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Tahiti Nui Tour: Explore Island's Highlights
3.9
105 Ratings
Papeete
Explore Tahiti Nui’s stunning landscapes, rich history, and vibrant culture with our guided tour. Discover hidden gems and iconic sites effortlessly.
Explore Tahiti Nui’s stunning landscapes, rich history, and vibrant culture with our guided tour. Discover hidden gems and iconic sites effortlessly.
Duration:
6 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Museum of Tahiti and the Islands - Known as Te Fare Iamanaha, this museum is perfect for exploring the history of French Polynesia, from its people to the evolution of its traditions and customs over time. Renovated in 2023, visitors can enjoy a delightful experience, complete with a large garden and a sea view. (On days when the museum is closed,…
- Museum of Tahiti and the Islands - Known as Te Fare Iamanaha, this museum is perfect for exploring the history of French Polynesia, from its people to the evolution of its traditions and customs over time. Renovated in 2023, visitors can enjoy a delightful experience, complete with a large garden and a sea view. (On days when the museum is closed, typically Mondays or when there is a high influx of visitors due to cruise ship arrivals, the visit will be substituted with a tour of the archaeological site of Marae Arahurahu).
- Maraa Grotto - Nestled in lush greenery, the Mara’a site features three natural caves carved into the rock. Constantly flowing water has created pools of fresh, clear water. Various plants, such as ferns and mosses, hang from the ceiling of each cave.
- Taharuu Beach - Taharu’u Beach is a stunning black sand beach located in the Papara commune on Tahiti’s west coast. It is an ideal spot for surfers, whether beginners or experienced, as it offers a well-protected area with excellent conditions for swimming and surfing.
- The Water Gardens of Vaipahi - The Vaipahi Water Gardens provide an opportunity to observe a variety of botanical species and aquatic plants, while also exploring historical remnants and the legend of the area.
- Faarumai Waterfalls - The three waterfalls in the Faarumai Valley originate from three different watersheds. The most accessible, just a short walk away, is called Vaimahuta, an 80-meter waterfall.
- Pointe Venus - Venus Point is situated in the north of Tahiti in Mahina. It is renowned for its stunning black sandy beach and its historic lighthouse.
What's Included
- Bottled water
- All Fees and Taxes
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- Guide
- Bottled water
- All Fees and Taxes
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- Guide
What's Not Included
- Lunch
- Lunch
Additional Information
Explore the entire island of Tahiti Nui with us, as we enrich our tours with insightful commentary that blends history, geography, local culture, and the vibrant life of the sites. Our knowledgeable guides will ensure a memorable experience, starting from your accommodation, as they charmingly introduce you to the highlights of Tahiti. Discover the…
Explore the entire island of Tahiti Nui with us, as we enrich our tours with insightful commentary that blends history, geography, local culture, and the vibrant life of the sites. Our knowledgeable guides will ensure a memorable experience, starting from your accommodation, as they charmingly introduce you to the highlights of Tahiti. Discover the renowned Tahiti Islands Museum & Islands, the stunning Mara’a Caves, the picturesque black sandy Taharu’u Beach, and the Vaipahi Botanical Garden. Journey along Tahiti’s wild coast to witness the breathtaking Faarumai Valley waterfall. As we pass by the surf spots of Papenoo, the tour will conclude at the historic site of Point Venus and its iconic lighthouse.
- Not recommended for people with reduced mobility, in this case contact us for a private service.
Location
Tourist Office
Ideal for travelers in accommodation located in the center of Papeete.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
3.9
(105 Ratings)
5 stars
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1 star
Trish_h
Oct 21, 2025
A bit of a rocky start to... - A bit of a rocky start to the tour but after things were sorted we had an informative drive around the island. Some people not happy about some things but we got an apology email and partial refund from operator.
Review provided by Viator
Bill_t
Oct 26, 2025
Tour Chaos - Chaos from the beginning due to one small shuttle bus not arriving
Our large bus departed one hour & ten minutes late.
We missed the visit to the museum which the entrance fee was included with the overall cost of the tour.
A promised by our guide of a 50 % refund.
Review provided by Viator
Guy
Oct 23, 2025
Chaotic start due to Port challenges but worked out well in the end. - Our large cruise ship with over 4,500 passengers challenged the port authorities at Papeete, which then unfortunately had a knockon effect to the local tour/trip operators. It was very chaotic & difficult to manage for everyone. We were eventually led to our minibus with our fellow travellers & had a good trip overall. Our driver and host did a good job despite the stressful start to the day.
Cruise lines should avoid visiting Papeete/Tahiti on a weekend or Sunday especially though.
And local tour operators like this one should take bookings only for as many passengers as they know they can manage effectively.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
John_t
Oct 22, 2025
Sad to give this kind of review - This tour was rated quite well by others. That's important to us. We were disappointed by the lack of organization on the day of the tour. We were notified a few days ahead of time that the tour had changed. Instead of vans there would be a big bus because so many people wanted to participate. We don't typically like big bus tours but it was rather late for us to make a change so we agreed to it. Total confusion at the port. There were some people in vans and some people of a big tour bus. No one knew who was to go where. The bus arrived 1 hour after we were to leave. This caused the tour to be extended for 2 reasons, 1 busses just take longer to proceed and 2 we started out late. We were maybe a hour into the tour and the guide had to be swapped out because she was ill. Certainly no helping that but it just added to the already bad start. The replacement was ok. I felt badly for him coming in part way through but he may have lacked experience to take over. He missed out on what I would consider important highlights, especially at Point Venus such as information about Mutiny on the Bounty, the relationship of Robert Louis Stevenson to the lighthouse there. Had we not wandered around we would not have found these things out. I rarely give anything but 4 or 5 out of 5 review with our Viator trips
A 3 really indicates it was mediocre and poorly planned. The tour operator/guide indicated she didn't want to turn anyone away so that's why she went with the bus. She should have kept the tour as designed. When you sell out you sell out, people will keep looking. This way of doing it tarnished the reputation of the tour operator, IMO. We were also told by the replacement guide we would be getting a 15% refund. I personally have not seen anything.
