Bora Bora on a Budget: How Much Does Bora Bora Cost?

Have you been dreaming of a Bora Bora vacation but feel like it’s out of your price range? Are you wondering if it’s possible to do Bora Bora on a budget? You’ve come to the right place!

Bora Bora is the ultimate bucket list destination, especially for honeymooners! But if you’ve done some research, you’ve probably realized by now that Bora Bora is expensive! It may seem hard to do Bora Bora on a budget, which is *kinda* true..

Let me just start by saying, if you’re looking for a low-cost vacation (l’d categorize this as less than $1000 for one week), Bora Bora isn’t the place.. If your priority is saving money, there are tons of resorts in the Caribbean where you can have a very similar experience as Bora Bora without the long flight and hefty price tag.

BUT if you’re committed to Bora Bora and are looking for ways to do Bora Bora on a budget, keep reading! Below I will provide a breakdown of all aspects of our vacation to Bora Bora including hotel, airfare, activities, food, and more, so you can have a good reference point on how much Bora Bora costs. For each of these items, I’ll go over how much we spent, and I’ll also share different ways to save money! So let’s get into it.. starting with flights!

Note: This post contains affiliate links. If you click an affiliate link or book through an affiliate program, I receive a small commission at no cost to you!  

How much does a trip to bora bora cost?

Total Bora Bora Trip Cost

Airfare Costs

Total Cost (per person): $1100 +65,000 Delta points

MCO to LAX: 20,000 points per person

LAX to PPT: 45,000 points per person

PPT to BOR (RT): $373 per person

PPT to LAX: $450 per person

LAX to MCO: $280 per person

Getting to Tahiti

In case you didn’t know, Bora Bora is a tiny island within the country of French Polynesia, and French Polynesia is an overseas collectivity of France! French Polynesia is made up of over 100 islands and atolls, the largest of which is the island of Tahiti! To get to Bora Bora, you must first fly to Tahiti, which is where the country’s capital city is – Papeete! The airport in Papeete is named Faa’a International Airport, also known as Tahiti International Airport (PPT).  Got all that?!

First tip for Bora Bora on a budget: play with the flight options! For example, don’t just search flights out of your home airport. I recommend looking for flights from SFO or LAX to PPT and then searching separately for flights from your home airport to California. This way, you’re not locked into one airline for the whole route, and you might be able to save some money. Air France, a Delta partner, has direct flights out of LAX, and United has direct flights out of SFO. You may also be able to snag a direct flight with Air Tahiti Nui airlines for less than the other two carriers.

Note: If you book two different airlines for your trip, you may not be able to check your bag all the way through. For example, if you fly from New York City to Los Angeles on JetBlue, and then book Air France from Los Angeles to Tahiti, you will likely have to retrieve your bag in Los Angeles, re-check it, and go back through security. If you do this, make sure you give yourself PLENTY of time (at least 2 hours, if not more) in between the two flights. Plus, if your first flight gets delayed, your second flight won’t know or care, because it’s a different airline. So this method is risky, but it could save hundreds of dollars.

Using Airline miles

Another way to save money on flights is to use airline miles! If you don’t have any, I highly recommend checking out the United and Delta specific credit cards. You might be able to meet a sign-on bonus and fly at least one leg for free with points.

For example, I am a Delta Skymiles member and had some Delta points already racked up in my account. As I mentioned, Air France (a Delta partner) has direct flights to PPT from LAX, and I found one-way flights for 45,000 points. I had about 30,000 points already in my account, so I decided to sign up for the American Express Skymiles credit card before our trip. By hitting the sign-on bonus, I received 60,000 Delta points, and we were both able to fly one-way from LAX to PPT for free on points!

Quick note: A tip that will help you save money on flights no matter where you are going: stay flexible, and book early! You are much more likely to find a reasonably priced ticket if you don’t lock yourself into specific dates. I also highly recommend using the Hopper app, which will tell you when you should book, and when you should wait, based on previous flight data!

Getting to Bora Bora

Once you arrive at the Tahiti airport, your options for saving money become much more limited. From Papeete, you will take another, much smaller plane to Bora Bora on Air Tahiti. Now, Air Tahiti is the only airline that flies from Papeete to Bora Bora, so you are stuck with whatever price they are offering. It is only a 45-minute flight but we paid ~$300 for ours.. That’s the same as a flight to the Caribbean from Florida! Kinda crazy.

Unfortunately, Bora Bora is just far enough away from the mainland where flying is really the only option, as a boat would take quite a while longer. However, if you don’t care about Bora Bora specifically and just want to visit French Polynesia, there is another option for saving money, which I’ll discuss in the next section!

Visiting Other Islands

Bora Bora is the most famous and therefore most expensive island in French Polynesia. There’s a premium to get there, and there’s a premium once you’re there. But there are other islands in French Polynesia that are cheaper, plus they are closer to the mainland.

