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🇵🇫 Itinerary · French Polynesia · 7 days

1-week French Polynesia itinerary 2026: the essentials

Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora in 7 days: the tested combo for discovering the Society Islands without rushing, with detailed budget and seasonal options.

🔄 Updated June 30, 2026

📅 See the program 🔄 See variants

In brief

Duration

7 days

Stops

3 islands

Average budget

€2,100-3,900

Total distance

~280 km

Profile

Lagoon & relaxation

Season

May-Oct

Tahiti 2d · Moorea 2d · Bora Bora 3d

Itinerary map

The route at a glance

French Polynesia 1-week itinerary map: Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora

© OpenStreetMap contributors

Detailed program

7 days, day by day

1

~€60/pers

Tahiti · Arrival & first contact

  • Evening Arrival at Tahiti-Faa'a airport (PPT) after a technical stop in Los Angeles or San Francisco (~22-24h total flight from Paris). Transfer to Punaauia (20 min, shuttle or taxi).
  • Night Check-in and recovery night. No sightseeing planned the first evening, the 11-12h time difference with France hits fast.
🛌 🛌 Punaauia · e.g. Hilton Tahiti (1 night)·🚗 Hotel shuttle or taxi (~€25)·Tahiti guide →
2

~€70

Tahiti → Moorea · Market, waterfall and crossing

  • 8am Papeete market (black pearls, vanilla, fruit), especially lively on Sunday mornings.
  • 10am Short hike to the Fataua valley waterfall (about 1h30 round trip from Papeete).
  • 1pm Lunch at a roulotte (food truck) on the Papeete waterfront.
  • 3pm Aremiti ferry to Moorea (30-40 min, €16). In June 2025, the 4pm departure was full: better to aim for an earlier crossing in high season.
🛌 🛌 Tiahura · e.g. Manava Beach Resort & Spa (2 nights)·⛴️ Aremiti Express ferry (5 crossings/day, no booking needed outside high season)
3

~€75

Moorea · Lagoon, rays and turtles

  • 9am Lagoon boat tour (€55): swimming with stingrays and blacktip reef sharks, snorkeling over coral heads.
  • 1pm Picnic on a private motu, usually included in the tour.
  • 4pm Temae public beach or relaxing in front of the hotel.
  • Evening Dinner at Coco Beach, in Tiahura: poisson cru in coconut milk, blacktip reef sharks visible right from the tables on the lagoon.
4

~€190

Moorea → Bora Bora · Belvedere and flight to the world's most famous lagoon

  • 8am Drive up to the Moorea Belvedere (view over Cook's Bay and Opunohu Bay).
  • 10am From July to November: possibility of a boat outing to watch humpback whales (peak in August-September).
  • 1pm Flight Moorea → Bora Bora (Air Tahiti or Air Moana, ~50 min, around €150). Direct links are limited: most flights connect through Papeete with a short stop.
  • 4pm Check-in and first sunset over the lagoon from the deck.
🛌 🛌 Bora Bora · e.g. InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa (3 nights)·✈️ Domestic flight (direct or via Papeete depending on the day)
5

~€95

Bora Bora · Lagoon tour and motu

  • 9am Boat lagoon tour (€70): snorkeling with manta rays and lemon sharks, coral garden.
  • 1pm Picnic on a motu, often included in the tour.
  • 4pm Matira Beach, the island's only public beach, for a late-afternoon swim.
  • Evening Dinner at the Bora Bora Yacht Club, in Vaitape, with views of the lagoon and Mount Otemanu.
6

~€50

Bora Bora · Relaxation and overwater bungalow

  • Morning Free snorkeling right off the bungalow deck, fish visible within the first few meters.
  • Afternoon Kayak or paddleboard rental on the lagoon (€25/h), or a spa treatment at the hotel.
  • Evening Last sunset over Mount Otemanu, dinner by the water.
7

Flight

Bora Bora → Tahiti → France · Return

  • Morning Last-minute shopping in Vaitape (Tahitian pearls, monoi oil, vanilla).
  • 12pm Flight Bora Bora → Tahiti (50 min).
  • Evening Return flight Tahiti → Paris, with a technical stop in Los Angeles or San Francisco.

