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Green volcanic mountains under a cloudy sky in the interior of Rarotonga

Sample journey · 9–10 days

Where the plane lands a few times a week: Atiu and Mangaia

Rarotonga on foot, caves and birds on Atiu, makatea cliffs and village life on Mangaia

Photo: Adele Erolsky / Unsplash

Illustrative journey ideas — not bookable packages. No prices, dates or accommodation are implied.

Most travellers to the Cook Islands see Rarotonga and the Aitutaki lagoon. This journey begins on Rarotonga but soon flies where there are almost no tourists. Atiu and Mangaia are old islands ringed by makatea, sharp raised coral limestone full of caves, with taro fields and villages in their interiors where everyone knows everyone. There are no resorts or large hotels here, just a few guesthouses and hosts glad to show you their island.

The journey is for couples and experienced travellers who enjoy a slow pace, walks with local guides and simplicity. The cave trails and the makatea call for sturdy shoes and a little nerve; the rest is a bicycle or scooter, empty coastlines and long evenings. With few flights to the islands and even fewer places to stay, we plan the route well ahead and fit it to that season's schedules.

The route

The journey

  1. Rarotonga
  2. The Cross-Island Track
  3. Atiu
  4. Rarotonga (connection)
  5. Mangaia
  6. Rarotonga
  1. A gravel track between coconut palms on Rarotonga, with cloud-wrapped mountains beyond

    01Days 1–3 · Rarotonga

    Across the island on foot

    Two nights on Rarotonga, usually by the calm Muri lagoon. After the long journey, an easy day: the round-island bus, which circles it in under an hour, and, if it's a Saturday, the Punanga Nui market in Avarua. The next morning, the Cross-Island Track: a walk of around three to four hours through rainforest to Te Rua Manga, the tall rock needle at the island's heart, and a steep descent over tangled roots to the south coast. The trail can be slippery and muddy, so it's worth walking with a local guide, who will talk about plants and the island's history along the way.

  2. A Pacific imperial pigeon among green leaves on Atiu

    02Days 3–6 · Atiu

    Caves, birds and coffee

    A flight of about three-quarters of an hour, then three nights on Atiu, a small island home to just a few hundred people. With a local guide, into Anatakitaki cave across the makatea: by torchlight in the dark you hear the kopeka birds clicking to find their way, just as bats do. The next day, a walk with a local naturalist through the island's forest, where, since predators were removed, rare birds live again, among them the brightly coloured kura lorikeet. Coffee is grown and roasted in the island's interior, and in the evenings people still sometimes gather at a tumunu, a traditional meeting where home brew, stories and songs are shared; guests join only with a host.

  3. 03Days 6–9 · Mangaia

    An island ringed by a wall of coral

    Flights between Atiu and Mangaia usually go via Rarotonga, so on day six we connect there and fly south. Three nights on Mangaia, one of the oldest islands in the Pacific: a high wall of makatea rings it, and inside, as if in a bowl, taro fields glow green. With a local guide, into the caves, some of them old refuges and burial places, entered only with the owners' permission and with respect. The next day, a walk up Rangimotia, the island's highest point, with a view over the whole island and reef, and in the evening Oneroa village, where women string pupu-shell necklaces. On Sunday morning it's worth going to church: the hymns here carry across the whole village.

  4. Sunset over calm, shallow water scattered with rocks by the beach at Tamarind House, Avarua, on Rarotonga

    04Days 9–10 · Back to Rarotonga

    A last evening by the lagoon

    A morning flight back to Rarotonga and a last night by the lagoon: a kayak on Muri lagoon, a swim between the motu and dinner at the night market or by the sea. The next day, a flight to Auckland or another hub and on home.

Experience highlights

  1. 01

    The Cross-Island Track

    Through rainforest to the Te Rua Manga needle at the heart of Rarotonga.

  2. 02

    Kopeka in the dark

    A cave on Atiu where birds find their way by clicking.

  3. 03

    Makatea and taro fields

    Mangaia's wall of coral and the green bowl inside it.

  4. 04

    Sunday hymns

    A village church full of voices, one of the islands' most vivid moments.

First, we listen. Then, we explore what's possible.

Make it your own

  • With Aitutaki

    After the quiet islands, a few days on the Aitutaki lagoon with its motu and shallows. The contrast is one of the finest parts of the journey.

  • Add Mauke or Mitiaro

    For even more quiet, the neighbouring islands of Mauke or Mitiaro, with their freshwater cave pools. Flights are even fewer, so this suits only flexible trips.

  • More slowly

    Four or five nights on each island let you settle into daily life: fishing with locals, work in the taro fields or learning to weave.

  • With New Zealand

    Since most flights to the Cook Islands go via Auckland, it's natural to combine the journey with a week or two in New Zealand.

Practical considerations

  • Flights to Atiu and Mangaia run only a few times a week on small planes, and schedules change with the season. We'd fit the route, the number of nights and the Rarotonga connections to that season's actual timetable.
  • There are very few places to stay on the islands, usually a handful of guesthouses or family homes, so we book them well ahead. Shops and cafés are small, and most close on Sundays.
  • Cave and makatea trails are sharp and uneven: you'll need sturdy closed shoes, a torch and good balance. The Cross-Island Track on Rarotonga is slippery and steep after rain.
  • The drier, cooler season is roughly May to October; from November to April it's hotter and more humid, with the possibility of cyclones.

General guidance only. Seasons, weather and wildlife are never guaranteed, and travel requirements are always worth checking before you go.

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