Muri
LagoonThe best lagoon, with the night market.
Cook Islands city guide
Rarotonga Travel Guide
Rarotonga is the Cook Islands' main island: a jagged green peak wrapped in a lagoon, with one 32 km road around the edge and two buses, one clockwise and one anticlockwise. Snorkel at Muri, hike over the middle past the Needle and spend Saturday morning at the market in Avarua.
32 km
Ring road around the island
2
Buses, clockwise and anticlockwise
About NZ$5
A bus ride
Rarotonga at a glance
Rarotonga is the largest and most populated of the Cook Islands, and where every international flight lands. It's a young volcanic island with a steep, forested interior and a lagoon around most of its edge.
The 32 km ring road loops the coast, linking villages, beaches, guesthouses and resorts. You can drive around it in under an hour.
Avarua, on the north coast, is the capital: a small town with a harbour, shops, cafés and the Punanga Nui market. Muri, on the south-east coast, has the island's best lagoon, with motu (islets) offshore and the main cluster of places to stay and eat.
The island is relaxed and easy to travel. English is universal, the currency is the New Zealand dollar, and the two buses are the whole public transport system.
Most travellers spend four or five days here, with two or three on Aitutaki.
Where to stay on Rarotonga
Stay at Muri for the lagoon and night market, Avarua for town and the Saturday market, or the west coast for sunsets.
Avarua
Town and marketThe capital, with the Saturday market.
Titikaveka and Aroa
SnorkellingSouth coast beaches and the marine reserve.
Arorangi
SunsetsWest coast village with sunset views.
Map data from OpenStreetMap contributors.
Things to do
Muri lagoon, the Needle and the market
Snorkel or kayak at Muri lagoon, the best on the island, and paddle out to the motu. Muri is also the kitesurfing centre.
Snorkel at the Aroa marine reserve on the south-west coast, one of the island's best spots for fish straight from the beach.
Hike the cross-island track over the middle of the island, past Te Rua Manga, the rock needle, down to Wigmore's waterfall on the south coast. It takes three to four hours, and it's steep and muddy, so don't go alone after heavy rain.
Spend Saturday morning at the Punanga Nui market in Avarua, with produce, cooked food, coffee and crafts.
Go to an island night, with a buffet dinner, drumming and dance, several evenings a week at venues around the island.
Go to church on Sunday morning. The singing at a Cook Islands Christian Church (CICC) service is worth getting up for.
Ride the bus all the way around the island.
Free things
Rarotonga for free (or nearly)
The beaches and lagoon are free, and snorkelling from the shore is free.
The cross-island track is free.
The Punanga Nui market is free to browse.
Sunday church services are free to attend; dress modestly.
Food and drink
Ika mata, markets and the night market
Ika mata, raw fish in lime and coconut cream, is the national dish.
The Punanga Nui market on Saturday morning is the best cheap eating on the island.
The Muri night market has food stalls around shared seating several evenings a week, and is the standard cheap dinner.
Most accommodation has kitchens, and self-catering from the supermarket saves a lot, since almost everything is imported. Restaurant mains are NZ$25 to NZ$40, and a beer NZ$8 to NZ$12.
Nightlife
Weekend bars and island nights
On Friday and Saturday nights, the island seems to end up in the same two or three bars around Avarua and Muri.
Island nights are the organised version: dinner, drumming and dance, worth doing once.
Sunday is church morning and quiet.
Getting around
Getting to and around Rarotonga
Rarotonga International Airport is just west of Avarua, with flights from New Zealand, Australia and some other Pacific islands. Many places to stay offer transfers.
Two buses run around the ring road, one clockwise and one anticlockwise, roughly hourly, for about NZ$5 a ride. A day pass is better value.
Scooters are the local choice. You need a Cook Islands licence, from the police station in Avarua for a small fee. Wear a helmet.
Bikes are a good option too: the ring road is flat.
Air Rarotonga flies to Aitutaki several times a day, taking 45 minutes.
Costs
What Rarotonga costs
Rarotonga is not cheap. Hostelworld has no listings right now, so budget travellers stay in backpacker lodges and self-catering units from about NZ$40 to NZ$90.
The Saturday market, the Muri night market and self-catering keep food costs down.
The bus at about NZ$5 a ride is the cheapest way around.
Allow around NZ$90 to NZ$160 a day without flights.
Safety
Staying safe on Rarotonga
Rarotonga is very safe, with minimal crime. Lock your room, as petty theft from unlocked accommodation is about the extent of it.
Scooter accidents are the most common injury for visitors. The ring road is narrow and locals drive fast. Wear a helmet.
Stay inside the lagoon: reef passages have strong outgoing currents. Wear reef shoes for coral.
Don't do the cross-island track alone or after heavy rain.
In an emergency, call 998. Serious medical cases are evacuated to New Zealand.
Day trips on Rarotonga
Rarotonga's day trips are around and over the island, or a flight to Aitutaki.
Cross-island track
Over the middle of the island, past Te Rua Manga.
Round the island
The full 32 km ring road.
Aitutaki
The famous lagoon. Covered in the Aitutaki hub.
What's on
What's on on Rarotonga
Te Maeva Nui in August is the biggest week of the year.
Late July and August
Te Maeva Nui
Avarua
A week of dance and song competition between islands.
Every Saturday
Punanga Nui market
Avarua
Produce, cooked food, coffee and crafts.
Several evenings weekly
Island nights
Around the island
Buffet dinners with drumming and dance.
October
Gospel Day
Churches
Nuku performances marking the missionaries' arrival.
When to go to Rarotonga
Rarotonga is warm all year, with highs from 25°C to 29°C. April to November is the dry season, and June to September the best of it. December to March is wetter, with cyclone risk.
Jan
Hot and wet; cyclone season
Feb
Wettest
Mar
Wet and humid
Apr
Drying out
May
Dry season
Jun
Cool, dry and clear
Jul
Peak season
Aug
Te Maeva Nui
Sep
Easing off
Oct
Gospel Day
Nov
Cyclone season begins
Dec
Hot, wet and busy at Christmas
Bar height is temperature. Colour is how busy it gets:
quiet
busy
peak
Average daily highs from weather2travel's Avarua climate data. Crowd levels are our rough guide.
How much does Rarotonga cost per day?
Pick a style and a number of nights for a rough total. Per day, for one person, in New Zealand dollars.
Estimates, based on backpacker lodges and self-catering units. Flights to Aitutaki sit outside these figures.
—
- Beds—
- Food and drink—
- Getting around—
- Doing things—
Rarotonga FAQs
Prices and timetables change. Check before you travel.
How do I get around Rarotonga?
By the two buses, one clockwise and one anticlockwise, roughly hourly for about NZ$5, or by scooter or bike.
Do I need a licence to ride a scooter on Rarotonga?
Yes, a Cook Islands licence from the police station in Avarua, for a small fee.
Where is the best snorkelling on Rarotonga?
Muri lagoon and the Aroa marine reserve.
When is the Punanga Nui market?
Saturday mornings, in Avarua.
Are there hostels on Rarotonga?
Not on Hostelworld right now. Backpacker lodges and self-catering units are the budget option.
Also trending this week
Say yes to hostels, meet the world
Compare Rarotonga hostels: live prices, real reviews and free cancellation on most bookings. Then meet the people already there in the app.
Get the App.