When to go · French Polynesia
French Polynesia in January
Mixed month. Hot, humid and rainy; cyclone risk; good hammerhead diving in the Tuamotu.
Key facts
- Verdict
- Mixed
- Crowds
- Medium
- French Polynesia
- Prices
- Medium
- French Polynesia
Verdict
Hot, humid and rainy; cyclone risk; good hammerhead diving in the Tuamotu.
Weather in January
- Society Islands · Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora, Huahine, Raiatearainy
Dry season May–October with trade winds (the maraamu can blow hard for days in July–August); December–March brings heavy showers, humidity and the main cyclone risk.
- Tuamotu atolls · Rangiroa, Fakarava, Tikehaurainy
Drier than the high islands; diving is good all year, with hammerheads Dec–Mar and the Fakarava grouper spawning around June–July.
- Marquesas · Nuku Hiva, Hiva Oa, Ua Poufine
Close to the equator, hot all year with no clear wet season; September–December is usually the driest and seas calmest for the Aranui.
- Austral Islands · Rurutu, Tubuai, Raivavaefine
Cooler and windier; humpback whales at Rurutu from July to October.
Festivals and holidays
Dates as our data lists them. Moving holidays (lunar and Islamic calendars, Easter) shift every year: check the date for your year before you build a trip on it.
New Year
1 Jan
Resorts full over Christmas–New Year; many shops shut on 1 Jan.
Crowds and prices
- Crowds · French Polynesia
- Medium
- Prices · French Polynesia
- Medium
What to pack
- A rain jacket or umbrella and shoes that dry fast