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5 minutes to book. Best day of our entire trip. Everything felt effortless from pickup to sunset.
Destination guide
French Polynesia — at a glance
39 boats are available to book across 2 departure bases. The largest are Papeete, Tahiti (20), Raiatea (19). The fleet is 39 catamarans and trimarans. Weekly prices start from €5,000 for a catamaran; every price on this page is the boat’s own listed rate for 7 nights, before extras.
When to go
French Polynesia sails all year, with the dry season from May to October - cooler, trade winds of fifteen to twenty knots, the best visibility - as the high season, and the wet season from November to April warmer, calmer and cheaper with short heavy showers and a small cyclone risk from January to March. The Leeward Islands are sailed from Raiatea, an hour's flight from Tahiti, and charters run Saturday to Saturday with a first night on the lagoon.
Where to sail in French Polynesia
Catamaran charter in the Leeward Islands from Raiatea
Raiatea, with the marinas at Uturoa and Apooiti, is the base for the Society Islands: Taha'a shares its lagoon - the coral garden, the vanilla farms - Bora Bora is twenty-five miles north-west and Huahine twenty miles east, each an open-water morning between reef passes. A week does Raiatea, Taha'a and Bora Bora; ten days adds Huahine and Maupiti.
Boats leave from Raiatea 19
Yacht charter from Papeete and Tahiti
Papeete on Tahiti, next to the international airport, has the other half of the fleet: Moorea and its two bays are twelve miles across the channel, and the Leeward Islands a hundred miles north-west, an overnight passage for a longer charter that ends at Raiatea one way.
Boats leave from Papeete, Tahiti 20
Crewed and cabin cruises through the Society Islands
Most charters here are crewed - captain and cook, often by the cabin on shared catamarans - because the reef passes and lagoon channels need local knowledge and the distances between islands are open ocean; bareboat catamarans are rented to crews with a strong résumé.
Boats leave from Raiatea 19 Papeete, Tahiti 20
A week on the water in French Polynesia
Day-by-day routes from the bases below, with the distances between stops. Each opens the full week on the base page.
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A week from Raiatea 19 boats
Taha’a, Hurepiti or Tapuamu · the coral garden and the motu · Bora Bora · Nao Nao motu · Uturoa
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A week from Papeete, Tahiti 20 boats
Moorea, Cook’s Bay · Opunohu Bay · Huahine · Raiatea · Taha’a · Bora Bora
Bareboat, skippered or crewed
Bareboat charter in French Polynesia follows French rules - a recognised licence or a documented sailing résumé checked at the base - with skippers added for a day or the week; crewed catamarans priced all-inclusive and cabin charters are the larger part of the market. Fuel, water and the lagoon mooring fees are settled at the base.
Types of boats in French Polynesia
Catamarans of 40 to 50 feet are the entire French Polynesian fleet on Adriavela, split between Raiatea and Tahiti.
- 39 catamarans and trimarans from €5,000 per week
Ports and marinas in French Polynesia
- Papeete, Tahiti 20 boats
- Raiatea 19 boats
French Polynesia · prices
What a charter in French Polynesia actually costs
Adriavela lists 39 boats in French Polynesia, spread across 2 departure bases. What separates one price from another is the type of boat, its size, and the base it leaves from — not the month you go.
The average week is €8,752 and the cheapest boat on the list is €5,000. Figures are list prices for a 7-night bareboat charter, refreshed nightly; the exact total for your dates is confirmed on the boat’s own page before you book.
| Boat type | Boats | Guests | From | Average | Open |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catamaran & trimaran 11.3–15.8 m · 4 cabins · built 2022 | Boats39 | Guests2–12 | From€5,000 | Average€8,752 |
| Charter length | Available for a trip type | Share of fleet |
|---|---|---|
| One day | Available for a trip type 17 | Share of fleet44% |
| Two days | Available for a trip type 19 | Share of fleet49% |
| Three days | Available for a trip type 23 | Share of fleet59% |
| Four days | Available for a trip type 24 | Share of fleet62% |
| One week | Available for a trip type 39 | Share of fleet100% |
Short charters are priced per boat and date rather than by the week, so no range is quoted here. Pick your days on a boat’s page and the rate comes back live.
