When to go · Papeete
Papeete in May
Great month. Drier, cooler; good walking.
Key facts
- Verdict
- Great
- Temperature
- 30°C (86°F)86°F (30°C) / 23°C (73°F)73°F (23°C)
- average high / low
- Rain days
- 10
- Crowds
- Medium
- French Polynesia overall
- Prices
- Medium
- French Polynesia overall
Verdict
Drier, cooler; good walking.
All twelve months in one grid — weather, crowds and prices, with gaps left as unknown.
Is another month better than May?
No other month rates higher than May for Papeete in this guide.
Weather in May
- PapeeteHighs around 30 °C (86 °F), lows around 23 °C (73 °F), rain on about 10 daysHighs around 86 °F (30 °C), lows around 73 °F (23 °C), rain on about 10 days
Dry season season
Cooler, drier and clear; Heiva in July; the busiest months.
Watch: Book flights and rooms early; July prices peak.
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.
Feast of the Ascension and Whitsun holidays check
Movable · Town
Banks and shops shut; ferries fill.
Crowds and prices
- Crowds · French Polynesia overall
- Medium
- Prices · French Polynesia overall
- Medium
French Polynesia overall: Dry season starts; one of the best value months.
Compare two months
Weather, crowds and prices for any two months in Papeete, side by side.
Verdict
May: Great
Apr: Great
Daytime high
May: 30 °C (86 °F)86 °F (30 °C)
Apr: 31 °C (88 °F)88 °F (31 °C)
Night low
May: 23 °C (73 °F)73 °F (23 °C)
Apr: 24 °C (75 °F)75 °F (24 °C)
Rain days
May: 10 (better)
Apr: 13
Crowds
May: Medium
Apr: Low
Prices
May: Medium
Apr: Medium
Festivals listed
May: 1
Apr: 1
May: Drier, cooler; good walking.
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