FREE Tahiti Packing List – What to Pack for Tahiti Vacation (2024)
Maeva (pronounced mah-yeh-vah) or Welcome! By now, you’ve hopefully booked your flight tickets to Tahiti and are ready for your island paradise getaway. The only thing left to do is to pack your bags! To make sure you have everything you need and avoid making the same mistakes I did while visiting French Polynesia, here’s my essential packing list for what to pack for your Tahiti vacation!
What to Wear in Tahiti
Since Tahiti experiences tropical weather almost year-round, locals often wear clothes that are light, flowy, and breathable. Think Hawaii, but even a little more laid back than that! The whole time, I saw locals wearing mostly dresses, skirts, tank tops, shorts, and sandals. I never saw anyone out in a cocktail dress, super form-fitting clothing, or flashy name-brand clothes. That said, my friends and I didn’t often go out late at night to the clubs because we were typically wiped out from the day’s earlier activities.
Fun Fact: About 75% of the locals on the island work in the service industry because the island is heavily reliant on their tourism sector.
What to Pack for Tahiti Vacation: 17 Essentials (2024)
At this point, you probably have a decent idea of what to pack for your Tahiti vacation. Even so, remembering to pack everything for any vacation can be overwhelming, especially if you’ve never been to the destination before. To make life a little bit easier for yah, here is a breakdown of everything that I brought as well as a few items I wish I brought!
🌿 NOTE: I left out some of the more obvious items, but you can receive my free checklist that includes everything to pack for your Tahiti vacation here.
1. Strong Reef Safe Sunscreen
An absolute must-pack for your vacation in Tahiti is a hefty amount of good sunscreen. With the island’s proximity to the equator, the sun is extremely intense. Add the highly reflective clear turquoise waters to the mix, and you have a perfect recipe for looking like a lobster if you don’t properly protect yourself.
Another thing to note is that you want to bring reef-safe sunscreen. I know it may be tempting to bring any ole sunscreen you have lying around, (i.e. Banana Boat and Neutrogena are not reef-safe), but it’s imperative to protect the beautiful coral reefs! We want to make sure that they are there for a long time so future generations can also enjoy them.
If you aren’t sure if your sunscreen is bad, see if your sunscreen contains these harmful chemicals: oxybenzone, octinoxate, avobenzone, and octocrylene. When in doubt, purchase a new bottle of sunscreen that you know for sure is reef-friendly. As for when to apply it, I recommend putting it on at least 20 minutes before heading into the water and reapplying every hour and a half. We did this and I’m happy to report that there were no human lobsters in sight throughout our trip! 🦞
✅🧴 See the Reef Repair’s Mineral Sunscreen that my friends and I loved and recommend!
2. Chapstick with SPF
Similar to packing good sunscreen, be sure to pack a tube or two of chapstick with SPF. There’s nothing worse than blistered lips that make your lips feel swollen. I do everything possible to avoid ever having sunburnt and blistered lips again. If you’re looking for a good chapstick, I use Sun Bum’s SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen Lip Balm. It gives your lips a bit of a white tint, but it applies fairly smoothly and comes with a lovely fruity scent. Regardless, make sure to adequately protect yourself!
3. Insect Repellent
Another must-pack item for vacation in Tahiti is insect repellent. Even if you’re staying at a beachfront hotel, bring strong insect repellent. The mosquitos are friggin BRUTAL. My friends and I were completely unaware of the bug and insect situation in Tahiti, and we immediately regretted not bringing any. As a result, we were eaten alive the first night and had to buy some insect repellent at Carrefour, the island’s equivalent of Target. For your wallet and body’s sake, bring bug spray. It will especially come in handy if you plan on doing any hikes, such as to Tahiti’s tallest and most famous waterfall, Fautaua Waterfall.
4. Hat & Sunglasses
Whether it’s a big Instagram-ready sunhat or a regular baseball cap, bring a hat to protect your face and scalp. Even when my friends and I were visiting the island’s stunning botanical gardens, where it was mostly shady, we wore our hats. Likewise, you’ll want to pack a pair of sunglasses. After spending a couple of hours lounging along the water and soaking up the sun, the sunlight’s UV rays play a number on your eyes. Wear sunglasses to help protect your eyes from any damage.
5. Small First Aid Kit
It’s always a good idea to carry a small first aid kit when traveling. You never know when you are going to get a blister or fall and get scraped up. For example, while surfing, I wiped out and hit a rock. This led to me getting a nasty cut on my foot. Luckily, my friend packed a little first aid kit, so I was able to protect the wound from any infections.
