An old volcano inside a turquoise lagoon, ringed by a barrier reef and sandy motus, about 260 km northwest of Tahiti.
Ride the whole loop of the island behind a local guide, skim past the overwater bungalows, then stop on a motu to swim with the 727 m wall of Mount Otemanu above you.
Riding time, spelled outHow much of each tour is on the jet ski, and what fills the rest
Who can driveNo licence on a guided tour, the age limits and the solo or double question
Free cancellation, 24 hoursListed on each of the eight tours here
Secure checkoutBooked on GetYourGuide, with the operator named on each page
Tours
Choose your Bora Bora jet ski tour
In the centre, the classic two-hour loop of the island with two swim stops. On one side, a loop booked per jet ski with a local guide;
on the other, the full day that adds lunch and a snorkel with reef sharks and rays. Every card opens a full page.
A two-hour island loop with a guide born on Bora Bora, a stop facing Mount Otemanu, a motu and a swim. Booked per jet ski for up to two, with fruit and juice on the way.
What's included
Pickup and drop-off at main-island hotels and Vaitape
A local guide, born on the island
Jet ski equipment and a safety briefing
A motu stop and a swim stop, with water, local juice, fruit and coconut cake
Two hours behind a local guide on a full loop of the lagoon, past the overwater bungalows and under Mount Otemanu. Two swim stops, one on a motu with a coconut demonstration.
What's included
Pickup from your hotel or the Vaitape pier
A local guide and all the equipment, life jacket included
Two swim stops, one on a motu with a coconut husking demonstration
Drivers from 16, passengers from 11, solo or double
The two-hour island loop by jet ski, lunch on the main island, then a boat out to snorkel with blacktip reef sharks and rays. No feeding, and snorkel gear is included.
What's included
Hotel pickup and drop-off
A two-hour guided jet ski tour of the island
Lunch at a restaurant on the main island
A boat safari to swim with stingrays and blacktip reef sharks, snorkel gear included
Three questions settle it. Do you want two hours on the water or a whole day? Is this a jet ski alone, or a jet ski with snorkelling,
lunch on a motu or a ride into the hills? And are you two people on one ski, or one?
Each of these listings shows free cancellation up to 24 hours before. If the weather stops a tour, operators move you to
another date or refund you, so ride early in your stay to keep a spare day.
Before you book
No licence. One guide in front.
In French Polynesia you cannot just hire a jet ski and head off. The maritime authority, the DPAM, asks for a coastal boat licence
to rent one on your own. What it allows instead is the guided convoy: an approved company, a qualified guide, a route filed in advance,
and up to two people on each jet ski following in a line. Do that, and nobody on the ski needs a licence.
The convoy is the whole format, so the tours here see much the same lagoon: the overwater bungalows, the yachts off Vaitape,
the green flank of Mount Otemanu and a motu on the reef. What you are really choosing is how long you ride, who sits on which ski,
and what fills the rest of the day: a snorkel with reef sharks and rays, lunch on a motu, an ATV or 4x4 ride into the hills.
The tour pages say exactly which.
727 m
The height of Mount Otemanu, the peak of the old volcano at the centre of the island. Most loops ride right beneath it.
Island loopSolo or doubleMotu stopShark and ray snorkelATV and jet ski4x4 and jet ski
The convoy: a guide in front, everyone else following the same line across the lagoon.
01
Do you need a licence?
Not on an approved guided tour. Renting a jet ski on your own needs a coastal boat licence from the DPAM.
02
How long do you ride?
The classic loop is two hours, and that includes a swim stop and a motu stop. The six-hour days ride for part of the day.
03
Solo or double?
Up to two per ski. Some listings are booked per person, others per jet ski for up to two. Check which one before you pay.
04
Who should think twice?
Pregnant women and anyone with back problems, per the listings. Drivers start at 16 on the Moana tours, passengers at 11.
Your day
How a jet ski tour runs
A pickup at your hotel, a safety briefing, then a loop of the lagoon in a line behind the guide, with two stops to swim. The full days add lunch and a second activity.
01
Pickup and briefing
A car collects you from your main-island hotel or the Vaitape pier. At the base you get a life jacket, a short safety talk and the hand signals.
About 15 minutes by car
02
Across the lagoon
The guide sets the pace: slow near the shore and the bungalows, faster in open water. You ride in a line, past the yachts and under Otemanu.
Most of the two hours
03
The motu stop
You pull up on a sandy islet on the reef. The guide husks a coconut, and there is time to walk and look out at the ocean side.
One of two stops
04
The swim stop
Engines off in clear, shallow water for a swim, then the last stretch back to the base and the drive to your hotel.
One of two stops
Plan your trip
Plan your day on the lagoon
How to get there, who can ride, what to bring and the rules on the water: one tab each.
