French Polynesia & Pacific Islands Expeditions

   

Exploring untouched paradises and diverse cultures across the vast Pacific

Only a few hours by air beyond Hawaii’s familiar beaches, remote Pacific isles stretch across pristine seas, offering travelers illuminating perspectives on the South Pacific. Here, vibrant modern-day cultures mingle with ancient Polynesian and Melanesian traditions, and thousands of endemic plant and animal species can be found under water, on land, and in the sky.


Go beyond the bungalows to experience all this tropical paradise has to offer, traveling by expedition ship to secluded lagoons and uninhabited islands. Snorkel coral gardens teeming with turtles and tropical fish, hike through rainforests in search of rare wildlife, and share enriching moments with the people who live in these remote places. Each evening holds the promise of a dazzling Pacific sunset and the dawn of surprising adventures on a stunning, yet unfamiliar, isle.

(7) French Polynesia & Pacific Islands Itineraries

NOTE: For expeditions departing April 2024 onward, Day 1 of our itineraries will no longer reflect “departure from the U.S.” and will reflect “arrival to the city” where your expedition begins.  Durations of expeditions will remain unchanged. More details. 

French Polynesia & Pacific Islands

Ancient Polynesia: Tuamotu and Marquesas Islands

Duration

12 days
  1. Feb
  2. May

From

$12,363

Prices are per person

Highlights

French Polynesia & Pacific Islands

Ancient Polynesia: Tuamotu and Marquesas Islands

Duration

12 days
  1. Feb
  2. May

From

$12,363

Top Highlights

  • Explore one of the world's largest groups of coral atolls and their incredible blue lagoons via kayak, Zodiac, or stand-up paddleboard. Be on the lookout for marine mammals, including resident spinner dolphins and migrating humpback whales
  • Dive and snorkel in an extraordinary undersea world of massive manta rays, green sea turtles, and vast schools of pelagic fish
  • Learn about Polynesian history on visits to ancient maraes (sacred sites), petroglyphs, and an 8-foot tiki, and connect with Nuku Hiva residents during a cultural dance performance
  • Admire the volcanic spires of Hanavave Bay as we approach one of the most storied shorelines in the Pacific
  • Appreciate the skilled artistry behind tapa cloths, bone and rosewood carvings, and oils and perfumes crafted from natural materials, like the tiare flower
  • On jungle hikes, seek out unique birds, including the endangered ultramarine lorikeet, the Fatu Hiva monarch, and the endemic Upe, one of the largest pigeon species in the world

French Polynesia & Pacific Islands

Fiji and Tahiti Adventure: Vibrant Reefs and Cultural History

Special Offers

Duration

17 days
  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. Jun

From

$15,920

Prices are per person

Special Offers (3)
Highlights

French Polynesia & Pacific Islands

Fiji and Tahiti Adventure: Vibrant Reefs and Cultural History

Duration

17 days
  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. Jun

From

$15,920

Top Highlights

  • Visit the marae complex of Marae Taputapuātea, a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the most important cultural sites in Polynesia
  • Snorkel, swim, or stand-up paddleboard in the clear, aqua lagoons and reefs of French Polynesia
  • Spot rare and colorful birds and flowers on Fiji’s spectacular “Garden Island,” Taveuni, and in the rainforests of Samoa
  • Visit remote island villages and discover rich cultural histories, including the tradition of fire-walking in Fiji

Special Offers

  • AIR INCLUDED UP TO $5000
  • 20% OFF BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ORION VOYAGES
  • SOLO OFFER

