Things to do in Tahiti
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Tahiti
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Dry season, clearest water, biggest surf May to October, whales August to October, peak prices.
Wet season, hotter and humid with heavy showers, fullest falls, lower prices and storm risk December to February.
What's on
- Heiva i Tahiti Usually July
Dance and song competition at Place To'ata in Papeete, with winners podium nights after prize giving.
- Teahupoo professional surf contest August, dates vary
Annual professional contest window at Teahupoo, boats and peninsula beds book out.
- Humpback whale season August to October, peak September
Regulated morning whale trips from west coast marinas, in water only if guides allow.
Best things to do in Tahiti
Pointe Venus
Lighthouse point tied to Cook and the Bounty, with a black sand family beach and picnic park.
Faarumai Waterfalls
Three east coast falls on short forest paths, the first an easy walk and the upper two a longer loop.
Trou du Souffleur d'Arahoho
East coast blowhole where surf erupts through a lava tube, worth five minutes on a circuit day only.
Grottes de Maraa
Fern grottoes and clear pools at a cliff foot in Paea, a short shaded stop on the west coast leg.
Jardins d'eau de Vaipahi
Botanical water garden with lily ponds, springs and a small waterfall on easy labelled paths.
Jardin Botanique Harrison Smith
Large mature garden planted from the 1920s, with giant trees, ponds and tortoises at Papeari.
Marae Arahurahu
Restored stone ceremonial platform in a valley, the most accessible well kept marae on Tahiti.
Tautira
Village where the northeast Iti road ends, with a black sand bay and the boat only Pari coast beyond.
Where to stay in Tahiti
West and south coast, Punaauia to Papara
resort base, families, lagoon access
Lagoon front west coast facing Moorea, near Marina Taina, with the city strip cross-referenced to Papeete.
Taravao and the plateau, Tahiti Iti
two coast Iti touring, supplies
Isthmus supply town and plateau pensions, the practical base for both peninsular coasts by car.
Teahupoo and the southwest road end
surf watching, wild coast, slow stays
Road end village with the wave, Fenua Aihere boats and the island's best known lodge and pension.
Pueu and the northeast coast toward Tautira
road end days, quiet village stays
Remote northeast Iti coast between Taravao and Tautira, with minimal supplies and lagoon access.
Think twice about
- Teahupoo reef pass and lagoon passes as swimming places
Heavy surf over shallow reef at Teahupoo and current swept boat channels at passes. Watch from a local boat or shore.
- Unlit coast road stretches on Tahiti Iti at night
Narrow, dark roads with dogs, scooters and drink driving risk. Finish the circuit in daylight and sleep near dinner.
Best restaurants in Tahiti
Le Carre
Resort splurge for French Polynesian fusion at sunset over the lagoon toward Moorea.
La Plage
Independent French restaurant and beach bar at PK 13.2, the residents' west coast dinner.
Vanira Lodge Restaurant
Lodge dinner at the road end built on seasonal local fish, booked with the room in surf season.
Vini Vini Taravao
Taravao fish snack for poke, sushi, carpaccio and burgers at lunch between the two Iti coasts.
Snack Teavaiti
Evening local snack on the Teahupoo side serving burgers and generous grilled snack plates.
Snack Mahana Api
Isthmus snack for early breakfasts, baguette sandwiches and grilled plates on a circuit day.
pizza Teahupoo Luciano
Roulotte style pizza takeaway by Vanira Lodge, eaten at a pension terrace after a boat day.
Outdoor things to do in Tahiti
Papenoo Valley
Guided 4x4 safari up Tahiti's largest valley to waterfalls, marae and the volcanic centre.
Teahupo'o
Local boat into the channel beside the famous reef break to watch a very heavy wave safely.
Fenua Aihere
Boat only wild Pari coast from Teahupoo, with caves, falls and clear snorkelling away from roads.
Plage de Taharuu
Beginner surf lessons on a forgiving black sand beach break on the south coast at Papara.
Eleuthera Tahiti Diving Center
Marina Taina dive centre for west coast pass, wall and lagoon wreck dives with sharks and turtles.
Vaiava Beach
DIY lagoon snorkelling off the PK18 beach, with coral heads and reef fish clearest in the morning.
TOPDIVE Tahiti
Regulated morning whale trips from August to October, in water only if the guide allows it.
Golf de Tahiti Olivier Breaud
Full 18 holes on an old plantation site among lakes and trees under the south coast ridgeline.
Best hotels in Tahiti
Tahiti Ia Ora Beach Resort - Managed by Sofitel
Large lagoon resort near Toaroto beach with overwater bungalows, a sand bottom pool and Le Carre.
Omati Lodge
Small plateau guest house with kitchenette villas and views over the valley and east coast.
Pension Chez Jeannine
Simple plateau pension with rooms, bungalows, a pool and views to both coasts of the peninsula.
Vanira Lodge
Nine natural material bungalows on a lagoon facing hillside at the Teahupoo road end, with a restaurant.
Pension Reva Teahupoo
Family pension in Teahupoo village near the beach and the wave and Fenua Aihere boat departures.
Villa Mitirapa
Private beachfront villa with pool and garden on the Toahutu side, booked as a house not a hotel.
A Pueu Village
Small village stay in Pueu on the Tautira road, with garden, patio and seasonal pool.
Is Tahiti expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | CFPF 14,000 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | CFPF 30,000 a person |
| Splurge | CFPF 65,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Papenoo Valley: a few days ahead
- Teahupo'o: a few days ahead
- Fenua Aihere: a few days ahead
- Plage de Taharuu: a few days ahead
- Eleuthera Tahiti Diving Center: a few days ahead
- TOPDIVE Tahiti: weeks ahead
- Le Carre: a few days ahead
- La Plage: a few days ahead
- Book Iti pensions, cars, Teahupoo and Fenua Aihere boats and Papenoo safaris days to weeks ahead in July and August.
- Book whale trips early in a stay from August to October for a weather rebook margin.
- Book pension dinners with the house by the morning of the day.
Is Tahiti safe?
- Ocean risk comes first: passes, reef breaks, rip currents, stonefish and coral cuts.
- Petty theft from rental cars and beaches is the main crime risk, leave nothing visible.
- Use repellent for dengue risk, reef safe sunscreen, and insurance with medical evacuation cover.
Tahiti travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- The Gauguin Museum in Papeari has been closed since 2013, any tour headlining it is out of date.
- Arahoho Blowhole is a short stop, not a standalone destination.
- Teahupoo is not a surf lesson, learners belong at Taharuu and Papenoo beach breaks.
Getting around Tahiti: public transport and more
- Rental car is essential outside Papeete, navigate by PK markers and fill up in Papeete or Taravao.
- Buses radiate from Papeete and thin out evenings and Sundays, taxis are a city and airport tool.
- Drive in daylight where possible, especially on the east and south coasts and Tahiti Iti.
Who Tahiti suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | OK |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | OK |
Make Tahiti your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
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