| Budget / week | Boats | Sleeps | Typical size | Mostly | Open |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| €3,000 – €6,000 | Boats3 17% | Sleeps8 | Typical size12 m | Mostly3 catamaran & trimarans | |
| €6,000 – €12,000 | Boats12 67% | Sleeps8 | Typical size12 m | Mostly12 catamaran & trimarans | |
| Over €12,000 | Boats3 17% | Sleeps9 | Typical size14 m | Mostly3 catamaran & trimarans |
| Departure base | Boats | From | Average | Mostly | Open |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Papeete, Tahiti | Boats20 | From€5,000 | Average€8,067 | Mostly20 catamaran & trimarans | |
| Raiatea | Boats19 | From€20,386 | Average€20,386 | Mostly19 catamaran & trimarans |
Do I need a licence to charter a boat in French Polynesia?
Bareboat charter in French Polynesia follows French rules - a recognised licence or a documented sailing résumé checked at the base - with skippers added for a day or the week; crewed catamarans priced all-inclusive and cabin charters are the larger part of the market. Fuel, water and the lagoon mooring fees are settled at the base.
When is the best time to sail in French Polynesia?
French Polynesia sails all year, with the dry season from May to October - cooler, trade winds of fifteen to twenty knots, the best visibility - as the high season, and the wet season from November to April warmer, calmer and cheaper with short heavy showers and a small cyclone risk from January to March. The Leeward Islands are sailed from Raiatea, an hour's flight from Tahiti, and charters run Saturday to Saturday with a first night on the lagoon.
Where can I sail in French Polynesia?
3 sailing areas: Leeward Islands from Raiatea (from Raiatea); Papeete and Tahiti (from Papeete, Tahiti); Society Islands (from Raiatea, Papeete, Tahiti). Each has its own bases, and the boats on this page leave from all of them.
How do I get to the charter bases in French Polynesia?
The nearest airports to the largest bases: Papeete, Tahiti (20 boats): Tahiti Faa'a Airport (PPT), under 10 km away; Raiatea (19 boats): Raiatea Airport (RFP), under 10 km away. Distances are as the crow flies; most charter companies arrange a transfer on request.
How many boats can I charter in French Polynesia?
39 boats from 2 bases: 39 catamarans and trimarans. Availability and prices are live from the charter companies.
How much does it cost to charter a boat in French Polynesia?
On the boats listed here day rates start from €714 and a week (7 nights) from €5,000. These are the boats’ own listed rates before extras; fuel, marina fees on the route and local taxes are paid separately.
How much does a yacht charter in French Polynesia cost for a week?
The typical boat is €7,336 for 7 nights (the median across the priced boats), and the cheapest on the list is €5,000. Prices run from small sailing boats up to crewed yachts, so the median says more than the average (€8,752) here.
What is the most common boat in French Polynesia?
Catamaran & trimaran — 39 of the 39 boats listed. An average one sleeps 7 and costs €8,752 for the week.
Can I take a boat out for just one day?
Yes — 17 boats accept a single-day booking, and 19 take two days. A day rate is quoted for the specific boat and date, so pick your day on the boat’s own page and the price comes back live.
Where do most boats leave from?
Papeete, Tahiti has the largest fleet at 20 boats, and there are 2 departure bases in French Polynesia altogether. The base you start from changes the price as much as the boat does.
What is not in the price?
The figure is for the boat. Transit log, tourist tax and the APA are mandatory, set per boat, and paid at the base. Skipper, hostess, extra equipment and other services are optional and also settled at the base.
Why do some boats show no price?
21 of the 39 boats are on request — usually larger or crewed yachts, where the rate depends on the week and the crew. They are left out of every figure above.