Also, just as a fair warning, the coral reef is extremely sharp. Thus, if you’re snorkeling in shallow waters and accidentally hit the coral reef, there’s a good chance of getting cut. Not to mention, a little fun fact about Tahiti is that the coral reefs are very much alive. So, if you get cut, you’re at a higher risk of getting an infection! 🥲 Thus, be sure to bring a travel-friendly first aid kit because it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
6. Rain Jacket
Although people often envision sunny beach days when they think of Tahiti, the island is known for having fickle weather. One minute it’s a gorgeous bright day and 20 minutes later dark angry clouds are looming above. Before you know it, it’s pouring rain and you gotta retreat inside to avoid turning into a soggy mop. The island is especially prone to this kind of weather during the wet season, which is from November to April.
To avoid the weather quite literally raining on your parade, I recommend packing a waterproof rain jacket! Also, don’t worry there are still plenty of activities to do around the island, even if the weather isn’t ideal. For example, my friends and I did a day trip to Tahiti’s sister island, Moorea. The day started quite cloudy, rained for about 30 minutes in the afternoon, and then returned to blue skies!
7. Fancy Outfit
This is a bit more obvious, but I recommend bringing at least one nice outfit that you can wear for a fancy dinner. Sometimes, I’m so focused on packing as efficiently as possible that I forget to pack a dressy outfit and find myself scrambling to find something suitable. This is just my friendly reminder to you 😊.
8. Plug Adaptor & Voltage Converter
If you are coming from the US or anywhere that doesn’t utilize Europe’s two-prong outlets, you’ll want to bring a couple of plug adaptors. One option is to buy a European adaptor that allows you to only plug your stuff into outlets with two prongs. I have two of these and typically use them to charge larger devices, such as my laptop and iPad.
Another option is to get a universal plug adaptor that can be adjusted to fit into international outlets all around the globe. I always bring one of these because they’re great for charging multiple smaller items with a USB cord. Plus, it has a USB-C port, which is nice for changing the newer Apple devices that no longer use the old USB-A port. Oh, and a universal plug adaptor can also save you a few dollars if you’re an avid traveler around the globe. 🤠
If you plan on utilizing appliances like a hair dryer or curling iron, definitely pack a plug adaptor with a built-in voltage converter. The standard voltage in the US is 110 V, while that of French Polynesia is 220V. Without a voltage converter, your appliance will end up destroyed.
✅ Here are the European plug adaptor, universal plug adaptor, and voltage converter I have and recommend.
9. Portable Charger
The last technology-related item that I recommend bringing is a portable charger. The signal is often not super stable and your battery drains much faster when it’s constantly searching for a signal. A portable charger especially comes in handy if you are doing some excursions around the islands and are relying on your phone to navigate.
Even if you think you don’t need a portable charger, I suggest bringing one as a safety precaution. This is the portable charger I travel with and originally bought from Amazon. It’s an essential for me because it’s super durable and waterproof, charges my phone quickly, and has both a standard USB-A port and a USB-C port. After 2 years, it’s still going strong! So, if you’re looking for a reliable portable charger, this is one I recommend.
✅ 🔌 Check out my favorite portable charger that’s adventure-proof!
10. French Polynesia Cash (XPF)
Lots of smaller businesses and local services only accept cash. To avoid having to pay foreign transaction fees or ATM withdrawal fees, bring cash (XPF) with you. The easiest thing to do is request the money from your bank a couple of weeks before you leave. My general rule of thumb is to bring $200 USD worth of foreign currency per week. This may seem like a lot, but the smaller fees add up quickly, especially if you eat out often.
Plus, it’s nice to have some money if you plan on doing some epic excursions around the island, such as taking a taxi boat to see the famous surf break, Teahupoo, and want to tip your amazing guide!
🤿 🐋 Want to take a tour but don’t want to go manually consider hundreds of tours offered? Here is my curated list of the top 7 tours offered in Tahiti. There’s even a chart so you can easily compare the differences!
11. Reusable Water Bottle
This is more of a given, but don’t forget to pack a large reusable water bottle. Contrary to what many think, it’s easy to become dehydrated in hot and humid climates. Carrying a large reusable water bottle will not only help you stay healthy but also it will help reduce plastic waste. 🌎💚
12. Cloth Bag
One of my favorite travel tips is to always pack a cloth bag. This can serve as a reusable grocery bag, a simple bag to carry your items for the day’s activities, or a pillow for a nap in a park. In fact, I normally save a few extra dollars by using my cloth bag to shop at the local markets. In Tahiti, the most popular market is the Papeete Market (see location), which is in the heart of the capital.
