French Polynesia · 4X4 ISLAND SAFARIS
Open 4x4s climb the tracks the hire cars cannot: the Belvedere on Moorea, the gun batteries above Vaitape, the river crossings through the middle of Tahiti. These 15 are compared on route, hours and price.
Ride a guide-driven 4WD truck through Moorea’s mountain roads with guides such as Ron, Vi, or Mario. Stop at Magic Mountain, Belvedere Lookout, pineapple fields, a tropical garden, marae, Cook’s Bay, and a local distillery, with tastings included.
“Nice tour on less accessible sites of the island. Our guide Ron was kind funny and knowledgeable!!!!”
Take a six-and-a-half-hour open-air 4x4 journey through Tahiti’s central crater. Your guide shares island stories as you pass waterfalls, basalt cliffs, river fords, hydroelectric tracks, and freshwater basins. Bring swimwear, rain gear, mosquito repellent, and patience for 37 kilometers of rough mountain road.
“This was a lot of fun and the guide was very informative. The swimming was a highlight for me. Lots of fun.”
Cross Tahiti Nui’s rugged interior in a small 4x4 group with local guides Rainui or Hotu. Expect waterfalls, sacred places, plant stories, a river swim, views of Vaihiria Lake, fresh fruit, and a very bumpy mountain road. Lunch is your responsibility.
“On our honeymoon, this was our first excursion and it did not disappoint! We were both blown away at the amazing hospitality, rich history lessons, and beautiful sights we were met with. We were so impressed with every detail of this exRead more”
Ride around Bora Bora in a shaded, open-sided 4WD with a local guide such as Mana, Moana, or Alex. Stop at lagoon lookouts, WWII cannons, a plantation, and a Faanui Valley workshop where you can see sarongs dyed and coconut oil made. Sunset departures include sparkling wine.
“We took two different island tours during our day in Bora Bora, and this by far was the most adventuresome and had the best opportunities for spectacular views. The tour did not start off well since there wasn’t anyone to formally meet us with a sign with our names so there was a lot of confusion at the beginning.”
Spend about 3½ hours exploring Bora Bora by open-sided 4x4, with hotel pickup available and groups capped at eight. Guides such as Tuarii, Adolph, Moana, and Santi take you up rough mountain tracks to Mount Popoti, Faanui Valley, local art workshops, and historic sites.
“Our driver was awesome & he handled the roads really well; adventurous, exhilarating ride! Well worth the money”
See Moorea in a small 4WD group with guides such as Ron, Mario, Tammo, and Dean. Ride steep tracks to Magic Mountain, stop at Belvedere and Cook’s Bay, visit pineapple fields, and sample local juice, jams, wine, fruit, and vanilla during a 3 to 4 hour shore excursion.
“Great way to see a small part of Moorea while onshore from the cruise. Small person (8) tour was so much better than large ship excursions. Ron was an awesome guide, both knowledgeable and entertaining!.”
Start on Tahiti’s east coast and ride into the Papenoo Valley in a 4WD vehicle. Guides such as Noah, Hotu, Eric, and Pito share local stories, plants, and culture while you pass waterfalls, streams, rainforest, and archaeological sites. Expect an eight-hour trip on very rough roads.
“Extremely rough terrain for an 8 hour excursion!!!! Be prepared to be jostled ALOT for a LONG time, 8 hours!!! But I guess it was worth it to experience and see the top of the mountains and all the waterfalls along the way.”
Ride through Moorea’s interior in an open-air 4WD with guides such as Carlos and Gérard. You’ll visit Belvedere Lookout, ancient marae, pineapple country, a river with freshwater eels, and a fruit-liqueur stop, with hotel or ferry-terminal pickup included.
“We enjoyed our tour visiting many beautiful locations. Our tour guide was great in explaining history and culture in both French and English. Thumbs up for our guide for making an extra trip to our hotel to drop off my daughter’s shoes she forgot in the van after we’ve returned in our hotel. Thank you so much!”
Spend about eight hours seeing Bora Bora from land and sea. A local guide takes you by open-air 4WD to island viewpoints, wartime cannons, craft workshops, and fruit stands. Then snorkel with stingrays, black-tip reef sharks, and tropical fish before lunch on a motu. Guides may include Manu, Matu, Ari, or Maui.
“It was funny! The guys were very nice and friendly! It was amazing when we swimming with the sharks into the lagoon and the lunch was delicious!! Noemi”
Spend four hours seeing Moorea from a padded, seat-belted 4x4 truck. Local guides such as Coco, Gerard, JJ, and Carlos lead you to Belvedere, Magic Mountain, Cook’s and Opunohu bays, pineapple fields, a marae, fresh-water eels, fruit tastings, and a juice and liquor stop.
“stop trying to sell stuff and stopping in there own shops”
Take a 3-hour 4x4 tour around Moorea with a local guide such as Ari, Gerald, Gerard, or JJ. Ride rough mountain tracks to Belvedere, see Mont Rotui and plantations, visit Marae Titiroa, and taste pineapple, jam, juice, and liquor.
“Went on the excursion with my family and we had a great time with our guide. He was friendly and had lots of great info he shared at all the stops. Every in the group had a fun time! Time flew right by!”
Spend about seven hours seeing Bora Bora from an open-air 4WD, stopping at World War II sites and hilltop viewpoints before lunch at Bloody Mary's. Then join a lagoon cruise with guides such as Toiki, Sam, or Will for shallow-water snorkeling with stingrays, black-tip reef sharks, and colorful reef fish.
“Probably my favorite part of Bora Bora. The 4WD gave us a view of how people live in their town. Was pretty cool. Lunch at Bloody Mary's was very filling and gave us time to rest. Shark/Stingray was scary but so worth it. I got great pictures of the sharks and stingrays. I've gone shark cage diving and I was more terrified of this excursion because I was not in a cage! Highly Recommend.”
Spend six hours touring Bora Bora by open-sided 4WD and lagoon boat. Stop at Matira Point, Faanui Cannon, and Amanahune Bay, visit a local craft workshop, eat at Bloody Mary’s, then snorkel with stingrays, black-tip reef sharks, and tropical fish. Guide Teva may lead the land tour.
“Super activité. Les guides étaient au top, le seul petit bémol et le restaurant du midi.”
Ride through Bora Bora with an English or French-speaking guide, visiting 1942 WWII sites, ancient temple areas, Faanui Valley, lookout points, and a family Pareu workshop. Guides such as Terie, Deano, Ari, and Tamanono add local stories, music, and fruit tastings.
“Tour as expected unfortunately couldn’t see everything due to the weather but Hery was informative, polite and friendly. Good overview of the Island”
See Bora Bora by land and sea in one six-hour outing. A local guide such as Jean, Atien, Frank, Tiba, or Mano may lead the 4x4 and jet ski portions. Expect lookout stops, World War II cannons, a coconut demonstration, lunch at Lucky House, and guided lagoon riding.
“We got to see the entire island my jet ski. The kids had a great time and the water was beautiful. Would highly recommend!”
Pick a lagoon, a reef or a mountain track.
