Tahiti to Moorea Ferry: A Fast and Easy Way to get to Moorea
When you visit French Polynesia, you’ll most likely be visiting other islands, like Moorea and Bora Bora. Moorea is the closest island to Tahiti and can actually be reached by ferry. The ferry is a fast and easy to get from Tahiti to Moorea. In this article, we’ll share how to take the Tahiti to Moorea ferry, including which ferry we think is best, and where to find the ferry terminal.
How to get to Moorea from Tahiti
If you’re wanting to visit Moorea, you have to fly into Tahiti, which is the capital city of French Polynesia. If you’re flying from the United States, you can find direct flights from Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, and Honolulu. Other direct flights around the world include Auckland, Rarotonga, Tokyo, and Nadi. Once you arrive in Papeete, you can choose to take the ferry or a plane to explore Moorea.
Read more: Best place to stay in Moorea
How to get to the Tahiti ferry terminal
When arriving at Papeete International Airport, if you are going straight to Moorea, you’ll need to get to the ferry terminal, which is 4.5 miles away. You will need to get a taxi to get there. It takes about 20-30 minutes, depending on traffic, to get to the ferry terminal from the airport.
Once you’re at the ferry terminal, there are 4 lanes labeled 1-4, each number corresponds to a ferry company.

Moorea Ferry Schedule
There are lots of times that the ferry travels between Moorea and Tahiti. There are three different ferry companies that travel between Tahiti and Moorea. The schedules vary depending on the time of the year and the day of the week. The ferries typically run nearly every 60-90 minutes from 5:30am to 5:30pm depending on the day of the week.
Here is an example of the Terevau ferry schedule in August 2024

Here is an example of the Aremiti ferry schedule in August 2024

Here is an example of the Vaeara’i ferry schedule to Moorea

These schedules can change at different months, so make sure you go to the respective websites to check the ferry schedule for when you are wanting to travel.
It’s important to note that the last ferry of the day often departs before many international flights arrive into Papeete International Airport (PPT). You can book a nice hotel close to the ferry terminal and spend the night exploring Papeete. We have found most people traveling to and from the USA will most likely have to stay overnight before catching the Moorea ferry the next morning. When we visited the first time we rented a nice little airbnb between the airport and the ferry terminal, and it worked out perfect.
Read more: Where to stay in Tahiti
How to Buy Ferry Tickets
You can purchase ferry tickets beforehand online, or you can purchase them at the ferry terminal. It’s not necessary to buy tickets ahead of time. We do recommend buying tickets ahead of time if you are bringing a vehicle on the ferry, as there is limited space. If you plan to just buy tickets at the ferry terminal, we recommend getting there 20-30 minutes ahead of scheduled departure.
How long is the Ferry from Tahiti to Moorea
The ferry from Tahiti to Moorea is quick. Depending on the ferry company that you use, it’s between 30-60 minutes. Sometimes the ferry leaves a little later than scheduled, so keep that in mind if you are on a time constraint.

Moorea Ferry Options
There are 3 ferry companies to choose from, Terevau, Aremiti, and Vaeara’i. All the ferries leave from the same area on Tahiti and arrive at the same port in Moorea. You can buy your ticket at the ferry dock for whatever one is leaving next.
Teravau Ferry to Moorea
Terevau seems to be the more-popular one, at least for tourists, as their website is easier to find and understand.
- A passenger ticket is $13 USD one way or $26.40 USD roundtrip
- A vehicle ticket varies between $47 USD – 85.85 USD depending on the size of the vehicle.
- Tickets for the Terevau ferry are valid up to one year from purchase.
Aremiti Ferry to Moorea
- A passenger ticket is $16.15 USD one way, or 30 USD roundtrip
- A vehicle ticket varies from 53 USD – 95 USD (one way) depending on the size of the vehicle
- Tickets for the Aremiti ferry are valid for up to 360 days
Vaeara’i Ferry to Moorea
Vaeara’i ferry goes back and forth between Moorea and Tahiti daily, but it also services other Leeward islands, such as Bora Bora, on the weekends 2-3x/month. The Vaeara’i ferry has a sundeck, back lounge, and restaurant. There’s also a lounge for people who want more space.
- A passenger ticket to Moorea is $11.75 USD one way, and $23.50 USD roundtrip.
- A vehicle ticket is between $36-63 USD (one way) based on the size
*If you plan to bring a car on any of these ferries, you must purchase a passenger ticket and a vehicle ticket*
Moorea Ferry Terminal
The Moorea Ferry terminal is on the northwest coast of Moorea, in a town called Vaiare. Both ferries arrive and depart from the same location on Moorea. There are some car rental offices located at the ferry terminal.

Alternatives to the Moorea Ferry
If you don’t want to take the Moorea Ferry, you can take a plane to Moorea. Air Tahiti provides multiple flights a day between Tahiti and Moorea, and is an even faster option to getting to Moorea. This a great idea if you are short on time, and don’t want to worry about the hassle of transferring from the airport to the ferry terminal. Flights to Moorea will be more expensive than taking the ferry.
Tips for taking the Tahiti to Moorea Ferry
- The seas can get very rocky, we recommend bringing or taking some dramamine just in case.
- Buying a ticket online doesn’t reserve your spot. It speeds things up at the ferry terminal, but you still need to make sure there’s spots available at the specific ferry
Final thoughts on taking the ferry to Moorea
Taking the ferry from Tahiti to Moorea is a fast and easy way to island hop. Not only is it cheap, it’s also a scenic ride, as you’ll get great views as you leave Tahiti and as you arrive in Moorea. We much prefer taking the ferry to Moorea than flying.
If you’re making a trip to Tahiti and French Polynesia, check out these posts: