Things to do · Tahiti · French Polynesia
14 best things to do in Tahiti
14 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Pictured: Teahupo'o, Tahiti · Photo: Saga70, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
The essential sights in Tahiti are Marché de Papeete, Roulottes at Place Vaiete and Musée de Tahiti et des Îles. Of the 14 picks below, 9 are free, 1 work on a rainy day and 6 suit children. Allow about 3 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- Marché de Papeete
- Free sights
- 9
- Good on a rainy day
- Musée de Tahiti et des Îles
- Time to see the highlights
- 3 days
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At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marché de Papeete | Papeete | 1 hour | Free |
| Roulottes at Place Vaiete | Papeete | 1.5 hours | Low cost |
| Musée de Tahiti et des Îles | Punaauia | 2 hours | Low cost |
| Teahupo'o | Tahiti Iti | Half a day | Mid-priced |
| Point Venus | Arue and Mahina | 2 hours | Free |
| Faarumai Waterfalls | Tiarei | 1 hour | Free |
| Arahoho Blowhole | Tiarei | 20 minutes | Free |
| Papenoo Valley | Papenoo | Half a day | Expensive |
| Vaipahi Water Gardens | Papara and the south coast | 1 hour | Free |
| Maraa Grotto | Paea | 30 minutes | Free |
| Plage de Vaiava (PK 18) | Punaauia | Half a day | Free |
| Notre-Dame Cathedral of Papeete | Papeete | 30 minutes | Free |
| Marae Arahurahu | Paea | 45 minutes | Free |
| Lagoon snorkel and whale-watching trips | Punaauia | Half a day | Expensive |
The 14 best things to do
Market · Papeete
1.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. It is the busiest early on Sunday morning, when families shop before church and the traditional ma'a Tahiti meal.
Come early on Sunday to see the market at its liveliest and buy a ready-made poisson cru for breakfast.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Food
- Shopping
- Free
- Photo spot
Experience · Papeete
2.Roulottes at Place Vaiete
Each evening, food trucks called roulottes park on the waterfront square by the ferry terminal and set out plastic tables. Menus cover chao men noodles, steak frites, poisson cru, crêpes and grilled fish, and it is the most sociable and affordable way to eat out in Papeete.
Arrive around sunset, browse all the trucks before choosing, and order crêpes for dessert from one of the dedicated crêpe vans.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Food
- After dark
- Kids
- Iconic
Museum · Punaauia
3.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. Exhibits include carved tiki, featherwork, tapa cloth and canoes, in buildings on the lagoon shore at Punaauia.
Allow time to walk the seafront garden afterwards, which looks across the channel to Moorea.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Art
- Rainy day
- Iconic
Nature · Tahiti Iti
4.Teahupo'o
The road ends at this village on Tahiti Iti, beside a reef pass where one of the world's heaviest waves breaks over shallow coral. It hosted the surfing events of the 2024 Olympic Games and a pro surfing competition most years. Boats take spectators out to the channel beside the wave.
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.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Nature
- Photo spot
- Active
Beach · Arue and Mahina
5.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. Locals picnic and surf here at weekends.
Visit in the late afternoon when the sand has cooled, and bring water shoes because the black sand can be scorching.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Outdoors
- Kids
Nature · Tiarei
6.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. It is one of the most accessible waterfall walks on the island.
Bring insect repellent and avoid the longer trail after heavy rain, when it becomes muddy and slippery.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Nature
- Outdoors
Viewpoint · Tiarei
7.Arahoho Blowhole
On the coast road near Tiarei, waves rush into lava tubes and burst out of a blowhole with a loud whoosh, especially in a heavy swell. A viewing area sits right beside the road, with the black-sand beach of Tiarei nearby.
Stay behind the barriers: the spray reaches the road, and the rocks are slippery.
- Time needed
- 20 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Nature
- Photo spot
Nature · Papenoo
8.Papenoo Valley
Tahiti's largest valley cuts deep into the island's volcanic core, with a 4x4 track climbing past waterfalls, river crossings and archaeological marae sites towards the crater rim. Guided 4x4 tours from Papeete are the usual way to see it.
Book a guided 4x4 tour rather than driving yourself; the track crosses rivers that rise quickly after rain.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Expensive
- Nature
- Active
- Outdoors
- Photo spot
Garden · Papara and the south coast
1.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.
Walk the upper loop for a view over the lagoon, and combine the gardens with lunch on the south coast.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Nature
- Couples
- Off the beaten path
Nature · Paea
2.Maraa Grotto
Beside the coast road in Paea, a short path leads to fern-hung caves with a still, cold pool reflecting the rock overhang. It makes an easy stop on a circle-island drive.
Visit early in the day to have the grotto to yourself, and keep to the path, which can be slippery.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Nature
- Kids
Beach · Punaauia
3.Plage de Vaiava (PK 18)
Tahiti's most popular public white-sand beach, at kilometre post 18 in Punaauia, has shallow lagoon water, coral patches for snorkelling and a view across the channel to Moorea. At weekends it fills with local families.
Bring your own mask and snorkel and swim out over the coral heads on the lagoon side, staying away from the boat channel.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Couples
Religious site · Papeete
4.Notre-Dame Cathedral of Papeete
The red-spired Catholic cathedral, completed in 1875, stands near the market in central Papeete. Sunday Mass features Tahitian-language hymns sung with strong harmonies.
If you are in town on a Sunday morning, attend part of a service for the singing, dressing modestly.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Architecture
Historic site · Paea
5.Marae Arahurahu
A restored marae, a sacred stone platform for ceremonies, set in a quiet valley in Paea below steep green cliffs. Interpretive signs explain how marae served as religious and political centres before European contact, and it is used for re-enactments during Heiva.
Treat the platform as a sacred site: do not climb on the stones.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- History
- Free
- Photo spot
Experience · Punaauia
6.Lagoon snorkel and whale-watching trips
Boat operators on the west coast run lagoon snorkelling trips to coral gardens, and from roughly August to October humpback whales visit to breed and calve offshore. Strict approach rules apply to whale trips in French Polynesian waters.
Choose a licensed whale-watching operator in season, and keep in mind that sightings depend on the animals' movements.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Expensive
- Kids
- Nature
- Active
- Outdoors
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | Musée de Tahiti et des Îles |
| History | Musée de Tahiti et des Îles, Point Venus, Notre-Dame Cathedral of Papeete and Marae Arahurahu |
| Outdoors and nature | Teahupo'o, Point Venus, Faarumai Waterfalls and Arahoho Blowhole |
| Food and markets | Marché de Papeete and Roulottes at Place Vaiete |
| After dark | Roulottes at Place Vaiete |
| With children | Roulottes at Place Vaiete, Point Venus, Arahoho Blowhole and Maraa Grotto |
| On a rainy day | Musée de Tahiti et des Îles |
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Tahiti?
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.
+What can you do for free in Tahiti?
Marché de Papeete, Point Venus, Faarumai Waterfalls, Arahoho Blowhole and Vaipahi Water Gardens. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Tahiti when it rains?
Head indoors to Musée de Tahiti et des Îles.
+What is there to do in Tahiti at night?
Roulottes at Place Vaiete are best after dark.