Papeete: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
Papeete is the capital of French Polynesia (Îles du Vent), 42 m (138 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Fa'a'ā International Airport (PPT), 5 km (3 mi) from the centre.
Key facts
Daylight in Papeete runs from about 11 h 7 min a day in late June to 13 h 13 min in late December (computed for -17.53° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Papeete is served by 2 airports with scheduled flights within 100 km. The closest large one is Fa'a'ā International Airport (PPT), 5 km (3 mi) from the centre, whose 11,360-ft runway is long enough for long-haul wide-body aircraft. The alternatives are Moorea Temae Airport (MOZ, 21 km).
Flights to Papeete: every airport, routes and times
Buses to Papeete · Driving and car hire
What people come for
| Sight | Visitors a year | Year |
|---|---|---|
| French Polynesia. Service des archives territoriales | 880 | 2010 |
The busiest is French Polynesia. Service des archives territoriales at 880 visitors in 2010. Figures are the latest each site has published, so they are not all for the same year.
Tours, tickets and day trips from Papeete
Twin towns and sister cities: Nice, Nouméa, Changning.
Common questions
Which airport serves Papeete?
Fa'a'ā International Airport (PPT), 5 km (3 mi) from the centre, plus 1 other airport with scheduled flights within 100 km.
How big is Papeete?
About 26,357 people live in Papeete, across 17 km² (GeoNames and Wikidata).
What time zone is Papeete in?
Pacific/Tahiti, currently UTC-10.
What currency is used in Papeete?
The Franc (XPF). Traffic drives on the right.
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 13 September 2026. Hotel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.