5-Day Adult-Only Itinerary for Tonga
So you have five days in Tonga without kids or ideally without being around other people’s kids! We get it, nothing ruins a South Pacific escape quite like noisy resorts. Luckily, Tonga has jumped on the adult-only travel trend, with a few adult-only apartments in the capital, Nuku’alofa, as well as a couple of adult-only resorts in Vava’u. This Tonga adult-only itinerary for 5 days will take you to both destinations, showing you where to go, where to stay and what to experience.
Note that this itinerary is for a more active holiday. For a more laidback itinerary, take a look at How to Spend 5 Days on an Adult-Only Tonga Vacation TI058.
How to Get Around Tonga in 5 Days
As with any itinerary in the South Pacific, you’re going to be using both land and water as your highways. While we give transport tips in the itinerary below, here’s a quick overview of how to get around Tonga on an adult-only getaway.
Road Transport in Tonga
Tongatapu and Vava’u’s main islands have roads where taxis, accommodation transfers, guided tours and car rentals are available.
Overwater Transport in Tonga
By visiting two island groups, you’ll need to take some flights to get around Tonga. Flights between Tongatapu and Vava’u operate a couple of times a day except for Sundays. For getting to island resorts, resorts offer their own boat transfers, which need to be arranged before arrival.
Learn more about getting around these islands in the 10 Ways to Get to Tongatapu (& Around Tongatapu) and the 10 Ways to Get to Vava’u (& Around Vava’u).
(c) tongapocketguide.comDay 1 – Fua’amotu Airport to Nuku’alofa
Travel time: 30 minutes
Welcome to the Kingdom of Tonga! You will arrive in the “main island”, Tongatapu, where you’ll find the nation’s capital and where you will base yourself for the next day and a half. Nuku’alofa is home to the island’s only adult-only accommodations, with premium apartments and adult-only homestays to choose from.
Recover from your flight by grabbing a bite to eat in town, following the recommendations in our Guide to the Best Eats & Restaurants in Nuku’alofa. Depending on what time you land in Tonga and what time you have left in the day, you could start getting stuck into the activities that we recommend for an adult-only getaway.
Activities in Tongatapu for Adults
- Rent a car and do a road trip seeing the sights of Tongatapu…
- … Or take a private tour of Tongatapu’s sights
- Surf the reef breaks at Ha’atafu Beach
- Hire a private fishing charter for the morning
- Indulge in a relaxing island spa treatment at a Nuku’alofa spa
- Drink and be merry at the bars and nightclubs on Tongatapu
- Get a Tongan-inspired tattoo!
- Go on freediving excursion to ‘Eua Island
Get more details on each activity in our list of the 8 Adult-Only Activities on Tongatapu.
Adult-Only Accommodation in Nuku’alofa
- Villa Apartments Westside
- Villa Apartments Eastside
- Waterfront Lodge
- Puipuikihetoa Homestay
Check out the 5 Best Adult-Only Accommodation in Nuku’alofa for more information. Alternatively, see the private holiday homes in our 7 Best Holiday Homes on Tongatapu.
(c) tongapocketguide.comDay 2 – Nuku’alofa to Vava’u
Travel time: 1-hour flight
From Nuku’alofa, either your accommodation can arrange a shuttle or book you a taxi to Fua’amotu Airport where you’ll be jetting off to Vava’u! Vava’u is the second-most northern island group of around 61 islands compacted together to create a hub for watersports. More on that tomorrow!
After landing at Lupepauʻu Airport, you’ll be whisked away by road then over water to your adult-only resort (arrange this before your flight). Get settled into your fale (beach hut), indulge in a Tongan-inspired meal, sip on some sundowners and sink into “island time”.
Adult-Only Accommodation in Vava’u
- Mandala Resort
- Dream Island Resort
If these accommodations don’t suit, we recommend staying in one of the 5 Best Holiday Homes in Vava’u.
(c) tongapocketguide.comDay 3 – Vava’u
This is what Tonga is all about: adventure on the water. See why they call Vava’u the best sailing grounds in the South Pacific by hiring your own sailing charter for the day (sharing it with whomever you choose!), tackle giant GTs and blue marlin on an exciting fishing charter, or swim with amazing humpback whales between July and October. Otherwise, there are always reasons to keep your feet on dry land like relaxing with a rejuvenating yoga session, an island massage or simply in a hammock on the beach.
Activities in Vava’u for Adults
- Explore reefs, caves, wrecks and more in a scuba diving trip
- Swim with the giants of the sea, humpback whales
- Treat yourself to a private sailing charter…
- … then drink like a sailor at one of Neiafu’s buzzing bars
- Catch massive marlin and GTs on a game fishing charter
- Treat yourself to an island spa treatment
- Rejuvenate with a yoga session
- Harness the elements in Vava’u awesome kitesurfing grounds
- See the coral reefs in a unique way in an underwater sea scooter tour
- Shop for unique arts and crafts in Neiafu
See the full list at the 10 Adult-Only Activities in Vava’u.
(c) Pxhere.comDay 4 – Vava’u to Nuku’alofa
Travel time: 1-hour flight
Yes, with such a tight timeframe, it’s time to head back to the main island. Sure, you probably won’t want to leave your glorious adult-only resort a whole day before your flight out of Tonga, but we recommend you leave at least a day early. Flights in Vava’u are often cancelled and rescheduled, so a bit of contingency time to leave Vava’u is a smart way to go.
You’ll, again, need to arrange airport transfers to/from both ends of your flight, taking you back to Nuku’alofa. Head to one of Nuku’alofa’s bars and toast to an amazing five days in Tonga!
Adult-Only Accommodation in Tongatapu
And just in case you forget, here’s the adult-only accommodation in Nuku’alofa:
- Villa Apartments Westside
- Villa Apartments Eastside
- Waterfront Lodge
- Puipuikihetoa Homestay
Find more details in the 5 Best Adult-Only Accommodation on Tongatapu.
(c) tongapocketguide.comDay 5 – Nuku’alofa to Fua’amotu International Airport
Travel time: 30 minutes
It’s your final day in Tonga, but if you have been savvy enough to book an evening flight out of the country, then you will have time to do one of the adult-only recommendations listed in 8 Adult-Only Activities on Tongatapu.
Otherwise, grab a bite to eat in Nuku’alofa, pick up some unique souvenirs from the Langafonua Handicrafts Centre or Talamahu Market, and book a taxi to Fua’amotu Airport.
Nofo a (goodbye) from Tonga!
More Tonga Adult-Only Itineraries
- The Best Tonga Itineraries for 5 Days
- Tonga Adult-Only Itinerary: 14 Days
- Tonga Adult-Only Itinerary: 7 Days
That’s it for our Tonga adults-only itinerary: 5 days. Discover more exciting itineraries in the following compilations: The Best Tonga Itineraries for 2 Weeks, The Best Tonga Itineraries for 1 Week, The Best Tonga Itineraries for 5 Days and The Best Tonga Itineraries for a Weekend.
