Things to Do in Bora Bora

Lagoon Tour & Snorkel Safari

• Price: From ~$120 per person (half day)
• Duration: Half day (4h) or full day (7h)
• Operator: Licensed local lagoon operators

The signature Bora Bora experience: a boat circuit of the lagoon with stops to snorkel near pink whiprays, blacktip reef sharks and coral gardens. Feeding the animals is illegal in French Polynesia, so good operators keep it hands-off. Full-day tours add a barbecue lunch on a private motu.

What to bring

• Reef-safe sunscreen and a rash guard
• Underwater camera
• Some cash if you want to tip your guide (tipping is optional in French Polynesia)

Shark & Ray Snorkel Excursion

• Price: Usually part of a lagoon tour (from ~$120 per person)
• Duration: 2 hours
• Operator: Licensed lagoon operators (choose no-feeding tours)

Small boats take you to shallow sandbars in the lagoon where blacktip reef sharks and pink whiprays are often seen. You snorkel or stand in clear, waist-deep water and watch them pass close by.

Feeding is now illegal

In August 2025 French Polynesia's tourism and environment services reminded operators and visitors that attracting fish, sharks or rays with food is dangerous and illegal, with heavy fines. Choose an operator that observes the animals without feeding them, and never touch or chase them.

Booking info

Most half-day lagoon tours include a shark and ray stop. Book through your resort's activities desk or a licensed local operator a few days ahead; departures run morning and afternoon, weather permitting.

Coral Garden Snorkeling Excursion

• Price: $70–100/person
• Duration: 1.5 hours
• Operator: Local lagoon tour operators

Bora Bora's Coral Garden, often called the Aquarium, is a shallow area of coral heads off Motu Piti Aau, about 2.5 to 4.5 meters (8 to 15 feet) deep. Boats anchor nearby and you swim among parrotfish, butterflyfish and giant clams; most half-day lagoon tours include a stop here.

Booking info

Suitable for confident swimmers of most ages; book through a lagoon tour operator or your resort activities desk. Mask and fins are usually provided. Don't stand on or touch the coral.

Motu Picnic & BBQ Island Excursion

• Price: $140–190/person
• Duration: Full day (6–7 hours)
• Operator: Local lagoon tour operators

Spend the day on a secluded, uninhabited motu with white sand and shallow snorkeling right off the beach. A Polynesian-style barbecue lunch of grilled fish, poisson cru, and tropical fruit is served under the palms.

Booking info

Full-day tours often include lagoon stops en route; book 1–2 days ahead, and bring reef-safe sunscreen and swimwear.

Glass Bottom Boat Tour

• Price: $55–80/person
• Duration: 1 hour
• Operator: Local glass-bottom boat operators

A gentle option for non-swimmers, young children, or anyone wanting to stay dry, this boat glides over coral gardens and fish-filled shallows while a glass floor panel reveals the underwater world below.

Booking info

Frequent daily departures; book through the operator or your resort's activities desk, no swimming required.

Sunset Catamaran Cruise

• Price: From ~$200 per person
• Duration: 2-3 hours
• Operator: Private and group cruise charters

A quintessential romantic finale: a catamaran or outrigger cruise across the lagoon at sunset, often with champagne and canapes. Private charters are a popular honeymoon splurge.

Private Outrigger Canoe (Va'a) Excursion

• Price: Varies by guide and group size
• Duration: 2 hours
• Operator: Local va'a (outrigger canoe) guides

Ride in an authentic va'a outrigger canoe steered by a local paddler who shares Polynesian navigation traditions, legends, and points of interest around the lagoon and motu shoreline.

Booking info

Private and small-group departures available; book at least a day ahead via the operator's site or resort tour desk.

Jet Ski Safari Tour

• Price: $280–330 per jet ski (2 riders, about 2 hours)
• Duration: About 2 hours
• Operator: Licensed jet ski tour operators

Follow a lead guide on your own jet ski around Bora Bora's lagoon, stopping at scenic motu, shallow reef areas, and viewpoints of Mount Otemanu. Ask the operator about the minimum age and any license requirement to drive.

Booking info

Book online or through your resort concierge; life jackets and a short safety briefing are included, minimum age typically 16 to drive.

Parasailing Over the Lagoon

• Price: From ~$280–290 per flight (solo, duo or trio)
• Duration: 45 minutes (10–12 min flight time)
• Operator: Local parasailing operators

Take off straight from the back of the boat and glide high above Bora Bora's lagoon for sweeping aerial views of the coral reef patterns and surrounding motu. Tandem and triple flights available.

Booking info

Reserve a time slot in advance during calm-weather months (May–October offers the steadiest conditions); no experience necessary.

Stand-Up Paddleboard Lesson & Tour

• Price: $60–85/person
• Duration: 1.5 hours
• Operator: Local paddleboard guides (many resorts lend boards free)

An instructor teaches balance and paddling technique in a sheltered bay before leading a guided paddle across the lagoon. Sunrise and sunset sessions are especially popular for calm water and light.

Booking info

Book a morning or late-afternoon slot online; boards, paddles, and life vests are included, beginners welcome.

