A twin-turboprop airliner parked on a small island airstrip beside a turquoise lagoon

Plan · Transport

Getting there
and around.

One international airport, one domestic airline with a competitor on the trunk routes, three Moorea ferries, one Leeward fast ferry and a freighter. How the pieces connect.

An island airstrip in the Leeward Islands

Every international flight lands at Faa'a, five kilometres west of Papeete, from Los Angeles, San Francisco, Honolulu, Auckland, Tokyo, Noumea, Rarotonga, and Paris via a US stop. Arrivals cluster late at night. Air Tahiti's minimum connection is 90 minutes from an international flight to a domestic one and 120 the other way, so most travellers sleep on Tahiti before moving on.

01 · The modes

Six ways
to move.

Inter-island flights: Air Tahiti's ATR turboprops link Tahiti with more than forty islands. Leewards under an hour; Tuamotu about an hour; Australs 1 h 30 to 1 h 40; Marquesas 3 h 15; Gambier 3 h 40. Air Moana flies the trunk routes and, from 2027, the Marquesas.Multi-island passes beat single fares
Moorea ferries: Aremiti, Vaeara'i and Tauati Ferry from the Papeete terminal to Vaiare, 30 to 50 minutes, many sailings a day, cars allowed. From 1,100 XPF a head.Terevau was liquidated in April 2026
Leeward fast ferry: The Apetahi Express leaves Papeete at 06:30 on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday for Huahine, Raiatea, Taha'a, Bora Bora and Maupiti, returning Monday, Thursday and Saturday. 8,000–9,000 XPF a leg from Tahiti.A full day, two 23 kg bags included
The Aranui: The cargo-passenger ship Aranui 5 sails 12-day loops from Papeete to the six inhabited Marquesas with Tuamotu stops, from about US$4,174 a head. Its sister ship Aranoa starts Austral loops in March 2027.Cabins sell out months ahead
Sailing: Raiatea is the charter base: The Moorings, Sunsail, Tahiti Yacht Charter and Dream Yacht Charter. Anchorages are booked on the government's escales site.Bareboat needs a licence
On the islands: Rental cars and scooters on the high islands; buses on Tahiti; bikes and boats on the atolls; 4WDs and driver-guides in the Marquesas; pension transfers everywhere.Book cars early in July and August

02 · Booking order

Scarce things
first.

Book the international seats, then the scarce domestic legs: Marquesas and Gambier flights, Aranui cabins, Maupiti seats, Austral Pass dates. Fit an Air Tahiti multi-island pass around those anchors; passes fix the direction of travel, usually one way round, so route accordingly. Ferries and resort transfers flex daily and can be confirmed the day before each hop.

Never chain the day's only inter-island flight to a same-day international departure. Weather owns the schedule. Keep a buffer night on Tahiti before the flight home, and a spare day on any island whose boat or pass has a history of cancellations: Maupiti, Fakarava's south end, the Marquesas.

A Moorea ferry leaving Papeete at dawn. Almost every route passes through the capital twice.

03 · The freighter

The Aranui.

The Aranui has supplied the Marquesas for decades. Its current ship carries containers forward and passengers aft, calling at Nuku Hiva, Ua Pou, Hiva Oa, Tahuata, Fatu Hiva and Ua Huka on a roughly two-week loop from Papeete with stops at Fakarava or Rangiroa. Each island gets a day: a 4WD outing, a village lunch, a site. It is the way to see six Marquesan islands without six flights, and it is not a budget option. 2026 fares run from US$4,174 in the dormitory to US$12,728 a person sharing the presidential suite.

04 · Live checks

Confirm before
you pay.

Air Tahiti: Network map, passes, baggage rules, seasonal frequencies.airtahiti.com
Air Moana: Trunk routes from Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora and Raiatea; Marquesas from 2027.
Moorea ferries: Aremiti, Vaeara'i and Tauati Ferry publish timetables that shift by season.
Apetahi Express: The Leeward timetable from 15 June 2026; agency in the Uturoa terminal.
Aranui: Dated voyages, cabin categories, Austral departures.aranui.com
Entry rules: Passport, visa and stay-length rules by nationality from the High Commission.

Go deeper.

Society Islands

Tahiti

The capital island: Papeete's market, the museum, the interior valleys and Teahupo'o.

Open the island guide

Marquesas

Nuku Hiva

The largest Marquesan island. No reef, no lagoon; valleys reached by boat and a 350-metre waterfall.

Open the island guide

Plan

Itineraries

Four routes that respect the flight days.