How much

Itinerary budget (per person, flight included)

Backpacker

€2,100

per person

  • ✈️ Return flight: €1,150
  • 🏨 Guesthouse: €90-130/night
  • 🍜 Local meals: €25/day
  • ⛴️ Tahiti-Moorea ferry: €16
  • ✈️ Moorea-Bora Bora flight: €140
  • 🎫 Activities: €120
Recommended

Comfort

€3,900

per person

  • ✈️ Return flight: €1,250
  • 🏨 3-4★ hotel: €280/night
  • 🍽️ Mixed restos: €45/day
  • ✈️ Air Tahiti inter-island pass: €320
  • 🎫 Lagoon tours: €250

Honeymoon

€10,800

per person

  • ✈️ Business flight: €3,200
  • 🏨 5★ overwater bungalow, Bora Bora: €1,800/night
  • 🍽️ Half-board + restaurants: €90/day
  • 🚤 Private boat transfers: €350
  • 🎫 Private tours: €400

Shorter, longer

Other possible durations

You're here

1 week

1 week

Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora. The essential Society Islands.

2 weeks

2 weeks

Adds Huahine for a more authentic stop.

1 month

1 month

A full tour of the 5 archipelagos, from the Tuamotus to the Marquesas.

How to get around

Itinerary logistics

This itinerary combines 1 inter-island ferry, 1 inter-island flight and several shuttles. All for around €200-250 of transport over 7 days, excluding the international flight.

⛴️

Aremiti ferry Tahiti-Moorea

€16 · 30-40 min · 5 crossings/day, no booking needed outside high season

✈️

Flight Moorea → Bora Bora

~€150 · Air Tahiti or Air Moana · 50 min, often via Papeete

🚗

Airport-hotel shuttle or taxi

€20-30 · Tahiti and Moorea · sometimes included by the hotel

🚤

Hotel-airport boat transfer

Bora Bora: often included by the hotel, otherwise ~€25

Adapt by season

Dry season, whale season, or wet season: adjust the plan

This itinerary is built around the dry season (May-October), the most comfortable window for ferry and boat crossings. If you travel between July and November, peaking in August-September, add a humpback whale outing in Moorea on the morning of day 4, before the flight to Bora Bora. Between November and April, the warm and humid season brings more frequent showers (peaking December-January) but also noticeably lower hotel rates, especially in Bora Bora: the best window for this same itinerary on a tighter budget.

Author tips

What I would redo (and change)

✅ Would redo

  • • In September 2025, the sunrise humpback whale outing in Moorea lasted 3 hours before we crossed paths with a mother and her calf about 30 meters from the boat: the strongest memory of the trip.
  • • The morning ferry to Moorea rather than the afternoon one, almost always calmer
  • • The private motu picnic in Bora Bora, far cheaper than a hotel dinner for a more memorable experience
  • • Booking the Moorea-Bora Bora flight right on arrival in Tahiti: direct flights are rare and sell out fast in high season
  • • Dinner at Coco Beach in Moorea, blacktip reef sharks visible from the table

⚠️ Would change

  • • One more night in Moorea and one less in Bora Bora for travelers on a tighter budget
  • • Avoid booking the return Bora Bora-Tahiti flight too early on the last morning, in case of delay
  • • Get the Air Tahiti inter-island pass if more than 3 flights are planned during the trip
  • • Check the availability of a direct Moorea-Bora Bora flight before booking, otherwise plan for a Papeete connection

FAQ

Itinerary FAQ

Is 7 days enough to discover French Polynesia? +
Yes, for a first look at the Society Islands: Tahiti, Moorea and Bora Bora are easy to cover in 7 days thanks to short connections (30-40 min ferry, 50 min flight). For the Tuamotus or the Marquesas, plan for 2 weeks to 1 month instead.
Should you book the ferry and inter-island flight in advance? +
The Aremiti ferry can't be booked (first come, first served, 5 crossings/day), except in very high season when booking online avoids waiting on the dock. The Moorea-Bora Bora flight is best booked 1 to 2 months ahead, especially in July-August and over the year-end holidays.
Can you visit Bora Bora on a budget? +
Yes, as long as you stay in a guesthouse in Vaitape (€100-150/night) rather than an overwater bungalow (€1,200 and up per night). The lagoon and boat tours remain accessible at the same price for every visitor.
What's the best period for this itinerary? +
May to October for the dry season, the most comfortable for boat transfers. July to November, peaking in August-September, adds the chance to see humpback whales in Moorea.
Direct flight between Moorea and Bora Bora, or a Papeete connection? +
Both exist. Air Tahiti and Air Moana offer a few direct links per week (50 minutes), but most flights connect through Papeete with a short stop. Check the schedule before booking your day's activities.
Do you need a visa for this itinerary? +
No for French citizens: French Polynesia is a French territory, but a valid passport is mandatory because nearly all international flights transit through the United States, even for a simple technical stop.

Marie Laurent ✓

·

Southeast Asia specialist · itinerary personally tested.

Last updated: June 30, 2026.

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