Our most recommended things to do in French Polynesia

Moorea: Whale and Dolphin Watching

1. Moorea: Whale and Dolphin Watching

Tick an item off the bucket list with this incredible experience: an up-close encounter with humpback whales. Swim with these gentle giants and other marine life on a private tour in a stunning French Polynesian lagoon. Known as the best place in the world for an in-water experience with humpback whales and other wildlife species, French Polynesia is one of the rare places on earth where swimming with these beautiful giants is permitted. Observe them in their natural habitat, playfully interacting with one another. Learn about the whales' migration and watch them evolve in their natural habitat with experienced tour guides. Then, the experienced guides will brief you on proper safety guidelines and how to respect the animals before you dive into the water for an indescribable experience that you’ll remember for the rest of your life. On top of the whale watching, during the day tour, you will have the opportunity to observe spinner dolphins, pilot whales, pelagic sharks in the ocean. In the lagoon, you can observe sea turtles, different tropical fish species – and snorkel with stingrays and blacktip sharks.

Moorea: Half-Day Open-Air 4WD Safari with Hotel Transfers

2. Moorea: Half-Day Open-Air 4WD Safari with Hotel Transfers

This Moorea safari tour will introduce you to this picturesque island, dotted in tropical vegetation and home to beautiful locals and wildlife. This tour is a fantastic opportunity to grab some truly memorable holiday snaps, so don't forget to bring your camera.  Start with a 4WD tour by open-air safari truck, stopping at several lookout points along the way. Learn about the local culture from your guides throughout the day. Enjoy a half-day tour of Bora Bora by land and sea, with lunch. During the day you'll also get to visit a local workshop to try local jam, pineapple fruit and see a colorful coral garden with a multitude of tropical plants. This tour will also help you gain some insights into the traditions of the Moorea people from your expert guide. Throughout the day, you will see sights like the Volcano crater, the Tahitian temple, Rotui lookout, Magic Mountain, the Belvedere lookout, fruit plantations, Two Bays, the tropical garden and the juice factory.

Moorea: Sea Scooter Snorkeling Tour

3. Moorea: Sea Scooter Snorkeling Tour

Take a swim at one of the best coral reefs on Moorea. Enjoy your experience in a more remote area far away from the crowds. Get some instruction on how to safely use your sea scooter and then push a button and feel the pull as you move effortlessly through the water. Let your guide point out the various species of marine life you'll see all around you in the bay. Have a chance to see stingrays, sharks, dolphins, and turtles. Keep an ear out for the sound of humpback whales. Enjoy a picturesque boat ride around the island with a professional underwater cameraman and photographer on board.

Tetiaroa Island by sailing catamaran - from Tahiti

4. Tetiaroa Island by sailing catamaran - from Tahiti

We meet at 5:45 am at the Papeete marina, and leave the dock at 6 am, where the local breakfast awaits you! Local Viennese pastries, fresh fruit, coffee or tea. After a 2-hour crossing, we start to catch sight of the island. An hour later we're there, and the dinghy landing on the island begins. Once disembarked, the hostess begins her guided walk to Bird Island, where the history and legends of Tetiaroa will no longer hold any secrets for you! You're free to explore the island, take photos, swim, sunbathe or take a siesta. Then it's back to the boat, where lunch awaits you: raw fish with Tahitian-style coconut milk, hot rice, tuna marinated on the barbecue with fruit juices, water and cold drinks. After lunch, we'll provide you with snorkeling equipment so you can swim along the reef and observe all the marine life. After swimming, return to the boat and depart for Tahiti. Before arriving, we'll treat you to a fruit salad and a glass of punch!

