Home › Bora Bora › How many days
How many days in Bora Bora? 4 days: lagoon, mountain and motu
By Tony Panopoulos · travel-agency planner in Greece · Updated
Bora Bora is a volcanic island about 9 km long inside a lagoon ringed by a reef and a chain of small islets, the motu. Most of the big resorts sit on those motu, facing Mount Otemanu across the water. Four days is enough for the lagoon tour, a second day in the water, a loop around the main island and a slow day at your hotel, which is the reason many people come. It is one of the most expensive places in the Pacific, so plan the paid tours and leave the rest simple.
Short answer
Three days covers a lagoon tour, the island loop and Matira beach. Four lets you add a dive or a jet-ski tour and a day of doing nothing. Most visitors combine Bora Bora with Moorea or Tahiti.
The 4-day plan, day by day
Day 1: Arrival and Matira
Morning. Air Tahiti flies from Papeete in about 50 minutes and lands on Motu Mute, the airport islet. Resorts send their own boats; for the main island, a free shuttle boat takes you across the lagoon to Vaitape, the main village, in about 20 minutes.
Afternoon. Go to Matira Beach on the southern point, the main public beach on the island, with soft white sand and shallow water you can wade far out into. It is free and has shade under the trees.
Evening. Watch sunset from Matira Point, then eat at a roulotte (food truck) in Vaitape or near Matira: poisson cru, steak frites or chow mein for about XPF 1,500-2,500.
Bring reef shoes. Coral and stonefish are present in some shallow parts of the lagoon, even near beaches.
Day 2: The lagoon tour: rays, sharks and coral gardens
Morning. Join a half-day or full-day lagoon tour by outrigger or boat (about XPF 10,000-18,000). Stops usually include a shallow sandbank with southern stingrays, a channel where blacktip reef sharks circle (harmless to swimmers), and the Coral Garden off Motu Tapu, where fish swarm around you.
Afternoon. Full-day tours stop for a lunch of grilled fish and fruit on a motu, with a demonstration of coconut husking and how to tie a pareo, then a last stop at a spot where manta rays feed in season.
Evening. Dine at Bloody Mary's, the sand-floored restaurant open since 1979, where you choose fresh fish from an ice display (mains XPF 4,000-6,000), or at your hotel.
Do not touch or feed rays and sharks, even if some guides still do. Use mineral sunscreen to protect the lagoon.
Day 3: Around the island by bike or car
Morning. The road around the main island is about 32 km. Rent an e-bike (about XPF 4,000-5,000 a day), a small car or a buggy in Vaitape and drive clockwise. Stop at the WWII cannons above Faanui Bay, left by the US forces who used Bora Bora as a supply base from 1942.
Afternoon. See the marae (sacred stone platforms) at Faanui and Fitiiu Point, and stop at the viewpoint on Matira hill for the view over the reef. If you are fit and the trail is open, hike towards Mount Pahia with a local guide (4-6 hours return, steep and muddy); the higher Otemanu (727 m) is not climbable.
Evening. Eat in Vaitape or at a pension restaurant on Matira, about XPF 3,000-5,000 for a main.
Shops close early and on Sunday afternoons; buy water and snacks at the supermarkets in Vaitape before you set off.
Day 4: Diving, jet ski or a resort day
Morning. Dive at Tapu or Anau, the outer reef and manta sites (two-tank dives about XPF 25,000-30,000), or take a guided jet-ski tour around the whole lagoon (about XPF 25,000-35,000 per machine for 2-3 hours).
Afternoon. Spend the afternoon at your hotel: snorkel from your bungalow deck or kayak to the nearest motu. Many resorts on Motu Piti Aau and Motu Tevairoa have their own coral nurseries and guided snorkels.
Evening. Book a final dinner with a Polynesian dance show at one of the resorts, often XPF 10,000-15,000 with buffet, or a sunset sailing trip (about XPF 12,000-20,000).
Resort day passes are rare. If you stay on the main island, choose a hotel with lagoon access, or join a motu picnic tour instead.
Only have 3 days?
With 3 days, do the lagoon tour on Day 2 and combine the island loop with Matira beach on Day 3. You lose the dive or jet-ski day.
Got extra days?
