YPT Tours to Pitcairn Island

On our Pitcairn tour, you’ll have the chance to visit the only inhabited in the Pitcairn Islands group, which has the distinction of being the most remote British Overseas Territory. Its isolation is notable, as it is situated about 3,300 miles (5,300 kilometers) from the nearest continental landmass (South America) and approximately 1,200 miles (2,000 kilometers) from its nearest inhabited neighbor, Mangareva in French Polynesia. This remoteness contributes to its unique culture and history, particularly as it is home to the descendants of the mutineers from the HMS Bounty.

Embark on an extraordinary journey with YPT as we take you on a captivating Pitcairn tour, traversing the breathtaking beaches of French Polynesia to one of the Pacific’s most remote and intriguing settlements – Pitcairn Island – and back! Unlike other Pitcairn tours that offer solo travel to Pitcairn without planned activities, YPT offers meticulously crafted itineraries filled with exciting experiences and the, all under the guidance of our knowledgeable YPT experts and local guides.

Our Pitcairn tours begin in Mangareva, where you will board a cargo-passenger ship for a 32-hour cruise to the secluded Pitcairn Islands. Upon arrival, immerse yourself in the unique local culture and history, learning about the descendants of the HMS Bounty mutineers. Over the following days, you’ll enjoy guided tours of Adamstown, scenic hikes, and opportunities to connect with the welcoming community through traditional fishing experiences and local cuisine. Our Pitcairn tours culminate in a farewell lunch at the town square, where you can browse for unique souvenirs before returning to the ship.

YPTs unforgettable Pitcairn tours perfectly complements our 2025/2026 winter edition of our popular Least Visited Countries Tour and our other global adventures!

Group Tours to Pitcairn Island

YPT’s Pitcairn tours are offered as part of our comprehensive itinerary, seamlessly integrated into our Least Visited Countries Tour, which runs twice a year in summer and winter.

Pitcairn Tour – January 5th – January 12th, 2027 – $6,695

Independent Tours to Pitcairn Island

Young Pioneer Tours is premier provider for unforgettable Pitcairn tours. With our local team, accommodations, and knowledgeable guides, we offer tailored itineraries and activities that allow you to explore Pitcairn’s hidden treasures.

We specialize in creating independent and bespoke travel packages to Pitcairn, customized to suit your desires. Whether you seek a standalone adventure or wish to include Pitcairn in a broader Pacific or Least Visited Countries itinerary, we ensure an extraordinary travel experience.

Example of a Pitcairn Island Itinerary (8 days)

Day 1 – Arrive in Mangareva

• Arrive at Totegegie Airport located on one of Mangereva’s reefs.
• We will collect our luggage and take the 40 minute ferry to Rikitea, the main village and administrative capital of Mangareva, the largest and central island of the Gambier Islands in French Polynesia. Here, a French Polynesian Gendarmerie will give exit stamps for passengers heading to Pitcairn.
• Upon arrival in Rikitea, a crew member will assist with loading your luggage on to the ship and escort you to your cabin. After a brief safety walkthrough with the chief officer, we will depart in the late afternoon as the ship sets sail for Pitcairn. Our cargo passenger vessel, which supplies the island with essential goods, will be our home for the next 32 hours, spanning two nights and one full day at sea, as we cover approximately 480 km to one of the UK’s most remote dependencies, the Pitcairn Islands.
• Overnight aboard our ship.

Day 2 – At Sea

• Breakfast is served from 7:30am in the dining room. Afterward, we will explore the ship with access to the top deck, weather permitting. While spotting whales or large marine life is unlikely, we can relish the ocean breeze and the breathtaking views of this remote corner of the Pacific.
• Lunch will be served at 11:30am, followed by free time to relax, play card games, share travel stories, watch one of the many film adaptations of the Mutiny on the Bounty, or catch up on some well-earned rest.
• Dinner will be served at 5:30pm, followed by evening drinks, lively conversation, and time to unwind together as the ship continues its crossing.
• Overnight aboard our ship.

