One Day In Tahiti: Itinerary For Exploring Papeete And Beyond

One Day In Tahiti Itinerary

When we were researching our trip to French Polynesia, we found the use of the word Tahiti to be confusing. Many people refer to Tahiti as a group of islands, but it is actually only the name of the main island where you initially land.

Since this is where most of the population lives and the government is located here, it is much more commercial in the capital city of Papeete. But if you take the time to travel outside of the city, you can enjoy some beautiful scenery and culture.

Due to the timing of many international flights, you may find yourself with some extra time before going to your next destination. This blog is perfect if you have one day in Tahiti (the island) and are looking to explore a little during your free time.

How to Spend A Perfect Day In Tahiti

Morning

Enjoy Walking The Commercial District

The city of Papeete is a lot more busy than you will see in other French Polynesian locations. Since it is a commercial centre, you will find it to be bustling with people heading to work and children off to school.

The downtown area near the ferry terminal is laid out well and gives you access to many stores. Including the numerous Tahitian pearl shops that offer excellent shopping opportunities. Be sure to check out some of the stores if you want that special purchase to take home with you.

Peruse The Papeete Market

The Papeete Market is a wonderful spot to shop on a more local level. It is located in a beautiful open-air building that reminds us of the covered markets in the French cities of Narbonne or Avignon.

The tables are covered with pretty, floral tablecloths and each vendor welcomes you with a smile. Here you can purchase fresh local fruit and vegetables or gorgeous flowers.

This is also a perfect place for souvenir shopping, with loads of handicrafts, jewelry, wood carvings, fragrant soaps, woven purses and more. Kim bought her muumuu here that she wears at home all the time.  

Notre Dame Cathedral

If you enjoy visiting churches, the Catholic cathedral in Papeete is easily accessible along the waterfront. This cathedral is called the Great Lady of Papeete and its official name is The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception.

It took 20 years to build and was consecrated in 1875 by the first Roman Catholic bishop of Tahiti. It can hold 400 people and has been restored several times over the years. What remains from the original building is the stained glass window, the oak pulpit and the wooden doors. It is simple in style but pretty with its Polynesian decor.

✅ Interesting Fact: The cathedral is located at kilometre 0. This is where road distances are calculated from all around the city.

Afternoon

If you have worked up an appetite after all your shopping, stop in at one of the local restaurants offering various fresh options. We chose a simple brasserie called L’Oasis du Vaima. Service was friendly and efficient, and we relaxed at a table by the window and watched everyday life go by on the streets of Papeete.

Get Out And Explore With A Circle Island Tour

We really recommend that you take the time to see some of the more natural areas of Tahiti. Once you leave the busyness of the capital city, you will be pleasantly surprised by the beautiful scenery of this mostly rural island. You could choose to rent a car and do this drive yourself but we didn’t want to be bothered with picking up and dropping off a car for such a short time. 

Instead, we spent a wonderful afternoon with our guide, Fabrice, who showed us the highlights of the island. Like in Iceland, there is only one main road around the exterior of the main island. This enabled us to see both the west and east sides since we circled the entire main island.

We chose to do a small group tour so we could learn about the culture, history and notable sights and also so we could relax while someone else navigated the roads. As well as taking us on our tour, Fabrice picked us up at the ferry from Moorea, stored our luggage for the morning and dropped us off at the airport, making it super simple and eliminating airport transfer costs.

✅ We loved this 5 star half-day tour that gave us a chance to enjoy all the beautiful spots outside of Papeete.

Arahurahu Marae

Our first stop was a perfect place to begin our understanding of the history of the Polynesian people. It is a sacred archeological site that was uncovered and restored in the 1950s. 

Here, you can see the remains of an ancient stone temple. These religious areas are called Marae, and they were places where people met for religious ceremonies or political gatherings. 

Onsite, there is a large platform or altar where rituals took place, a stone wall surrounding the area, and several statues dedicated to the guardian spirits. Being such a spiritual location, be sure to take your time looking at these important structures and understanding their significant religious and ancestral importance to the Polynesian people. 

Maraa Grotto

This location was like a hidden garden, set back from the main road. It has three caves that have been naturally carved into the rock. One is much larger than the others and looks very majestic with moss and greenery hanging from the edges. 

The pool of clear water has a wonderful shade of blue and looks very inviting. The ceiling is shaped like an arch and is deceiving as it makes the cave look much smaller than it is.  In actuality, the cave reaches back 80 metres and is more than 30 metres wide.

This is a lovely spot to see – very peaceful, with the sound of the water trickling into the pools. 

Be sure to look at the beautiful view from across the road in the park area that borders the water.

