Tahiti to Bora Bora by boat: days, crossing times and fares

Two companies link Papeete with Huahine, Raiatea, Taha'a and Bora Bora: Apetahi Express and Vaeara'i. Neither sails every day, and their timetables have nothing in common.

Updated October 14, 2026

Yes, you can go from Tahiti to Bora Bora by boat: Apetahi Express and Vaeara'i leave from Papeete and call at Huahine, Raiatea and Taha'a. Allow 6 h 50 with Apetahi Express, most often on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday at 6:30 am, or 13 h 40 overnight with Vaeara'i, on some school-holiday weekends.

Boat or plane to Bora Bora

Papeete – Bora Bora
How Days Time One way
Apetahi Express Tue, Fri, Sun 6 h 50 8,000 XPF (term time) · 9,000 XPF (holidays)
Vaeara'i School-holiday weekends 13 h 40 9,500 XPF
Plane, direct flight Every day 50 min not published here

Days and times from the timetables the companies publish. Direct flights by Air Moana, Air Tahiti; Fenua Move publishes no plane fares.

Today's flights at Tahiti-Faa'a airport

Who sails

Apetahi Express is the Leeward Islands line of Tauati Ferry. It carries passengers only: its fare grid has no vehicle fares.

Vaeara'i also carries cars, motorbikes and bicycles. A vehicle never travels alone: its driver must travel on the same ship.

Timetable by company: Apetahi Express Vaeara'i

  • Apetahi ExpressPassengers
  • Vaeara'iPassengersVehicles

Next departures

Apetahi Express

Passengers only

  1. Papeete Departure 06:30Sun
  2. 3 h 10 at sea
  3. Huahine Call 09:40
  4. 1 h at sea
  5. Raiatea Call 11:00
  6. 45 min at sea
  7. Taha'a Call 12:05
  8. 1 h at sea
  9. Bora Bora Call 13:20
  10. 1 h 15 at sea
  11. Maupiti Arrival 14:55
  1. Papeete Departure 06:30Tue
  2. 3 h 10 at sea
  3. Huahine Call 09:40
  4. 1 h at sea
  5. Raiatea Call 11:00
  6. 45 min at sea
  7. Taha'a Call 12:05
  8. 1 h at sea
  9. Bora Bora Call 13:20
  10. 1 h 15 at sea
  11. Maupiti Arrival 14:55
  1. Papeete Departure 06:30Fri
  2. 3 h 10 at sea
  3. Huahine Call 09:40
  4. 1 h at sea
  5. Raiatea Call 11:00
  6. 45 min at sea
  7. Taha'a Call 12:05
  8. 1 h at sea
  9. Bora Bora Call 13:20
  10. 1 h 15 at sea
  11. Maupiti Arrival 14:55
  1. Papeete Departure 06:30Sun
  2. 3 h 10 at sea
  3. Huahine Call 09:40
  4. 1 h at sea
  5. Raiatea Call 11:00
  6. 45 min at sea
  7. Taha'a Call 12:05
  8. 1 h at sea
  9. Bora Bora Call 13:20
  10. 1 h 15 at sea
  11. Maupiti Arrival 14:55
  1. Papeete Departure 06:30Tue
  2. 3 h 10 at sea
  3. Huahine Call 09:40
  4. 1 h at sea
  5. Raiatea Call 11:00
  6. 45 min at sea
  7. Taha'a Call 12:05
  8. 1 h at sea
  9. Bora Bora Call 13:20
  10. 1 h 15 at sea
  11. Maupiti Arrival 14:55
  1. Papeete Departure 06:30Fri
  2. 3 h 10 at sea
  3. Huahine Call 09:40
  4. 1 h at sea
  5. Raiatea Call 11:00
  6. 45 min at sea
  7. Taha'a Call 12:05
  8. 1 h at sea
  9. Bora Bora Call 13:20
  10. 1 h 15 at sea
  11. Maupiti Arrival 14:55

Vaeara'i

Passengers and vehicles

  1. Papeete Departure 20:00Fri
  2. 7 h 30 overnight
  3. Huahine Call 03:30Sat, +1 day
  4. 1 h 45 overnight
  5. Raiatea Call 05:45Sat, +1 day
  6. 50 min at sea
  7. Taha'a Call 07:35Sat, +1 day
  8. 1 h 45 at sea
  9. Bora Bora Arrival 09:40Sat, +1 day
  1. Papeete Departure 20:00Fri
  2. 7 h 30 overnight
  3. Huahine Call 03:30Sat, +1 day
  4. 1 h 45 overnight
  5. Raiatea Call 05:45Sat, +1 day
  6. 50 min at sea
  7. Taha'a Call 07:35Sat, +1 day
  8. 1 h 45 at sea
  9. Bora Bora Arrival 09:40Sat, +1 day
  1. Papeete Departure 20:00Fri
  2. 7 h 30 overnight
  3. Huahine Call 03:30Sat, +1 day
  4. 1 h 45 overnight
  5. Raiatea Call 05:45Sat, +1 day
  6. 50 min at sea
  7. Taha'a Call 07:35Sat, +1 day
  8. 1 h 45 at sea
  9. Bora Bora Arrival 09:40Sat, +1 day
  1. Papeete Departure 20:00Fri
  2. 7 h overnight
  3. Huahine Call 03:00Sat, +1 day
  4. 1 h 45 overnight
  5. Raiatea Call 05:15Sat, +1 day
  6. 50 min at sea
  7. Taha'a Call 06:35Sat, +1 day
  8. 1 h 45 at sea
  9. Bora Bora Arrival 08:40Sat, +1 day
  1. Papeete Departure 22:20Sat
  2. 7 h overnight
  3. Huahine Arrival 05:20Sun, +1 day

