South Pacific • The Islands of Tahiti
Tahiti
The overwater bungalow was invented here — and no photograph has ever done the water justice.
A hundred and eighteen islands scattered across five archipelagos, where French savoir-faire meets Polynesian warmth — Bora Bora's impossible lagoon, Moorea's jagged green peaks, and atolls where the diving is the whole point. Non-stop flights from Auckland put it around five hours from home — closer than most people think.
Tell us how much you'd like us to arrange — just the resort, or your flights, the inter-island hops, transfers, lagoon days and travel insurance shaped around it too. Either way, you deal with one consultant who knows these islands well.
The Original
Where overwater began
The overwater bungalow was born in French Polynesia, and nowhere else does it quite the same — glass floors over living coral, breakfast delivered by outrigger canoe, and Bora Bora's lagoon in every shade of blue there is.
The French Pacific
Art de vivre, island time
French Polynesia is exactly that — proper baguettes and poisson cru, fine dining over the water, and a Polynesian welcome underneath it all. It's the South Pacific with a glass of something cold and French in hand.
Island Hopping
Five archipelagos, one trip
Air Tahiti's short domestic hops link the islands — Papeete to Bora Bora is around fifty minutes — so a single holiday can take in Moorea's peaks, Bora Bora's lagoon and an atoll where the snorkelling starts at your deck. We'll sequence the hops so the trip unfolds in the right order.
The Fine Travel Difference
A trusted travel agency since 2000 • TAANZ • CLIA • IATA Accredited
Relationships that run deep
We've been sending New Zealanders to the islands since 2000, with access to wholesale rates and bonus offers you won't find booking direct — and the judgement to tell you when an overwater bungalow is worth it, and when a beachfront villa is the smarter spend.
As much, or as little, as you like
Just the resort, or the whole trip arranged around it — flights, the inter-island hops, lagoon excursions, transfers and travel insurance. You choose where our help starts and stops.
Complimentary documentation
If you prefer hard copies of your travel documentation, we'll courier them to you at no cost.
Collection
Bora Bora
The most famous lagoon in the world, ringed by a single road and a necklace of motu — this is where the overwater icons live, and where honeymoons come to justify themselves.
Collection
Moorea
Thirty minutes from Tahiti by ferry and a world away — serrated green peaks, two deep bays, and a lagoon that trades Bora Bora's fame for room to breathe.
Collection
Tahiti & Papeete
The arrival island earns more than a stopover — black-sand beaches, the roulottes of Papeete's waterfront at dusk, and the right first or last night before the lagoons take over.
Collection
The atolls
Rangiroa, Tikehau and the Tuamotus — rings of coral around lagoons the size of small seas, where the diving and snorkelling are the reason to come and the resorts are barefoot by design. Huahine and Taha'a keep Society-Islands company with them.
Go Deeper
Plan your Tahiti holiday
Which island suits which traveller, how the trips are built, when to go, and the details the headline price doesn’t show — our planning guide covers the lot.
Read: How to plan a Tahiti holiday →Good to Know
Tahiti questions, answered
How long is the flight from New Zealand to Tahiti?
Around five hours non-stop from Auckland to Papeete's Faa'a International, with Air New Zealand and Air Tahiti Nui both flying the route — Business and Premium Economy included. Tahiti sits on the other side of the date line, so you arrive the day before you left — your holiday effectively starts a day early.
Do New Zealanders need a visa for Tahiti?
No visa needs to be arranged in advance for stays of up to 90 days on a New Zealand passport — you clear immigration on arrival. Carry proof of onward travel, and treat six months' passport validity beyond your travel dates as the safe standard; we'll confirm the current requirements when you book.
What currency is used in Tahiti?
The Pacific franc (XPF), pegged to the euro — unlike the Cook Islands, you can't spend New Zealand dollars here. Cards are widely accepted at resorts; carry some francs for markets and roulottes.
When is the best time to visit Tahiti?
The drier season from May to October brings the most settled weather — warm days, cooler nights, and the clearest water for the lagoons. November to April is warmer and more humid, with tropical showers — and often the sharpest offers.
How do I get between the islands?
Air Tahiti's domestic network links the main islands — Bora Bora is around fifty minutes from Papeete — and Moorea is a scenic thirty-minute ferry from the Papeete waterfront. We arrange the inter-island legs alongside your resorts so the connections just work.
Is Tahiti only for honeymoons?
It's made its name on romance, but families and groups do it well too — the trick is knowing which resorts genuinely welcome children and which are built for two. Niu Beach Hotel Moorea genuinely caters to families alongside couples and solo travellers, and several of the larger resorts welcome children too. Tell us who's travelling and we'll steer you right first time.
Tahiti with Fine Travel
Let's find your lagoon
Tell us who's travelling and what a perfect week looks like, and we'll match you to the right island and the right resort — just the accommodation, or your flights, inter-island hops and lagoon days arranged around it too.
Enquire about TahitiStar ratings shown reflect GO Holidays’ property gradings as published in their current Tahiti programme. We’ll confirm the details that matter to you when you enquire.