Add Moorea, 30 minutes from Papeete by ferry, for hiking, the Belvedere viewpoint and cheaper stays, or the quieter atolls of Rangiroa and Fakarava for drift dives with sharks. Taha'a, the vanilla island, is a day trip by boat from nearby Raiatea.
Where to stay in Bora Bora
| Budget | Area | Why | Typical double/night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | Matira pensions | Family-run guesthouses on the main island, next to the public beach. | XPF 15,000-25,000 |
| Mid-range | Main island hotels (Matira / Vaitape) | Lagoon-side rooms with the village, roulottes and shops close by. | XPF 35,000-60,000 |
| Mid-range | Smaller motu hotels | Garden or beach bungalows on a motu, cheaper than overwater. | XPF 60,000-100,000 |
| Comfort | Motu resorts (Piti Aau, Tevairoa) | Overwater bungalows facing Mount Otemanu. | XPF 120,000-300,000 |
Getting around
There is no public bus worth relying on. On the main island, rent an e-bike, scooter, small car or buggy in Vaitape (car about XPF 10,000-15,000 a day), or take taxis, which are few and expensive. Resorts on the motu run boat shuttles to Vaitape, often for a fee and to a timetable. Air Tahiti flies between Papeete and Bora Bora several times a day, and an Air Tahiti pass can combine several islands.
What to eat in Bora Bora
Polynesian cooking is fish, coconut and fruit. The essential dish is poisson cru, raw tuna marinated in lime and coconut milk with vegetables, about XPF 1,800-2,500. Try mahi-mahi in vanilla sauce, firi firi (coconut doughnuts) for breakfast, and ma'a Tahiti, a traditional feast cooked in an underground oven, served at some resorts. Hinano is the local beer (XPF 600-1,200). Roulottes in Vaitape are the cheapest meals; resort dinners start around XPF 8,000 per person. Supermarket prices are high because almost everything is imported.
Best time to visit
May to October is the dry season, with 24-28°C, lower humidity and steady trade winds; it is also the busiest and most expensive time. November to April is warm and humid at 28-31°C, with heavy showers, more mosquitoes and a small risk of cyclones. Visibility for snorkelling is excellent most of the year. Book flights and resorts 6-12 months ahead for July and August.
Month-by-month weather for Bora Bora →
What a day costs
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing a double) | XPF 10,000 | XPF 25,000 | XPF 90,000 |
| Food & drink | XPF 6,000 | XPF 12,000 | XPF 25,000 |
| Sights & tickets | XPF 4,000 | XPF 10,000 | XPF 20,000 |
| Local transport | XPF 2,000 | XPF 5,000 | XPF 10,000 |
| Total per person, per day | about XPF 22,000 | about XPF 52,000 | about XPF 145,000 |
Approximate 2026 prices in Pacific francs (XPF), pegged to the euro at about XPF 119 per €1. Hotels charge a per-person, per-night tourist tax (taxe de séjour) of a few hundred XPF, plus VAT on rooms.
Before you go
Common questions
Is an overwater bungalow worth it?
For a short stay, many people find it the point of the trip: you snorkel from your deck and wake up facing Mount Otemanu. If the budget is tight, book two nights overwater and the rest in a beach or garden bungalow, or stay on the main island and spend the money on lagoon tours.
How do I get to Bora Bora?
International flights land at Faa'a airport in Papeete, Tahiti. From there, Air Tahiti flies to Bora Bora in about 50 minutes, several times a day, often via Moorea or Raiatea. Most travellers spend one night in Tahiti on arrival, because flights from Europe and North America arrive late.
Can I visit Bora Bora on a budget?
More than people think. Family pensions near Matira cost a fraction of the motu resorts, Matira beach is free, roulottes serve filling meals, and an e-bike covers the island loop. The lagoon tour is the one expense not to skip. Bring snorkel gear to save on rentals.
Is the lagoon safe for snorkelling?
Yes, in calm conditions inside the reef. The blacktip reef sharks and rays you meet on tours are used to people. Watch for boat traffic, avoid standing on coral, and do not swim in the passes to the open ocean, where currents are strong. Follow the guide's instructions on tours.
How this guide was made
Compiled by TonyPlan from official tourism, transport and attraction sources and on-the-ground travel knowledge. Prices are approximate for 2026 and change with season; anything we could not confirm is marked as approximate.
Some links on this page are partner links. If you book through them TonyPlan may earn a commission; the price you pay is the same. How we make money.