Back: Huahine 06:00 (Sun, +1 day), Papeete 13:00 (Sun, +1 day)

  1. Papeete Departure 20:00Fri
  2. 7 h 30 overnight
  3. Huahine Call 03:30Sat, +1 day
  4. 1 h 45 overnight
  5. Raiatea Call 05:45Sat, +1 day
  6. 50 min at sea
  7. Taha'a Call 07:35Sat, +1 day
  8. 1 h 45 at sea
  9. Bora Bora Arrival 09:40Sat, +1 day

Updated at 10:00

The stops

  1. Papeete
  2. Huahine
  3. Raiatea
  4. Taha'a
  5. Bora Bora

Both companies call in the same order, and in reverse on the way back. After Bora Bora, Apetahi Express goes on to Maupiti.

Map of the Leeward Islands stops Schematic map: from Papeete on Tahiti, the line calls at Huahine (1), Raiatea (2), Taha'a (3) and Bora Bora (4). Apetahi Express goes on to Maupiti, dotted. 1 2 3 4 To Papeete Maupiti
Schematic map, simplified coastlines.

Sailing days

Apetahi Express

Out
TueFriSun 6:30 am from Papeete
Back
ThuSatMon 11:45 am from Huahine

Apetahi Express leaves Papeete at 6:30 am, most often on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday. Some weeks, the Tuesday sailing moves to Wednesday. The return leaves Huahine at 11:45 am on Thursday, Saturday and Monday, and reaches Papeete at 3 pm.

Vaeara'i

School-holiday weekends

Out
Fri 8 pm from Papeete
Back
Sat 3:30 pm from Bora Bora

Vaeara'i sails only on some school-holiday weekends. The ship usually leaves Papeete on Friday at 8 pm and sails overnight. It reaches Bora Bora on Saturday at 9:40 am, leaves again at 3:30 pm and is back in Papeete on Sunday at 6:25 am.

These times come from the carriers' data read at the end of September 2026: for Apetahi Express, the weeks from 29 September to 29 November 2026; for Vaeara'i, the sailings planned until December 2027. The exact dates are in the app.

How long the trip takes

Time for each leg, from the published timetables
Leg Apetahi Express Vaeara'i
Papeete – Huahine 3 h 10 7 h 30
Huahine – Raiatea 1 h 1 h 45
Raiatea – Taha'a 45 min 50 min
Taha'a – Bora Bora 1 h 1 h 45
Papeete – Bora Bora 6 h 50 13 h 40

From Papeete to Bora Bora, the time includes the calls on the way. Vaeara'i sails overnight between Papeete and Huahine. On the way back, Apetahi Express takes 3 h 15 from Huahine to Papeete.

What the trip costs

One-way fares from Papeete, in Pacific francs (XPF). Apetahi Express charges the same fare to every stop, a little more during the school holidays.

One way from Papeete, in XPF
To Apetahi Express, term time Apetahi Express, holidays Vaeara'i, adult Vaeara'i, child Vaeara'i, car from
Huahine 8,000 9,000 7,000 4,200 17,000
Raiatea 8,000 9,000 8,000 5,000 18,000
Taha'a 8,000 9,000 9,000 5,500 19,000
Bora Bora 8,000 9,000 9,500 6,000 20,000

Prices as published by the carriers, read on October 4, 2026. They may change. At Apetahi Express, the fare applies to every passenger from 2 years old; babies travel free. At Vaeara'i, a child is under 13, and there are student and senior fares. Neither grid publishes a resident fare. A car is priced by its size.

Buying a ticket

Tickets are sold at the counter or on each carrier's website. Fenua Move sells nothing: its Book button opens the carrier's website. Apetahi Express tickets are non-refundable. They include two 23 kg checked bags. Vaeara'i asks for an ID, and the registration papers for a vehicle.

Weather and cancellations

In rough seas or for a technical reason, a carrier may cancel or move a departure. It then publishes a notice. Fenua Move shows it as it is, in French, at the top of the timetable and on the departure it concerns. If you follow a departure, you get a notification when its time changes or it is cancelled.

To Moorea, ferries leave every day.

The Tahiti-Moorea ferry guide

Download

Every Leeward Islands departure, in the app

Apetahi Express and Vaeara'i departures day by day, stop by stop, with what each ship carries: passengers, cars, freight.

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Coming soon toGoogle Play

Vaeara'i's sailing to the Leeward Islands, stop by stop, with what the ship carries. Vaeara'i's sailing to the Leeward Islands, stop by stop, with what the ship carries.
Departures to the Leeward Islands, day by day and stop by stop. Departures to the Leeward Islands, day by day and stop by stop.