3 days in Tahiti

Day by day

1. Day 1: Marché de Papeete and Notre-Dame Cathedral of Papeete

   Marché de Papeete, Notre-Dame Cathedral of Papeete and Musée de Tahiti et des Îles, then Roulottes at Place Vaiete in the evening.

   1. Breakfast

      Breakfast: Firi firi

   2. Morning

      Marché de Papeete

      The two-level covered market in central Papeete sells tropical fruit, fish, flower crowns made of tiare blossoms, vanilla and monoi oil downstairs, with pareos, carvings and pearls upstairs.

   3. Late morning

      Notre-Dame Cathedral of Papeete

      If you are in town on a Sunday morning, attend part of a service for the singing, dressing modestly.

   4. Lunch

      Lunch: Poisson cru

      Everywhere, from roulottes and snack bars to resort restaurants and the Papeete market.

   5. Afternoon

      Musée de Tahiti et des Îles

      Reopened after a major renovation, French Polynesia's main museum, also known as Te Fare Iamanaha, covers the geology, navigation, religion and daily life of the five archipelagos.

   6. Café break

      Café break: Po'e

   7. Evening

      Roulottes at Place Vaiete

      Arrive around sunset, browse all the trucks before choosing, and order crêpes for dessert from one of the dedicated crêpe vans.

2. Day 2: Teahupo'o and Faarumai Waterfalls

   Teahupo'o, Faarumai Waterfalls and Arahoho Blowhole, then Sunset over Moorea in the evening.

   1. Breakfast

      Breakfast: Coconut bread

   2. Morning

      Teahupo'o

      Book a boat trip with a local operator for a safe viewing spot in the channel; from the shore the wave is a distant line of white water.

   3. Late morning

      Faarumai Waterfalls

      On the north-east coast near Tiarei, a short walk through a damp tropical forest leads to Vaimahutu, a tall waterfall dropping down a basalt cliff, with two more falls on a longer track.

   4. Lunch

      Lunch: Chao men

      Roulottes at Place Vaiete and snack bars across the island.

   5. Afternoon

      Arahoho Blowhole

      Stay behind the barriers: the spray reaches the road, and the rocks are slippery.

   6. Snack

      Snack: Casse-croûte

   7. Evening

      Sunset over Moorea

      Watch the sun drop behind Moorea's peaks from a west-coast beach or hotel terrace in Punaauia or Faa'a.

3. Day 3: Point Venus and Papenoo Valley

   Point Venus, Papenoo Valley and Vaipahi Water Gardens, then Vaipahi gardens walk in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Point Venus

      A black-sand point on Matavai Bay where James Cook observed the transit of Venus in 1769, now a shaded park with an 1867 lighthouse, memorials to Cook and the Bounty, and a swimming beach.

   2. Late morning

      Papenoo Valley

      Book a guided 4x4 tour rather than driving yourself; the track crosses rivers that rise quickly after rain.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Ma'a Tahiti

      Prepared by families on Sundays and sold at the Papeete market early on Sunday mornings; some hotels serve it at Polynesian buffet nights.

   4. Afternoon

      Vaipahi Water Gardens

      In Mataiea on the south coast, these gardens follow a stream through ginger, heliconia and water-lily pools to a small waterfall, with short loop trails into the hillside forest.

   5. Café break

      Café break: Hinano beer

   6. Evening

      Vaipahi gardens walk

      Stroll through the flower-lined water gardens on the quiet south coast.

Where to stay for this itinerary

With 3 nights, Papeete keeps most of this route within easy reach. For a calmer or cheaper base, Faa'a ($$$) suits luxury, couples and first-timers. Compare every area.

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 15–17 hours of visiting over 3 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 11.1 hours in June to 13.2 hours in December.

More or fewer days

• One day in Tahiti
• 2 days in Tahiti

Questions travellers ask