Wondering how to get to Bora Bora from Moorea? You’re not the only one!
These two paradise islands are right at the top of most people’s bucket lists and if you’re traveling all the way to French Polynesia, then you’ll want to see them both, right!?
I was lucky enough to visit Bora Bora and Moorea on my recent trip to French Polynesia so I had to make this journey for myself.
This guide tells you everything you need to know about getting from Moorea to Bora Bora including several different options, the exact schedules, pricing and more.
Table of Contents
How To Get From Moorea To Bora Bora
Flying is the fastest and most efficient way to get from Moorea to Bora Bora but it’s not the cheapest option.
The cheapest way to get from Moorea to Bora Bora is by ferry however it is much more inconvenient and takes significantly longer.
In a hurry? Here’s a quick overview of the two options:
- A flight from Moorea to Bora Bora takes 50 minutes and costs around $200 per person (one-way).
- There are no direct ferries from Moorea to Bora Bora so you need to take a ferry from Moorea to Tahiti then from Tahiti to Bora Bora.
- Overall the ferry takes 9 hours and costs around $94 per person in total (one-way).
You may have to stay overnight in Tahiti if you choose the ferry option depending on which ferry you take. I explain how to avoid this later in the post.
I personally ended up flying as I didn’t want to spend 9 hours on the ferry. I’ve heard that the ferry is super scenic though so it’s definitely not a bad option at all.
Below I go into much more detail on the two options so you know exactly how to get from Moorea to Bora Bora.
Moorea to Bora Bora Flight
There is usually only 1 direct flight from Moorea to Bora Bora each day. The departure time of the flight varies each day however my flight departed at 11am.
Here’s an example flight I found on Kayak for this route:
On selected days, there are 2 daily flights but these are uncommon.
Th flight from Moorea to Bora Bora takes just 50 minutes so it’s over pretty fast. The main carrier which flies this route is Air Tahiti but Air Moana also offer some flights.
Flights depart from Moorea Airport (MOZ) and arrive at Bora Bora Airport (BOB).
Please be aware that Air Tahiti has a strict baggage allowance which they do enforce. They will weigh both your checked luggage and your personal belongings so make sure you don’t go over.
Here’s what you’re allowed:
- 1 hand baggage and 1 accessory per passenger – maximum weight 5kg (11lb).
- Hold luggage with a standard ticket – maximum weight 23kg (50lb).
- Hold luggage with a special ticket with additional weight allowance – maximum weight 46kg (100lb).
This is strictly enforced due to plane size.
Flight Cost
It costs around between $200 and $230 per person to fly from Moorea to Bora Bora.
I checked Skyscanner for the current pricing and here’s what I found:
For these prices, I checked various different months in both high season and low season to see if the price changes.
As you can see, there was little variation in the price no matter what time of year you booked it for.
The only time I saw the prices rise from these numbers was if you try booking last minute.
If you book your flight within 2 weeks of departure, expect to pay around $240 per person. The highest price I saw was $256 per person and this was for a flight the following day.
Later on in this post, I will let you know how you can save a ton of money if you’re planning on visiting multiple islands in French Polynesia.
💡Tip: I often use Skyscanner when booking flights as they collate all the deals and show you the absolute best price on the internet. It’s definitely saved me a ton of money over the years.
Moorea to Bora Bora Ferry
Unfortunately, there is no direct ferry or boat from Moorea to Bora Bora at the moment.
The only way to travel by ferry is to take the ferry from Moorea to Tahiti and from there get a ferry to Bora Bora.
The map below shows an overview of the ferry route:
The main downside to this route is that it takes a long time (I’m talking 9hrs+).
The ferry from Moorea to Tahiti takes just 25 minutes but the ferry from Tahiti to Bora Bora takes 8 hours 40 minutes.
I was initially really keen to take the ferry when I first began planning this trip but the main thing that put me off was how long it was!