Bora Bora: Full-Day Tour with Islet Lunch and Lagoon Swim

5. Bora Bora: Full-Day Tour with Islet Lunch and Lagoon Swim

Discover the rich culture and natural setting of Bora Bora, the tropical jewel of French Polynesia. Go snorkeling and swim among exotic fish and sea life. Listen to live, local music and savor the tastes of regional food for lunch. Enjoy an authentic Polynesian experience on this full-day tour. Start your day by snorkeling to meet the charmingly curious and playful stingrays in warm shallow water on the lagoon, followed by a stop through one of the most preserved coral gardens of the island. On site, undergo a swim like no other, surrounded by hundreds of tropical and colorful fishes fluttering around you. Finally, to top it all off, experience the long-awaited moment of a high emotion immersion with the powerful and graceful sharks, unless you prefer to watch their lively dance from the boat. Next, cruise to a beautiful lagoon lulled by the sound of a Polynesian ukulele or pahu (the traditional drum), accompanied by the natural joy of life shared by the local people. Keep your camera close to capture these everlasting spectacular memories. After enjoying the music, slowly cruise to a motu (local word for islet) and delight in a delicious buffet composed of local dishes. At tables near the crystal-clear waters of the lagoon, enjoy rice salad, grilled fish and meat, fruit, and more, while admiring Mount Otemanu and the Pacific Ocean. Finally, watch different performances known as the Coconut Show, Pareo Show, or Palm Leaf Plate Workshop, to get to know local traditions. After the entertaining and instructive activities, take time to swim around, relax on a sun chair, or walk around before heading back to your accommodation.

Bora Bora: Lagoon Tour and Snorkeling Experience

6. Bora Bora: Lagoon Tour and Snorkeling Experience

Join a guided snorkeling tour of the Bora Bora lagoon to discover pristine turquoise waters teeming with tropical sea life. Stop at 3 separate locations, each one frequented by different species. Meet your guide at your selected pickup location and hop aboard a traditional motorized outrigger. Your first stop takes you to a spot where you'll be able to swim with stingrays. These elegant and majestic creatures are very curious and friendly, allowing you to get up close to them. From here, you'll move on to your second snorkeling location for the day, one of the best-preserved coral gardens in the lagoon. Explore this underwater paradise and admire the colorful tropical fish before heading to your third and final snorkeling spot. Last but by no means least, your final encounter for the day is with blacktip and lemon sharks. For a truly memorable experience, hop into the lagoon and swim with these impressive animals. Both shark species are regarded as shy and docile and viewed as everyday companions in French Polynesia. Your guide will join you in the water to ensure that you are comfortable. And if you prefer, you can also choose to stay onboard and take in this moment from the boat. Before heading back to your pickup location, stop at a sandbank to enjoy some refreshments. Savor handmade coconut bread served alongside fresh seasonal fruit while admiring views of Mount Otemanu. Eat your snacks aboard the outrigger or step into the warm, shallow waters one last time. 

Bora Bora: Eco Shark and Snorkeling Safari

7. Bora Bora: Eco Shark and Snorkeling Safari

Start your two and a half-hour Bora Bora snorkeling tour in the afternoon, boarding a motorboat that will take you across the lagoon. Make multiple snorkeling stops along the way for close-up looks at sharks, rays and other marine life. Stop near the barrier reef and discover a coral garden teeming with nearly 700 species of tropical fish. Black-tip reef sharks are a highlight of Bora Bora. Continue your excursion where you'll have the chance to spot sea turtles, dolphins, whales, leopard rays, and manta rays, depending on the weather conditions and time of year

Mo'orea: Guided ATV Nature Tour

8. Mo'orea: Guided ATV Nature Tour

On this adventurous ATV excursion, discover the beautiful island of Mo'orea and learn its legends from your guide. Jump on your vehicle and start out on the roads, crossing rivers and fruit plantations. Pass the agricultural high school and sprawling pineapple fields. Depending on what’s open, you may be offered a free tasting of local products.  Then, head towards the Belvedere and enjoy the amazing views of the Cook's and Opunohu Bays. Head to the Rotui juice factory and distillery, where you can enjoy a tasting (depending on the day).  If you’ve selected the 3.5-hour option, at this point you’ll discover one of the most beautiful viewpoints of the island, the “Magic Mountain”. Finally, take the tracks across the fields to return to Opunohu Bay. Admire the magnificent panoramic views of the Bay and north coast before returning to your meeting point for some rest and a complimentary drink.