Review provided by Viator
73susanr73
Oct 19, 2025
Things didn’t go well for tour operator from the start. Not their fault. - The tour was very disorganized from the start. I know from previous reviews that this is not usual. We started 2 hours late, not all promises of food tasting were delivered. Change of guide due to illness (we hope our 1st guide will be ok and recovers quickly) mist of the time sitting in a bus, no time to stop for a quick dip. The stops we made were very worthwhile however and our replacement guide did an exceptional job under trying circumstances. Papeete is beautiful so please don’t be put off by my experience. Disappointing that Papeete is closed on a Sunday. I blame the cruise line for that
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Chris_h
Oct 22, 2025
Do Not Trust This Guide - This is the email we got from this tour operator less than 48 hours prior to our excursion. We were already traveling so certainly did not have time to book a different tour. So it was this one or not see the island…
“ We would like to inform you of an exceptional change in the tour organization. Due to ongoing challenges with operating two separate tours (morning and afternoon) using our mini vans — including frequent delays and occasional cancellations in the the cruise ship days— we have decided to run a single group tour using a large bus (42 seats). This solution allows us to ensure a smoother and more reliable experience for everyone.
We understand that you may have expected a more intimate tour in a 7-seater mini van. If this new arrangement does not suit you, you are free to cancel your booking up to 24 hours in advance and receive a full refund, no questions asked.
Please note that this tour includes only cruise ship passengers. (We were not!)
As a gesture of goodwill, and to thank you for your understanding regarding this change, we will be offering complimentary soft drinks, bottled water, and a small tasting of local snacks and traditional apéritifs.
Please note that these refreshments are not usually included in this tour — we are offering them exceptionally for this departure.
We truly appreciate your flexibility and look forward to welcoming you on board to discover the stunning landscapes and culture of Tahiti Nui.”
So instead of a comfortable van, we were in an uncomfortable, squeaky old bus with almost 40 people. The guide stayed in the front of the bus almost the whole time and had no amplification so we could not hear her descriptions of where we were going nor could we ask her questions. Once at the sites and off the bus, she did not stay with the group to provide more information. She could not answer the one question I did ask her. After one stop, she gave us fruit juice, but no snacks. While the sites themselves were beautiful and certainly worth visiting . I would not trust this guide. She did not come close to providing the type of experience that was promised to us. And despite that we were not offered a reduction in price so we paid for a small comfortable excursion and got a large, uncomfortable and uninformative one. Again, I would not trust this guide.
Review provided by Viator
Tracey_n
Oct 20, 2025
Disgraceful with no customer service etiquette - What experience, our time was changed after confirmation back in Australia requesting a PM tour, to have it changed and not receiving notification till after the fact that we were left to wait for a tour that was not showing up and having to rely on another tour company to see what was going on.
Very disappointed considering my partner has a disability. I have requested a full refund and will be taking this further.
There was another couple as well in the same situation, never received the email in time .
My request from Australia was always a PM due to circumstances, very disappointed that this has happened .
Review provided by Viator
Chris_w
Oct 20, 2025
Very disorganized and... - Very disorganized and chaotic. Tour left 1.5 hours late. Food and drinks not provided as promised. The guide was ill prepared and was replaced with an “apprentice in training guide” at first stop. Missed lunch and was late back to port. Very disappointed and did not meet Viator standards at all.
Review provided by Viator
Latasha_l
Oct 19, 2025
Save Your Money - I will not have enough characters to write an accurate response. However, the operator for this tour was terrible. First I contacted the tour operator to ask where to meet. I asked 2 before contacting Viator. They were supposed to give me an answer after a couple days I had to contact them again. I was then contacted stating there will be a sign with my name on it and we will meet at 9am and leave by 9:30. The day of 9:10 no with a sign. I did see a lady walk up with a kid around then. I contacted Viator. I then had to ask other people if it was the correct tour. Still no sign, unorganized. No one knew what they were doing. The representative was rude, disrespectful and disgusting to where I no longer wanted to do the tour. She’s mad because she’s late, unorganized and took it out on everyone. Then we are in a taxi with a lady with her kid that coughed. That’s who gave the tour. She and her husband who was in a separate van were actually really nice but it was definitely not an ideal situation. Apparently, the tour was over booked. They asked them to help the night before. So they had us really split up. No water. It was really a mess, they tried to do there best. I would never take this tour again. It’s the worst I’ve actually ever had and I travel a lot. Please don’t let the pictures fool you.
Review provided by Viator
Bruce
Oct 18, 2025
Do not use. They left us waiting for over an hour before I reached them only to be told they would not be coming. - We booked an excursion and from the beginning had trouble with communication. On the day of the excursion we waited over an hour only to be told they would not be coming.
Review provided by Tripadvisor