With kids · Tahiti · French Polynesia
Tahiti with kids
Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Pictured: Teahupo'o, Tahiti · Photo: Saga70, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Tahiti suits families who enjoy the outdoors: calm lagoon beaches in Punaauia, waterfalls, a blowhole and the evening food trucks. Distances are short, but a car makes life much easier with children. Top picks: Plage de Vaiava (PK 18), Point Venus and Arahoho Blowhole. Families usually base themselves in Punaauia.
Key facts
- Family picks
- 6
- Best area for families
- Punaauia
- Rainy-day options
- 0
- Busiest months
- July–August
Plan a trip to Tahiti
Compare flights, places to stay and rental cars, then book with the provider you choose.
Best things to do with kids
Beach · Punaauia
1.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
Beach · Arue and Mahina
2.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
Viewpoint · Tiarei
3.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
Experience · Papeete
4.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
Nature · Paea
5.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
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
Where families should stay
$$$ · Best for beach, families, couples and luxury
Punaauia
Punaauia, about 15 km south of Papeete, is Tahiti's main resort and residential coast. The public beach at PK 18 (Plage de Vaiava) has white sand and good snorkelling, the Musée de Tahiti et des Îles sits on the lagoon, and supermarkets and restaurants serve the local suburbs.
- Good
- Best swimming beaches on Tahiti; Sunset views of Moorea; Calm lagoon water
- Watch out
- Spread out; you need a car; Resort prices
- Nearby
- Musée de Tahiti et des Îles, Plage de Vaiava (PK 18), Taina marina
Family travel tips
- Bring reef shoes for children; coral and black sand can hurt bare feet.
- Apply reef-safe sunscreen and use sun shirts; the sun is intense year-round.
- Ferry rides to Moorea are short and often a highlight for children.
- Resort kids' clubs are limited compared with larger destinations, so plan activities yourself.
Day trips for families
- Moorea (About 30–45 minutes by ferry) — 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.
- Circle-island drive (A full day with stops) — Driving around Tahiti Nui links Point Venus, the Arahoho Blowhole, the Faarumai Waterfalls, the Vaipahi gardens, Maraa Grotto and the west-coast beaches.
- Papenoo Valley 4x4 tour (Half a day with pick-up) — 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.
When to go with children
The best months overall are May–October. July–August are the busiest, so book the big sights early. Weather by month.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Tahiti good for kids?
Tahiti suits families who enjoy the outdoors: calm lagoon beaches in Punaauia, waterfalls, a blowhole and the evening food trucks. Distances are short, but a car makes life much easier with children.
+What can kids do in Tahiti?
Plage de Vaiava (PK 18), Point Venus, Arahoho Blowhole, Roulottes at Place Vaiete and Maraa Grotto.
+Where should families stay in Tahiti?
Punaauia: West-coast suburbs with white-sand beaches and the island museum.