I really didn’t want to waste an entire day of the trip on the ferry so in the end I opted for the flight instead to save time.
One thing to note is that you’ll likely have to stay overnight in Tahiti as the ferries depart from Tahiti to Bora Bora super early in the morning (6:30am).
This leaves you with very little time to get the ferry to Tahiti from Moorea beforehand.
In addition, the ferries to Bora Bora only depart from Tahiti 3 days a week.
Although difficult, it is possible to do it all in one day and I explain exactly how later in the post. It’s worth it if your schedule allows and if you want to save money.
If you don’t mind the lengthy journey then in the steps below, I detail exactly how you can take the ferry from Moorea to Bora Bora.
💡Bonus: Taking the ferry gives you the added benefit of enjoying breathtaking views of the islands.
Ferry from Moorea to Tahiti
There are 2 different ferry companies that operate a ferry from Moorea to Tahiti. These are Aremiti and Terevau.
There is little difference between the two companies. The Aremiti ferry will get you there 5 minutes faster, however the Terevau ferry is $4 cheaper per person so it’s really up to you.
Aremiti also has more departure times to choose from each day. Aremiti has 11 daily departures whereas Terevau only has 6.
Aremiti Ferry from Moorea to Tahiti
The Aremiti ferry from Moorea to Papeete, Tahiti takes 25 minutes. There are 11 departures throughout the day and tickets only cost $14 per person.
The ferry departs from the Moorea ferry port.
Please note that the ferries are more infrequent on the weekends but there are still several departure times.
Here’s the Aremiti ferry departure times from Moorea:
A one-way adult ticket costs 1,770 XPF per person which is around $14. A child ticket costs 1,120 XPF which is around $9.
Please note that they consider a child as anyone aged between 2 and 11. Babies under 2 years old are free.
Aremiti has 2 different ferries that you can take for this route. These are the Aremiti 6 ferry or the Aremiti Ferry 2 which both go from Moorea to Tahiti.
For all departure times you can book tickets at the ticket office in person. You can also book online on the Aremiti website.
If you choose to book online then please note that you will be booking an open ticket meaning you can use the ticket on any boat (you’ll have no specific reservation).
The online tickets are valid for one year from the date of purchase.
The ferry is almost never full so you shouldn’t have any problems purchasing a ticket at the ticket counter and the ferries are super reliable here.
💡Tip: If you take this ferry, make sure you take a seat on the upstairs deck for amazing views of Tahiti and Moorea.
Terevau Ferry from Moorea to Tahiti
An alternative to the Aremiti ferry is the Terevau ferry which takes 30 minutes to get from Moorea to Tahiti.
There are 6 departure times on weekdays and 5 departure times on weekends. The Terevau ferry also leaves from the Moorea ferry port.
Check out the Terevau ferry schedule below for exact timings:
Tickets cost 1,240 XPF for an adult (one-way) which is around $10. For a child, the cost is 630 XPF which is around $5.
I contacted Terevau about age limits for child tickets and they told me that the child ticket is for anyone aged between 2 and 11. Babies under 2 are free.
You can book tickets in person at the ticket office or you can book online on the Terevau website.
Similar to the Aremiti ferry, online bookings are open tickets and are valid for 6 months from the date of purchase.
The Terevau ferry is also super reliable and clean.
Ferry from Tahiti to Bora Bora
After you’ve arrived in Tahiti, you’ll now need to get on a ferry to Bora Bora.
The ferry from Tahiti to Bora Bora takes 8 hours and 40 minutes and departs from the Papeete Ferry Terminal. You can take the Aremiti 5 with Apetahi Express.
Ferries from Tahiti to Bora Bora only depart on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.
Here’s the timetable:
Please note that this ferry has 4 stops with Bora Bora being the final stop. The ferry stops at Huahine, Raiatea, Tahaa and finally Bora Bora.
💡Quick Tip: Although the ferry is long, it gives you a great opportunity to see some other French Polynesian islands from the deck of the boat.
