Click HERE for a map of the Cook Islands

All our itineraries are tailor-made to your exact requirements, but if you would like some ideas for itineraries and guide prices, please click HERE

Spread over a huge area equal to twenty-five percent of the USA, the fifteen islands that make up the Cook Island Nation offer everything you expect from your South Pacific paradise; soft white sand beaches, warm turquoise waters, palm trees and the friendliest of people, just some of them are hundreds of miles apart!

Although the Polynesians were the first to settle in the islands in 1500BC, they were conquered two centuries later by a joint force from the islands of Tahiti and Samoa. Captain Cook first sighted the Manuae atoll in 1773 and returned again in 1777 to discover the islands of Palmerston, Takutea, Mangaia and Atiu. Aitutaki and Rarotonga were both sailed past by Captain Bligh in 1789, the year of the Mutiny on The Bounty, but they didn't land, and they didn't know where they were!  The discovery of Rarotonga is officially credited to Captain Goodenough in 1814, but there is also evidence that the Rev John Williams made the listed discovery, adding the island names to the world maps, on 25th July, 1823.

Today, the Cook Islanders are very proud of their Polynesian culture and invite guests to learn and share their lives, stories and their history, with guided walks, walking tours, cave exploration, 4x4 safaris, historical tours and visiting the Te Vara Nui Cultural Centre.  You can also play golf (9 hole and mini golf), take quad bike and buggy tours, snorkelling, fishing and sailing excursions, cruise the lagoons, learn to kite surf, stand up paddle board or wind surf, or try some of the best scuba diving spots in the Pacific.

Conservation and Sustainability is important to all islands in the Pacific and the Cook Islands are no exception. Water is always a concern on any island, and fresh water is always in short supply, so use carefully and sparingly.  Take a reusable water bottle with you and refill it rather than buy plastic bottled water.  Power is also a consideration, with very few islands actually having a power station, most power is supplied by diesel generators. At present, 10 of the 12 inhabited islands in the Cooks are now Fossil Fuel Free and utilise Solar power for everything, with just the 2 largest islands of Aitutaki and Rarotonga to be completed, hopefully by 2021.  Generators would only be used if there was a long period of bad weather.  Much of the islands' waste is recycled, including glass, which is crushed back into sand to use in building work, paper, cardboard and food waste is composted, and most single use plastics and all polystyrene have now being banned.  Electric vehicles are being used where possible, and the Cook Islands Government have created a 1.9 million square kilometre marine sanctuary, with a 200 mile radius around the islands, where only a few small areas are permitted for commercial fishing and mineral extraction.

For more information on the Cook Islands, there are many websites you could visit, but a good one in the UK is cookislands.org.uk or  The Cook Islands Tourism website, both very informative and lots of great photos and videos, too.

Essential Information

The currency of the Cook Islands is the New Zealand dollar, supplemented by notes and coinage minted for local use. Their stamps are also popular with collectors all over the world.  There are no traffic lights, no snakes or poisonous insects, no buildings taller than the palm trees and only 2 bus routes; clockwise or anti-clockwise around Rarotonga!  You can hire bicycles, motor scooters or a car, and it only takes 45 minutes to drive right round the island.

The drier, cooler season runs from July to November (winter), the warmer, more humid season runs from December to June (summer), but there is not a huge difference all year round.  The average temperatures vary between 25-28℃ with the night time being between 19-22℃.  Aitutaki maybe a few degrees higher due to its location.  There are longer days and quick tropical showers in summer, and lower humidity and drier days in winter but this is also their peak season.  Water temperature is generally around 28℃ all year round, and between June-October, there is a chance of seeing humpback, sperm and beaked whales on their migration.  Humpback may also be giving birth in the local waters, so you could see the new babies, too.

Cruises around the Cook Islands

Currently, there are no locally based cruise companies offering cruse itineraries around the Cook Islands.  There are a few major cruise companies operating the large luxury liners, who offer itineraries across and around the Pacific that will visit some of these islands, but they are not frequent or on a regular basis.

Please note: We are constantly updating the prices shown on this website, but due to volatility of the currency exchange markets at the moment with the UK Sterling rate, prices may vary from those shown.  If you wish to confirm any prices shown here, please contact us directly.

There's no British representation on the Cook Islands.  You should contact the New Zealand High Commission if you need consular assistance on the Cook Islands.  Click HERE to see further information via the UK Foreign Office's New Zealand information pages.