Every island we cover

26 island guides, from the Hauraki Gulf to Hawaiʻi: when each is at its best, how long it takes from home, what it costs and who it suits.

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26 islands with a guide

  • Aotea Great Barrier Island

    New Zealand’s islands

    Best Dec–Feb

    About 30 min from Auckland, direct

    About NZ prices

    Best for rest

  • Rangitoto Island

    New Zealand’s islands

    Best Nov–Feb

    About 30 min by ferry from Auckland

    Cheaper than NZ

    Best for nature and value

  • Waiheke Island

    New Zealand’s islands

    Best Nov–Feb

    About 45 min by ferry from Auckland

    Above NZ prices

    Best for food and wine

  • Tiritiri Matangi

    New Zealand’s islands

    Best Nov–Mar

    About 1 h 15 min by ferry from Auckland

    About NZ prices

    Best for nature

  • Kawau Island

    New Zealand’s islands

    Best Nov–Mar

    About 1 h 45 min by ferry from Auckland

    About NZ prices

    Best for rest

  • Chatham Islands

    New Zealand’s islands

    Best Dec–Feb

    About 2 h 15 min from Auckland, direct December to February

    Above NZ prices

    Best for nature

  • Kāpiti Island

    New Zealand’s islands

    Best Jan–Feb

    About 2 h 30 min from Auckland

    About NZ prices

    Best for nature

  • Tongatapu

    Tonga

    Best May–Nov

    About 3 h from Auckland, direct

    About NZ prices

    Best for culture

  • Viti Levu

    Fiji

    Best Jun–Oct

    About 3 h from Auckland, direct

    About NZ prices

    Best for families

  • Efate

    Vanuatu

    Best Jul–Oct

    About 3 h 15 min from Auckland, direct

    About NZ prices

    Best for couples and adventure

  • Rakiura Stewart Island

    New Zealand’s islands

    Best Dec–Feb

    About 3 h 15 min from Auckland

    Above NZ prices

    Best for nature

  • Niue

    Niue

    Best May–Oct

    About 3 h 30 min from Auckland, direct

    Above NZ prices

    Best for snorkelling and diving

  • Rarotonga

    Cook Islands

    Best May–Nov

    About 4 h from Auckland, direct

    About NZ prices

    Best for families

  • Upolu

    Samoa

    Best Jun–Sep

    About 4 h from Auckland, direct

    About NZ prices

    Best for culture

  • Mamanuca Islands

    Fiji

    Best May–Oct

    About 4 h 45 min from Auckland

    Above NZ prices

    Best for beaches

  • Tahiti

    French Polynesia

    Best May–Nov

    About 5 h from Auckland, direct

    Above NZ prices

    Best for culture

  • Vavaʻu

    Tonga

    Best May–Oct

    About 5 h from Auckland

    About NZ prices

    Best for couples and adventure

  • Taveuni

    Fiji

    Best Jun–Oct

    About 5 h 15 min from Auckland

    Above NZ prices

    Best for adventure and snorkelling and diving

  • Aitutaki

    Cook Islands

    Best Jun–Nov

    About 5 h 45 min from Auckland

    Above NZ prices

    Best for couples and honeymoons

  • Savaiʻi

    Samoa

    Best Jun–Sep

    About 6 h 15 min from Auckland

    About NZ prices

    Best for culture and rest

  • Bora Bora

    French Polynesia

    Best May–Oct

    About 6 h 45 min from Auckland

    Luxury prices

    Best for couples and honeymoons

  • Moʻorea

    French Polynesia

    Best May–Nov

    About 6 h 45 min from Auckland

    Above NZ prices

    Best for snorkelling and diving

  • Yasawa Islands

    Fiji

    Best Jun–Oct

    About 6 h 45 min from Auckland

    Above NZ prices

    Best for couples and honeymoons

  • Oʻahu

    Hawaiʻi

    Good all but Sep

    About 8 h 30 min from Auckland, direct

    Above NZ prices

    Best for families and couples

  • Bali

    Indonesia

    Best May–Oct

    About 9 h 30 min from Auckland, direct, seasonal

    Cheaper than NZ

    Best for couples and culture

  • Maui

    Hawaiʻi

    Good all but Aug–Sep

    About 10 h 30 min from Auckland

    Above NZ prices

    Best for families and couples

All 26 islands on one chart centred on Auckland, so every distance from Auckland is true. The rings are 1,000 km apart, with rough flight times.