Day 3 – Arrival in Pitcairn & ATV Adventure

• We will start our day with breakfast on the boat before heading to the top deck to capture stunning photos as we approach and anchor off Pitcairn, the only inhabited island among the four volcanic islands of the Pitcairn group. With around 50 residents, Pitcairn’s close-knit community is made up of the descendants of the infamous mutineers of the HMS Bounty and their Polynesian companions who arrived in 1790.
• Around 8am, we will board longboats and transfer to Bounty Bay, arriving ashore around 9am After clearing customs, we will be warmly welcomed by our homestay hosts, who will escort us to their homes, where you will settle in and get to know your hosts over a welcoming cup of tea or coffee. This is also a great time to discuss any dietary preferences, as your hosts will be providing most of your meals during your stay.
• After settling in, we will regroup and kick off our Pitcairn adventure by visiting the Pamai Centre, the island’s central hub and home to the general store, post office, government treasury and museum. Funded by the EU and built in 2020, it serves as the main commercial and administrative spot, crucial for island life, though the store’s hours are very limited, receiving supplies only by ship.
• We will also visit the Pitcairn Island Museum before leaving the Pamai Centre. Opened in 2005, the museum showcases fascinating artifacts from the island’s original settlers, along with remains from the HMS Bounty, which was deliberately set ablaze and sunk in 1790 to avoid detection by the Royal Navy and prevent escape from the island.
• After our tour, we will head back to our homestays for a delicious lunch, featuring a variety of quality whole foods, fruit, coffee, tea, and juice.
• After lunch, we will regroup and set off on a full island tour by ATV, led by our local hosts. ATVs are the ride of choice for Pitkerners and the ideal way to navigate the island’s steep terrain, rugged tracks, and remote viewpoints while reaching areas few visitors ever see. We’ll begin by visiting the ship’s landing point before continuing on to St Paul’s Pool. Weather permitting, there will be an opportunity to swim in this natural tidal pool framed by volcanic rock. We then head onward to Evans Lookout, where you can look down over ancient petroglyphs and take in sweeping views of St Paul’s from afar.
• The route continues past the island’s sports field, picnic area at the Big Mango, recycling centre, and radio station before reaching Pitcairn’s highest point. From here, we cross the ridge and descend toward the Western Harbour, offering dramatic coastal perspectives along the way. On the return journey, we’ll walk across Gannets Ridge before heading back toward Adamstown.
• Back near town, we’ll stop to visit the island’s famous tortoise, where you may have the chance to feed her if she’s feeling cooperative. We then continue to the grave of John Adams, the Pitcairn cemetery, and the island’s edge overlooking Arcadia Anchorage and Bicentennial Park, with panoramic views across Bounty Bay. The tour concludes back at our accommodation, where refreshments will be served after an unforgettable introduction to Pitcairn’s landscapes, history, and daily life.
• Wrap up the day with dinner, drinks, and a comfortable overnight at your homestay, where you can unwind and reflect on the start of your Pitcairn adventure.

Day 4 – Exploring Pitcairn’s Industries & Whale’s Tooth Tavern

• Today will be dedicated to discovering Pitcairn’s small businesses and cottage industries, offering a closer look at the island’s local production and entrepreneurial life. After breakfast with your hosts, step into one of Pitcairn’s most unique cottage industries on the Christian Group Honey Production Tour. Visit a local beekeeper’s hives and discover how Pitcairn has maintained one of the world’s rare populations of disease-free bees. If timing allows, watch the honey extraction process in action, then enjoy the unforgettable experience of tasting raw honey straight from the comb, a true highlight for many visitors. The visit includes light refreshments and a complimentary 250g jar of Pitcairn honey, valued at $20, to take home as a sweet souvenir of the island.
• Following a delicious home-cooked lunch with our hosts, enjoy an in-depth visit to Pitcairn’s coffee plantations and working coffee farm, where you’ll learn how coffee is grown, nurtured, and processed on one of the world’s most remote islands. Explore the coffee nursery and processing facilities, and, if she happens to be working in the fields, catch a glimpse of the legendary Mrs T among the plantations. The tour also includes a brief stop at the island’s bee hives and a look inside the apiary processing plant, highlighting the close relationship between Pitcairn’s coffee and honey production. The experience concludes with freshly brewed coffee and local honey tastings.
• We will then return to Adamstown to visit the island’s other equally vital enterprise: the pub! Settle in for a lively Pitcairn Quiz Happy Hour at the Whale’s Tooth Tavern, hosted by the legendary Pirate Pawl Warren in his cozy, makeshift bar. Proudly billed as the World’s Most Remote Tavern, the Whale’s Tooth is famous for its signature tequila shot served in a hollowed whale’s tooth, a must try for the adventurous. The afternoon will be spent enjoying cold beers, playing pool and darts, and, if we are lucky, getting a glimpse of Pawl’s private collection of HMS Bounty artifacts.
• Dinner, drinks, and an overnight stay at your homestay, where you can relax and share stories of the day’s activities.

