Things to do in Pago Pago
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Pago Pago
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Dry season, the recommended window: better trails, clearer snorkelling and the fullest flight pattern.
Humpback whales are in sanctuary waters late in the dry season, with song noted at Fagatele from June to September.
Shoulder into wet: humidity and rain build and cyclone season opens, but settled days are still good.
Wet and cyclone season: heavy rain, muddy trails, disrupted inter island flights and Christmas closures.
Flag Day on 17 April fills hotels at the tail of the wet season, with longboat races and celebrations.
What's on
- Flag Day 17 April
The territory biggest celebration, marking the 1900 Tutuila cession, with fautasi longboat races, parades, singing and dancing.
Best things to do in Pago Pago
National Park of American Samoa Visitor Center
Start here for park maps, trail conditions and village etiquette advice from rangers before any hike.
Mount Alava
A hard muddy ridge hike to the summit above the harbour, with the best caldera view in the territory.
Pola Island
A short flat park trail in Vatia village to views of Pola Island, the Cockscomb stack offshore.
Jean P. Haydon Museum
The small territory museum in Fagatogo for Samoan fine mats, bark cloth, tools and naval era history.
Fagatogo Market
The morning market and bus hub at the heart of town, best for produce, fish and everyday harbour life.
Rainmaker Mountain
The landmark dome called Mount Pioa that traps the clouds and makes the harbour famously wet weather.
Two Dollar Beach
A privately run white sand beach with reef sheltered swimming and snorkelling for a small cash fee.
Turtle and Shark
A cliff viewpoint tied to a famous Samoan legend, to look at only, since the cove below is dangerous.
Where to stay in Pago Pago
Utulei and Fagatogo
first trips and walking to town
The harbour base between the visitor center, museum, market and bus station, with the two harbour stays.
Ottoville and the Tafuna plain
airport convenience and business stays
Flatter and more spread out near the airport road, home to the largest hotel, but you drive for the harbour.
Ofu, Manua
Ofu Beach and snorkelling
A separate trip inside the trip, with lodge meals, cash only payment and no ATM on the island.
Think twice about
- Pago Pago Harbor waterfront, for swimming
A working port with the tuna cannery and boat traffic. Use it for views and walks, and swim at named beaches instead.
Best restaurants in Pago Pago
Tisa's Barefoot Bar
A barefoot beach restaurant at Alega famous for fresh seafood and its Wednesday umu earth oven feast.
Goat Island Cafe
The reliable all day cafe at Sadie's by the Sea, serving Pacific and American dishes over the harbour.
The Equator Restaurant
The Tradewinds Hotel dining room in Ottoville, the sensible table for airport side travellers.
DDW Beach Cafe
A waterfront American cafe at Utulei Beach Park for breakfast and lunch by the town swim spot.
Paradise Pizza
A local pizza place on the main road, the cheap group dinner and budget release valve in town.
Outdoor things to do in Pago Pago
Leala Shoreline Trail
A gentle park shoreline walk near Leone through littoral forest to rocky points and reef views.
Ofu Beach
A long empty park beach fronting Toaga Lagoon, the finest snorkelling water in American Samoa.
Blunts Point
Wartime harbour defence guns above the harbour mouth, on a short steep walk starting in town.
Aunu'u Island
A small village island off Auasi reached by local boat, with crater lakes and quiet walking tracks.
Best hotels in Pago Pago
Sadie's by the Sea
The default harbour stay in Utulei, with a pool, a small beach and a view straight down the harbour.
Tradewinds Hotel
The largest hotel, near the airport road in Ottoville, with a pool, restaurant and airport shuttle.
Sadie Thompson Inn
A small historic inn in the Maugham building in Fagatogo, with a restaurant and bar and town on foot.
Vaoto Lodge
A simple seven room cash only lodge by the Ofu airstrip, the practical base for Ofu Beach.
Is Pago Pago expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | $90 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | $180 a person |
| Splurge | $320 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary: a few days ahead
- Ofu Beach: weeks ahead
- Sadie's by the Sea: weeks ahead
- Tradewinds Hotel: weeks ahead
- Sadie Thompson Inn: a few days ahead
- Vaoto Lodge: weeks ahead
- Tisa's Barefoot Bar: a few days ahead
- Fix the Honolulu flight days first, two or three a week, and build hotels and Ofu dates around them.
- Book harbour hotels, rental cars, the Tisa's umu and any Ofu lodge stay weeks ahead, by phone where needed.
Is Pago Pago safe?
- No lifeguards anywhere: check currents locally, watch the Ofu rip channel, and clean reef cuts fast.
- Carry a stick on rural walks for free roaming dogs, use repellent for dengue, and insure for medical evacuation.
Pago Pago travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Do not swim in the harbour or in the Turtle and Shark cove at Vaitogi, however calm it looks.
- Do not plan beaches, shopping or Fagatele Bay land access on a Sunday without a specific prior arrangement.
Getting around Pago Pago: public transport and more
- Rent a car ahead and drive slowly on the right at the 25 mph limit, since sights string along one coastal road.
- Aiga buses and taxis are cheap and useful in town but thin out at night and on Sundays.
Who Pago Pago suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | OK |
| Couples | Good |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Pago Pago your trip
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