New Zealand’s islandsTongaFijiVanuatuNiueSamoaCook IslandsFrenchPolynesiaBaliHawaiʻiHauraki GulfKāpitiChatham IslandsRakiuraTongaFijiVanuatuNiueSamoaCook IslandsFrenchPolynesiaBaliHawaiʻiHauraki GulfKāpitiChatham IslandsRakiuraTongaFijiVanuatuNiueSamoaCookIslandsFrenchPolynesiaBaliHawaiʻiHauraki GulfKāpitiChatham IslandsRakiuraTongatapuViti LevuMamanuca IslandsYasawa IslandsTaveuniEfateVavaʻuNiueSavaiʻiUpoluRarotongaAitutakiBora BoraMoʻoreaTahitiBaliOʻahuMauiRangitoto25 kmWaiheke35 kmTiritiri Matangi46 kmKawau65 kmAotea Great Barrier106 kmKāpitiChatham IslandsRakiuraTongatapuViti LevuMamanucaIslandsYasawa IslandsEfateTaveuniVavaʻuNiueSavaiʻiUpoluRarotongaAitutakiBora BoraMoʻoreaTahitiBaliOʻahuMaui
Rings show straight-line distance from Auckland; flight times are approximate. Map data: Natural Earth
All 26 islands by distance
  1. Rangitoto Island25 kmFerry · about 30 min
  2. Waiheke Island35 kmFerry · about 45 min
  3. Tiritiri Matangi46 kmFerry · about 1 h 15 min
  4. Kawau Island65 kmDrive and ferry · about 1 h 45 min
  5. Aotea Great Barrier Island106 kmDirect flight · about 30 min
  6. Kāpiti Island427 kmFly to Wellington, then drive and ferry · about 2 h 30 min
  7. Chatham Islands1,060 kmDirect flight, Dec–Feb · about 2 h 15 min
  8. Rakiura Stewart Island1,250 kmVia Invercargill · about 3 h 15 min
  9. Tongatapu2,010 kmDirect flight · about 3 h
  10. Viti Levu2,160 kmDirect flight · about 3 h
  11. Mamanuca Islands2,160 kmFly to Nadi, then ferry · about 4 h 45 min
  12. Yasawa Islands2,240 kmFly to Nadi, then ferry · about 6 h 45 min
  13. Efate2,240 kmDirect flight · about 3 h 15 min
  14. Taveuni2,300 kmVia Nadi · about 5 h 15 min
  15. Vavaʻu2,320 kmVia Tongatapu · about 5 h
  16. Niue2,490 kmDirect flight · about 3 h 30 min
  17. Savaiʻi2,890 kmFly to Apia, then ferry · about 6 h 15 min
  18. Upolu2,890 kmDirect flight · about 4 h
  19. Rarotonga3,010 kmDirect flight · about 4 h
  20. Aitutaki3,190 kmVia Rarotonga · about 5 h 45 min
  21. Bora Bora4,000 kmVia Papeʻete · about 6 h 45 min
  22. Moʻorea4,080 kmFly to Papeʻete, then ferry · about 6 h 45 min
  23. Tahiti4,100 kmDirect flight · about 5 h
  24. Bali6,760 kmDirect flight, seasonal · about 9 h 30 min
  25. Oʻahu7,100 kmDirect flight · about 8 h 30 min
  26. Maui7,110 kmVia Honolulu · about 10 h 30 min
020 km
  1. Viti Levu10,673 km²
  2. Bali5,392 km²
  3. Maui1,889 km²
  4. Savaiʻi1,710 km²
  5. Rakiura Stewart Island1,676 km²
  6. Oʻahu1,554 km²
  7. Upolu1,130 km²
  8. Tahiti1,047 km²
  9. Chatham Islands983 km²
  10. Efate897 km²
  11. Taveuni438 km²
  12. Aotea Great Barrier Island277 km²
  13. Niue262 km²
  14. Tongatapu256 km²
  15. Yasawa Islands135 km²
  16. Moʻorea133 km²
  17. Vavaʻu130 km²
  18. Waiheke Island93 km²
  19. Rarotonga68 km²
  20. Bora Bora30 km²
  21. Rangitoto Island23 km²
  22. Kawau Island21 km²
  23. Kāpiti Island19 km²
  24. Mamanuca Islands17 km²
  25. Aitutaki16 km²
  26. Tiritiri Matangi1.9 km²
Every island we cover, drawn at one scale and largest first. Viti Levu is about 158 times the size of Rarotonga.Every island drawn to the same size, to compare shapes. The areas are true.Island outlines © OpenStreetMap contributors