Kitesurfing Lessons

• Price: Private 1.5-hour lesson from ~$240
• Duration: 1–3 hours
• Operator: Local kitesurfing instructors

Certified instructors teach kite control on land before progressing to body-dragging and, for quick learners, first board rides in the lagoon's reliable trade winds, strongest from June through September.

Booking info

Private lessons are booked by the hour directly with the school; multi-hour packages offer better value for beginners.

Flyboard Experience

• Price: Varies by package (riders 16+)
• Duration: 30 minutes (session)
• Operator: Fly Bora Board

Strapped into a jet-propelled flyboard connected to a personal watercraft, first-timers get a thorough safety briefing and hands-on coaching to rise above the lagoon surface and attempt dolphin dives.

Booking info

Sessions are typically 30 minutes including instruction time; book online, riders must be at least 16 and able to swim.

Deep Sea Fishing Charter

• Price: $1,000–1,500 per boat (half day, up to 4 guests)
• Duration: 4–5 hours
• Operator: Licensed sport-fishing charters

Head past the reef pass into deep water for big-game trolling. Experienced local captains target mahi-mahi, yellowfin tuna, wahoo, and marlin depending on season, with tackle and gear included.

Booking info

Charters are shared by the boat rather than per person; book several days ahead, especially in peak season, directly with the operator.

PADI Discover Scuba Diving

• Price: $150–190/person
• Duration: 2.5 hours
• Operator: TOPdive Bora Bora

No certification needed. After a short briefing on the boat or in shallow water, a PADI instructor guides you on a shallow, supervised first dive to see coral formations and reef fish, and sometimes rays.

Booking info

Reserve online through the dive center at least 24 hours ahead; bring a swimsuit and towel, gear is provided. Minimum ages for introductory dives are typically 8 years; ask the dive center.

Aqua Safari Helmet Walk

• Price: Varies by operator
• Duration: About 1.5 hours
• Operator: Aqua Safari Bora Bora

On an Aqua Safari you walk along the sandy lagoon floor a few meters down, wearing a helmet that is supplied with air from the boat above. Your head stays dry, you breathe normally, and reef fish swim right up to the window.

Not the same as an underwater scooter

Underwater scooters (sometimes sold as "Aquabike") are a different activity: you steer a small scooter with an air-filled dome around your head, at about 3 meters, and drivers usually need to be 16 or older.

Booking info

No diving experience is needed. Book directly with the operator or through your resort; sessions run in small groups with a guide in the water.

Whale Watching Tour

• Price: From ~$200 per person
• Duration: 3–4 hours
• Operator: Licensed whale-watching operators

Humpback whales pass through French Polynesia's waters each year to breed and calve. Licensed guides follow strict distance guidelines while tracking pods, and since 1 January 2025 in-water swims with whales have been limited to small groups of six.

Booking info

Only available roughly July through November (peak August–October); book ahead as departures are weather- and sighting-dependent, choose an operator with an official whale-watching permit.

Turtle Eco Center Visit

• Price: Ask the resort
• Duration: About 45 minutes
• Operator: Eco Center Bora Bora (at The Westin Bora Bora)

The Eco Center at The Westin Bora Bora (the former Le Méridien) cares for injured sea turtles and returns them to the wild once they recover. Guided visits explain the turtles' care and the threats they face in the lagoon.

Booking info

Access and any fee are set by the resort, so contact The Westin before your trip to ask whether visits are available to you. Sea turtles are a protected species in French Polynesia: never touch, feed or chase them in the wild.

4x4 Mountain Safari

• Price: From ~$90 per person
• Duration: Half day (3-4h)
• Operator: Local 4x4 tour guides

A rugged jeep tour into Bora Bora's mountainous interior, visiting American WWII coastal cannons, hidden viewpoints, and sharing local history and legends along the way.

Island Culture & Marae Tour

• Price: Varies by tour
• Duration: Half day (varies)
• Operator: Local cultural and 4x4 guides

Bora Bora's history did not start with overwater bungalows. Around the island are marae, the stone platforms where ancient Polynesians held ceremonies, along with legends tied to Mount Otemanu and the lagoon. Local guides bring these places to life, usually as part of a 4x4 island tour or a cultural lagoon outing.

Good to know

There is no recreated "cultural village" on Bora Bora (the well-known Tiki Village is on Moorea). For dance and music, look for the weekly Polynesian evenings many resorts host, and the Heiva festival every July.

Booking info

Book through your resort's activities desk or a licensed local guide. Wear closed shoes and bring water; marae are sacred sites, so don't climb on the stones.

Helicopter Scenic Flight

• Price: Varies by route and season (ask your resort)
• Duration: 20–30 minutes
• Operator: Helicopter tour operators (book via your resort)

A scenic helicopter flight departs from Bora Bora's motu airport, offering an aerial perspective of the lagoon's coral patterns, the resort bungalow rows, and the jagged silhouette of Mount Otemanu.

Booking info

Reserve well in advance as seats are limited; flights depend on weather and are typically booked through the operator directly or a resort concierge.