Upolu or Savaiʻi? Samoa’s two main islands, and the ferry between

Upolu or Savaiʻi?

Upolu is the pick for a short trip, young children or resort comforts: every flight from New Zealand lands there, and it has most of the resorts on the tourism authority’s list. Savaiʻi is the pick for lava fields, blowholes and quiet village life in a simple beach fale. With a week or more, do both: the ferry crosses in 60–90 minutes for ST$10 per adult one way.

Last checked 13 October 2026

Choose Upolu if

You have a week or less and want to reach your beach on landing day, whatever your flight time.

You want a resort: 11 of the 13 on the tourism authority’s resorts and deluxe list are on Upolu.

You want Apia’s markets, museums and restaurants within easy reach.

You are travelling with toddlers and would rather skip a ferry crossing each way.

The Upolu guide

Choose Savaiʻi if

You want lava fields, blowholes, waterfalls and caves more than resort pools.

You are happy with a simple beach fale, the main kind of stay on Savaiʻi.

You want Samoa’s less populated island and its traditional village way of life.

You can give it at least three nights, so the ferry is worth the effort.

The Savaiʻi guide

Side by side

Upolu and Savaiʻi compared
Getting there
	UpoluSamoa	SavaiʻiSamoa
In a line	Living Samoan culture, south-coast beaches and cheap beach fales, under four hours from Auckland. Sundays need working around.	The biggest, quietest island in Samoa: lava fields, beach fales and village life, for travellers happy with a ferry, cash and still Sundays.
From Auckland	Direct flight, about 4 hQuickest	Fly to Apia, then ferry, about 6 h 15 min
From Wellington	Via Auckland, about 6 h 30 minQuickest	Fly via Auckland to Apia, then ferry, about 8 h 45 min
From Christchurch	Via Auckland, about 7 hQuickest	Fly via Auckland to Apia, then ferry, about 9 h 15 min
Time difference	Same time as NZFrom 4 April 2027: 1 hour ahead.From 26 September 2027: same time as NZ.	Same time as NZFrom 4 April 2027: 1 hour ahead.From 26 September 2027: same time as NZ.
Weather
Best months	Best from June to September	Best from June to September
Month by month	January 51, fair February 55, fair March 72, good April 75, good May 79, good June 89, excellent, a best month July 93, excellent, a best month August 95, excellent, a best month September 91, excellent, a best month October 82, excellent November 70, good December 62, fair	January 51, fair February 53, fair March 72, good April 76, good May 80, excellent June 89, excellent, a best month July 93, excellent, a best month August 96, excellent, a best month September 92, excellent, a best month October 82, excellent November 71, good December 63, fair
Sea temperature	28–29 °CCoolest in August, warmest in March	28–29 °CCoolest in August, warmest in April
Rain	60–250 mm a monthDriest Aug, wettest Jan	70–270 mm a monthDriest Aug, wettest Feb
Cyclones	About 1 storm in 2 seasonsCyclones within 200 km, mostly Dec–Feb	About 1 storm in 2 seasonsCyclones within 200 km, mostly Dec–Feb
Money and entry
Currency	NZ$1 ≈ ST$1.55Samoan tala. Mid-market rate on 13 October 2026.	NZ$1 ≈ ST$1.55Samoan tala. Mid-market rate on 13 October 2026.
Cost	About NZ prices	About NZ prices
Entry for NZ passports	No visa needed.At the time of writing, NZ passport holders get a free 90-day visitor permit on arrival. You need a passport valid for six months beyond departure, a return or onward ticket, your accommodation details and evidence of funds.Check with mpmc.gov.ws	No visa needed.At the time of writing, NZ passport holders get a free 90-day visitor permit on arrival in Samoa. You need a passport valid for six months beyond departure, a return or onward ticket, evidence of funds and your accommodation details.Check with mpmc.gov.ws
Who it suits
Best for	Culture, couples and adventure	Culture, rest and couples
The catch	Cash and Sundays. Upolu runs on cash and stops on Sundays, when most sights, shops and fuel stations close. Roads are slow, too.	Getting there, and cash. It takes a flight, a transfer and a ferry, ATMs are scarcer than on Upolu, and on Sundays most sights, shops and fuel stations close.
Where to stay
Places to stay	See stays in Apia, on Booking.com (opens in a new tab)The Upolu guide	See stays in Salelologa, on Booking.com (opens in a new tab)The Savaiʻi guide

