4 best day trips from Tahiti

Day trips compared

The day trips

17 km (11 mi) · About 30–45 minutes by ferry

1.Moorea

Tahiti's jagged sister island has Cook's Bay and Opunohu Bay, the Belvedere Lookout, pineapple plantations and lagoon trips to swim with rays and blacktip reef sharks. A hire car or scooter on Moorea lets you loop the island in a day, though many visitors stay several nights.

Getting there

Fast ferry from Papeete to Vaiare

Best for

First-timers, Couples, Families, Beach

115 km (71 mi) · A full day with stops

2.Circle-island drive

Driving around Tahiti Nui links Point Venus, the Arahoho Blowhole, the Faarumai Waterfalls, the Vaipahi gardens, Maraa Grotto and the west-coast beaches. Going clockwise from Papeete puts the north-east sights in morning light.

Getting there

Hire car or guided tour

Best for

First-timers, Families

70 km (43 mi) · About 1 hour 15 minutes by car

3.Tahiti Iti and Teahupo'o

Drive to the end of the road at Teahupo'o to watch the surf break, then join a boat along the roadless Fenua Aihere coast to waterfalls, caves and petroglyph sites. The Taravao Plateau above the isthmus has cool pastures and wide views.

Getting there

Hire car, then boat tour from Teahupo'o

Best for

Quiet stays, Solo travellers, Beach

20 km (12 mi) · Half a day with pick-up

4.Papenoo Valley 4x4 tour

Tours climb the island's largest valley on a rough track past waterfalls, swimming holes and restored marae towards the Relais de la Maroto, deep in the island's interior. It is the easiest way to see Tahiti's mountainous heart.

Getting there

Guided 4x4 tour from Papeete

Best for

Families, Solo travellers

Day-trip tips

• Leave early: most trips are more relaxed with a morning departure and a return before dinner.
• Public buses run along the coast road from Papeete to both sides of the island, but services thin out in the evening and on Sundays.
• For trips over about 150 km, an overnight stay or an organised tour saves a lot of travelling.

Questions travellers ask