For example, Moorea is probably the second most famous island in French Polynesia and is often visited in addition to Bora Bora. The great thing about Moorea is it is significantly closer to Tahiti than Bora Bora, so your options for getting there are cheaper and faster than going to Bora Bora. For example, you can take a ferry from Tahiti to Moorea for just $15 USD, and it takes less than hour! Flights are also cheaper than their Bora Bora counterpart, averaging between $100-$300 from PPT. So in terms of saving money, taking the ferry to Mooera is a no-brainer. Once you get to the island, it’s by no means a budget vacation, but the overall costs are typically lower than Bora Bora!

Hotel Costs

6 nights in a King Overwater Bungalow at the Conrad Bora Bora Nui: $6,121.03

Another big decision you will need to make for your trip to Bora Bora is where to stay! There are surprisingly quite a few resorts in Bora Bora and which one you choose will depend on your budget, your style, if you have any chain preference (Hilton, Marriott, etc.), and what you are looking for!

I’d say the most popular resorts are the Conrad Bora Bora Nui, the St. Regis Bora Bora, the Intercontinental Bora Bora, and the Four Seasons Bora Bora. All four of these hotels have the picturesque overwater bungalows that come to mind when you think of Bora Bora.

(If you want a direct view of Mount Otemanu, I don’t recommend the Conrad Bora Bora).

These are also the top 4 hotels when you search Bora Bora on TripAdvisor and are the most luxurious resorts on the island. For this reason, they come with a hefty price tag! Here is a price comparison per night between these 4 hotels for a “standard” Overwater Bungalow at each resort. 

Now as you can see, overwater bungalows in Bora Bora are no joke! So if you’re dead set on staying in one, my recommendation is to try to use hotel points. Again, signing up for a hotel credit card and meeting the minimum spend amount to get the bonus is probably your best bet here.

If you’re planning to book with points, try to book very far in advance in order to get the best rate possible! We unfortunately paid out of pocket, but we saved up well in advance. However, because I am a Hilton Diamond member, we did get upgraded from a standard Overwater Bungalow to a Sunset View Overwater Bungalow, which was a great perk!

Room Types

If you’re not set on staying in an overwater bungalow, it’s much easier to save some money! All of the major hotels mentioned above also have standard queen or king rooms, typically with a garden view and some with an ocean view. Some of the garden bungalows we saw were still right on the beach and had their own pool!

Sure, you might not be able to wake up and jump right into the ocean from your patio, but you will be saving a ton of money and can splurge in other areas of your trip!

It’s important to decide what’s most important to you in order to try to do Bora Bora on a budget. If you’re going to be out adventuring all day, it’s probably not worth it to splurge on the overwater bungalow. It was very hot when we visited, so we spent a lot of time at the resort pool instead of our bungalow, which felt like a waste! If you can afford it, I highly recommend getting an overwater bungalow with a pool! This way, you really don’t need to leave!

Another great option for saving money on your hotel is to pick a resort that is on the main island of Bora Bora. Most of the luxurious hotels are on their own motu (island) offset from the mainland so they have that amazing view of the volcano! Picking a hotel on the mainland will be much more affordable than a resort on its own island. And hey, you’re still in Bora Bora!

Transportation Costs

Transportation from airport to hotel: $15 USD per person

Once you arrive at the very tiny Bora Bora airport, you will need to make your way to your hotel! The airport is on its own motu (small island), so you have to take a boat to your hotel. There is a big chance to save money here! Most hotels offer to pick you up by boat from the airport and take you directly to the hotel, but the cost of this might not be included in your room rate.

On our honeymoon, the Conrad wanted $150 per person for this boat ride (round trip) – which is absolutely insane!! It’s like a 15-minute boat ride.. To avoid this charge, you can take the free boat shuttle from the airport into the town of Vataipe. From here, you can arrange the hotel to pick you up in town, which was only $15 USD per person round trip.. A little more justifiable than $150…

Food and Drink Costs

Amount Spent on Food and Drink for 7 Days: Unknown

Unfortunately I do not have the exact prices that we spent on food and drinks, but you can look at the menus for the different restaurants on the Conrad’s website to get an idea! At the pool bar, signature cocktails were about $20 USD and beers about $10 USD. At the Chinese restaurant (which was phenemonal), entrees were about $40 USD. Food and drink are PRICEY in Bora Bora.. so let’s talk about how to save!!

Buying Groceries

One of my biggest tips for doing Bora Bora on a budget is to find ways to save on food and drink. A great way to do this is buying snacks and drinks in Vataipe before going to your hotel! There is a supermarket just down the road from the port where the airport shuttle drops you off! We were able to get snacks, juice, liquor, and wine at the store, which probably saved us hundreds of dollars at the resort on drinks alone… We avoided paying $20 per drink at the pool every day and made our own cocktails! If you plan on drinking alcohol during your stay, I highly recommend stocking up before you go to the resort – it will help majorly!