At the Papeete Market, you’ll find so many stalls with fresh produce and hand-crafted goods. Definitely walk around here to get a taste of the local cuisine and go souvenir shopping! For me, the fresh juicy mangos from the market were life-changing, and I’m officially a mango snob because I know how good it can be…
13. Over-The-Counter Medicine
Whenever I travel, I always pack a few tablets of Advil in a zip-bloc bag and stick them in my personal bag. You never know when you are going to get a headache or feel a bit under the weather. Plus, it’s generally easier to bring your own OTC medicine instead of having to make an emergency run to a local pharmacy or shop.
14. Hand Sanitizer / Antibacterial Wipes
In the age of the world imploding, it’s important to keep your hands clean and wipe down any surfaces your food may touch. There aren’t many public restrooms outside of the capital, so I recommend bringing both a travel-size container of hand sanitizer and some antibacterial wipes, like Wet One’s Wipes. Oh, and speaking of bathrooms, they aren’t always well-stocked or maintained. To avoid any tragic situations, I recommend always carrying an emergency roll of toilet paper with you. You can either bring an emergency roll of toilet paper from home or buy some on the island at Carrefour!
15. Books or Tablet
For those downtime periods, don’t forget to pack a good book or your tablet to keep yourself entertained. There’s nothing quite as relaxing as lounging on a beach towel, listening to the waves crash along the shore, and reading a good book with not a single care in the world.
16. Camera Gear
Don’t forget to pack your camera gear! Tahiti is a great opportunity to film the surrounding underwater life, and I loved getting to capture everything with my GoPro.
One thing you may want to consider bringing is a sturdy mini tripod. Even at tourist attractions, there aren’t always people nearby that you can ask to take your picture. I didn’t think to bring mine because I was traveling with three good friends, but it comes in handy when you are trying to get group shots and capture the sweeping views in the background.
17. Travel Pillow
The last essential item I would recommend bringing is a travel pillow. This may seem more like for vanity item rather than a necessity, but when you’re sitting on that 8+ hour flight, you’ll wish you had a travel pillow. I certainly did.
Air Tahiti Nui provides pillows for each passenger on its long-haul flights. However, when I leaned my head against the pillow and window, my pillow turned into nothing. It’s like the pillow is made out of bunny fluff that disintegrates with any pressure. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but the moral of the story is to bring a travel pillow. Your neck will thank you for not having to suffer through any painful neck cricks.
Packing For Hikes in Tahiti
One of the reasons I love Tahiti and her islands is because the interiors are literally bursting with flora and fauna! If you plan on embarking on a hike through the island’s verdant interior, you’ll want to pack a few extra items for your Tahiti vacation.
Small Backpack
First, I suggest bringing a small day-pack backpack that can comfortably carry at least 2 large bottles of water and provisions for your hike. A few of the island’s hikes lead to waterfalls and natural pools. If you want to swim in them, bringing a small backpack will help you transport your swimsuit, towels, and any other items.
Normally, I use the largest backpack airlines allow as my personal item on planes. This just makes life a bit easier because it doubles as my backpack for hikes and a regular bag for day-to-day excursions. That said, you can likely get away with bringing a small clinch bag that has shoestring straps. These kinds of bags are okay for a shorter hour or two-hour hike, but I advise against them for longer hikes.
Good Hiking Shoes
With all of the rain, humidity, streams, and rivers in Tahiti, the hiking trails can be extremely slippery. The slip factor is especially high if you have to ford a river multiple times. To avoid slipping and involuntarily landing yourself in a hospital, bring shoes with lots of traction. My friends wore Chacos and had no trouble with the steep ascents, slippery bits, and everything in between. If you haven’t heard of Chacos, they may be something worth looking into. They are especially great if want a breathable shoe, or you don’t enjoy having your feet trapped in a damp shoe.
Light Jacket
Make sure to pack a light jacket. Even if the island weather is balmy and warm, the temperature near the waterfalls tends to drop a bit. Add in some gusty wind factor from the sheer force of the water falling, and you’ll be shivering! And, as I mentioned earlier, mosquitos and other insects are rampant in Tahiti. Wearing a light jacket can help prevent unwanted bug bites and cuts from sharper branches that you pass by.
