The overwater bungalow is only the start: getting to Bora Bora takes a second flight and a resort boat, and resort meals, cocktails and room taxes are priced like nowhere else. Most couples spend far more on food and extras than they planned.
Starts with a sample trip. Change any number to match yours. Set up your travel profile to fill these in for you.
Compare hotels on Bora Bora →Tick what you plan to do and we’ll price it for your group. Your picks set “Lagoon tour with sharks and rays”, “Second excursion” and “Shows, tours and extras you picked” in your budget.
The sample is 2 travelers for 6 nights. Your plan ($11,140) covers the main costs most people budget for, the ones you enter on the left. Costs people forget ($4,094, about 37% more for this trip) are the fees, taxes, tips and extras listed in the calculator. Prices were last checked on October 17, 2026.
Share of the $15,234 real cost. Nights and travelers multiply most of these costs, so changing either one moves the total the most.
11 of this trip's numbers link to a published price or rate. The rest are our estimates, and each one says what it is based on. You can also read how we calculate every trip.
| Cost | Default | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Airfare per person | $1,150 per traveler | KAYAK shows an average US–Papeete round trip of about $1,117; Bora Bora is reached by a connecting domestic flight (separate item). Source |
| Hotel per night | $1,100 a night | Typical overwater bungalow price, not a mid-range room: entry overwater bungalows at 4-star resorts run about $1,000+ a night before taxes (range $1,000–4,000); our default is about $1,100. Source |
| Food per person, per day | $160 per traveler, per day | Resort breakfast about $28–45, lunch $35–65 and dinner $65–130; half board runs $110–160 a day, so we use about $160 for three meals. Source |
| Cost | Default | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Passports Off by default | $165 per traveler | State Department fee table: a new adult passport book costs $130 plus a $35 acceptance fee. Source |
| Flight from Papeete to Bora Bora | $380 per traveler | Skyscanner’s lowest round trips found are about €280 (Air Moana); typical Air Tahiti fares run $380–480 (radicalstorage.com), so we use $380. Source |
| Resort boat transfers | $130 per traveler | Le Bora Bora charges XPF 4,000 per person each way; larger resorts charge more (Conrad charged XPF 13,560 round trip), so we use about $130 round trip. Source |
| Papeete hotel night Off by default | $250 for the trip | Our estimate for a mid-range Papeete-area hotel near the airport, before taxes. Our estimate |
| Tourist tax | $1.80 per traveler, per night | Package terms list a compulsory city tax of XPF 200 per adult per night, paid directly to the hotel. Source |
| Resort taxes and service charges | 15% of the hotel | A 2025 Four Seasons Bora Bora bill showed VAT, room tax, regional tax and service charges of about 26%; mid-range resorts quoting before tax add less, so we use 15%. Source |
| Resort drinks | $40 per traveler, per day | Resort cocktails cost about $16–28 each. Source |
| Lagoon tour with sharks and rays | $130 per traveler | A 4-hour shared lagoon safari with snorkeling among blacktip reef sharks and rays is listed at $132 per adult, taxes included. Source |
| Second excursion Off by default | $200 per traveler | Our estimate based on typical Bora Bora jet-ski, 4x4 and private motu picnic tours at about XPF 17,000–28,000 per person. Our estimate |
| Phone data | $30 per traveler | French Polynesia eSIMs cost about $30–36 for 3–10 GB. Source |
| Card fees | 3% of your plan | Typical 3% foreign transaction fee on many US credit and debit cards. Our estimate |
| Souvenirs and treats | $60 per traveler | Our estimate for small gifts plus resort-shop extras. Our estimate |
| Shows, tours and extras you picked Off by default | $0 for the trip | Starts at $0. Filled in from what you pick in the things-to-do planner; each one links to its own price source. Our estimate |
| Travel insurance | 6% of your plan | Squaremouth says a comprehensive plan averages about 6% of the trip cost, usually 4% to 10%. Source |
| Pre-trip shopping | $60 for the trip | Our estimate for travel-size toiletries, sunscreen and small things bought before a trip. Our estimate |
| Pet boarding or sitter | $50 a day, if you check Pets | Dogster puts regular kennel boarding at about $35 to $85 a night. Overnight sitters at home cost more. Source |
For 6 nights with flights, a hotel and food, plan on about $11,150 for two people. Once you add the costs most visitors forget, like the flight from Papeete, resort boat transfers, tourist tax and resort taxes, it's closer to $15,250. Use the calculator above to change any number to match your trip.
Entry-level overwater bungalows at 4-star resorts start around $1,000 a night before taxes, and top resorts charge $3,000 or more in peak season. Source
The airport is on a motu, so you take a resort boat; transfers usually cost about XPF 4,000–7,000 (about $35–65) per person each way, unless included in a package. Source
Yes. Hotels collect a city tax of XPF 200 (about $1.80) per adult per night, usually paid at check-out. Source
A half-day shared lagoon tour with sharks and rays costs about $130 per person; private boats cost several times more. Source