French Polynesia & Pacific Islands

New and Noteworthy

New Journey Across the Remote Pacific

Special Offers

Duration

28 days
Oct

From

$34,640

Prices are per person

Special Offers (3)
Highlights

French Polynesia & Pacific Islands

New and Noteworthy

New Journey Across the Remote Pacific

Duration

28 days
Oct

From

$34,640

Top Highlights

  • Be among the few to explore the secluded beaches, lagoons, and coral reefs of remote atolls alive with unusual endemic flora and fauna like tiny whistling green pigeons and rare mangroves
  • Discover the unique isolated island cultures: Guam’s Chamorro melting pot and Tokelau’s Polynesian heritage. Meet friendly inhabitants. Visit important UNESCO sites like French Polynesia’s Marae Taputapuatea and Pohnpei’s Nan Madol ruins
  • Walk in the footsteps of brave soldiers and explore shipwrecks at historic World War II sites in the Chuuk State and Butaritari Atoll, with vestiges including propellers, torpedoes, and cave networks
  • Experience the energy and diversity of Tarawa, where half of Kiribati’s population resides, and Papeete, the meeting point of cultures from surrounding archipelagos
  • Visit Pohnpei, a tropical Micronesian paradise with mangrove forests and stunning undersea life

Special Offers

  • AIR INCLUDED UP TO $5000
  • 20% SAVINGS
  • 25% SOLO TRAVELER SAVINGS

French Polynesia & Pacific Islands

Pearls of the Pacific: Exploring The Society and Tuamotu Islands

Special Offers

Duration

12 days
  1. Feb
  2. Mar
  3. Jun

From

$12,727

Prices are per person

Special Offers (4)
Highlights

French Polynesia & Pacific Islands

Pearls of the Pacific: Exploring The Society and Tuamotu Islands

Duration

12 days
  1. Feb
  2. Mar
  3. Jun

From

$12,727

Top Highlights

  • In clear, warm waters, experience an extraordinary undersea world of whales and dolphins, manta rays and sea turtles, sharks and vast schools of colorful fish
  • Swim into an otherworldly grotto on Makatea and float in a hidden cave surrounded by stalagmites and stalactites
  • Visit one of the most important cultural sites in the Polynesian world, UNESCO World Heritage site Marae Taputapuātea on Ra’iātea Island
  • Spend a day on the small island of Anaa and in its biodiverse lagoon, meeting fishermen and skilled local artisans who craft jewelry from stones mined on the island, string elaborate shell necklaces, and weave cloth with island motifs
  • Be on the lookout for endemic birds like the blue lorikeet, chattering kingfisher, and Makatea fruit dove
  • Enjoy special dining experiences including a barbecue with live music on a private motu in Bora Bora and a lunch of Polynesian specialties at a beachside restaurant in Ra'iatea
  • Enjoy a visit to a vanilla farm on Taha'a, “the vanilla island.” Polynesian vanilla is known throughout the world for its unique flavor, and Taha'a produces more than 70% of all vanilla in French Polynesia

Special Offers

  • AIR INCLUDED UP TO $5000
  • SOLO OFFER
  • 20% OFF BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ORION VOYAGES
  • $1200 AIR CREDIT

French Polynesia & Pacific Islands

Polynesian Discovery: Exploring Tahiti, Bora Bora, and the Tuamotus

Special Offers

Duration

7 days
  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May

From

$6,373

Prices are per person

Special Offers (1)
Highlights

French Polynesia & Pacific Islands

Polynesian Discovery: Exploring Tahiti, Bora Bora, and the Tuamotus

Duration

7 days
  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May

From

$6,373

Top Highlights

  • See iconic and awe-inspiring landscapes like Bora Bora’s verdant Mount Otemanu, jutting 2,400 feet above turquoise waters, and Makatea’s steep cliffs, which drop straight to deserted beaches
  • Dive and snorkel in crystalline waters, experiencing an awe-inspiring undersea world of 16-foot manta rays, green sea turtles, black-tipped reef sharks, and enormous schools of fish
  • Swim into an otherworldly grotto on Makatea and float in a hidden cave surrounded by stalagmites and stalactites
  • Learn about Polynesian history and culture at sites including Marae Taputapuatea, a UNESCO World Heritage site