From Tahiti: Air Tahiti flies to Bora Bora in about 50 minutes nonstop. The airport is on Motu Mute, a reef islet north of the main island.
The airport boat: the Air Tahiti shuttle crosses to Vaitape in about 15 minutes, and its fare is in your air ticket. Resort guests are often met by the hotel boat.
Tour pickup: the jet ski tours collect you from hotels on the main island or the Vaitape pier.
Staying on a motu? You usually take your hotel's boat to the main island first. Ask the concierge, and check whether the shuttle is extra.
Drivers from 16 and passengers from 11, on the Moana Adventure Tours listings. Other listings set their own limits.
Up to two per jet ski: a driver and a passenger. Under-16s ride behind an adult.
Not suitable for pregnant women, and one listing adds people with back problems and children under 8.
First time on a jet ski? That is normal on these tours. The guide shows you the controls and the hand signals before you leave.
Swimwear, a towel and sunscreen: you will swim at the stops, and the sun off the water is strong.
Sunglasses with a strap and a phone pouch. Spray reaches everything.
ID: the Moana listings ask for a passport or ID card, and a copy is accepted. One combo day asks for a driving licence for the ATV.
Leave behind: large bags and luggage, which several listings do not allow.
Life jackets with a light and a kill switch are required on every jet ski in French Polynesia.
Slow near the shore: the lagoon rules cap speed close to beaches, pontoons and moorings, and the guide keeps you to it.
No-go water: Povai Bay has a buoyed swimming area closed to jet skis, and since December 2025 a reef zone off Matira is a full reserve.
Hands off: do not touch, chase or feed sharks, rays or turtles. Feeding them is prohibited.
Mount Otemanu727 mThe highest point, and the backdrop to every loop of the lagoon.
From TahitiAbout 260 kmNorthwest across the open ocean, in the Leeward Islands.
FlightAbout 50 minutesNonstop from Tahiti with Air Tahiti, several times a day.
The passJust oneTeavanui Pass on the west side is the lagoon's only opening to the ocean.
Drier seasonMay to OctoberNovember to April is wetter, warmer and the cyclone season.
WhalesJuly to NovemberHumpback whales visit the islands to breed and calve.
Where it is
Where the tours start
Bora Bora, in the Leeward Islands
Vaitape, Bora Bora, French Polynesia. Pickup is at your hotel on the main island or at the Vaitape pier.
Bora Bora is a high volcanic island in the middle of a lagoon. A barrier reef runs all the way round, with long sandy motus on its
northern and eastern side, and one pass, Teavanui, opens to the ocean on the west. Vaitape, the main village, faces that pass.
The beaches and many hotels sit on the south-west, around Matira Point, and most of the overwater resorts are out on the motus.
Vaitape pier: the ferry quay and a common pickup point
Matira Point: the southern tip, beaches and hotels
2.5 hours · Afternoon boat snorkel · Pickup on Bora Bora
The jet ski shows you the lagoon from above. This afternoon boat trip puts you in it: several snorkel stops for blacktip reef sharks, stingrays and the coral garden near the barrier reef, with mask and fins included. The operator does not feed the animals, and the listing is clear that sightings are not guaranteed. Not for pregnant women or people with limited mobility.
Every jet ski tour in Bora Bora rides the same lagoon behind a guide. Here is what you are paying for,
and how to pick the one that fits your day.
What the lagoon is
Bora Bora is the worn-down core of an old volcano. Mount Otemanu, 727 m, is what is left of its peak, and Povai Bay on the
south-west traces the edge of the old crater. Around the island lies a shallow lagoon, its water warm all year, closed off from the
Pacific by a barrier reef. Long low motus sit on that reef, most of them on the north and east, and the only way in for ships is
Teavanui Pass, opposite Vaitape. Inside, the colours run from deep blue in the channels to almost white over the sand.
A jet ski is a fast way to see all of it. The coast road around the main island is about 31 km and takes an hour by car; the
lagoon loop on a jet ski shows you the same island from the water, with the reef and the motus on the other side.
The guide leads, and the convoy follows the same line.
What the two hours hold
The two-hour tours are not two hours of full throttle. On the island tour by Moana Adventure Tours
the time includes two swim stops, one of them on a motu where the guide husks a coconut. The
loop by the Bora Bora Activities Center also stops in front of Otemanu, on a motu and for a swim,
with fruit and juice. That rhythm is the point. You ride, you stop, you swim in water you have been looking at for days, you ride again.
The six-hour days keep the same ride and wrap something around it. The jet ski and safari day
adds lunch and a boat out to snorkel with rays and blacktip reef sharks. The ATV day
spends the morning off-road and finishes with a barbecue on a motu. Pick the long day if you want one well-organised outing; pick the loop
if you want the jet ski and an afternoon on your hotel beach.
