How Far Is Bora Bora From Hawaii? A Detailed Breakdown

If you’ve ever dreamed of visiting the stunning turquoise lagoons and overwater bungalows of Bora Bora, you may be wondering – how far away is this tropical paradise? Located in French Polynesia, Bora Bora lies approximately 2,600 miles from the Hawaiian islands.

If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer to your question: Bora Bora is around 2,600 miles southwest of Hawaii by the most direct route. It would take over 5 hours to fly there nonstop.

From breathtaking landscapes to rich culture and cuisine, this article will give you a comprehensive understanding of the distance and travel time between Hawaii and Bora Bora. We’ll cover flight routes, mileage, geography, and everything you need to plan your Polynesian getaway.

Exact Mileage Between Hawaii and Bora Bora

2,606 miles as the crow flies from Honolulu, HI to Bora Bora

When looking at the direct route between Honolulu, Hawaii and Bora Bora in French Polynesia, the distance spans approximately 2,606 miles as the crow flies according to calculations using online map tools like Distance Calculator.

That’s over a quarter of the way around the circumference of the Earth!

To put into perspective just how far apart these two iconic tropical paradises are, the flight time directly between them is around 8 hours. Most flights route through major hubs like Los Angeles. That’s a really long journey when you could be relaxing on the beach instead!

2,936 miles by air from Honolulu to Bora Bora

However, since air travel routes don’t usually follow the direct path a crow would take across the ocean, the actual flight mileage from the Honolulu International Airport to the Bora Bora Airport totals 2,936 miles.

This accounts for the normal flight paths planes must take to get safely across the Pacific Ocean between archipelagos.

With a total flight time hovering around 8 hours and 30 minutes on average for trips from Hawaii to Bora Bora, that’s a lot of in-flight entertainment to keep you busy! A few extra stops along the way lengthen the total mileage too.

But the views of the gorgeous tropical islands upon arrival certainly make the long trip worthwhile.

Geography & Location Overview

Hawaii’s position in the Central North Pacific

The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago located in the Central North Pacific Ocean, about 2,400 miles from the U.S. west coast. The islands stretch across 1,500 miles in a southeast to northwest direction.

Hawaii lies at the southern extremity of the Hawaiian Ridge, a mostly undersea mountain range formed by volcanic hotspots under the Pacific Plate.

The Hawaiian archipelago comprises hundreds of islands, reefs and shoals. The eight main islands are Niʻihau, Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, Kahoʻolawe, Maui and Hawaiʻi (also called the Big Island). The state of Hawaii’s total land area is 16,640 km2.

The remote South Pacific location of Bora Bora and the Society Islands chain

In contrast to Hawaii’s North Pacific location, the Society Islands including Bora Bora are situated in the South Pacific Ocean, about 2,600 miles south of Hawaii. The Society Islands belong to French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France.

There are 12 inhabited islands spread across an 850,000 km2 exclusive economic zone in this South Pacific archipelago. The largest and most populated island is Tahiti. Bora Bora is located about 155 miles northwest of Tahiti and lies at the coordinates 16°31′S 151°45′W.

Bora Bora has a total land area of about 30 km2, dominated by the extinct volcano Mount Otemanu rising to 727 meters. Surrounded by bright turquoise lagoons, the island’s stunning scenery has earned it the nickname “Romantic Island” and made it a coveted upscale travel destination.

Distances between Hawaii and Bora Bora

The distances from Hawaii to Bora Bora are:

• From Honolulu, Oahu to Bora Bora: 2,624 miles or 4,225 km
• From Hilo, Big Island Hawaii to Bora Bora: 2,734 miles or 4,400 km
• From Lihue, Kauai to Bora Bora: 2,786 miles or 4,485 km

As can be seen, Bora Bora lies approximately 2,600 to 2,800 miles south of Hawaii, a significant distance spanning the Equator in the Pacific Ocean.

Travel time by plane from Honolulu to Bora Bora is about 8 hours including layovers. So while the two paradises may seem worlds apart geographically, the flight connects them for those dreaming of a Hawaiian-French Polynesian getaway.

