Are you preparing your next tour in Polynesia and looking for itinerary ideas to visit Tahiti in 3 weeks?
So don't miss out! Indeed, when we plan a trip to Polynesia, it is often the trip of a lifetime, one that we plan for a special occasion (honeymoon in Tahiti, 10 years of marriage, anniversary gift of children), one which must be 100% successful, which must be an eye-catcher and remain in one's memory for life.
This is why you will need to carefully calculate your itinerary to visit the most beautiful islands of Polynesia, coordinate transport well, and think of everything:
- When to go to Tahiti?
- What formalities to enter French Polynesia?
- How long ?
- Which islands to visit in Polynesia?
- Which itinerary for 3 weeks?
- Which hotels?
- What budget for a trip to Tahiti?
Without giving you a travel guide to Tahiti and its islands, I will simply share my itinerary and my experience by addressing all the questions that I asked myself when preparing my 3-week trip to Polynesia. See also my 2nd trip to Tahiti: 4 islands tour in Polynesia
Going to Tahiti in October?
There are 2 main seasons in French Polynesia: the dry season, called southern winter (from April to October) and the wet season, called southern summer (from November to April).
The southern winter is the best time for a trip to Tahiti. Indeed, between April and early November, there is little rain and the heat is very pleasant.
Between November and March, it is a little less favorable because you will have to endure a few showers, a higher humidity level and strong heat.
I chose to go to Tahiti in October to benefit from a favorable climate (despite some rain) but above all to be able to observe the whales which come to breed at that time off the coast of Tahiti. In fact, the best time to see whales in Polynesia is from July to early November.
On the other hand, it is also interesting to go to Tahiti in October simply because plane tickets and accommodation prices are much cheaper than in July or August.
What formalities to enter French Polynesia?
No visa required for a tourist trip to French Polynesia (from France). You just have to check that your passport is still valid for at least 6 months after the date of return to France.
On the other hand, as my flight went through Los Angeles, I had to comply with the rules of entry into the United States: biometric passport + ESTA authorization (to be done online on the official website https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/).
How long does it take to do a tour in Polynesia?
I would have liked to spend a full month there but when I looked at the prices of accommodation and transport on site, I quickly reduced the duration of my trip to 3 full weeks there. I left Toulouse on September 30 and returned on October 22, 23 days including 21 days on site.
Circuit in Tahiti - Which islands to visit in Polynesia?
Among the must-see islands that I wanted to visit in Polynesia, were precisely those of BORA BORA -TUAMOTU pass what Air Tahiti offers for its Multi-Island circuit departing from Tahiti (the largest of the Polynesian islands where the capital Papeete is located):
- Moorea 17 km from Tahiti for its proximity, its volcanic mountains and its beautiful beaches,
- Huahine 175 km from Tahiti for its wild side with its preserved traditions,
- Raiatea for its magnificent lagoon,
- Maupiti for its beauty and its sweetness of life,
- Bora Bora for its romantic side, its motus of white sand and its coral gardens,
- Rangiroa for its worldwide scuba diving spot,
- Tikehau to go to Pink Sand Island or Bird Island,
- Fakarava for the pleasure of diving and for its dreamy beaches.
Bora Bora Tuamotu Pass in 3 weeks?
The concern I had was that I couldn't achieve combining all the stages of the Bora Bora Tuamotu Pass in just 3 weeks. Indeed, some of these islands have departures to the other islands only on certain days of the week. Suddenly, as I wanted to spend 2 to 3 days on each island, it was impossible for me to combine with my dates and the dates of the available flights a circuit with all the islands of the BORA BORA - TUAMOTU pass.
To choose the stopover islands for my 3-week tour in Polynesia, I favored the islands closest to the Island of Tahiti by choosing the combined flight of the BORA BORA pass (€419). It allows me to include the Windward Islands and the Leeward Islands in my itinerary with: Moorea, Huahine, Raiatea, Bora Bora, Maupiti.
But I knew that among the most beautiful places in Polynesia, the Tuamotu archipelago is number 1!
So I had to give up on Tikehau (no regrets) and add an extension to the BORA BORA pass (€280) by choosing between the Fakarava atoll or the Rangiroa atoll.
Fakarava or Rangiroa for my itinerary?
Rangiroa Atoll
Rangiroa is the 2nd largest coral atoll in the whole world. It is the most famous place in Polynesia for diving. Each year, divers from all over the world enjoy the pleasure of diving in the passes which are full of all the sharks, barracudas, parrot fish, turtles… of the Pacific.
But, you should know that this Atoll does not have superb white sand beaches... So, among the Tuamotu atolls, I chose the Fakarava atoll.
Fakarava Atoll
Located 440 km from the island of Tahiti, in the Tuamotu archipelago, Fakarava Atoll is one of the 7 atolls classified as Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO.
This large coral atoll is also a scuba diving spot ranked among the best in the world. It is a site where you can swim with sharks in magical and heavenly diving places like the Alibaba Canyon.
This atoll, perhaps because or thanks to its distance from Tahiti, is preserved from mass tourism (much fewer divers than in Ranguiroa) and yet offers beaches of sublime beauty.
Circuit in Tahiti - Which itinerary in Polynesia?
My flight with Air Tahiti Nui landing in Papeete on October 1 at 21:45 p.m., 1 night in Papeete, took the ferry on October 2 to Moorea then I followed the BORA BORA pass flights with the extension to the Fakarava Atoll ( 350 €/person) as the last step.
Here are the details of my 3-week itinerary in Polynesia:
- Papeete 10/01/15
- Moorea 10/02/15
- Moorea (MOZ) - Huahine (HUH) 10/03/15
- Huahine (HUH) - Raiatea (RFP) 10/07/15
- Raiatea (RFP) - Bora Bora (BOB) 10/10/15
- Bora Bora (BOB) - Maupiti (MAU) 10/13/15
- Maupiti (MAU) - Tahiti (PPT) 10/16/15
- Tahiti (PPT) - Fakarava (FAV) 10/17/15
- Fakarava (FAV) - Tahiti (PPT) 10/20/15
- Papeete - Toulouse 10/21/15
See also my 2nd trip to Tahiti from October-November 2021: Circuit 4 islands + Moorea in Polynesia
Cheap hotels in Polynesia for my itinerary
For this 3 week tour full in Polynesia, I spent a total of 20 nights in guesthouse type accommodation, pensions and hotels. The total cost of the accommodation budget amounted to 2 Euros by choosing the cheapest formulas as a priority (see my selection ofcheap hotels in Polynesia).
What budget for a 3-week tour in Tahiti?
I was able to make a small estimate of the cost of this 3-week tour in Polynesia (see Tahiti Budget table below) but it must be taken into account that there are many expenses which will inevitably be added (souvenir gifts, purchase cultured pearls, tattoos, pareos, monoï, hinano beers).
This type of trip in tour mode is much more expensive than a trip to Tahiti in stay mode. In fact, it is the travel and transport for this type of itinerary that is relatively expensive because it is added to an already substantial budget in terms of flights and on-site expenses.
And why not a stay in Maldives ou in the Seychelles ?