 

In terms of meals, if you’re not a big breakfast person, you could also pick up (or pack!) granola bars and snacks to have for breakfast. If you ARE a breakfast person, another great way to save money is to book a room that includes breakfast in your rate. If you are a Hilton Diamond member and staying at the Conrad, you will automatically get this! But most resorts offer it as an option when booking as well for non-members. The breakfast buffet at the Conrad was absolutely incredible, so we ended up eating as much as we could at breakfast (for free) and eating smaller lunches, if possible, to save money there.

Dinners were expensive at our resort. We paid around $150-$200 for each dinner, but we didn’t really try to limit ourselves or save here. We saved up ahead of our trip because we didn’t want to feel guilty about every appetizer or dessert we had. It was nice to be able to enjoy our dinners without worrying about the price tag. But, if you are looking to save money on dinner, ordering room service is most likely going to be cheaper than visiting the restaurants at the major hotels.

Leaving the Resort

If you’re staying at a resort on the main island, you also have the option of leaving your resort for meals! Because the Conrad is on its on motu, we would’ve had to take a boat shuttle to leave the hotel and abide by the set departure and return times, which felt like a lot of work. But if you are a taxi ride away from local restaurants, definitely consider this as an option! We did have the opportunity to eat lunch at Bloody Mary’s on the mainland as part of our jet-ski tour which was awesome! It’s not really a “local” spot per say, but it definitely had a lot of history and seemed like a must do on your visit to Bora Bora!

Activities Costs

Total Amount Spent: $1265 per person

Now, we had our fair share of splurges on our honeymoon in Bora Bora, most of which were on different activities. We booked a dive trip through Eleuthera Bora Diving Center as well as a full day snorkel and jet ski adventure. We also splurged on a few different activities that the resort offered, including a full day on a private island!!

Here are all of the activities we did with prices per person:

1. Full Day Jet Ski and Snorkel Tour plus lunch: $220
2. Half Day Dive Trip: $160
3. Spa Day: $250
4. Private Island + Lunch in the Water: $260
5. Private Sunset Dinner: $375

In general, activities booked through your hotel might be more expensive than booking with a tour company. Before your trip, I highly recommend comparing prices for activities through your hotel versus through Viator. We used Viator for the Jet Ski / Snorkel Tour, and while still pricey, it was an 8 hour day with lunch and drinks included, so not terrible! Viator has some incredible options in Bora Bora for every budget and type of traveler!

We also spent the day at the Conrad Spa and got a couple’s massage which was incredible and totally worth the money! With that said, if you are doing Bora Bora on a budget, you can totally skip all of the paid activities and find a resort that includes as much free stuff as possible! For example, the Conrad offered kayaks and paddleboards free of charge to all guests, which we definitely took advantage of. We also packed our own mask and snorkel and were able to swim around the resort and under our bungalow for free every day and saw some incredible wildlife! Many resorts offer tons of free activities, so you can absolutely get away with saving money this way. Bora Bora is such a beautiful place, you don’t need to spend tons of money to experience it.

A Note on Activities 

I wanted to say that the reason we were able to afford so many amazing activities was due to our honeymoon fund. So while this doesn’t really fall under “Bora Bora on a budget”, it does help save money on your trip if you are visiting for your honeymoon!

If you haven’t heard of a honeymoon fund, it is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. Instead of a traditional wedding registry where you ask for bath towels or a new blender, a honeymoon fund allows your wedding guests to contribute money to your honeymoon! There are different websites that you can use for this – some resorts may even let your guests book directly with them. However, we used Zola for our wedding which was amazing because we could customize our “gifts” and allow people to contribute however much they wished.

For instance, we had our dive trip, our spa day, drinks by the pool, and a sunset dinner on our fund, and our guests could buy the entire amount or contribute however much they wished! The best part about this option is that, even though people are contributing to specific items on your fund, it all converts to cash at the end, and you can get the final amount of dollars deposited directly into your account! To make it even more special for our guests, we made sure to take pictures of us during each activity and send a thank you note with the photo to our guests! They loved it!

Final Thoughts

That concludes my Guide to Bora Bora on a Budget! Like I mentioned in the beginning of this post, Bora Bora is not a budget destination!! In fact, it’s probably one of the most luxurious places in the world. But that doesn’t mean it’s out of reach for us normal people! There are ways to save money on your trip in order to do Bora Bora on a budget as much as possible!

And don’t forget there are tons of other places in the world that are just as beautiful that don’t come with a hefty price tag or long plane ride. If you are in the US, you can visit the Bahamas, St Lucia, Mexico, Jamaica, and so many other locations for a fraction of the price. There are even resorts in the Caribbean (Sandals comes to mind) with their own overwater bungalows! 

I will say though, Bora Bora absolutely lived up to the hype. It was probably the most beautiful place I’ve ever been, and you should absolutely add it to your bucket list! So if your heart is set on Bora Bora: you can make it happen! I hope this guide helps you plan your epic trip to Bora Bora on a budget!

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