American Samoa travel guide

Getting there

Pago Pago International Airport on Tutuila has flights from Honolulu and short hops from Apia in neighbouring Samoa; a ferry also links Apia and Pago Pago.

Best time to visit: May–Oct – drier and slightly cooler season.

Flights: see the cheapest month to fly to Pago Pago, with live one-way and return fares from your nearest airport.

Tougher months: December to March – the wettest, most humid months, with a risk of tropical cyclones.

Weather by month in Pago Pago

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Average daytime highs in °C; dots show how rainy the month is (one dot dry, three dots wet).

Time zone: Pacific/Pago_Pago. Compare with your local time.

Background: Visa policy of American Samoa (Wikipedia).

Stay

Most trips to American Samoa are based around Pago Pago, National Park of American Samoa or Ofu & Olosega. Pick a base for your main interest, then add day trips rather than moving hotels every night.

Typical daily budget: about US$60–90 for a backpacker and US$130–220 mid-range, per person.

Connect

Plug types: A, B. Voltage: 120 V. Check your own devices on the plug and currency checker.

Calling code: +1684.

Mobile data: set up a travel eSIM or check your roaming plan before you fly, so data works as soon as you land.

Do

• Pago Pago (Tutuila · harbour town): The territory's hub sits on a dramatic fjord-like harbour ringed by steep rainforest and Rainmaker Mountain.
• National Park of American Samoa (Tutuila, Ofu & Ta'u · national park): Rainforest, sea cliffs and coral reefs across three islands, with land partly leased from villages so local life continues inside the park.
• Ofu & Olosega (Manu'a Islands · beaches & reef): Twin islands linked by a bridge, with an almost empty white-sand beach and outstanding snorkelling.
• Ta'u (Manu'a Islands · cliffs & culture): The ancestral heart of Samoan tradition, with some of the highest sea cliffs in the Pacific and very few visitors.
• Fagatele Bay (Tutuila · marine sanctuary): A sheltered crater bay protecting corals, turtles and seasonal whale visitors.
• Aunu'u Island (Off eastern Tutuila · village island): A peaceful volcanic islet with a crater lake and traditional village life, reached by a short boat hop.

Things to do

• Hike Mount Alava. Climb the ridge trail above Pago Pago for sweeping views over the harbour and the jagged green spine of Tutuila.
• Snorkel Ofu Beach. Drift over some of the healthiest coral gardens in the Pacific, framed by sheer mountains plunging into a turquoise lagoon.
• Join a Sunday service. Dress modestly and let the soaring a cappella harmonies of a village church choir give you goosebumps.
• Taste an umu feast. Share taro, breadfruit, palusami and fish slow-cooked on hot stones in a traditional earth oven.
• Watch fautasi longboat racing. Cheer on village crews powering huge longboats across Pago Pago Harbor during Flag Day celebrations.
• Explore Fagatele Bay. Walk down to a collapsed volcanic crater that now shelters a protected marine sanctuary full of reef life.
• Cross to Aunu'u Island. Take a short boat ride to a tiny car-free island of crater lakes, taro swamps and quiet village paths.
• Stay in a village homestay. Sleep in or beside a family home and learn the rhythms and etiquette of fa'a Samoa first-hand.

Eat and drink

• Palusami – taro leaves baked in coconut cream
• Oka – raw fish in lime and coconut milk
• Umu – food cooked in an earth oven
• Panikeke – sweet fried dough balls

Money and safety

Currency: US dollar (USD). Currency and plug checker.

Tipping: Not expected but appreciated.

Emergency numbers: 911 police, fire & ambulance.

• The US dollar is the currency, and ATMs are found in the main Tutuila towns but not reliably on the outer islands.
• Cards are accepted at larger businesses, but carry cash for buses, small shops, market stalls and Manu'a.
• Crime against visitors is low, but use common sense with valuables and avoid walking alone late at night.
• Respect evening prayer curfew (sa) in villages – stop walking or driving slowly and stay quiet while it is observed.