How much does it cost to travel to French Polynesia?
You should plan to spend around $163 (F18,275) per day on your vacation in French Polynesia. This is the average daily price based on the expenses of other visitors.
Past travelers have spent, on average for one day:
- $47 (F5,279) on meals
- $53 (F5,972) on local transportation
- $163 (F18,358) on hotels
A one week trip to French Polynesia for two people costs, on average, $2,275 (F255,847). This includes accommodation, food, local transportation, and sightseeing.
All of these average travel prices have been collected from other travelers to help you plan your own travel budget.
Independent Travel
Traveling Independently has many benefits including affordabilty, freedom, flexibility, and the opportunity to control your own experiences.
All of the travel costs below are based on the experiences of other independent travelers.
Is French Polynesia expensive to visit?
French Polynesia is a moderately priced destination to visit. It's about average with most other countries for travel costs. The prices for food, accommodation, and transportation are all fairly reasonable.
Within the Pacific, which is known to be an expensive region, French Polynesia is moderately priced compared to the other countries. The overall cost of travel here is comparable to Australia or the Solomon Islands.
For more details, see Is French Polynesia Expensive?
How much money do I need for a trip to French Polynesia?
The average French Polynesia trip cost is broken down by category here for independent travelers. All of these French Polynesia travel prices are calculated from the budgets of real travelers.
|
Category
|
Cost
|
|
Accommodation 1
(Double Occupancy)
|
F18,358
($163)
|
|
Local Transportation 1
|
F5,972
($53)
|
|
Food 2
|
F5,279
($47)
|
|
Entertainment 1
|
F2,329
($21)
|
|
Alcohol 2
|
F1,528 -
4,584
($14 - 41)
|
Accommodation Budget in French Polynesia
Calculated from travelers like you
The average price paid for one person for accommodation in French Polynesia is $82 (F9,179). For two people sharing a typical double-occupancy hotel room, the average price paid for a hotel room in French Polynesia is $163 (F18,358). This cost is from the reported spending of actual travelers.
Looking for a hotel in French Polynesia? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options.
Local Transportation Budget in French Polynesia
Calculated from travelers like you
-
The cost of a taxi ride in French Polynesia is significantly more than public transportation. On average, past travelers have spent $53 (F5,972) per person, per day, on local transportation in French Polynesia.
-
Local Transportation1
Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
$53
F5,972
Food Budget in French Polynesia
Calculated from travelers like you
-
While meal prices in French Polynesia can vary, the average cost of food in French Polynesia is $47 (F5,279) per day. Based on the spending habits of previous travelers, when dining out an average meal in French Polynesia should cost around $19 (F2,111) per person. Breakfast prices are usually a little cheaper than lunch or dinner. The price of food in sit-down restaurants in French Polynesia is often higher than fast food prices or street food prices.
-
Food2
Meals for one day
$47
F5,279
Entertainment Budget in French Polynesia
Calculated from travelers like you
-
Entertainment and activities in French Polynesia typically cost an average of $21 (F2,329) per person, per day based on the spending of previous travelers. This includes fees paid for admission tickets to museums and attractions, day tours, and other sightseeing expenses.
-
Entertainment1
Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
$21
F2,329
Notice: Undefined offset: 11 in
/homepages/12/d310477359/htdocs/budgetreportadv.php on line
1774
Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in
/homepages/12/d310477359/htdocs/budgetreportadv.php on line
1774
Alcohol Budget in French Polynesia
Calculated from travelers like you
-
The average person spends about $27 (F3,056) on alcoholic beverages in French Polynesia per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
-
Alcohol2
Drinks for one day
$27
F3,056
Notice: Undefined offset: 5 in
/homepages/12/d310477359/htdocs/budgetreportadv.php on line
1774
Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in
/homepages/12/d310477359/htdocs/budgetreportadv.php on line
1774
French Polynesia On a Budget
Bora Bora, French Polynesia
French Polynesia is an overseas country associated with France that consists of a set of islands in the South Pacific Ocean. Consisting of more than 100 islands and 5 distinct archipelagoes, the landscapes are defined by coral-lined lagoons, white and black sand beaches, volcanic mountains, rugged backcountry, and spectacular waterfalls.