Flashlight
While you may not necessarily need one while hiking, a flashlight comes in handy if you’re out during or past sunset. The trails become dark once the sun dips behind the mountains, and the uneven ground makes you more prone to falling. Thus, as a safety precaution, I always pack a mini flashlight in my backpack for those unexpected situations.
Tahiti Packing List For Snorkeling
Thinking about snorkeling in the unbelievably blue waters around the island? Come prepared so you don’t have to rely on rental shops. Here are a few extra items to pack to have the most freedom and flexibility and save money on your vacation to Tahiti!
Snorkel Mask & Fins
If you are keen on viewing the diverse aquatic life that exists around Tahiti, bring your own snorkel mask and fins. This will ensure that you can go out whenever you please and save some money over time.
You might be thinking, “I don’t need fins.” This is true — you might not need them if you’re good at swimming, and the water is calm. However, if you want to go further out or see any currents, you’ll want to bring fins. Oftentimes, my friends and I would just pull over to the side of the road and go snorkeling wherever the water looked enticing. If you do this, be mindful of the currents. As someone who swam competitively for 9 years, there were moments when I found myself struggling to swim through the currents.
✅🤿 These are the snorkel masks and fins that my friends brought for the trip. I may have borrowed them after struggling a bit, heh oops, and I can testify that they’re a valuable investment!
PRO TIP: 🐠 🐡If you don’t think you’ll be snorkeling often or aren’t that comfortable in open water, I would recommend taking a snorkel tour! They provide all the equipment, make sure you swim in safe environments, and can take you to see the most amazing reefs and sea creatures!
Goggles
In the event you’re short on luggage space, you can get by with just a pair of goggles. Unlike my friends, I bought a two-pack of goggles and called it a day lol. As I mentioned above, just be careful and stay vigilant of dangerous ocean conditions. Typically if it’s rained a lot recently or a storm is imminent, the waters become less suitable for swimming and snorkeling.
Beach Towel
If you aren’t staying at a hotel, you may want to pack your own beach towel. Airbnbs often provide shower towels but not beach towels, and you don’t want to have your shower towel working double duty.
As an alternative to a big ole beach towel, I cannot recommend Rainleaf’s Microfiber Towel enough. Their towels are perfect for traveling because they are light, compact, dry quickly, and generally super practical. If you haven’t used these while traveling or camping, they are an honest game changer!
Tahiti Packing List for Surfing
Are you a surfing enthusiast who has always dreamt of surfing Tahiti’s famous breaks? If so, that was also me! Here is a quick list of stuff to remember to bring and do if you don’t want to rent a surfboard on the island.
Surfboard & Leash
While this doesn’t need much explanation, I will mention that I brought two surfboards. One for the smaller waves and as a warm-up surfboard, and one for the larger and steeper waves!
Surfboard Bag & Surfboard Car Straps
If you don’t already have a nice surfboard bag, you will want to invest in a good bag. I love and always use Pro-Lite’s surfboard bags. The bag has a pocket on the inside and outside, and nice big padded shoulder straps. This makes transportation with your luggage a lot easier. Plus, you can conveniently store the surfboard’s fins in the bag’s interior pocket.
Additionally, if you’re renting a car to get around the island, you will want to bring surfboard car straps to safely attach your board to the car.
🏄♀️ NOTE: Learn how to safely transport your surfboard and tricks for saving money and space with my post that tells you everything to know about surfing (or witnessing) Teahupoo.
Fins & Fin Key
Before packing your surfboard, don’t forget to remove the fins. This will help prevent damage to your board and fins during transit. Once you arrive in Tahiti, you’ll need to reattach your fins with a fin key. The little hex screw is so small that it’s easy to forget to bring it. I recommend putting the fin key and corresponding screws in a zip-bloc bag to keep everything together.
Surfboard Wax for Tropical Waters
The last main item you should pack if you intend to surf during your Tahiti vacation is surfboard wax. Specifically, bring surfboard wax meant for tropical waters. The water in Tahiti is quite warm, around 27 – 29°C or 80 – 89°F year round. If you bring wax meant for cool waters, it will melt and you will be slipping right off your board. My friend and I wore rash guards while surfing for sun protection, and we were sweating. It feels like you are in a ginormous jacuzzi.
What NOT to Bring to Tahiti
While you are of course free to bring whatever you would like, there are a couple of items I would recommend leaving at home.
