Vanuatu travel guide

Getting there

Bauerfield International Airport in Port Vila is the main gateway, with some international flights also reaching Luganville on Espiritu Santo. Cruise ships regularly call at Port Vila and other islands, but there are no land borders.

Best time to visit: May–Oct – dry, cooler and sunny.

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

Tougher months: January to March – the hot, wet season is the peak of the cyclone period, with heavy rain and stifling humidity.

Weather by month in Port Vila

• 30°J●●●
• 30°F●●●
• 29°M●●●
• 28°A●●
• 27°M●
• 25°J●
• 25°J●
• 25°A●
• 26°S●
• 27°O●
• 28°N●●
• 29°D●●

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

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

Visas: in our passport dataset, 120 of 198 other passports can enter Vanuatu without arranging a visa first (visa-free or visa on arrival), 78 need an e-visa or electronic authorisation, and 0 need a visa in advance. Check your passport.

Background: Visa policy of Vanuatu (Wikipedia).

Official advisory: Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions (U.S. Department of State, updated 2025-05-22). Read the advisory.

Stay

Most trips to Vanuatu are based around Port Vila, Tanna or Espiritu Santo. Pick a base for your main interest, then add day trips rather than moving hotels every night.

Typical daily budget: about US$50–80 for a backpacker and US$130–220 mid-range, per person.

Connect

Plug types: I. Voltage: 220 V. Check your own devices on the plug and currency checker.

Calling code: +678.

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

Do

• Port Vila (Efate · capital & harbour): A relaxed harbourside capital with markets, cafés and easy access to waterfalls, beaches and islands.
• Tanna (Southern islands · volcano & culture): Home to Mount Yasur and strong traditional villages, it is the country's most thrilling adventure destination.
• Espiritu Santo (Northern islands · beaches & diving): The largest island, with blue holes, Champagne Beach and world-famous WWII wreck diving.
• Luganville (Espiritu Santo · WWII town): A laid-back town full of wartime history, including Million Dollar Point where military equipment was dumped at sea.
• Pentecost (Central islands · land diving): The only place to witness the naghol land-diving ritual, held during the yam harvest season.
• Ambrym (Central islands · volcanoes & sorcery): A wild island known for its twin volcanic craters, carved tam-tam drums and rich traditions.
• Malekula (Central islands · culture): A culturally diverse island with remote villages, traditional dances and trekking.
• Hideaway Island (Efate · marine reserve): A small island near Port Vila with excellent snorkelling and the famous underwater post office.

Things to do

• Peer into Mount Yasur. Stand on the rim of one of the world's most accessible active volcanoes on Tanna as it glows and roars after dark.
• Dive the SS President Coolidge. Explore one of the world's largest accessible shipwrecks, a WWII troopship lying off Espiritu Santo.
• Swim in a blue hole. Plunge into the impossibly clear, sapphire spring-fed pools of Espiritu Santo.
• Watch the land dive. See men leap from tall wooden towers with vines tied to their ankles in Pentecost's ancient naghol ceremony.
• Relax on Champagne Beach. Laze on powder-white sand beside water so clear it seems to sparkle.
• Snorkel at Hideaway Island. Swim among reef fish off Efate and post a waterproof postcard from the island's famous underwater post office.
• Visit a kastom village. Learn about traditional dance, sand drawing and customs on Tanna or Efate with local guides.
• Hike to Mele Cascades. Climb through a series of tiered turquoise waterfalls and pools just outside Port Vila.

Eat and drink

• Lap lap – grated root vegetables baked with coconut cream
• Coconut crab – island delicacy
• Kava – peppery root drink served at nakamals

Money and safety

Currency: Vanuatu vatu (VUV). Currency and plug checker.

Tipping: Not customary and sometimes not expected at all..

Emergency numbers: 111 police · 112 ambulance · 113 fire.

• The currency is the vatu; ATMs are found in Port Vila and Luganville, but are rare or absent on outer islands.
• Cards are accepted in larger hotels and restaurants in towns, but carry cash for markets, minibuses and remote areas.
• Volcano visits should always be with a local guide, and you should follow their instructions about how close to go.
• Check cyclone forecasts during the wet season and follow local advice if a storm approaches.