TOP 10 THINGS TO DO IN MO’OREA & BEYOND 2026
Things to Do in Mo'orea: How to Spend Your Extra Days Around Swimming With Whales
Okay, so you’ve been captured by this magical island for it’s epic humpback whale interactions… and maybe, if you’re lucky, you’ve booked a few days in the water with them (or booked an ocean expedition with us!).
Whilst we’re not going to promise you that our ‘To-Do’s in Mo’orea’ will top coming eye to eye with one of the earths oldest mammals, we will remind you that you’re standing in one of the most beautiful corners of the planet, and there is so much beauty to explore beyond the reef (sorry, we couldn’t skip the Moana reference, could we?).
This is the list we give to our expedition guests each year. We’re hitting ‘publish’ in the hopes that someone like you, might stumble across it and fall in find a bunch of new ways to explore the beautiful island. Enjoy!
Em and Tina, Swim with Whales Expedition 2025
Quick Answer: How Many Days Do You Need in Mo'orea?
Assuming you have minimal leave (I mean… we could easily spend a month here, couldn’t we?):
In the ocean: If you're here for the whale swim, we'd say give yourself at least three days in the water for the whales. Whales are wild animals; three days gives you the best shot at a real, meaningful encounter rather than pinning everything on one morning. Our expeditions are centred on the ocean, so we have a solid 5 ocean days with the whales.
On land: as for additional days to explore the island, we recommend two to four extra days - . Mo'orea is small — you can loop the whole thing by car in under an hour — but the whole point is to slow d.o.w.n. Five to seven days total is the sweet spot.
A Quick Note: Visiting Mo’orea During Peak Season
From roughly late July to early November, the warm waters around Mo'orea become a nursery for humpback whales migrating up from the Southern Ocean.
A few things worth knowing:
Peak season is August to October, with September and October usually offering the highest whale density, the most playful calves, and the calmest conditions for getting in the water. This is when people like you and me make our way over!
Peak season is when local operators, and businesses make most their yearly income. If you’re in Mo’orea during this season, you can expect the place to be quite touristy. Those seeking less "touristified" experiences may find more authentic options by staying on Tahiti for an extra day.
Okay, let’s get into it!
Top 10 Things to Do in Mo'orea
1. Snorkelling in Mo'orea: Tema'e Beach & Lagoon Tours
The northeast corner of the island has some of the calmest, clearest water you'll find, and Tema'e Beach is the spot — bring your own gear, wade in, and just float.
If you want to see more of the lagoon — the stingrays, the blacktip reef sharks, the submerged tikis — a half-day lagoon tour is the move. Moorea Tiki Tour runs small-group snorkelling excursions (max 12) that stop at the famous ray-and-shark sandbar and finish with lunch with your feet in the water. It's touristy in the best possible way.
2. Hiking in Mo'orea: Three Coconuts Pass & the Belvedere Lookout
The classic Mo'orea hike is the Three Coconuts Pass, up in the pineapple-fields area behind the Belvedere Lookout — one of the most beautiful panoramas in all of French Polynesia, looking out over Cook's Bay, Opunohu Bay and Mt Rotui. The trail winds through rainforest to a pass with a view that'll stop you dead. Allow about three hours, take way more water than you think you need, and don't hurry (why would you?). Here's the trail on AllTrails.
Prefer a local who knows the path and the names of every plant? Plenty of guides run it privately — worth it if you're not a confident navigator.
3. Magic Mountain: The Easiest Big View on the Island
If a full hike isn't your vibe, this one is. A short, steep track (or a quad ride) up to a lookout with a jaw-dropping view over Opunohu Bay. There's a small fee — a couple of dollars, paid at the restaurant near the car park … and it's the best effort-to-reward ratio on the island.
4. Mo'orea ATV & Quad Bike Tours
For the adventurous: a half-day tearing through jungle trails, river crossings and up to the island's best lookouts. ATV Moorea Tours is a young local crew who keep the groups small and the focus on safety and the real island, not just the Instagram stops. Belvedere, Magic Mountain, the pineapple plantations, the lot. (They’re closed Mondays).
5. Horseback Riding in Mo'orea
Ranch Opunohu Valley runs two-hour rides up into the pineapple fields and the heart of the crater. It's small and beautiful and suits total beginners — the guides are patient and will teach you the ropes. Book ahead, and they'll pick you up from your accommodation.
6. Jet Ski Tours Between the Two Bays
Want to see the island from the water without a full-day commitment? A jet ski tour loops you between the two mythical bays — Cook's and Opunohu — with Mt Rotui towering in the middle. Fast, salty and grin-inducing. Most Mo'orea lagoon operators and resort activity desks can book this for you!
