Bora Bora · French Polynesia
September
Dry season tail — still outstanding conditions, European summer crowds thinning, and late humpback season.
Best match
#3 of 12 months
September is one of the best times to visit Bora Bora.
Climate
High
27°C
Low
20°C
Rain
60mm
Sun
8.5hrs/day
30-year climate normals · Open Meteo ERA5
How September scores in Bora Bora
Weather
Outstanding
Value
Above average
Crowds
Above average
Events
Good
Atmosphere
Outstanding
What you gain in September
- ↑September is the final month of the dry season and retains near-peak conditions: 8.5 hours of sunshine, 60mm of rain, and the trade winds present; the lagoon remains in full turquoise and the humpback whales are still present in declining numbers before their October departure southward
- ↑The post-August crowd reduction creates a noticeably quieter resort atmosphere from mid-September: the most photogenic resort areas (pool decks, overwater jetties) feel less occupied, and the guided lagoon tours are smaller groups; the September sweet spot between weather quality and crowd density is excellent
- ↑Sea temperatures in September (28°C) are at their warmest for the year — water that has been accumulating solar heat through the dry season provides the most comfortable snorkelling conditions of the entire calendar
What you sacrifice
- ↓Prices remain in the high-season bracket through September — the difference from August is marginal; October is where meaningful price reductions begin
- ↓Late-season humpback encounters are less reliable as the whale population prepares to depart southward; September visits should treat humpback encounters as a possible bonus rather than a core itinerary item
- ↓The transition to the wet season can begin in late September in some years — brief tropical showers reappear in the final 10 days of September, and the trade wind consistency reduces
How September compares to May (best month)
| Factor | September | May ★ |
|---|---|---|
| Weather | 9 | 8 |
| Value | 5 | 7 |
| Crowds | 5 | 6 |
September in other destinations
Lisbon (24.6°C)Barcelona (25.5°C)Tokyo (28.1°C)Bali (30.4°C)Santorini (24.1°C)Paris (21.6°C)New York (23.9°C)Marrakech (31.6°C)Amsterdam (18.8°C)Maldives (30.2°C)Rome (26.5°C)Bangkok (31°C)Istanbul (24.2°C)Vienna (22.1°C)Seoul (25.1°C)Dubrovnik (24.9°C)Rio de Janeiro (27.3°C)Kyoto (28.6°C)Phuket (31°C)Cape Town (19°C)Prague (21°C)Amalfi Coast (27°C)Mexico City (22°C)Medellín (28°C)Fiji (27°C)London (20°C)Sydney (20°C)Iceland (10°C)Tulum (32°C)Dubai (39°C)Singapore (32°C)Hoi An (31°C)Chiang Mai (31°C)Miami (32.8°C)Florence (26.3°C)Queenstown (12.5°C)Madrid (28.7°C)Porto (25°C)Edinburgh (16°C)Copenhagen (18°C)Budapest (23°C)Kraków (19°C)Tbilisi (26°C)Palawan (30°C)Hanoi (31°C)Osaka (29°C)Goa (30°C)Cusco (20°C)Buenos Aires (18°C)Mykonos (27°C)Zanzibar (27°C)Sri Lanka (30°C)Costa Rica (24°C)Cancun (31°C)Krabi (31°C)Athens (29°C)Seville (31°C)Cartagena (31°C)Siem Reap (31°C)Havana (31°C)Split (26°C)Taipei (31°C)Kuala Lumpur (32°C)Valletta (29°C)Ho Chi Minh City (32°C)Hawaii (31°C)Cappadocia (27°C)Dominican Republic (31°C)Jamaica (32°C)Tanzania (25°C)Seychelles (27°C)Nepal (26°C)Jordan (32°C)Azores (25°C)Los Angeles (28.1°C)Cairo (35.9°C)Kenya (25.3°C)Jaipur (32.1°C)Las Vegas (36.2°C)San Francisco (20.8°C)Madeira (26.5°C)Vancouver (19.2°C)Muscat (38.1°C)Lima (17.8°C)Cinque Terre (25°C)Kotor (27°C)Tel Aviv (30°C)Santiago (18°C)Bogotá (18°C)Bruges (19.2°C)Penang (31.8°C)Lombok (31°C)Cape Verde (29.2°C)Fez (32.8°C)Kerala (30°C)Kigali (27°C)Hong Kong (29°C)Oslo (18°C)Auckland (16°C)
Climate data: 30-year normals (1991–2020) from Open Meteo ERA5 reanalysis. Scores compare months within Bora Bora, not across destinations. Methodology →