Upolu Island Full-Day Tour from Apia with a Local Guide

Apia and Fugalei Market

Apia, on the north coast of Upolu, is Samoa's capital and only city, a relaxed harbour town where colonial churches stand beside government buildings and the old town clock. The tour begins with a drive past the parliament house, the courthouse and historic monuments, while your local guide explains how Samoa became the first Pacific island nation to gain independence in 1962 and how village chiefs still shape daily life.

Next comes Fugalei Market, the biggest food market in the country. Under its long roofs, families sell taro, breadfruit, bananas, coconuts, fresh fish and freshly made snacks, and it is the best place in Apia to see what Samoans really eat. Take your time to look and ask questions; a short walk here is the most authentic start to any Apia day tour.

Vailima mansion and museum

A short drive up the hill from Apia, Vailima is a large wooden colonial mansion set in tropical gardens at the foot of Mount Vaea. It was built in the 1890s as the residence of a famous Scottish writer who spent his last years in Samoa, and later served as the residence of colonial governors and then of Samoa's heads of state. Today it is restored as a museum with period rooms, wide verandas and polished timber floors.

On this tour you visit the house and hear how it reflects Samoa's colonial history. If you have time and energy, the steep forest trail behind the house climbs to a hilltop grave with views over Apia, but on this full-day route the visit focuses on the mansion and its gardens. It is one of the most popular places to see in Apia and a calm, shaded break before the waterfalls.

Papapapaitai and Sopoaga Falls

Upolu's volcanic interior is cut by deep gorges, and two of its finest waterfalls are on this route. Papapapaitai Falls, on the cross-island road, is the tallest on the island at about 95 metres, a slender white ribbon plunging into a gorge of dense rainforest. It is seen from a roadside lookout, so it is an easy and spectacular photo stop.

Sopoaga Falls, in the south-east, drops into a deep green chasm surrounded by gardens. Here the hosts show how Samoans make coconut cream, scraping fresh coconut and squeezing it by hand, and explain traditional cooking in the umu, the earth oven still used for Sunday meals. It is a hands-on, cultural stop and many guests say it is the moment they understood Samoan village life.

To Sua Ocean Trench

To Sua Ocean Trench, in Lotofaga village on Upolu's south coast, is Samoa's most famous landmark: a huge circular hole about 30 metres deep, formed by volcanic activity and filled with clear sea water that flows in through an underground lava tunnel. A long wooden ladder leads down to a platform where you can swim in the emerald pool, surrounded by fern-covered rock walls and tropical gardens.

Swimming is optional, so bring swimwear if you want to go down the ladder, and wear shoes with a good grip. If you are asking whether To Sua Ocean Trench is worth visiting, the answer from almost every traveller is yes; it is the highlight of a Samoa day tour. The entrance fee is included, and after the swim the tour stops for lunch on the white sands of the south coast.

Le Mafa Pass and Piula Cave Pool

After lunch the route heads north over Le Mafa Pass, a high road through the mountains that gives wide views down to Lalomauga village and the green valleys of eastern Upolu. Your guide stops so you can enjoy the view and the cooler air before the road descends to the north coast.

Close to the sea at Lufilufi, Piula Cave Pool is a natural freshwater spring that flows out of a lava cave below a historic Methodist college on the hill above. The water is cool, clear and blue, and confident swimmers can explore the cave entrance. It is the perfect way to rinse off the salt from To Sua. The last stop on the way back to Apia is the Baha'i House of Worship, a nine-sided domed temple surrounded by immaculate gardens.