7. The Tiki Village Cultural Centre
Tiki Village is your best shot at real Polynesian culture beyond a resort dinner show. It's free to wander in, and you can join workshops — weave a basket, tie a pareo, learn Tahitian dancing, or make your own poisson cru. A lovely way to spend a slower afternoon.
8. Mo'orea Beaches & Where to Relax
Factor in nothing days, trust us. Tema'e Beach is the pick of the public beaches, and Coco Beach, a little beach club out on a motu (a small island in the lagoon), is a gorgeous spot to eat, swim and do absolutely nothing. Some of the best moments in Mo'orea happen while you're watching the light change on the water.
Micol (our in-house Chef!) and our guests, Swim with Whales Expedition 2025
9. One for the Golfers
If you fancy a round in paradise, the Mo'orea Green Pearl Golf Course near Tema'e is one of the more scenic places you'll ever tee off. Easy to arrange through your accommodation.
10. Coral Gardeners Tour!
Spend a morning with Coral Gardeners, a local crew replanting Mo'orea's reef one coral at a time. On their ~2.5-hour Xperience you'll snorkel their coral nursery and actually get your hands in the water helping restore it. You can also adopt a coral — they'll grow your cutting, replant it, and tag it with a QR code so you can follow it online from home. Ocean karma, sorted!
Guests coming on our expedition can add this experience onto their booking!
Our guest Bre, on our Coral Gardeners Tour, Swim with Whales Expedition 2025
Things to Do Near Mo'orea: Tahiti, Rangiroa & the Tuamotus
Got more time? Why not explore other islands!
Things to Do in Tahiti (Worth a Day or Two Either Side):
You’re likely flying through Tahiti anyway, so you could spend an extra few nights layover before heading off to Mo’orea or other islands.
Waterfalls and mountains by 4x4: The Papenoo Valley day tour takes you deep into Tahiti's biggest valley — giant ferns, river crossings, ancient marae and waterfalls you can swim under when conditions allow.
A half-day snorkel tour: Tahiti's lagoon has gorgeous snorkelling, including the site known as "the Aquarium." A lagoon excursion is an easy way to see it without a big commitment.
Valley hikes: Tahiti's wild interior is full of beautiful valley walks with waterfalls and swimming holes.
Teahupo'o: Yes, that wave. Even if you're not a surfer, standing at the edge of the reef where one of the heaviest waves on earth breaks is something else. Teahupoo Adventures run boat trips out to the break, plus jungle hikes to hidden caves and freshwater pools.
Papeete Market: Worth an hour in town — flowers, pearls, pareos, vanilla and the best people-watching in French Polynesia.
By the lagoon, Swim with Whales Expedition 2025
Things to Do in Rangiroa (For the Divers)
Rangiroa is one of the biggest atolls in the world and one of the best dive destinations on the planet. Here are some things that attract travellers from around the world:
Diving Tiputa Pass: Powerful currents funnel an absurd amount of life through the pass — sharks, dolphins, manta rays. Reputable operators include TOPDIVE Rangiroa and The Six Passengers (who cap groups at six divers). Book early in high season.
The Blue Lagoon: A shallow, impossibly blue lagoon-within-a-lagoon, about an hour by boat from the main village. Half- and full-day excursions run from the local operators.
Reef Island (Île aux Récifs): Dramatic raised coral formations on the far side of the atoll — a proper "we're a long way from anywhere" spot.
Pearl farm tour: Gauguin's Pearl runs a free guided tour on how a Tahitian black pearl comes to be. (Fair warning: you'll probably leave with one.)
Wine tasting on a coral atoll: Rangiroa has the only vineyard in the world growing on a coral atoll. You can't visit the vines, but the cellar in Avatoru village does tastings — a super unique and lovely thing to say you've done.
Sunsets better than a movie, Swim with Whales Expedition 2025
Island Hopping: Tikehau & Fakarava
Both islands are short flights from Tahiti and both are next-level remote in the best way.
Tikehau. Pink-sand beaches, exceptional snorkelling and diving, manta rays cruising the Tuheiava pass, and a slow, wonderfully remote vibe. Flights from Tahiti are around 1 hr 10 min — check schedules on Air Tahiti.
Fakarava. A UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, famous for the "shark wall" in the South Pass — hundreds of reef sharks holding in the current — for experienced scuba divers. Pristine diving, pink sands and peaceful guesthouses. Flights around 1 hr 10 min via Air Tahiti.
One Last Thing
Whatever you get up to out there — the hikes, the pearls, the extra whale days — go at your own pace. The best trips aren't the ones where you tick the most boxes. They're the ones where you were extremely present in every moment.
French Polynesia has a unique way of slowing down it’s travellers… our last piece of advice is to embrace this inherent slow pace, and just go with it!