Group Travel to French Polynesia: Practical Guide, Tips from locals
At MyLittlePolynesia, a travel blog specializing in Polynesia, we explore the archipelagos to uncover hidden gems: authentic or charming accommodations, memorable excursions, tips for optimizing flights and itineraries.
We’ve been living in Moorea for two years now, and in May 2025, we had the chance to welcome three couples of thirty-something friends from mainland France to discover our Polynesian paradise. Between the turquoise lagoons of our island, the coral gardens of Fakarava, the mythical luxurious Bora Bora and the legendary waves of Teahupoo, we organized three weeks full of emotions for them.
Based on our local experience and contacts on site, I’m sharing with you all our residents’ advice for organizing a group trip to Polynesia. You’ll discover our concrete feedback to help you coordinate this beautiful project.
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Group Travel to Polynesia: Practical Guide and 5 Residents' Tips
We chose this loop to alternate between mountainous islands and atolls on one hand. Then make a mix between remote islands and well-developed islands to experience several different experiences.
Note that May is the end of the rainy season, so with risks of bad weather. The big advantage is that it’s the beginning of the beautiful season, there are still very few tourists. Moreover, the choice of accommodations, activities, flight prices and off-the-beaten-path islands is optimal. May is a good month to take advantage of public holidays in France and to travel in a group!
👉 To best organize your trip, it’s useful to know the best time to visit each island. Discover our detailed article on When to Go to Polynesia to choose ideal dates.
Tip #1: International flights, to book M-10 (ten months before departure)
This is the largest expense item and where you can make the biggest savings. Our six friends all booked their Los Angeles-Tahiti flight tickets together ten months before their arrival, at the price of $800 per person round trip. Beyond this deadline, rates can climb more seriously.
👉 To know all the details on how to travel between Polynesian islands (ferries, Air Tahiti and Air Moana flights, travel times, tips to optimize your itinerary), check out our complete guide How to Travel Between Islands.
Tip #2: Choosing islands to visit then booking inter-island flights, to book M-6
Six months before their departure, they secured their internal flights, which allowed them to connect Moorea, Bora, Fakarava, Tahiti. Inter-island flights are not daily and small planes fill up quickly, so no question of waiting.
👉 You can check out our article on the Marquesas, why this archipelago is a must-include during your trip to Polynesia.
Tip #3: Accommodations, to block M-5
Five months before, we all booked together the family guesthouses in Maupiti and Fakarava, and our stay at Havae Lodge in Teahupoo.
For Moorea, we booked a large house with pool and lagoon view for €50 per person per day! For Bora Bora, each couple remained autonomous to reconnect and enjoy this island as a couple. The best guesthouses go very quickly, especially on small islands, Fakarava and Maupiti.
For a concrete example of a loop combining mountains and atolls over 3 weeks, check out our article 3-Week Itinerary: Tuamotu and Society Islands with all the stages and durations per island.
Tip #4: Activities, to organize M-2
Two months before the trip, we booked their dives, boat excursions and motu outings. Thanks to our knowledge of the terrain, we were able to direct them to the best providers.
👉 If you want a different travel experience closer to local life, the Aranui cargo cruise is an excellent option to discover remote islands authentically.
Tip #5: Car rentals, to confirm M-1
One month before their arrival, we finalized vehicle reservations for their travels in Tahiti, particularly to reach Teahupoo. On atolls, we mainly move by bike or on foot, so no need elsewhere. And for Moorea, they had access to our car, however we booked a second one at the ferry!
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M-10: International Flights, First Strategic expense
Ten months before their arrival in May 2026, we organized a video call with our three couples of friends to brief them on the crucial first step: booking plane tickets.
Since we’ve been living here, we regularly follow flight prices to advise our visitors, and we know that the ten-month window before departure offers the best rates. The Paris-Tahiti flight is about 22 hours of travel with a stopover in Los Angeles.
Find a flight to Polynesia at the best price: our tips for an affordable Los Angeles–Tahiti flight.
Our friends chose to leave on a Thursday evening to arrive Friday evening in Tahiti, which allowed us to meet them in Tahiti Friday evening, to take the first ferry to Moorea Saturday morning.