Water Gardens of Vaipahi

We then moved on further south, to the opposite side of the island where we started. Here we visited a gorgeous botanical garden. This stop was incredible with a nice winding path through ponds loaded with lily pads, immense greenery, tropical flowers, and even ducks.

There are waterfalls on the grounds as well and it is just a wonderful place to explore on an easy walk. The number of tropical plants was breathtaking and we especially loved the jade vines. Such a unique looking flower.

Our guide did tell us that there is a hike leading from this garden that provides a very nice viewpoint at the end, but our time didn’t allow for that on this visit. If you have time, check it out.

Tiarei

One of our stops along the coast was to see the black sand beach in Tiarei. The beach has gorgeous black sand and many black rocks shimmering in the water. It is surprising since when you think of Tahiti, you most often think of the white sand beaches but that is not the case on the mainland. This reminded us immediately of the black sand beaches in Iceland.

On this trip, we weren’t able to go for a swim but this looks like a wonderful spot to make a stop if there was more time available.

Also in this area is the Arahoho blowhole. It is a very cool natural phenomenon. You can hear the air gathering from within as the water enters a cavern underneath the rock. The pressure builds, making quite a bit of noise in the crevices below until it eventually shoots out of the hole, causing a stream of water to escape. It is quite a sight to see.

Faarumai Waterfalls

When we arrived at the parking area of the Faarumai Waterfalls on the east side of the island, it looked like it would start to rain anytime. Fabrice thankfully supplied us with umbrellas.

From the start, you can catch a glimpse of the tall waterfall in the distance. Here, you’ll find an easy path and walkway over a bridge with a comfortable walk to the first falls, Vaimahuta.

Reaching 80 metres tall, it provides a spectacular view.  At the time of our visit, there was plenty of water making the falls quite full and provided a beautiful, cooling spray. 

There are other falls on this property, approximately a 30 minute hike through the valley however we only visited the first and most accessible one.

Of course, the area is steeped in the legend of a young woman who was so protected by her father that no one was allowed to speak with her. She was an unhappy girl who grew to resent her father. One day she met a man in the forest and once she offered to help him he turned into a gorgeous man and they ran away together.

As they were being pursued by her father’s guards, they clung to the cliffs with the water running over them to hide – this formed the first two waterfalls. And it is said that the guards in an attempt to catch them were turned into the third waterfall. 

There’s a lot of folklore in French Polynesia and it is nice to follow along with it during your travels. The falls were definitely worth the stop.

Pointe Venus

On the northern coast, we stopped at Pointe Venus to see a beautiful park area set up for people to enjoy the area. There is also a beautiful black sand beach here that looks like a great spot to spend the afternoon. This location is where James Cook apparently set up to see the transit of Venus across the sun in 1769, hence the name.

On the grounds is the Point Venus lighthouse which was completed in the 1860s and still functions to this day.  

It is very picturesque. And you can also see a memorial that is dedicated to the Polynesian sailors who sailed on the Bounty.

The whole area is very beautiful and not overly busy making it a wonderful place to visit.

As a special bonus, we were taken to the lovely lookout point of Belvedere du Tahara’a where we could see the sunset. It was the perfect end to the day.

FAQs

Can You Drive Around Tahiti In A Day?

You can definitely drive around Tahiti in a day. The afternoon stops noted above were done in an afternoon so you could extend your time in each spot and still easily do the drive around the entire island in one day.

Is Tahiti Or Bora Bora Nicer?

These islands are very different so comparing them isn’t really a fair exercise. Bora Bora is all about the water experience in the lagoon. While Tahiti has some beautiful beaches, there is no lagoon surrounding the island so the water activities will be different. Tahiti has some lovely natural spots to visit but we would say Bora Bora is stunningly beautiful in comparison.

How To Get Around

Car rentals are readily available on the island of Tahiti. Additionally, if you don’t want to drive, check out a circle island tour where your transportation is taken care of for you.

Where to Stay

If it turns out that you need an overnight either upon arrival or when you are leaving, you have several choices of where to stay on the mainland.

✅ Close to the Airport: Hilton Hotel Tahiti is well located and close to both the airport and downtown with shopping across the street. They have wonderful staff onsite and activities and entertainment available for guests.

✅ Offers Bungalows: Intercontinental Tahiti Resort and Spa offers both classic rooms or over water bungalows. A full service resort with loads of onsite amenities, this is a great spot to stay.

The Final Word…What To Do With One Day In Tahiti

If you are planning your trip to French Polynesia and are wondering what to do in Tahiti, we really recommend getting out to see some of the city of Papeete and then seeing some of the natural locations located around the island. You will soon appreciate that it has its own kind of beauty and that it is worth the time to explore the island.