Tight Clothes
As I have alluded to earlier a couple of times, it’s always very humid in Tahiti. If you wear form-fitting clothes, like tight jeans or body-con dresses, there’s a good chance you’ll be left feeling sticky and uncomfortable. Instead, I would opt for flowy skirts and maxi dresses that are light and breathable.
Lots of Warm Layers
At most, pack one outfit meant for colder days unless you get cold at 65°F. The year-round temperatures in Tahiti are 70 – 83°F. For almost the entire duration of my trip, I wore shorts and T-shirts. The only time I put on something else was when I put on leggings to avoid getting bug bites at night.
Restricted Food Items
Be careful when bringing any food with you as the list of restricted foods is quite long. Some of the restricted food items include fresh fruit, dried fruit, nuts, seeds, meat, dairy products, plants, eggs, and honey. Check to make sure what you are bringing is safe, or eat it on the plane before you arrive.
3 Useful Tips for Easy Packing
Now that you know what to pack for your vacation in Tahiti, I’ll leave you with a few tips to make packing easier.
1. Check Airline Baggage Policies
I flew with Air Tahiti Nui in their Moana Economy Class, one of the cheapest classes. According to their baggage policies, Air Tahiti Nui allows a free piece of checked luggage for almost all of their classes, except for “Eco Light.” Make your trip to French Polynesia less expensive by checking to see if your airline offers free checked bags and take advantage of that if they do.
I know some people are hesitant about traveling with checked bags because they run the risk of getting lost, but I wouldn’t worry too much if you have a direct flight or are passing through a smaller airport.
In the event you have a layover or two in a massive European airport, such as Paris (CDG) or Amsterdam (AMS), consider taking only a carry-on! It’s better to guarantee you have your stuff, even if it’s less than what you wanted, rather than having to involuntarily buy a new wardrobe abroad! Or, at the very least, consider storing an Airtag in your checked bag. I actually do this for my checked luggage, carry-on, and personal bag. Again, I’d always rather be safe than sorry.
✈️ PRO TIP: Check StudentUniverse and Skyscanner for cheap flights. For those who haven’t heard of StudentUniverse, it’s a flight search platform available for everyone to use. I’ve personally booked 8 round-trip flights with them to places all over the world (French Polynesia, Japan, Europe, etc.) simply because they’ve often had the best deals.
2. Use Packing Cubes
I cannot recommend packing cubes enough. If you don’t already have them, I would highly suggest getting some! They make packing in and out so much faster and less stressful. Everything is compartmentalized and it’s just easier to stay organized. Gone are the days when I have to tear through my entire suitcase to find a specific top because it’s day 5 of the trip and nothing looks as it originally did…
3. Reusable Travel Bottles
Save yourself a trip to the store and help reduce plastic waste by investing in reusable travel bottles. These little bottles are awesome because they are TSA-compliant and you can directly fill them up with your personal shampoo, conditioner, and facial cleansers. Furthermore, in the five years that I’ve been using them, there have not been any surprise explosions when I open them. 😅
✅ 🧳 Here are the packing cubes and reusable travel bottles I love and recommend.
If you haven’t used packing cubes and reusable travel bottles before, I highly encourage giving them a try! They are especially worth it if you travel often and do several short-term stays in multiple cities during a single trip.
Where to Stay in Tahiti
Last but not least… don’t forget to secure your housing accommodations! Whether you’re a budget traveler or planning to splurge on a luxury vacation, Tahiti has tons of options. You can use the interactive map below to see current prices for different places across several booking platforms! And if you know your travel dates, you can get accurate prices for your exact vacation.
Wrap-Up: What to Pack for Tahiti Vacation in 2024
Packing and making sure you have everything in order is often a stressful affair. Hopefully, this ✨lengthy✨ post has given you a better idea of what to pack to make your trip to Tahiti as smooth as possible. And as I mentioned before, I left out some of the more obvious items that you bring on every trip.
But, to help you out, I’ve created a free checklist that includes everything to pack for your vacation in Tahiti. This way you can easily visually see as well as physically cross off everything as you pack it. Just enter your email below and you’ll be able to receive the free Tahiti packing list via email. And with that, I hope you have the most relaxing trip to Tahiti and can create some unforgettable memories!
📸 Appreciation Note: You’ll notice that a few of the pictures in this post were taken by my friend good friend Sol! You can see more of his amazing photography here!
Free Tahiti Checklist
