The first time I tried to see five islands in ten days, I booked each leg separately and paid for it in wasted hours. On my next trip I switched to the Air Tahiti Pass and the whole thing got simpler. Air Tahiti is the domestic airline that links the islands, and the pass bundles a set of inter-island flights into one product. I've used it to string together Tahiti, Moorea, Huahine and Bora Bora without re-pricing every hop. This is how I think through an island-hopping plan before I book.
Start with the islands, not the flights
I always pick the islands I actually want to see first, then work out the order. The Air Tahiti Pass comes in named versions — Discovery, Bora Bora, Marquesas, Australes and Lagoons — and each one covers a different cluster of islands, so the pass I choose follows the trip I want. Routes and schedules do change, so I confirm the current details with Air Tahiti when I book rather than assuming last year's map still holds.
Build the route so it flows one direction
The mistake I made early on was zig-zagging back through Tahiti between every island. Now I sequence the hops so each flight moves me forward — Tahiti to Moorea, on to Huahine and Raiatea, then Bora Bora — and I leave a buffer day before my international flight home. We've learned that an extra night near the airport beats a tight same-day connection.
Give each island enough time to be worth the flight
An island-hopping trip falls apart when you only get half a day somewhere. I plan at least two or three nights per island so the flight earns its place, and I'd rather drop a stop than rush all of them. The pass rewards a planned route, so I sketch the whole loop before I commit to dates.
Frequently asked questions
How many islands can I realistically visit on one pass?
It depends on which named pass you choose and how long you have, but I'd plan for three to five islands on a one-to-two week trip so each stop gets a couple of nights. The exact islands a pass covers can change, so confirm the current coverage when you book.
Do I have to start and end in Tahiti?
Most trips route through Tahiti because that's where the international flights land, but the order of the islands in between is up to you. I sequence them so each hop moves in one direction instead of backtracking.
Is the Air Tahiti Pass the same as the airline?
No. Air Tahiti is the domestic airline that operates the inter-island flights, and the Air Tahiti Pass is the multi-island flight pass we help travellers set up through Far & Away Adventures.
Planning a trip to French Polynesia? Tell us your islands and dates and we'll help you build the right Air Tahiti Pass flight pass and itinerary.