References:

• Encyclopedia Britannica – Hawaii
• Encyclopedia Britannica – Bora Bora
• Distance From To – distance calculator

Flight Routes & Duration from Hawaii to Bora Bora

No direct flights – routes connect through Tahiti or Auckland

Unfortunately, there are no direct flights from any Hawaiian island to Bora Bora. To get to this South Pacific paradise from Hawaii, travelers must connect through either Tahiti or Auckland, New Zealand.

The vast majority of visitors fly into Bora Bora via Tahiti, which serves as the main international gateway to French Polynesia. Air Tahiti Nui and Hawaiian Airlines both offer daily service between Honolulu and Tahiti’s Faa’a International Airport.

The flights take about 8 hours, providing a one-stop routing to Bora Bora with a short layover in the Tahitian capital of Papeete.

Meanwhile, Air New Zealand runs multiple weekly flights between Honolulu and Auckland. From Auckland, Air Tahiti Nui operates direct service to Papeete up to five times per week. So travelers can also opt to connect through Auckland instead of Tahiti if preferred.

Total travel time around 9-12 hours with a layover

The total travel time from Hawaii to Bora Bora spans approximately 9-12 hours depending on your exact departure point, airline, and connection time:

As shown, the fastest and most common route is through Tahiti, with a brief layover before catching a quick 50-minute hop to Bora Bora. Those departing Hawaii’s Big Island face longer 10+ hour journeys, while connecting via Auckland tacks on 1-3 extra travel hours.

Quickest route is Honolulu to Papeete to Bora Bora

Clearly, the fastest way to get from Hawaii to Bora Bora is by routing through Tahiti on either Hawaiian Airlines or Air Tahiti Nui. This convenient itinerary involves catching a flight from Honolulu direct to Papeete, followed by a short island-hopper flight to Bora Bora.

Overall travel time comes in around 9-11 hours depending on layover duration.

Hawaiian Airlines flight HA446 departs Honolulu at 10 PM and arrives in Papeete at 5:45 AM the next morning. After a 1-3 hour layover, Air Tahiti Nui flight TN76 leaves Tahiti at 8:50 AM, landing in Bora Bora by 9:40 AM.

Tahiti Tourism Board reports this is the fastest way to reach Bora Bora from any Hawaiian island.

So while Hawaii and Bora Bora may be over 2,600 miles apart separated by the vast Pacific Ocean, the flight connecting these two Polynesian paradises isn’t overly long or complex. In around half a day’s time, travelers can easily journey from the Hawaiian Islands to the glittering blue lagoons and coral reefs of magical Bora Bora.

Map of Hawaii and Bora Bora in the Pacific Ocean

When looking at a map of the Pacific Ocean, you can see that Hawaii and Bora Bora are both located in the central and south Pacific, but they are still quite far apart. Hawaii is located in the northern hemisphere at 21°N, while the islands of Bora Bora are just north of 16°S latitude in the southern hemisphere.

That means there is over 37 degrees difference in latitude between these beautiful island destinations.

Distance Between Hawaii and Bora Bora

If you drew a straight line on the map connecting the Hawaiian Islands to Bora Bora, the distance is approximately 2,674 miles (4,306 km). For comparison, the distance between Los Angeles and New York City is only around 2,475 miles!

So there is an immense area of Pacific Ocean separating Hawaii from the picture-perfect Bora Bora.

Here is a comparison of the key distances:

Flight Duration from Hawaii to Bora Bora

Since Hawaii and Bora Bora are so incredibly far apart spanning the Pacific, it requires quite a journey to travel between the two island chains. There are no direct commercial flights from Hawaii to Bora Bora available.

Typically, to fly from Hawaii to Bora Bora, travelers must take at minimum two different flights with a layover in Tahiti. This route from Honolulu, Hawaii to Bora Bora, French Polynesia involves about 15-20 hours of total flight time. Some sample flight durations are:

• Honolulu to Papeete, Tahiti: approximately 8-10 hours
• Papeete to Bora Bora: less than 1 hour

As you can imagine, taking multiple long flights over literally thousands of miles of ocean to step foot on Bora Bora makes arriving feel like entering paradise!

