How to Book Tours in Tonga

Advice for Booking Tours in Tonga

Balancing the holiday budget is always a tricky business, especially as there are quite a few different options for booking tours. But with Tonga having quite a small tourism industry compared to other destinations you might have been to, first, you need to know how to book tours in Tonga (because, no, not all Tonga tour companies have a website) and second, you need to know what are the best booking methods for you. You’ll be able to work both of these out by checking the pro and con list of each Tonga tour booking method below!

For more tour talk, check out The Guide to Guided Tours in Tonga.

Quick Tips for Booking Tours in Tonga

You’re more likely to get a better deal by booking through travel agents and accommodations based in Tonga, rather than from overseas
Booking through a travel agent or your accommodation is the least stressful way to organise your trip – by far!
Can’t find WiFi for searching for tours online? Check out Where to Get WiFi in Tonga
Remember that many tour companies and activities in Tonga do not have a website, so search for phone numbers to book directly
See a cheaper price elsewhere? Contact tour companies directly and they will almost always match it!

See How to Get the Best Deals on Tours in Tonga for more tips like these.

Booking Tours with Online Travel Agents

If you’re reading this article on this delightful website, then chances are you are pretty comfortable with the online world and might even favour using online booking platforms, also known as online travel agents or “OTAs”. OTAs are websites used to compare and book tours, activities, flights and accommodation. However, as you’re about to find out throughout this article, Tonga is still catching up with the online world, meaning that many activity operators simply aren’t on online booking platforms.

Nevertheless, you can find a few sightseeing tours and the odd snorkelling and whale swimming experience on Viator and Tripadvisor.

The Pros of Booking Tours with Online Travel Agents

They are at your fingertips! As long as you are connected to the internet, you’ll find booking with an online booking website convenient
It’s often easier to compare activities and prices, by listing everything together and offering the ability to filter to your specific needs
Many of the booking websites are worldwide, so you can use the same website to book your next trip and the next…
Booking websites often have more relaxed cancellation policies, where activity and tour providers must offer a full refund or all cancellations up to 24 hours before in order to be listed on the website. For you, this gives you more flexibility
The reviews section of booking websites means that you get a more trustworthy representation of what the activity is like, compared to the positive reviews that activity providers will post on their own websites.

The Cons of Booking Tours with Online Travel Agents

Many OTAs charge extra fees for booking with them
Tour operators use these booking websites to fill up spaces on less popular tours, so you might only be able to book tours for the unpopular times of day, for instance
Some booking websites can be misleading saying there are only “two spaces left on this tour”. What that really means is that there are only two spaces left to book through that specific website
Most online booking websites are based overseas, which can have a negative economic impact on local businesses
Relying on booking websites while in Tonga might be a little costly when using roaming data. If you use your data on your phone a lot while in Tonga, consider getting a local sim card.

Booking Tours Directly with the Tour Company

Booking tours directly through your chosen tour company is often the best way to get the best price, making it an encouraging method of booking when possible. However, with many Tongan tour companies not having websites or being hard to find, there are some challenges when it comes to booking direct in Tonga.

If you struggle to find a website of your chosen tour company, the only way you can book directly with them is likely over the phone, through a travel agent or their Facebook Page.

The Pros of Booking Tours Directly

All the money you are paying for the tour goes directly to the company
It’s possible to get the cheapest deals by booking direct. By cutting out the middleman of travel agents, no commission needs to be paid therefore they don’t need to raise their prices in order to make a profit
If you find a cheaper deal elsewhere, the tour company will almost always match it or offer you a cheaper price
Booking direct makes you a more independent traveller, which means you’re more likely to stick to your budget than to be tempted by add-ons that travel agents might offer.

The Cons of Booking Tours Directly

It can be more time-consuming and stressful to book everything directly yourself. It’s up to you to do the price comparisons, contact the companies, and make sure everything is booked on the right date at the right time…
In many cases, tour companies have strict cancellation policies where you probably will not get a full refund if you have to cancel the trip.

Booking Tours Through Your Accommodation

Many accommodations in Tonga can organise and book tours for you. In fact, many accommodations offer a few in-house experiences. Your accommodation can be an easy way to book tours in Tonga as long as you don’t mind living more spontaneously.

The Pros of Booking Tours Through an Accommodation

It’s super convenient, as you only need to head to your accommodation’s reception to book a tour
Let the accommodation staff make the phone calls so you don’t have to pay the high phone network roaming charges
They will only offer you the activities that are easy to do from or nearby the accommodation, making for a smooth experience. For activities that are a bit further away, they will usually book transport or advise you on how to get there.

The Cons of Booking Tours Through an Accommodation

You will almost always be offered the activity at full price, not leaving much room to get a good deal
Booking tours through your accommodation is typically something you do once you’re staying at the accommodation, which can be a pain for those who like to plan ahead
Some accommodations will only offer you the activities that they have a vested interest in, whether it be an activity that they offer, because they make a commission, or it’s because it’s their friend that operates the tour.

Booking Tours Through Visitor Information Centres

The Ministry of Tourism in Tonga has visitor information centres in the main towns of each major island group: in Nuku’alofa in Tongatapu, Neiafu in Vava’u and Pangai in Ha’apai. They provide information on all tours that are registered in the tourism industry of Tonga, where staff at the information centre can provide information and book tours for you.

The Pros of Booking Tours Through the Visitor Information Centres

They can make bookings for almost all tour operators in the area
They likely have information on activity providers that are not advertised elsewhere
In theory, they should provide a fair representation of all possible tours available and are not supposed to only advertise companies that they have a vested interest in, being a government organisation…

The Cons of Booking Tours Through the Visitor Information Centres

They are only available in very few areas of Tonga
They are closed on Sundays.

Booking Tours Through Travel Agencies

Travel agencies are companies that specialise in planning and booking travel itineraries. There are travel agents overseas who organise travel to Tonga, while there are also some travel agents based in Tonga, such as Friends Cafe & Tourist Centre, Happy Kingdom Holidays, Jetsave Taufonua Travel, Jones Travel, Kingdom Travel Centre and more.

For advice for planning your trip to Tonga with an overseas travel agent, see the 10 Questions to Ask Your Travel Agent When Booking Your Holiday in Tonga

The Pros of Booking Tours Through a Travel Agent

They do the whole planning and booking for you
Travel agents have often experienced the tours and activities themselves so can advise from personal experience. Note, however, they will have done free trips, which is often slightly different from the paying customer experience
You only have to deal with one person, so if there are any changes or cancellations the travel agent can do it for you
Travel agents may be able to offer you good package deals
They can help you with some of the logistics of organising your trips, such as visas, transport and other things you might not have thought about.

The Cons of Booking Tours Through a Travel Agent

Booking through a travel agent may work out more expensive than other methods of booking tours, as tour prices may be pricier considering extra commission is given to the travel agent. There also may be a service fee for planning your trip
Using travel agents outside of Tonga means that money is going out of the Tonga economy
Travel agents can only offer you the select tours that they sell
They often cannot price-match on cheap tour deals
Overseas travel agents are known for charging high prices on tours to customers who don’t know any better until they arrive in Tonga, by which time it’s too late!

Laura S.

This article was reviewed and published by Laura, editor in chief and co-founder of Tonga Pocket Guide. Since arriving solo in the South Pacific over 10 years ago with nothing but a backpack and a background in journalism, her mission has been to show the world how easy (and awesome) it is to explore a paradise such as Tonga. She knows the islands inside-out and loves sharing tips on how best to experience Tonga’s must-dos and hidden gems. Laura is also editor of several other South Pacific travel guides.

Contact Laura via our contact page