At the price of $800 per person round trip, it was the best available rate with Air France, we don’t recommend French Bee, for a €200 difference the comfort difference is notable.
Our friends also checked baggage allowance: 23 kg checked plus a carry-on bag. We advised them to travel light (max 15kg) because here, we live in swimsuits, flip-flops and pareos! Moreover, internal flights allow you to check 15kg and 5kg carry-on, so there’s no point in loading up too much and having to pay baggage supplements on Air Tahiti flights between islands.
Practical tip: book seats together to be next to each other, it’s free with Air France at check-in. It’s also nice to opt for an isolated seat to have more legroom for an extra €50 per flight. We recommend it for the Paris-Los Angeles portion, the longest.
If you have around 20 nights to spare, a fantastic option is to split your trip between land and sea. You can also spend 10 days on the islands of the Leeward group (Society Islands), Tahiti, Moorea, and Bora Bora, combining stays on land with a luxury catamaran cruise, as these islands are close enough to easily reach by boat.
M-6: Book Air Tahiti Flights and Ferry to Discover the Islands
Six months before their arrival, we guided our friends in booking inter-island flights with Air Tahiti. Living here, we know perfectly the constraints of inter-island flights and we were able to help them build an optimal itinerary.
The 3 flights with Air Tahiti at $750 per person allowed them to make the following loop: arrival in Tahiti, ferry to Moorea, then flight to Bora Bora (leaving from Moorea), then Maupiti by boat (1h15 from Bora Bora), return to Bora Bora, then Fakarava by plane, and finally return to Tahiti to finish on the peninsula in Teahupoo. Yes, you have to go back through Bora Bora after Maupiti to reach Fakarava, because there’s no direct flight between these islands. This is the kind of subtlety you learn living locally.
Flights are not all daily. For example, Maupiti is only served three times a week from Bora Bora, which directly conditions the length of your stay, so might as well take the boat for 1h15 crossing (Apetahi express $80 RT).
For Moorea, our friends took the ferry from Papeete rather than the plane (15km), which allowed them to save the flight and enjoy the lagoon crossing (45 minutes by boat, departures every hour, $15 per person).
The question of taking a pass with Tahiti often comes up. Yes it’s profitable, but not very flexible on loops. So we opted for a multi-destination directly on the Air Tahiti website. Air Moana the second local company offers cheaper prices, however there are few flights and fewer destinations, so you have to juggle between the two and look for the cheapest. The quality of planes and service is the same.
👉 Polynesia is a world apart: each island has its personality, and there’s always a new one to discover. Find our complete article on travel budget in Polynesia.
M-5: Accommodations, Between Villa, Authentic Guesthouses or Direct Contact
Five months before their arrival, we moved to accommodation reservations, and this is where our knowledge of the terrain helped. For Moorea, no problem: There’s a wide variety of accommodations, no need to book too far in advance for off-season!
We opted for a large house with several bedrooms and a beautiful terrace with lagoon view. It was the perfect opportunity for the first days of rest and reunion.
For Maupiti and Fakarava, we booked for them family guesthouses that we knew personally. These small family structures are the heart of Polynesian hospitality, and we have our contacts there. Be careful, there are few offers available so it’s important to contact hosts by email or WhatsApp in advance.
👉 To fully enjoy the isolated beaches, lagoon and tranquility of Maupiti, check out our dedicated Maupiti article.
In Fakarava, we opted for Fakarava Lodge, small bungalows for 2 with half-board: raw fish in coconut milk, chicken fafa, ma’a tinito. Guesthouses cost between €80 for a simple night and €120 per night with half-board per person and it’s really the best value-authenticity ratio.
👉 Discover the best diving spots and activities in Fakarava in our dedicated Fakarava guide.
For our final reservation in Teahupoo, we booked two nights at Havae Lodge, a little gem we know well. It’s a villa with a view of the mythical wave where the world’s most famous surf wave takes place. We accompanied them there and spent two magical nights with Rairoa, exploring this wild peninsula. Havae Lodge is a youth hostel, but possibility to privatize with half-board by contacting the owner. In Polynesia, accommodations are really booked early, especially the best addresses recommended by locals.
