Apia
Samoa’s harbour capital on the north coast of Upolu, with Robert Louis Stevenson’s house in the hills behind and a reef reserve a short swim from the seafront.
- Arrival
- Faleolo International · APW
- To the city
- Faleolo is 26 km west of Apia
- Private jets
- 3,000 m runway; airport of entry with jet fuel
- Best time
- May to October
The city
A harbour town on Upolu.
Apia curves around a harbour on the north coast of Upolu, with the Mulinu’u peninsula at its western end and green slopes rising behind. Aggie Grey opened her hotel on the waterfront in 1933; it served American servicemen in the war and still stands, renewed, on the same shore. Just east of the town, Taumeasina is a small island reached by a causeway.
Samoa is warm through the year, between about 24 and 30 °C. The wet season runs from November to April, with short, heavy storms; from May to October the air is drier, and this is when most visitors come.
- Vailima Robert Louis Stevenson’s house above the town, now a museum, with a path up Mount Vaea to his grave.
- Palolo Deep A marine reserve where the reef drops into a deep blue hole, a short swim from the shore.
- Mulinu’u The peninsula at the western end of the harbour, with the parliament and old monuments by the water.
Arriving
Faleolo, on the far side of Upolu.
Samoa’s international airport is Faleolo, 26 km west of Apia on the coast of Upolu, about three-quarters of an hour by road. Its asphalt runway is some 3,000 metres long.
- Nadi 1 h 55
- Papeete 3 h 25
- Auckland 4 h 05
- San Francisco 10 h 15 long-range jet
- Shanghai 11 h 30 long-range jet
When to go
May to October.
Days in Apia are humid and reach 29 to 30 °C, with the lagoon at about 28 °C. No month is dry: from November to April storms are frequent and heavy, and May to October is the drier season, which Samoa Tourism names as the time most visitors come.
- 30° J 419 29°
- 30° F 325 29°
- 30° M 332 29°
- 30° A 261 29°
- 30° M 205 29°
- 29° J 165 28°
- 29° J 133 28°
- 29° A 155 28°
- 29° S 180 28°
- 29° O 257 28°
- 30° N 270 29°
- 30° D 372 29°
Where to stay
On the harbour and on its own island.
Shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these hotels.
Where to dine
Where to book in town.
No MICHELIN Guide covers Samoa. These are the two most ambitious tables in Apia, listed by Fodor’s and among the best rated on Tripadvisor.
- Bistro Tatau Fodor’s Pacific fusion $$$ Beach Road at Fugalei Street, central Apia
- Paddles Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice 2026 Italian and seafood $$$ Beach Road, Matautu, on the marina
Flying to Apia?
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A Business or First Class seat on a scheduled airline, or an aircraft of your own. Tell us the date and how many are travelling, and we reply with one final price, our margin included.