
4.Sawa-i-Lau Caves
Limestone caves on a small island in the northern Yasawas, where you swim in a pool lit by an opening in the roof, then duck through a short underwater passage into a dark second chamber with a guide. The caves are sacred in local legend and are visited with permission from the nearby village.
Only swim into the second chamber if you are comfortable holding your breath briefly underwater; the first chamber is worth it alone.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Low cost
- Nature
- Active
- Off the beaten path
Religious site · Nadi
5.Sri Siva Subramaniya Temple
At the southern end of Nadi's main street, this colourful Dravidian-style Hindu temple was built by craftsmen brought from India and is often described as the largest Hindu temple in the Southern Hemisphere. Its painted ceilings and carved deities reflect the heritage of Fiji's large Indo-Fijian community.
Remove shoes, cover shoulders and knees, and ask before taking photos inside.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Architecture
- History
- Rainy day
Garden · Sabeto Valley
6.Garden of the Sleeping Giant
An orchid garden at the foot of the Sabeto mountains near Nadi, started by actor Raymond Burr in the 1970s to house his orchid collection. Paths and a boardwalk wind through the orchids, lily ponds and rainforest.
Combine it with the Sabeto mud pools in the same valley for a half-day outing from Nadi or Denarau.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Nature
- Couples
- Kids
Experience · Sabeto Valley
7.Sabeto mud pools and hot springs
Geothermal pools in the Sabeto Valley where visitors coat themselves in mud, let it dry in the sun, then rinse off in a series of warm spring-fed pools. Local staff often offer a short massage afterwards.
Wear an old swimsuit; the mud can stain light fabric.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Couples
- Outdoors
Nature · Coral Coast
8.Sigatoka Sand Dunes National Park
Fiji's first national park protects windswept dunes at the mouth of the Sigatoka River, where excavations have uncovered Lapita pottery and ancient burial sites. Walking trails loop through coastal forest and over the dunes to a wild beach.
Walk in the early morning; the exposed dunes are very hot by midday.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Nature
- History
- Outdoors
- Active
Experience · Pacific Harbour
1.Beqa Lagoon shark dive
Dive operators from Pacific Harbour run feeding dives at the Shark Reef Marine Reserve in Beqa Lagoon, where certified divers watch bull sharks and other species at close range, and tiger sharks sometimes appear. Beqa Lagoon also has many conventional reef dives.
It is a dive for certified divers only; check the operator's experience requirements before booking.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Expensive
- Book ahead
- Dives run on set days and fill up in peak season; book in advance with a dive operator.
- Active
- Nature
Experience · Pacific Harbour
2.Navua River trips
Motorised longboats head up the Navua River past rainforest and waterfalls to riverside villages for lunch and a kava welcome, while rafting trips run the Upper Navua gorge, a canyon of waterfalls and high cliffs.
Choose a longboat trip for a relaxed village visit, or rafting for the gorge scenery.
- Time needed
- Full day
- Cost
- Expensive
- Nature
- Active
- Outdoors
Museum · Suva
3.Fiji Museum
Set in Thurston Gardens in Suva, the national museum covers more than 3,000 years of Fijian history, with a large double-hulled canoe (drua), war clubs, tapa cloth, ceremonial cannibal forks and the rudder of HMS Bounty recovered from Pitcairn Island.
Allow time for the botanical gardens around the museum, then walk along the harbourfront to the Grand Pacific Hotel.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Art
- Kids
Market · Suva
4.Suva Municipal Market
One of the largest produce markets in the South Pacific, with tables of taro, cassava, tropical fruit, fish, chillies and dried kava root, plus small stalls selling cooked food upstairs. It is the best place to see everyday Fijian life.
Saturday morning is the busiest and most atmospheric time; bring small notes.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Food
- Photo spot
Park · Suva
5.Colo-i-Suva Forest Park
A rainforest park about 11 km north of Suva with walking trails through mahogany and native forest, birdlife and natural swimming pools with rope swings below small waterfalls.
Go on a dry morning, wear shoes with grip, and do not leave valuables unattended by the pools.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Nature
- Outdoors
- Kids
- Off the beaten path
Historic site · Ovalau
6.Levuka
Fiji's first colonial capital, on the island of Ovalau, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site: a 19th-century port town of weatherboard shopfronts, churches and the site where Fiji was ceded to Britain in 1874. It is quiet and rarely visited, reached by ferry or a short flight.
Stay at least one night; connections from Viti Levu do not leave much time on a day trip.
- Time needed
- 1–2 days
- Cost
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- Free
- Off the beaten path
Nature · Taveuni
7.Bouma National Heritage Park and Tavoro Waterfalls
On Taveuni's east coast, a community-run park protects rainforest and three Tavoro waterfalls connected by a trail, with swimming pools below each. The nearby Lavena Coastal Walk follows the shore to a waterfall at the end of a gorge.
The first waterfall is an easy walk; the second and third require a steeper, often muddy climb.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Low cost
- Nature
- Outdoors
- Active
- Photo spot
Nature · Taveuni
8.Rainbow Reef
A reef in the Somosomo Strait between Taveuni and Vanua Levu, where strong currents feed brilliantly coloured soft corals. The Great White Wall, covered in pale soft coral, is its best-known dive.
Diving here depends on tides and currents, so go with an experienced local operator.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Expensive
- Nature
- Active
- Photo spot
Landmark · Taveuni
9.180th meridian marker
Near Waiyevo on Taveuni's west coast, a sign marks where the 180° line of longitude crosses the island, so you can stand with one foot on each side. The International Date Line itself bends east around Fiji, so the whole country shares one date.
Combine it with lunch in Waiyevo or Somosomo and a snorkel trip in the afternoon.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Photo spot
- Off the beaten path
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | Fiji Museum |
| History | Sri Siva Subramaniya Temple, Sigatoka Sand Dunes National Park, Fiji Museum and Levuka |
| Outdoors and nature | Mamanuca island day cruise, Blue Lagoon, Monuriki and Sawa-i-Lau Caves |
| Food and markets | Suva Municipal Market |
| With children | Mamanuca island day cruise, Garden of the Sleeping Giant, Sabeto mud pools and hot springs and Fiji Museum |
| On a rainy day | Sri Siva Subramaniya Temple and Fiji Museum |
What to book ahead
- Beqa Lagoon shark dive: Dives run on set days and fill up in peak season; book in advance with a dive operator.
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Fiji?
Mamanuca island day cruise. Catamarans and smaller boats leave Port Denarau each morning for day trips to Mamanuca islands, with snorkelling over coral reefs, lunch on the beach and swimming in clear lagoons.
+What can you do for free in Fiji?
Blue Lagoon, Suva Municipal Market, Levuka and 180th meridian marker. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Fiji when it rains?
Head indoors to Sri Siva Subramaniya Temple and Fiji Museum.