M-2: Activity Organization and the Tourism Fair Good Deal
Two months before their arrival, we entered the most exciting phase: booking activities. And this is where our resident status really made a difference. Every year in February and September, the tourism fair is held in Papeete, an event where all Polynesian activity providers come to offer their services with discounts of about 20%.
It’s a good deal that only residents or very well-informed travelers know about! Our absolute priority was scuba diving. In Moorea, three of our friends decided to get their first diving level with a center we know well, Moorea Blue diving and with whom we got a preferential rate at the fair.
👉 Discover all our tips to fully enjoy Moorea, its viewpoints and its lagoon in our dedicated Moorea article.
The training took place over three days with top instructors. Meanwhile, the other three did discovery dives to discover stingrays and reef sharks in our lagoon. We accompanied them on some dives to spend good times all together.
👉 Discover all our tips to organize an itinerary adapted for divers in Polynesia.
Fakarava, classified as a UNESCO biosphere reserve. There, we had booked three dives for them with a center we always recommend, O2 Fakarava. The South Pass of Fakarava is world-famous for its “shark wall”: hundreds of gray sharks patrolling in the current, an absolutely mind-blowing spectacle.
The two other dives had them explore coral gardens and giant grouper formations. In Bora Bora, returning from Maupiti, we advised them to book a day pass in a luxury hotel. For about $150 per person, they had access for a full day to all the facilities of a five-star resort: infinity pool, private beach, loungers, restaurant, bar, and water activities. It was their “luxury” day of the trip.
We also organized boat excursions to visit motu, snorkeling with manta rays, and hikes like climbing Mount Pahia in Bora Bora.
👉 Discover all our tips for organizing an itinerary adapted to honeymooners in french Polynesia.
For all these activities, going through the tourism fair allowed us to easily save $300 to $400 per couple. My advice: if you can’t attend the fair, ask your local contacts to do it for you, or contact providers directly during the fair weekend to enjoy prices for 3 days only.
M-1: Car Rentals, in Tahiti and Moorea
One month before their arrival, we finalized the last logistical aspect: car rentals. And there again, living locally simplified things. In Polynesia, you only need a car on high islands like Moorea and Tahiti.
On atolls like Fakarava or Maupiti, distances are short and you mainly move by bike or on foot (guesthouses lend bikes for free anyway).
For Moorea, our friends booked a car in addition to ours, mandatory to get around: the different beaches, viewpoints, views of Cook and Opunohu bays, and even to go shopping. The road that circles Moorea measures 60 km and can easily be done in a day.
For Tahiti, we booked a car to go around the island, the Papeete-Teahupoo route from the airport takes about 1h30 and crosses magnificent landscapes of the south coast. On the peninsula, it’s nice to drive around to change coasts and go to the viewpoint. There’s no public transport, so a car is a necessity.
For all car reservations, we always recommend all-risk insurance to be stress-free and to go through an international agency at the airport directly (Hertz, Avis, Rent a car…).
👉 To know everything about the must-sees, accommodations and activities in Tahiti, check out our complete Tahiti guide.
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Our Assessment: Trip Balance, Budget and Experience
There you have it, you now have all our practical advice and our concrete feedback on organizing a trip to Polynesia with the help of local residents. What made our three couples of friends’ adventure successful is really this combination between their methodical anticipation (international flights at M-10, inter-island flights at M-6, accommodations at M-5, activities at M-2, car rentals at M-1) and our knowledge of the terrain.
👉 You can find our complete article: organize your trip to Polynesia yourself or through a local agency.
In total, their three-week trip cost them about $5000 per person all-inclusive (flights, accommodations, activities, food), which is very reasonable for Polynesia thanks to savings on accommodation in Moorea and negotiated activity discounts.
My last piece of advice: if you have friends or family living in Polynesia, don’t hesitate to call on them for organization. If not, don’t hesitate to contact us, we’ll be happy to give you all our tips as residents.
👉 If you’re wondering what to bring for your trip to Polynesia, check out our complete packing guide for Tahiti and Bora Bora with all the essentials you’ll need.
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👉 Here, we share our best travel experiences, insider tips, favorite spots, and authentic advice to explore French Polynesia with passion 💙 (Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora, Huahine, the Marquesas, Tuamotu…)
