Region

Society Islands

Base on Moorea 3–5 nights, add Bora Bora or Huahine by Air Tahiti; Raiatea/Taha'a only if you sail or want marae.

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Key facts · French Polynesia

Best months: May–Oct
Visa: Depends on your passport
Currency: CFP franc
Language: French and Tahitian
Plugs: C · E · 220 V
Time zone: UTC−10 (Society, Tuamotu)

Month by month hereIn detail ↓

Rules in force · 6

Oceania ↗Oceania's island states guard their farms and reefs at the border: tick 'yes' on the arrival card for any food, plant, animal product, soil or used outdoor gear, and let the officer decide.
Oceania ↗Across the tropical South Pacific, cyclones are possible from November to April: choose insurance that covers weather delays and keep one spare night before a long-haul departure.
Polynesia ↗In much of Polynesia Sunday is kept for church and family: expect shops, tours and some flights to stop, and dress and behave quietly in villages.
French Polynesia ↗Entry rules are set by France but separately from Schengen: EU citizens enter freely, other passports should check the French government's rules for French Polynesia, and an onward ticket is required.
French Polynesia ↗Declare food, plants and animal products on arrival; moving plants and soil between islands is also restricted.
French Polynesia ↗Drive on the right, as in France; scooters and cars can be hired on the main islands.

The Society group is where almost every French Polynesia trip happens: Tahiti is the hub, Moorea is 40 minutes away by ferry, and Bora Bora, Huahine, Raiatea and Taha'a sit 35–50 minutes apart by Air Tahiti. Ferries only link Tahiti–Moorea; everything else is a flight. Two islands in 10 days is comfortable, three is tight.

Where to sleep

3 places in this region

Sleep base

Tahiti and MooreaRegion
Ferry-linked pair; Moorea is the value island.
Open Tahiti and Moorea →
Bora BoraCity guide
Lagoon and overwater bungalows; the expensive one.
Best May–Oct
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Bora Bora →

Also here

PapeeteTrip line
Faa'a airport, market, first or last night.
Best Apr–Oct
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Papeete →

Plan the nights

How to split the nights, day-trips and what to do with your bags

Open Plan the nightsClose Plan the nights3 partsNights · Day-trips · Bags

Night sequences

10 nights: Tahiti 1 + Moorea 4 + Bora Bora 4 (last night back near Faa'a)
10 nights: Tahiti 1 + Moorea 4 + Huahine 4 (cheaper, quieter)
14 nights: Tahiti 1 + Moorea 4 + Raiatea/Taha'a 4 + Bora Bora 4

Three islands in 10 days means three airport days; each hop costs half a day with transfers.
Overwater bungalows sell out months ahead in the May–Oct dry season and around July events in Papeete.
November to April is the wet and cyclone season; travel insurance and flexible flights matter.

Day-trips door to door

To	From	Door-to-door p50	Last return	Note
Moorea	Papeete	60 min	check	Ferry about 30–45 min; several sailings daily, check the last one before a late return.
Taha'a	Raiatea	60 min	check	Shuttle boat across the lagoon; vanilla and pearl farms.
Tetiaroa	Papeete	30 min	unknown	Air transfer to the atoll; day access is limited — check before planning.

Bags between cities

Inter-island flights have tight baggage limits; confirm your allowance with Air Tahiti and pre-book extra weight if you carry dive gear.

When to go

Months and weather

Open When to goClose When to go2 partsSeasons · Climate

Seasons at a glance

From each city's month table

Pick a month to see where to go.

Only good-now countries

Show all 12 months, country by countryHide the 12-month table

Country	JJan	FFeb	MMar	AApr	MMay	JJun	JJul	AAug	SSep	OOct	NNov	DDec
Bora Bora	×	×	×	×	go	go	go	go	go	go	×	×
Papeete	ok	ok	ok	go	go	go	go	go	go	go	ok	ok
French Polynesia (country-wide)	ok	ok	ok	go	go	go	go	go	go	go	ok	ok

Go: the good monthsFair: workable, mixedPoor: heat, rain or hazeAvoid: storms, floods, closuresno data yet

Computed from each country’s own data; hover a country name for the source. Advisory countries are left out.

