When is the best time to visit Bora Bora and The Islands of Tahiti?
Weather in Bora Bora and Tahiti
The weather in Bora Bora and Tahiti truly make the islands a year-round destination.
French Polynesia enjoys warm, tropical weather all year-round. Cooled by the gentle breezes of the Pacific, the climate of these islands is sunny and pleasant and one of the most stable on Earth. Because Tahiti and her Islands are below the Equator, the seasons are the reverse of those in the Northern Hemisphere. The average annual ocean temperature is in the low 80’s.
Roughly speaking, there are two seasons in Tahiti.
November through April – During this time of year (Winter in North America/ Summer in French Polynesia) the climate is warmer and more humid, with daily high temperatures of about 87 degrees Fahrenheit and lows of approximately 70F at night. More rain does fall during the warmer season, but there are also many lovely sunny days with refreshing trade-winds during these months. In fact, during the period of November through March, Tahiti still averages more sunshine hours than Honolulu.
May through October – During the “winter time” in French Polynesia, the climate is cooler and drier with daily high temperatures of about 83F and lows of approximately 70F at night. It is truly paradise.
Naturally, Tahiti enjoys a tropical environment and as with any tropical environment there can be showers at any time of the year. Most of the time, rain showers are short-lived and visitors can enjoy the outdoors in between showers or immediately after a quick, tropical, afternoon shower.
Our team has experienced “perfect” dry and warm weather during visits in December and have had some days of cloud and rain during the drier months of July and September. However, the weather is generally, much drier, warmer, and sunnier, all year round than Hawaii as shown in the chart below provided by Tahiti Tourisme.
Generally speaking, low season rates are about 10% to 20% less expensive than high season rates depending upon the islands and hotels you select. Although, we are currently seeing unprecedented deals for High Season this year.
High Season – June 1st through October 31st and over the Christmas and New Year holidays. Due to the tendency of people to travel more during these times of year, prices will tend to be higher.
Low Season - Approximately the second week in January to March 31st and November 1st to mid-December. The best deals can be found during these months.
Shoulder or Mid-Season - April 1st to May 31st. There are still great deals to be had and the weather is usually fantastic.
If you would like more information about the seasonal special offers and travel deals for certain times of year, please take a look at our comprehensive list of Travel Deals.
We are often asked about the cost of food in Bora Bora and Tahiti. Food tends to be a bit expensive in French Polynesia. It is on par with dining out in New York, Los Angeles or Honolulu. If you are trying to stick to a preferred travel budget, regardless of how much you plan to spend, the cost of dining in French Polynesia should be considered in your travel and vacation planning.
Which islands to visit and how many islands you should visit depends a lot on how long you plan to stay in French Polynesia.We typically advise clients to spend at least 3 nights on each island in their itinerary (except possibly the Island of Tahiti). Spending less than 3 nights tends to make travelers feel too rushed. After all, you are going there to at least try to relax.
The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort is absolutely incredible. There are no words to describe the beauty of Tahiti and the staff there was wonderful. I cannot thank Venture Tahiti enough for helping us book the most incredible experience of our lives!! We plan on bringing our children there very soon!
The spa is beautiful, we had a great couples massage! ...the excursions are amazing & the best snorkeling channel around! It's worth every penny you spend and an experience of a lifetime! The sunsets are the best you will ever see! We used VENTURE TAHITI in Boca Raton, Florida to book our trip and it went off without a hitch. They did an excellent job and I highly recommend them!
I wanted to say thanks for helping us set up an amazing trip. We are home safe & sound! Everything was wonderful-- I am so happy you recommended the Shark & Ray tour on Bora Bora-- it was by far our favorite thing that we did! We ended up relaxing on Taha'a as it was the most perfect place to unwind and get massages. All of the hotels were awesome-- Le Taha'a Resort and The Conrad were our favorites! We absolutely loved our beach bungalow (it was huge!!)