Travel guide
A French Polynesia guide with a local point of view
Clear answers on islands, seasons, transfers and trip styles. Time-sensitive facts carry a review date and are kept separate from sales claims.
Humpback whales in French Polynesia
Humpback whales reach French Polynesia from July to the end of October, according to the Direction de l’environnement; Tahiti Tourisme extends the season to November. They follow the coasts of the Society, Austral, Tuamotu and Gambier islands. Rurutu, in the Australs, is nicknamed “the whale island”, and trips also leave from Moorea, Tahiti and Tubuai. The whole country is a sanctuary: nobody may come within 15 metres of an animal, no boat within 100 metres, and only three authorised boats may enter the 300-metre observation zone, at under 3 knots and for no more than 15 minutes. Permits run from 20 July to 20 November.
Polynesian culture: marae, Heiva, tattoo, language
The marae are the former political, cultural and ceremonial centres of the Polynesians, open-air temples built of stone. The most important, Taputapuātea at Opoa on Raiatea, has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2017. It is visited by keeping to the paths, not climbing on the stones, in silence and without picnics. Living culture is met at the Heiva i Tahiti, the dance and song competition that fills Papeete every July, in ’ori Tahiti shows, at the tattoo artists found on almost every island and in the museums of Punaauia and Atuona. French is the official language; Tahitian is widely spoken, and ’Ia ora na opens every conversation.
Entry formalities for French Polynesia
French Polynesia has its own entry rules, different from those of mainland France and the Schengen area; the border police check arrivals at Tahiti-Faa’a airport. Citizens of the European Union enter with a valid passport and no visa. Other travellers show a passport valid for three months beyond their planned departure, with two blank pages and issued less than ten years ago; they need no visa for 90 days in any 180-day period if their country is on the exemption list (the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Japan among others), otherwise they need a short-stay visa valid for French Polynesia. The competent authority is the Haut-commissariat de la République in Papeete.
Hotels, pensions, rentals: where to stay in Polynesia
Country law no. 2018-10 of 29 March 2018 regulates tourist accommodation in French Polynesia. It distinguishes international tourist hotels, classified from 2 to 5 stars, pensions de famille, classified from 1 to 4 tiare, furnished tourist rentals, luxury villas and other categories; all must be declared to the Service du tourisme, while classification stays optional. On 30 June 2026 the country had 48 international tourist hotels and 307 pensions de famille spread across the five archipelagos. Cruises, cargo-passenger ships and boats chartered at Raiatea complete the picture. On this site every enquiry is checked by the agency, which confirms availability and price for your dates.
Money and payment: the Pacific franc
The currency is the Pacific franc, code XPF, often written F CFP. Its parity with the euro is fixed and written into the French monetary code: 1,000 XPF are worth 8.38 euros, so 10,000 XPF make 83.80 euros. Shops must accept CFP franc notes and coins; US dollars are not accepted. Visa and Mastercard work in most hotels and shops on Tahiti, Moorea and Bora Bora, and cash machines exist in Papeete and in the main towns of the larger islands. On the atolls and the remote islands, guesthouses and small shops often work in cash: withdraw before you go. Tipping is not expected; service has been included in hotel and restaurant bills since 2007.
The Tahitian cultured pearl: farms, grades, buying
The Tahitian cultured pearl is produced by a black-lipped oyster, Pinctada margaritifera, grafted in the lagoons. Most come from the Tuamotu and the Gambier; farms can be visited on Rangiroa, Fakarava, Manihi, Huahine and Taha’a, and Mangareva counted 124 pearl farmers in July 2024. Pearls generally measure 8 to 14 mm, in a palette from green to grey and from cream to aubergine. The Direction des ressources marines grades their surface from TOP GEM, with no flaw, down to D; lustre, colour, size and shape count as well. Country law no. 2017-16 governs production and sale; when buying, ask for a certificate of authenticity.