The small print, plainly: some tours are sold per person and others per jet ski for up to two, so a solo rider can pay for
a whole ski. Motu hotel guests usually need the hotel boat to reach the pickup. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before is listed on each tour
here; after that, the booking stands.
Who drives
Nobody needs a licence on these tours, because the guided convoy is the exception the maritime authority allows. The Moana listings set the
driver age at 16 and the passenger age at 11; other operators set their own. If you are two, one drives and one rides behind. If you would rather not drive at all, the lagoon safari by boat covers the
same water with someone else at the wheel.
The motu stop: engines off, feet in the sand.
Timing it
Book a morning if you can. Operators say the water tends to be calmer then, and you have the afternoon free. The drier months run from May to
October; from November to April it is warmer and wetter, and cyclones are possible. Book early in your stay, too: if wind cancels the tour, the
operator offers another date or a refund, and you will want a spare day to use it. Whales pass from July to November, and the
best-time guide covers the rest.
Rays over the sand: the reason to add a snorkel to the day.
Clear answers to what people ask most about jet skiing in Bora Bora.
Does Bora Bora have jet skis?
Yes. Jet skis are legal in French Polynesia and several Bora Bora companies run guided tours around the lagoon. What you will not find easily is a jet ski to take out alone: the maritime authority asks for a coastal boat licence to rent one, while an approved guided convoy needs no licence. The rules guide explains both.
Do you need a licence to drive a jet ski in Bora Bora?
Not on a guided tour. French Polynesia's maritime authority lets you drive without a licence when you follow an approved guide on a set route. The Moana Adventure Tours listings ask drivers to be at least 16 and passengers at least 11. Renting a jet ski on your own is different and needs a coastal licence.
How long is a jet ski tour in Bora Bora?
The classic loop of the island is two hours, and that includes a swim stop and a stop on a motu. Full days of about six hours pair a jet ski ride with lunch and a snorkel trip, an ATV morning or a 4x4 tour. The two-hour island tour is the one most people pick.
Can two people share a jet ski?
Yes, up to two per jet ski: a driver and a passenger. Some listings sell a place per person and let you choose solo or double; others are booked per jet ski for up to two people, so a solo rider books the whole ski. Check which one you are looking at before you pay.
Are there sharks in the Bora Bora lagoon?
Yes. Blacktip reef sharks are the most common, and lemon sharks, stingrays, eagle rays and reef manta rays live there too. The blacktips are small and shy, and snorkel tours swim near them every day. Feeding or luring sharks and rays is prohibited. More in the sharks and rays guide.
What months should you avoid in Bora Bora?
The wetter season runs from November to April, with the most rain in December and January, and it is also cyclone season. May to October is drier and a little cooler. Rain usually comes in showers, and tours still run on most days. See the best-time guide.
Is it safe to go to Bora Bora right now?
The UK government does not advise against travel to French Polynesia, and the US State Department lists it at Level 1, "exercise normal precautions". On the water, the risks are the ordinary ones: sun, dehydration and riding too close to the jet ski in front. Check the current advice before you travel.
Do I need a visa for Bora Bora?
Visitors from the US and the UK can stay up to 90 days without a visa for tourism. French Polynesia has its own entry rules, separate from the Schengen area, so check the official advice for your passport. The travel essentials guide has the details.
Is Bora Bora in Fiji or Tahiti?
Neither, strictly. Bora Bora is its own island in the Leeward Islands of French Polynesia, about 260 km northwest of Tahiti and a 50-minute flight from it. Fiji is a separate country more than 3,000 km to the west.
What are the best things to do in Bora Bora?
Ride a jet ski around the island, snorkel with rays and reef sharks, take a 4x4 or ATV up to the WWII lookouts, spend a day on a motu, swim at Matira Beach, and look for reef mantas at Anau. Humpback whales pass from July to November. Our list goes through each one.
How much does a Bora Bora trip cost?
Mostly it depends on where you sleep. An overwater bungalow on a motu and a guesthouse on the main island are worlds apart. The rest is the flight to Tahiti and on to Bora Bora, hotel boat transfers from the motus, meals and activities. The local currency is the CFP franc (XPF), at a fixed rate guaranteed by France.
Can I cancel a Bora Bora jet ski tour?
Each tour on this site lists free cancellation up to 24 hours before on GetYourGuide. Operators reschedule or refund if bad weather stops a tour.
Ready to book
Pick your tour, pick your morning.
The two-hour loop of the island with two swim stops, or the full day with a shark and ray snorkel. Each lists free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Priced per ski
2 hoursFree cancellation
