Samoa holidays 2024 & 2025

In Samoa, you’ll find white-sand beaches, turquoise lagoons, untouched forest, and a rich Polynesian culture embodied in a laid-back lifestyle. It’s the kind of place where you’ll be stuck with the difficult decision of whether to swim in your hotel pool, laze on the beach, or opt for a silver-screen-style swimming hole in the thick of the jungle.

The beaches are largely deserted, the roads are quiet, and the pace of life is slow and sleepy. You can visit local villages to learn about the islands’ rich Polynesian culture and history, explore lava fields and volcanic cones, hike through the jungle, or see Robert Louis Stevenson’s former home and grave.

In Samoa, you can stay in boutique hotels, treehouse suites, and traditional thatched fales. Samoa doesn’t have any large, international resorts — the accommodation options here are simpler, more intimate, and generally have more local character, as well as sweeping views over tranquil lagoons and the option to kayak, snorkel, swim, or dive directly from your room.

For example, you could stay at secluded small resort on a white-sand beach, an intimate hideaway on a cove ideal for kayaking, snorkelling, and surfing, or in an overwater bungalow on a mirror-like lagoon. For some more ideas, browse our collection of places to stay in Samoa.

Of Samoa’s nine islands, only four are inhabited, and most visitors head to the larger islands of Savai'i and Upolu. Most visitors arrive in the capital, Apia, on Upolu, and it’s worth spending a few nights here to explore. You could take a guided tour of Apia to see Robert Louis Stevenson’s home, the craft and produce markets, and to learn about Samoan chiefs. Then retreat to the south coast beaches to swim and snorkel in the reef-protected shallows or plunge into saltwater swimming holes fringed by emerald jungle.

Savai’i is larger and less populated than Upolo and has a wilder landscape that pitches pristine tracts of rainforest against eerily dramatic volcanic scenes. Among the lush foliage you’ll find hidden waterfalls, volcanic craters, and lava cones and tubes. The beaches here are not reef-protected and can be better for surfing.

The best way to get around Samoa’s larger islands is by car. You can rent a car on Upolu or Savai’i and enjoy the freedom to travel when and where you wish. The ferry between the two islands takes about an hour, or you could join a boat trip or cruise to discover hidden beaches and quiet coves.

It takes around 30 hours to fly from the UK to Samoa, via Auckland.

UK citizens don’t need a visa for Samoa. A 60-day visitor permit is granted on arrival. Citizens of other countries should check their visa requirements.

Speak to your doctor about vaccine advice for Samoa, and also ensure you’re up to date with the recommended vaccinations at home. You can also check the suggested vaccinations on the Travel Health Pro website.

Check that your passport is valid for at least six months from the date of your arrival in Samoa.