Climate strip

Month by month

Zone	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Society IslandsTahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora, Huahine, Raiatea, Taha'a	wet	wet	wet	ok	best	best	best	best	best	best	ok	wet

best: dry, mildok: workablewet: daily rain

Society Islands: Dry season roughly May–Oct, cooler and breezier; wet season Nov–Apr is hotter, humid and cheaper, with cyclone risk Jan–Mar.

Lagoon water stays warm all year; the trade winds of the dry season make boat days more comfortable.

Getting in and passes

Arrival times and regional passes

Open Getting in and passesClose Getting in and passes2 partsGet in · Passes

Get in

Door-to-door p50, 2026 estimate

From	To	How	p50	Note
PPT (Faa'a, Tahiti)	Papeete	Taxi or rental car	~15 min	International gateway for the whole country; most long-haul flights land at night.
PPT (Faa'a, Tahiti)	Moorea	Ferry from Papeete or Air Tahiti to Moorea airport	~1 h door	Ferry is cheaper and runs several times a day; the flight is short but adds airport time.
PPT (Faa'a, Tahiti)	Bora Bora	Air Tahiti flight	~50 min flight	Then a boat or shuttle to your hotel; some resorts include it, some charge.
United States / France / New Zealand	Papeete	Nonstop or one-stop long-haul	8–22 h depending on origin	Nonstop from Los Angeles, Paris and Auckland; other origins connect once. Times vary by carrier and season.

Regional passes

Verdict first

Air Tahiti multi-island pass

check

Can beat separate fares on a two- or three-island route; run your exact legs before buying.

Tahiti–Moorea ferry

buy

Cheapest way between the two; buy at the terminal or online, foot passengers only on most sailings.

Inter-island cargo ship

skip

Slow and infrequent; not a practical way to move between Society islands on a short trip.

Eat and move on

Regional food and where to go next

Open Eat and move onClose Eat and move on2 partsFood · Go next

Regional food

Where and when it works

Dish	Where	Timing / trap
Poisson cru (raw fish in coconut milk)	Papeete market, Moorea snack stands	Lunch staple; cheap at roulottes (food trucks) in Papeete from evening.
Grilled lagoon fish and shrimp	Moorea, Huahine	Look for the catch of the day; portions are large.
Tahitian vanilla and pearl-farm snacks	Taha'a, Raiatea	Farm visits often include a tasting; check opening days.
Fruit and juice stalls	Papeete market	Mornings are best; the market winds down by early afternoon.

Go next

Tahiti and Moorea

Ferry ~30–45 min from Papeete

The easy first island pair.

Bora Bora

Air Tahiti ~50 min from Papeete

Lagoon and overwater bungalows.

Marquesas Islands

Air Tahiti flight, several hours

Separate trip; different climate and culture.

Tuamotu Islands

planned

Air Tahiti flight to Rangiroa or Fakarava

Add for diving, not for beaches.

Planning aids

Built from this guide's own data

Open Planning aidsClose Planning aids3 partsIn numbers · Going in… · Trips here

Region in numbers

Where to sleep: 2 bases
Day trips: 3, 30 min to 1 h
Nights suggested: 10–14 nights
Ways in: 4 listed
Best months: May–Oct

Going in…

Pick a month for the weather in each zone of the region, plus the country-wide rating and holidays.

Pick a month.

Trips that stop here

From the French Polynesia guide

Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora
7 days · 1 night here
Papeete → Moorea → Bora Bora
Three Society islands
10 days · 1 night here
Papeete → Moorea → Huahine → Bora Bora
Islands and atolls
14 days · 1 night here
Papeete → Moorea → Huahine → Bora Bora → Rangiroa or Fakarava

All French Polynesia trips →

Open French Polynesia Up to French Polynesia

Deep dive

Photos, reading and every source

Open Deep diveClose Deep dive1 partSources

Sources

officialTahiti Tourisme — official islands guide
officialAir Tahiti — inter-island flights and passes
secondaryWikivoyage: Society Islands, revision 5146621 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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