Special Offers

20% OFF BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ORION VOYAGES

French Polynesia & Pacific Islands

Rites and Relics: Fiji Firewalking, Vanuatu Volcanoes, and Beyond

Special Offers

Duration

15 days
  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr

From

$13,790

Prices are per person

Special Offers (3)
Highlights

French Polynesia & Pacific Islands

Rites and Relics: Fiji Firewalking, Vanuatu Volcanoes, and Beyond

Duration

15 days
  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr

From

$13,790

Top Highlights

  • Arrive to Owaraha in the Solomon Islands for a series of traditional dances and music, then walk to see the island’s traditional spirit houses
  • Ride up the crystal-clear Riri River to the spectacular Riri Blue Hole grotto on Vanuatu’s Espiritu Santo Island
  • Visit mysterious Ambrym Island in Vanuatu—known as a place of magic and spirits—and witness the traditional Rom dance
  • Visit the traditional island of the Fijian firewalkers—Beqa
  • Spot rare and colorful birds and flowers on Fiji’s spectacular “Garden Island,” Taveuni, and the lovely and less-visited Kadavu

Special Offers

  • AIR INCLUDED UP TO $5000
  • 20% OFF BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ORION VOYAGES
  • SOLO OFFER

Australia and New Zealand

French Polynesia & Pacific Islands

Roots of the Pacific: Exploring New Zealand and Melanesia

Special Offers

Duration

18 days
  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Oct
  4. Dec

From

$15,610

Prices are per person

Special Offers (3)
Highlights

Australia and New Zealand

French Polynesia & Pacific Islands

Roots of the Pacific: Exploring New Zealand and Melanesia

Duration

18 days
  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Oct
  4. Dec

From

$15,610

Top Highlights

  • Encounter an impressive diversity of cultures from the Māori of the Bay of Islands to the spear dancers of the Solomons, and delve into their artistic and spiritual traditions
  • Venture to the former penal colony of Norfolk Island, now a UNESCO World Heritage site boasting the unusual trees called Norfolk Island pines
  • See the stunning limestone geology of New Caledonia at Isle of Pines and visit a cave filled with primitive tree ferns
  • Visit important World War II sites, including the wreck of the S.S. President Coolidge and the Battle of Guadalcanal
  • See the fantastic fishing canoes of the people of Utupua and take a Zodiac ride along their mangrove-studded lagoon

Special Offers

  • AIR INCLUDED UP TO $5000
  • SOLO OFFER
  • 20% OFF BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ORION VOYAGES

Discover

Discover Pacific Islands

Expedition Highlights

The exploration lore and legend of the South Pacific is among the world’s most romantic. As we venture from west to east, we follow the routes of the bold people who populated these islands. Sail in their wake, and learn their stories. You’ll enter a world of visual wonder. Discover a profusion of wildlife—fairy terns, Tahitian petrels, tropicbirds, frigatebirds, and red-footed boobies—plus rare endemic species like the brilliantly hued, white-capped fruit dove in the Marquesas. The islands’ flora, lush and luxurious as a dream, is equally intriguing. Discover enchanting colors and sweet aromas of tropical flowers. Under the sea a kaleidoscopic world unfurls among pristine, colorful coral reefs.

See more Highlights

Ready for the adventure of a lifetime?

Talk to an Expedition Specialist

Call now

Make a reservation

Book Now

Sign up for our newsletter & special offers

sign up

Talk to an Expedition Specialist

Call now

Make a reservation

Book Now

Sign up for our newsletter & special offers

sign up

Being able to experience the ceremonies of the welcome—the dances, singing, leis—in an authentic Polynesian cultural context was not just artful, beautiful, and fragrant, it was also sincere and meaningful—pure bliss for both audience and performers.

Christine B.

Talk to an Expedition Specialist

Call now
In the past three years I’ve spent a couple weeks in French Polynesia, each time exploring some new terrain. Why return year after year? Because I find the region utterly joyous, beautiful and fascinating; the people, the land and sea and particularly the undersea.

Sven-Olof Lindblad

Talk to an Expedition Specialist

Call now

Make a reservation

Book Now

Sign up for our newsletter & special offers

Sign up

Talk to an Expedition Specialist

Call now

Make a reservation

Book Now

Sign up for our newsletter & special offers

Sign up

View our brochure for more details