Bora Bora Jet Ski Tour

9. Bora Bora Jet Ski Tour

Start your Jet Ski tour of Bora Bora with pickup from your hotel or the Vaitape pier. Then settle onto your Jet Ski, snap on a life jacket and listen as your guide provides a safety briefing before speeding away on your water adventure. Zoom across the crystal-clear lagoon past Bora Bora’s postcard-perfect water bungalows. Get a look at yachts and sailboats, and cruise by the emerald-draped hillsides of Mt Otemanu, the island’s tallest peak at 2,385 feet (727 meters) high.  Your guide stops at two locations where you can jump into the turquoise water for a refreshing swim and soak up the breathtaking tropical scenery. Hear about French Polynesian culture as your knowledgeable guide points out island landmarks and treats you to a coconut husking demonstration. You can select whether you want to ride solo or double. All of the Jet Skis are well-maintained to ensure a safe and thrilling ride. Your 2-hour expedition concludes with a return to your selected hotel or the pier.

From Papeete: Tahiti Highlights Private Tour with Transfer

10. From Papeete: Tahiti Highlights Private Tour with Transfer

Pickup at your hotel and start exploring the capital, Papeete first with visiting of central market for souvenirs and pearl shop for Jewelry and bijou. We will walk in downtown to see a colonial style City hall building and a Catholic cathedral. Then we will start our way around the Tahiti Nui Island with lookout to gorgeous lagoon, town, coral reef's patches and green mountains. Then we will visit a famous Polynesian open air temple, marae Arahurahu with impressive Tiki sculptures. Then we will explore beautiful Maraa caves, gorgeous Vaipahi water garden with colorful local plants and sacred freshwater eels, and further the breathtaking black sand surf beach with giant waves and surfers. The lunch with delicious local food in a restaurant of Paul Gauguin will be great starting point to drive to the isthmus between the two parts of Tahiti to explore Phaeton Bay, famous South Pacific hurricane hole with dozens of cruising boats from all over the world. Then our way will get us to spectacular fields and gardens of Taravao plateau and further up to the top of the mounting of Tahiti Nui with unbelievable panoramic view to fringing reef and little tropical islands, motus. Then we will go down to visit the sacred place of local shaman’s ceremonies, Faone twin waterfalls. Following the north road, we will drive to impressive valley of three waterfalls, to get immersed into the atmosphere of old legends of Tiarei area and take pictures in front of big Faarumai waterfall. We will visit famous blow hole and explore the surf waves smashing to the cliffs and will continue our way to a Mahina town with historical Venus point, where we will observe the old lighthouse and amazing black sand beach. Stories about Captain’s Cook circumnavigations, bread fruit and Mutiny on Bounty adventures, as soon as historical facts about Tahitian Royal dynasty Pomare, tattoo culture, arrival of great navigators to famous Matavai Bay and contemporary life of the country will complete your picture about Island of love. We will continue our way through all the Great Papeete towns – Mahina, Arue, Pirae, Faaa and Punauia to see Papeete from the other amazing viewpoint, Tahara. At the end of the Tour, we will bring you to a place of your choice!

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What people are saying about French Polynesia

Overall rating

4.9 / 5

based on 244 reviews

Amazing and un-nerving altogether!! Yes you will swim side by side with sharks and the reef tour showed us 100's of different fish species in so many different colour combinations. Not to mention the ocean itself, I have never seen so many different shades of turquoise and blue.... incredible!! Of course the final spot with a family of 5 Stingrays swimming in a steady formation around their territory.... awesome! Our guides were awesome, including the ukulele playing while we were exploring.... more than 5 out of 5!!!

We had a great time seeing the Bora Bora main island on a quad bike. We did the complete island, with good info about the island and its surroundings. We also saw the layout of the other islands from 3 different view points, and experienced the off roads. Me and my husband didn’t feel comfortable driving on the off roads, they took over the driving, gave me a chance to enjoy a fun ride!! This is one of best ways to see Bora Bora!

Super belle journée en bonne compagnie, autant en jeep qu'en jet ski, les gens sont formidables ont fait un travail exceptionnel et font attention à leur clientèle. Nous avons été très choyés de vous rencontrer. Merci encore

We had an amazing time! It was our last day in Bora Bora and it was a great way to say goodbye to such a beautiful place. Our guide, Coco, was wonderful. Highly recommend this tour. You won’t be disappointed!

Our guides were very friendly. We enjoyed it very much.