How to get to Fiji: airports, flights and border crossings

Nadi International Airport (NAN) is the answer for almost every traveller. It is on the dry west coast of Viti Levu, close to the hotel strip along Denarau Road, Port Denarau (where the Yasawa and Mamanuca boats leave) and Nadi town. Most international flights land here, including the long-haul services from North America and the frequent hops from Australia and New Zealand.

Nausori Airport (SUV) serves Suva and is mostly domestic, with a small number of regional links. If your first stop is the capital, you can fly into Nadi and connect, or take the road transfer; the drive between Nadi and Suva takes roughly three to four hours.

Labasa and Savusavu on Vanua Levu, and Taveuni, have small airports reached by domestic flights from Nadi or Suva. Those are connections, not international gateways.

Fiji sits in the middle of the South Pacific, so the shortest routes come from Australia and New Zealand, and the longest from Europe. Nonstop services from North America cross the Pacific overnight and land in the early morning, which pairs well with a same-day boat from Port Denarau.

From the UK and Europe there is no nonstop option; you connect through the US, Singapore, Australia or New Zealand, and the trip usually runs past 24 hours door to door. Fares swing widely by season — July, August and the Christmas period are the most expensive — so treat the bands below as planning figures, not quotes.

Nadi airport is small and easy to walk. Immigration and biosecurity are the two queues that matter. Fiji is strict about food, plant material, seeds and soil on shoes, so declare anything you are unsure about on the arrival card; undeclared items carry fines.

Outside arrivals you will find taxis and pre-booked transfers. A taxi to Nadi town is a short ride; Port Denarau is a little further. Agree the fare or check that the meter is running before you get in. Many resorts run their own shuttle, and the Yasawa and Mamanuca ferry terminals are at Port Denarau, so a night near Nadi before a morning boat is the low-stress pattern.

If you are heading straight to Suva or the Coral Coast, road transfers and public buses leave from near the airport and from Nadi town. The Coral Coast is on the way to Suva, so a stop there breaks the drive.

There is no land border — you cannot drive or take a train into Fiji. The alternatives to flying are cruise ships and private yachts. Cruise itineraries commonly call at Suva, Lautoka and Port Denarau, and sometimes at Savusavu or the Mamanucas. Cruise passengers usually clear immigration on board or at the port.

Yachts and sailing vessels must clear in at an official port of entry, with Suva, Lautoka, Savusavu and Levuka among the options; confirm current requirements with Fijian customs and biosecurity before you sail.

Inter-island ferries and small planes move you around once you are in the country; they are not ways in from abroad.

Most visitors arrive visa-free or with a permit issued on arrival, but the rules depend on your passport, so confirm before booking. You will need a passport valid for the length of your stay, onward or return travel, and proof of where you are staying. Check the current list of visa-exempt nationalities and any health or biosecurity requirements before you fly.

Travel insurance is worth arranging before departure, particularly if you plan to dive, sail or take small domestic flights. Baggage allowances on the domestic hops to Taveuni, Savusavu or Kadavu are tighter than on international flights, so pack accordingly.

Fiji's cyclone season runs roughly November to April; if you travel then, build in flexibility for flight and ferry changes.

For a first trip, the simplest plan is a flight into Nadi, one night nearby, then a boat from Port Denarau to a Mamanuca or Yasawa base. That keeps the long-haul arrival, the transfer and the sea crossing from colliding on the same day.

If your trip is built around Suva, Levuka or Taveuni, you can still fly into Nadi and connect by domestic flight or road; just allow more time and check the domestic schedule, which is thinner than the international one. Compare fares across a few dates before you commit, because Fiji pricing is seasonal and the difference between a mid-week and a holiday-week ticket can be large.