As a whole, French Polynesia is divided into regions by groups of islands. The Society Islands are the most inhabited, and are surrounded by coral reefs and lagoons. They are further sectioned off into the Leeward Islands, which include Bora Bora, Huahine, Maupiti, and Raiatea, and the Windward Islands, such as Moorea and Tahiti, which is home to the capital Papeete. The next group encompasses the Tuamotu Islands, an expansive central archipelago, consisting of low reef islands or atolls, and notable for the island of Rangiroa. The Marquesas Islands are a smaller northeastern archipelago located near the equator. They are characterized by steep mountains inhabited by wild horses, goats, and pigs. Nuku Hiva and Hiva Oa are two of the better known islands in this group. Located to the southeast are the Gambier Islands, which are rarely visited and some of the least inhabited. Mangareva is the largest and only island in this group that is developed for tourism. With its smaller surrounding islands, this island makes up the remains of gigantic crater. The final group consists of the Austral Islands to the southwest. These are further divided into the Tubuai Islands and Bass Islands, and feature ancient volcanoes.
The islands and the surrounding waters have many beautiful features that can be explored in a variety of ways. There are a number of small boat cruises off of the main tourist-friendly islands that offer activities like snorkel, scuba, and Jet Ski in the open Pacific waters as well as in the quieter reefs and lagoons. Some boat tours are even specialized, such as excursions for snorkeling with sharks and stingrays, deep-sea fishing, or sunset and dinner cruise packages. Other seaside activities consist of beachside fun, sunbathing, swimming, and snorkeling on your own along white sand or volcanic black sands on any of French Polynesia's island coasts. Opportunities to be had inland are abundant as well, including hiking to towering waterfalls, exploring the rugged island terrain with 4WD vehicles, biking, wildlife-watching, and stargazing in the evenings.
Top Tourist Attractions
Each of French Polynesia's islands is characterized by beautiful South Pacific ecosystems, surrounded by turquoise waters, lagoons, coral reefs, and consisting of volcanic beaches, rugged backcountry terrain, and lush greenery. Some of the islands are more visited than others, depending on accommodations for tourists.
One of the most popular is Bora Bora. At the center of the island is the dormant volcano Mount Otemanu, which rises above the aqua-blue waters over 700 meters. The island is then surrounded by calm lagoon waters at its base, which are protected by a coral reef and surrounding sand islets. Many visitors come to enjoy Bora Bora's luxury resorts where some guest bungalows are perched over the water on stilts.
Another well-visited destination is Tahiti, the main island of French Polynesia. Here, like on most of the islands, main attractions include the spectacular coastline and natural island features of the South Pacific. Being a well-inhabited island, however, there are also opportunities to experience local culture. In Papeete, visitors might want to explore Le Marche, a large, two-story marketplace selling local goods, clothing, and souvenirs like postcards, shell necklaces, soaps, and more-all enveloped in tropical scents and vibrant colors. For those who wish to learn about Polynesia art and culture, guests can also visit sites like the Robert Wan Pearl Museum (dedicated to pearl legends and jewelry-making) or the
Musee de Tahiti et des Iles (which features exhibits and artifacts on local history and culture).
Other attractions on these and surrounding islands include additional museums, resort bungalows, lighthouses, parks, botanical gardens, waterfalls, shops, galleries, ethnic villages, and more.
Check out this great
honeymoon guide to Bora Bora.
Popular Foods
Cuisine of French Polynesia is dominated by seafood, both raw and cooked, fished from local lagoons and Pacific waters. They are prepared in a variety of ways-grilled, chaud-froid, carpaccio, tartare, sashimi, or sushi. In addition to fish, visitors will also find seafood varieties like giant clam, sea urchin, octopus, and squid. Other typical ingredients used in Polynesian cooking include things like suckling pig, fish (mahi mahi, tuna, other catches of the day), chicken, crab, fei (a Polynesian banana) and banana leaves, shrimp, taro, umara (sweet potato), uru (fruit of the breadfruit tree), ufi (a kind of yam), and fafa (Tahitian spinach). Many dishes combine ingredients like these to be wrapped in banana leaves and cooked inside a traditional underground over called the ahima'a. Skewers of grilled meats, like beef and lamb, are also common, often served with mustard and barbeque sauce. Much of the cuisine here will additionally have a French spin from the island nation's connections to France, as well as Chinese influence from immigration across the Pacific Ocean.
We've been gathering travel costs from tens of thousands of actual travelers since 2010, and we use the data to calculate average daily travel costs for destinations around the world. We also systematically analyze the prices of hotels, hostels, and tours from travel providers such as Kayak, HostelWorld, TourRadar, Viator, and others. This combination of expenses from actual travelers, combined with pricing data from major travel companies, gives us a uniqe insight into the overall cost of travel for thousands of cities in countries around the world. You can see more here: How it Works.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.