When to go · Papeete
Papeete in December
Mixed month. Hot and wet; Christmas peak fills rooms and flights.
Key facts
- Verdict
- Mixed
- Temperature
- 31°C (88°F)88°F (31°C) / 24°C (75°F)75°F (24°C)
- average high / low
- Rain days
- 18
- Crowds
- High
- French Polynesia overall
- Prices
- High
- French Polynesia overall
Verdict
Hot and wet; Christmas peak fills rooms and flights.
All twelve months in one grid — weather, crowds and prices, with gaps left as unknown.
Is another month better than December?
December is rated mixed. These months rate higher:
Weather in December
- PapeeteHighs around 31 °C (88 °F), lows around 24 °C (75 °F), rain on about 18 daysHighs around 88 °F (31 °C), lows around 75 °F (24 °C), rain on about 18 days
Wet season season
Green hillsides, lower prices, warm sea.
Watch: Heavy rain and cyclone risk from January to March; check the forecast.
Festivals and holidays
Dates as our data lists them. Moving holidays (lunar and Islamic calendars, Easter) shift every year: check the date for your year before you build a trip on it.
Christmas and New Year check
Late December · Town
Flights and rooms full; many shops close on 25 December.
Wet and cyclone season
Nov to Apr
Heavy rain; check weather warnings and ferry status.
Crowds and prices
- Crowds · French Polynesia overall
- High
- Prices · French Polynesia overall
- High
French Polynesia overall: Rainy start of cyclone season but Christmas fills everything — book early.
High-price month: see what to book ahead.
Compare two months
Weather, crowds and prices for any two months in Papeete, side by side.
Verdict
Dec: Mixed
Apr: Great (better)
Daytime high
Dec: 31 °C (88 °F)88 °F (31 °C)
Apr: 31 °C (88 °F)88 °F (31 °C)
Night low
Dec: 24 °C (75 °F)75 °F (24 °C)
Apr: 24 °C (75 °F)75 °F (24 °C)
Rain days
Dec: 18
Apr: 13 (better)
Crowds
Dec: High
Apr: Low
Prices
Dec: High
Apr: Medium
Festivals listed
Dec: 2
Apr: 1
December: Hot and wet; Christmas peak fills rooms and flights.
April: Rain easing; Easter closures.
Papeete: figures are long-term averages from this guide, not a forecast.
What to pack
- Light, breathable clothes, a sun hat and sunscreen
- A rain jacket or umbrella and shoes that dry fast