Excellent, 80 and up

Good, 65–79

Fair, 50–64

Poor, under 50

Best months

Conditions score out of 100, from weather-station normals (Meteostat) and NASA POWER, NOAA sea temperatures and IBTrACS cyclone tracks (1991–2020). Flight times are typical scheduled times from each airline. Exchange rates are mid-market. How we research

“See stays” links go to Booking.com. They are partner links: we may earn a commission, and it never changes our verdicts. How we make money

The real difference

Upolu is Samoa’s practical island and Savaiʻi is its quiet one. Upolu has the international airport, the capital, Apia, and three-quarters of Samoa’s people, with the markets, museums and restaurants that come with them. It also has most of the country’s resorts: 11 of the 13 on the tourism authority’s resorts and deluxe list, against two on Savaiʻi.

Savaiʻi is the bigger island, about 80 km by 40 km, but less populated and known for a traditional village way of life. Its draws are lava fields, blowholes, waterfalls and caves. At Saleaula, lava from Mt Matavanu’s 1905–1911 eruption buried five villages.

Weather won’t settle it, because the two islands’ conditions scores, sea temperatures and cyclone odds are almost identical. Comfort and logistics decide. Both share Samoa’s catches: cash for most things outside resorts, and Sundays when most sights, shops and fuel stations close. Savaiʻi adds a ferry and fewer ATMs.

Getting there and around

Flights from New Zealand land at Faleolo, on Upolu. Air New Zealand flies non-stop from Auckland, with connections from its other domestic airports. Savaiʻi is a ferry ride on.

The ferry fits a trip easily. Mulifanua wharf is a six-minute drive from Faleolo, and Samoa Shipping Corporation’s ferries cross to Salelologa in 60–90 minutes. Walk-on fares are ST$10 one way for adults and ST$5 for children aged 2–12 (October 2026). The October 2026 timetable has up to six sailings each way from Monday to Saturday, between 6am and 4pm, but only two on Sunday, at 1pm and 3pm. Check in at least 30 minutes before departure on foot, or an hour before with a vehicle. Bring tala, too: the tourism authority says walk-on tickets at the wharves are cash only.

That timetable shapes the trip. With the last sailing at 4pm, a late-afternoon or evening landing means a first night on Upolu, ideally near the airport. Avoid relying on Sunday’s two sailings, and leave a wide margin if you cross back on the day you fly home. Give Savaiʻi at least three nights, so the crossing pays off.

To take a hire car across, budget ST$80–100 each way for most cars; that fare covers the driver, and passengers buy walk-on tickets. Book the space in person at Samoa Shipping’s office in Apia, and check that your rental agreement allows it. Samoa Airways also lists short flights to Maota on Savaiʻi, from Fagaliʻi on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and from Faleolo on Sundays. Its timetable dates from March 2025, so confirm it first.

When each is at its best

Samoa’s dry season runs from May to October, and SafeTravel says the cyclone season usually runs from November to April. Our data rates both islands best from June to September and gives each about 1 storm in 2 seasons.

The main difference is rain. Savaiʻi’s months run a little wetter, at 70–270 mm against 60–250 mm on Upolu, and its wettest month is February rather than January. The tourism authority adds that inland areas are wetter than the coast, which matters if you plan to hike Mt Silisili.

Samoa’s week-long Teuila Festival, in early September, falls in the best stretch on either island. See how other islands compare in September.

Costs and practicalities

Entry, money and Sundays work the same way on both. You clear immigration at Faleolo and pay in tala. On Sundays most sights, shops and fuel stations close, though many resorts and restaurants stay open.

Cash matters more on Savaiʻi. The tourism authority says its ATMs are less frequent, so withdraw before the ferry; exchange offices at Faleolo open for every flight. Most resorts take cards, but markets, local restaurants and public transport want cash.

Our cost tier puts both islands at about NZ prices. What changes is what you pay for. Upolu has most of the resort end of the market and beach fales too, with eight fale operators on the tourism authority’s list. Savaiʻi leans on fales: nine on the same list, against two resorts. The authority says fales start at 70 tala per person per day, usually with breakfast and dinner.