Traveling Beyond Tahiti
Provided you have the time and the budget, a trip to Tahiti can be combined with other South Pacific islands or New Zealand. My favorite combination is New Zealand for two to three weeks plus Tahiti for five to seven days. Or for those who are looking for a longer island stay, a week in Tahiti followed by five days in the Cook Islands.
Flight schedules can be tricky, and you’ll definitely want to work with a travel agent to coordinate the pieces. Current flight options include:
- HAWAII – Hawaiian Airlines operates Saturday flights between Honolulu and Papeete.
- NEW ZEALAND – Air New Zealand operates flights between Papeete and Auckland Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Air Tahiti Nui operates flights between Papeete and Auckland Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. Fight is approximately 5 ½ hours.
- MARQUESAS ISLANDS – part of French Polynesia but decidedly different from the Society Islands and Tuamotu Islands. Flights operate daily between Papeete and Nuku Hiva (3 ½ hour duration) and weekly from Bora Bora and Rangiroa.
- EASTER ISLAND – LAN Airlines operates once weekly flights between Easter Island and Papeete on Tuesdays. This destination might be easier to combine with Santiago Chile, since flights operate between Santiago and Easter Islands 6 days/week.
- COOK ISLANDS – Air Tahiti Nui operates flights from Papeete to Rarotonga on Thursdays and Saturdays.
There are currently no direct flights between Tahiti and Fiji, or Tahiti and Australia. However, Paul Gauguin offers a Fiji & Tahiti combination cruise. Cruise lines offer select itineraries that might combine Tahiti with Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, or Hawaii. Something to consider is a South Pacific cruise with a stay in Tahiti before or after the cruise. As these itineraries change year to year, contact us to get more information on this possible vacation option.
Visit our sister site ExpertFamilyTravel.com if you are interested in other destinations (Caribbean, Mexico, Hawaii, Fiji, Western Europe, Costa Rica).