Tahiti is the airport rather than the cruising ground. Almost every charter in French Polynesia flies into Papeete and then either takes a boat from the marina at Taina or flies forty minutes north west to Raiatea, where the Leeward Islands and the real fleets are. Understanding that saves a day of a week and a good deal of money.
What is published
Read on 11 September 2026, Click and Boat lists 163 boats across French Polynesia at an average of 660 EUR a day, from a floor of 30 to a ceiling of 1,175, including a 13.8 metre three cabin catamaran from 757 EUR a day and a 13 metre four cabin with a mandatory skipper and fuel included from 529. Sailo lists 99 boats in the territory at an average of 868 EUR a day.
The superyacht end, which publishes nothing
French Polynesia does carry large crewed yachts, particularly from May to October when they cross the Pacific, but none of them publishes a rate on a public page and the figures in this record therefore stop at the marketplace ceiling. What can be said honestly is that the territory's cruising permit rules, its fuel logistics and the distance from any refit yard make it one of the more expensive places in the world to run a large yacht, and the charter rates reflect that.
Where to charter from
Raiatea, forty minutes by air from Papeete, is where the bareboat and crewed fleets are and where the Leeward Islands loop starts: Taha'a inside the same lagoon, Bora Bora twenty miles north west, Huahine twenty five miles east. Tahiti itself has Taina marina and Moorea twelve miles across the channel, which is a good two or three day trip and a thin week.
The season
May to October is the dry season and the charter season, with the south east trade wind at twelve to twenty knots and low humidity. November to April is the wet season and the cyclone season, which in this part of the Pacific is real if infrequent. July and August are the peak in price and in traffic, and September and early October are the value weeks with identical weather.
Questions people ask about private yacht charter tahiti
How much is a private yacht charter in Tahiti?
Click and Boat lists 163 boats across French Polynesia averaging 660 EUR a day, from 30 to 1,175, and Sailo lists 99 averaging 868, read on 11 September 2026.
Should you charter from Tahiti or Raiatea?
Raiatea, forty minutes by air from Papeete. That is where the fleets are and where the Leeward Islands loop starts. Tahiti itself offers Moorea twelve miles away and a thin week.
Is there a superyacht market?
Yes, particularly from May to October, but nothing is published publicly so no figure here goes above the marketplace ceiling. Fuel logistics and the distance from any yard make it expensive water to run a large boat in.
When is the season?
May to October, the dry season, with south east trades at twelve to twenty knots. September and early October are the value weeks with the same weather as the July and August peak.