Diving and snorkelling: Fakarava, Rangiroa and beyond
You can dive all year round in French Polynesia. The passes of the Tuamotu atolls are the best-known sites: on Fakarava, a UNESCO biosphere reserve, the Garuae pass, 1,600 metres wide, and the southern Tumakohua pass with its wall of grey sharks; on Rangiroa, the Tiputa and Avatoru passes, between 12 and 46 metres; on Tikehau, the Tuheiava pass, 8 to 23 metres. Moorea, Bora Bora and Tahiti offer sites for beginners and two wrecks at Faa’a. Tahiti Tourisme reserves the drift dives of Rangiroa and Fakarava for divers with at least a Level 2 certification and places the best visibility, 30 to 40 metres, in the dry season from May to October.
Which islands for a first trip?
Every trip begins on Tahiti, the only air gateway. Moorea, 17 km away, is reached by ferry in 25 to 50 minutes. The Leeward Islands, Huahine, Raiatea, Taha’a and Bora Bora, are 35 to 50 minutes away by air; Bora Bora also connects directly with Raiatea in 20 minutes and with Moorea in 50. The Tuamotu atolls, Rangiroa, Fakarava and Tikehau, are an hour’s flight away and are first of all for divers; Air Moana links them directly with Bora Bora. The Marquesas, 1,500 km and over three hours’ flying away, and the Australs, an hour and a half away, call for a longer stay. Two weeks allow Tahiti, Moorea, one or two Leeward Islands and an atoll.
Seasons and climate in French Polynesia
The climate is tropical, maritime and humid, tempered by the trade winds. Météo-France distinguishes two seasons: a warm, wet season from November to April, the southern summer, and a cooler, drier season from May to October, the southern winter. At Faa’a the annual mean temperature is 26 °C; December and January are the wettest months in the Society Islands and the Tuamotu, March the warmest. The Marquesas have little-marked seasons, with rain from January to August; the Australs and the Gambier are cooler, below 25 °C on average, with rain spread over the year. The cyclone risk runs from November to April. Humpback whales are present from July to the end of October.
Health and safety in French Polynesia
No vaccination is required to enter French Polynesia, except against yellow fever for those arriving from an endemic area; routine vaccines are recommended. The everyday risks are dengue, carried by mosquitoes, the sun, strong all year round, ciguatera, a poisoning caused by certain lagoon fish, and the currents of the passes. The Centre hospitalier de la Polynésie française, at Pirae on Tahiti, works day and night; the other islands have at least a hospital, a dispensary, a doctor’s surgery or a nursing station, and serious cases are flown to Tahiti. The emergency numbers are 15 for the SAMU ambulance service, 17 for the police, 18 for the fire service and 16 for sea rescue.
Getting around between and on the islands
Tahiti-Faa’a is the only international airport; from there Air Tahiti serves 47 islands and atolls according to Tahiti Tourisme, Air Moana nine islands, including Bora Bora in 50 minutes and Rangiroa in an hour. Moorea is reached by ferry from Papeete, with four companies and 25 to 50 minutes’ crossing depending on the vessel. The Apetahi Express links Tahiti with Huahine, Raiatea, Taha’a and Bora Bora, three hours to Huahine. The cargo-passenger ships Aranui 5 (Marquesas) and Tuhaa Pae IV (Australs) take passengers for one to two weeks. On the islands: hire cars and scooters, taxis at regulated fares, Tere Tahiti buses on Tahiti and, on Bora Bora, boat shuttles between the airport on its motu and Vaitape.
Tourist tax and taxes on accommodation
Three levies apply to accommodation. The tourist tax is municipal, due per person and per night, collected by the host and passed on to the commune. Until 31 December 2026 the rates date from 1997: 50 to 200 F CFP depending on the commune and the accommodation, with children under 12 exempt. From 1 January 2027, country law no. 2025-38 allows up to 1,500 F CFP per night in a five-star hotel, with only children under 2 exempt. The 3.5% tourism promotion levy on rooms in international hotels disappears on 1 January 2027, and VAT on accommodation moves from 5% or 13% to 9%, except for family guesthouses and bed and breakfasts.
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