Hawaii and Bora Bora Cruises

For travelers who want to fully experience the immense Pacific Ocean separating Hawaii’s islands from the remoteness of Bora Bora, ocean cruises are an amazing option. Cruises allow vacationers to enjoy gorgeous sunsets and sunrise views of the sea every day while sailing between the ports of Hawaii to French Polynesia.

Some incredible cruise itineraries offering Hawaii and Bora Bora routes are luxury lines like Crystal Cruises on the Crystal Symphony ship or Paul Gauguin Cruises Tahiti. From Honolulu, these cruises to Bora Bora can last between 10 to 28 relaxing days sailing across the South Pacific depending on specific trip details.

No matter how you traverse the 2,674 miles over ocean waves, visiting both Hawaii and Bora Bora in one trip is sure to be the adventure of a lifetime!

Island Hopping Itinerary to Travel from Hawaii to Bora Bora

Extend your vacation to French Polynesia with Tahiti, Moorea, and other islands

After exploring paradise in Hawaii, extend your South Pacific adventure by island hopping across French Polynesia. Many travelers simply focus on the main island of Tahiti and the iconic overwater bungalows of Bora Bora, but there is so much more to experience across this island chain.

The 118 islands and atolls of French Polynesia are scattered across over 2 million square kilometers of ocean, meaning there is an abundance of tropical paradise for visitors to uncover.

Build a multi-island itinerary to maximize your time. Spend a couple nights experiencing the lively island culture in Tahiti, along with rich history like the ancient Tahitian temples called marae. Then take the ferry to Moorea, allowing time to wander its lush interior and go snorkeling with diverse marine life like manta rays and sea turtles.

From there, small commuter planes jump between popular islands like Huahine, rich in ancient lore with its sacred blue-eyed eels, and Rangiroa, famous for drifting along coral gardens spotting dolphins and mantas in one of the world’s largest lagoons.

There are 78 magical islands to choose from across five main French Polynesian archipelagos. Tahiti Tourism Board is a helpful resource to explore the possibilities. Realize a dream vacation does not end with a visit to Bora Bora, it can begin there as just one stop on an epic fantasy island-hopping adventure.

Consider an open-jaw flight itinerary to maximize your South Pacific adventure

When crafting your travel plans between Hawaii and Bora Bora, you may want to consider an open jaw flight booking. This is when you fly into one destination and depart out of another. For the South Pacific, this would mean flying into Hawaii and then departing French Polynesia from Bora Bora. With an open jaw ticket, you travel between the two points at your own pace, opening up more opportunities for exploration.

For example, after touching down in Hawaii, you could spend time discovering Oahu, Maui and Kauai. Then grab an island-hopper flight from Honolulu to Tahiti before making your way through the French Polynesian archipelagos at your own pace.

Finally wrap up your adventure living out your island fantasies with overwater bungalow stays in luxurious Bora Bora and fly back to the U.S. from its tiny airport.

While regular round trip bookings remain convenient, open jaw tickets allow more freedom. You can take advantage of budget island hopper routes instead of potentially pricey direct point-to-point tickets between Hawaii and Bora Bora.

Island hoppers are much shorter flights, usually around 30 to 90 minutes between islands, operated by efficient local airlines.

Some key players to check when exploring flight options within French Polynesia are Air Tahiti and Air Tahiti Nui. Air Tahiti primarily covers inter-island routes across French Polynesia while Air Tahiti Nui runs international flights from Tahiti to Hawaii and beyond.

Consider open jaw tickets early in your travel planning between Hawaii and Bora Bora. While not always the cheapest option, the flexibility and adventures enabled along the way create life-long memories making the extra cost worthwhile for a once-in-a-lifetime South Pacific journey.

Conclusion

We hope this breakdown gives you a better sense of the distance and geography between Hawaii and the magical island of Bora Bora. While not a quick jaunt, the journey across the Pacific leads to one of the world’s most beautiful and tranquil destinations, making it more than worthwhile.

The crystal waters and swaying palms are waiting – start planning your Polynesian escape today!

Sharing is caring!