You can book a ferry ticket on the Apetahi Express website. Please note that the website is in French. Most web browsers will give you an option to translate it into English automatically.
This is what the booking system looks like:
A one-way ticket costs 9,600 XPF per person which is around $80.
How Long is the Ferry from Moorea to Bora Bora?
In total, taking a ferry from Moorea to Bora Bora takes approximately 9 hours and 5 minutes.Â
This estimate only includes the time you’ll spend on the two ferries and doesn’t include any transfer times as this will vary depending on which departure time you select.
How to Get From Moorea to Bora Bora by Ferry in One Day
Due to the ferry schedules, it is super difficult to get from Moorea to Bora Bora without spending a night in Tahiti…but it’s not impossible.
As the ferries only leave from Tahiti to Bora Bora on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, you will need to depart on one of these days.
Wednesdays/Fridays
Here’s exactly how you can take both ferries in one day:
- Take the first Aremiti ferry from Moorea to Tahiti. It leaves Moorea at 5:10am and arrives at 5:35am in Tahiti.
- Take the 6:30am ferry from Tahiti to Bora Bora. It leaves Tahiti at 6:30am and arrives in Bora Bora at 3:10pm.
Sundays
Here’s exactly how you can take both ferries in one day:
- Take the first Aremiti ferry from Moorea to Tahiti. It leaves Moorea at 6:00am and arrives in Tahiti at 6:25am.
- Take the 7:30am ferry from Tahiti to Bora Bora. It leaves Tahiti at 7:30am and arrives in Bora Bora at 4:10pm.
Unfortunately, if you arrive in Tahiti on any other day of the week from Moorea (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday), you won’t be able to get to Bora Bora that day by ferry.
How Far is Moorea from Bora Bora?
The distance from Moorea to Bora Bora is 234km (145 miles).
Check out the handy map below which shows where Moorea and Bora Bora are in relation to each other:
As you can see on the map, Moorea is much closer to Tahiti than Bora Bora is. In fact, Moorea is just 44.5km (27 miles) from Tahiti.
On my trip, I flew into Tahiti then took a connecting flight over to Bora Bora where a spent 5 days.
I then traveled from Bora Bora to Moorea where I spent another 3 days before heading back over to Tahiti.
Bora Bora Moorea Packages
One of the best ways to see several islands in French Polynesia and not break the bank is by booking a package.
Cruises are a great way to see lots of different places and they take the stress out of island hopping.
There are several different cruises available which stop off at both Bora Bora and Moorea including:
These cruises also give you the chance to see plenty of other Polynesian islands along the way including Raiatea, Huahine, Rangiroa, Tahiti and more.
Air Tahiti Pass
Another great option is purchasing an Air Tahiti Multi-island Pass. These passes could save you a significant amount of money if you’re wanting to visit more than one island on the same trip.
These passes include flights to several different French Polynesian islands. If you’re visiting 2+ islands then it might be cheaper to purchase a pass instead of individual flights.
There are several different options available depending on which islands you want to visit.
The cheapest pass which includes both Moorea and Bora Bora is the Bora Bora Pass. This pass also includes airfare to Huahine, Raiatea and Maupiti so is ideal for island hopping.
The cost of the Bora Bora pass varies depending on the season.
Check out the pricing chart below for exact prices of the Air Tahiti Bora Bora Pass:
Please note that a child ticket can only be used for anyone aged between 2 and 11. Air Tahiti doesn’t offer passes to any child under 2 years old.
And that’s it!
Hopefully now you’ll be able to easily travel from Moorea to Bora Bora.
If you’re traveling all the way to French Polynesia then, of course, you’ll want to make the most of your trip and visit multiple islands whilst you’re here.
I found it really difficult to find information on how to get from Moorea to Bora Bora when I first looked which is why I decided to put together this guide.
Need more help planning your Bora Bora vacation?
Related posts: