Plan · Transport
One hub,
many spokes.
International gateways, the domestic air network, ferries, and the freighter that doubles as a cruise — how the pieces connect.
01 / Arriving
Everything
lands at Faa'a.
All international flights arrive at Faa'a (PPT) beside Papeete. Nonstops operate from the US West Coast, Paris (via a US stop), Honolulu, Auckland, and several Pacific neighbors, with carriers and frequencies shifting by season — check current routes when you price the trip. Arrivals cluster late at night; most travelers sleep on Tahiti before connecting.
Domestic flying is a hub-and-spoke: Air Tahiti's ATR fleet links Tahiti to more than forty islands across all five archipelagos, with multi-island passes that price far better than point-to-point tickets. A second domestic carrier, Air Moana, has flown trunk routes since 2023 — worth comparing where it operates.
02 / The modes
Four ways
to move.
ATR turboprops on most routes; Marquesas ~3.5 h, Gambier ~4 h, Leewards under 1 h
Passes beat singlesAremiti and Terevau cross from Papeete in 30–45 min, many times daily
Walk-on friendlyThe Apetahi Express links Papeete with Huahine, Raiatea, Taha'a, and Bora Bora on set days
A long but scenic rideThe Aranui 5 works the Marquesas as a passenger freighter on ~12-day voyages; supply ships serve the Tuamotus
Book cabins far aheadRaiatea is the charter base: bareboat or crewed, the Leewards are a natural circuit
Licenses required for bareboatRental cars and scooters rule; Tahiti adds buses and taxis; atolls run on bikes and boats
Book cars early in July–August
03 / The freighter option
Cargo below,
cabins above.
The Aranui has supplied the Marquesas for decades; its current ship carries containers forward and passengers aft, calling at the inhabited islands on a roughly two-week loop from Papeete with Tuamotu stops. It is the classic way to see six Marquesas islands without six flights — part cruise, part working ship, entirely its own culture.
04 / Building the chain
Book in
this order.
- 01Longest legs first
International seats, then Marquesas/Gambier flights or Aranui cabins — the scarce pieces set the frame.
- 02Then the pass
Fit an Air Tahiti multi-island pass around those anchors; passes fix direction (usually one way around) so route accordingly.
- 03Ferries and shuttles last
Moorea boats and resort transfers flex daily; confirm final times the day before each hop.
- 04Leave slack at the joints
Never chain a same-day international departure to the day's only inter-island flight; weather owns the schedule.
Ground truth
Papeete is
the turnstile.
Almost every route passes through the capital twice. Treat those hours as an asset: the market, the waterfront roulottes, and the pearl boutiques all sit within a walk of the ferry quay.
Spend the layover well on Tahiti →Keep planning