Day 5 – Pitkern 360 & Night Sky Viewing

• After breakfast, we head out with Pitkern Sea Service 360° for a scenic boat journey around the entirety of Pitcairn Island, offering a rare sea-level perspective of its dramatic cliffs, rugged coastline, and hidden coves. From the water, enjoy fish and coral viewing in the island’s clear surrounding seas, with commentary from local crew along the way. The trip also includes viewing of shipwreck remains and sites associated with the historic HMS Bounty story near Bounty Bay, linking Pitcairn’s natural landscape with its remarkable maritime history. Refreshments are served on return, rounding out a relaxed and memorable way to experience the island from a completely different perspective.
• We will return to our homestays for lunch, followed by a free afternoon to relax or explore Pitcairn at your own pace, before gathering for a final dinner with our hosts.
• At sunset, we will regroup for a sunset dinner with our local guides to experience the breathtaking night skies of Pitcairn. The Pitcairn Islands are uniquely recognized as the only island group—and the first British Overseas Territory—to be designated as an International Dark Sky Sanctuary. Named Mata ki te Rangi, or “Eyes to the Skies,” this sanctuary spans all four islands (Pitcairn, Oeno, Henderson, and Ducie), covering a vast area of 520,000 square miles.
• Overnight at your homestay.

Day 6 – Farewell & Return Departure

• After an early breakfast, we will return Adamstown for a final hike on the eco-trail – known as the “Trail of Tears” by the locals who can no longer remember how the trail got its name – which leads up to the Pawala Valley Ridge, the highest point on Pitcairn with an elevation of 347 meters above sea-level. We will also see Tedside on the island’s west coast, an alternate anchorage for arriving vessels if the ocean is too choppy at Bounty Bay.
• Upon returning to Adamstown, we will stop by the town square for a farewell community lunch and street market. This will be your chance to pick up one-of-a-kind Pitcairn T-shirts, carvings, fridge magnets, as well as Pitcairn’s famous honey, which is considered some of the rarest and best in the world for its unique flavor due to the nectar from Mango, Passionfruit, Guava and other exotic fruit and flowers found on the island. After securing our Pitcairn keepsakes, our hosts will see us off at Bounty Bay as we board our longboats and transfer back on to our cargo-passenger ship for the 2-day return journey to Rikitea.
• Overnight on our ship.

Day 7 – At Sea

• With meal times and amenities the same as our journey to Pitcairn, we will spend the day relaxing, reflecting and exchanging stories of our trip.

Day 8 – Return to Mangareva

• Arrive in Rikitea in the early morning hours, and have a farewell breakfast aboard our ship. At dawn, we will take the ferry back to Mangareva where our Pitcairn cruise will conclude. YPT are able to arrange post-tour accommodation or extra activities in Papeete if you want to extend your trip.

Bespoke Pitcairn Island Tours

Pitcairn Birdwatching

Pitcairn Island is a birdwatching paradise, featuring unique endemic species like the Pitcairn Island Reed Warbler and Ground Dove. The island hosts nesting seabirds such as the Wedge-tailed Shearwater and Red-tailed Tropicbird, along with migratory species. Its diverse habitats – cliffs, forests, and beaches -= offer ideal conditions for observing birds. Local guides enhance the experience by providing insights and leading visitors to prime viewing spots, making Pitcairn a must-visit destination for ornithologists.

Pitcairn Whale Watching

Whale watching around Pitcairn Island is a thrilling experience, offering the chance to see magnificent marine mammals in their natural habitat. Visitors can observe humpback whales during migration, as well as sperm whales and orcas in the surrounding waters. Local guides enhance the experience by sharing insights into the whales’ behaviors and conservation efforts. With the stunning backdrop of Pitcairn’s rugged cliffs and clear waters, this adventure is a great opportunity for nature lovers and wildlife enthusiasts.

Meet and Feed Ms. T, the Island’s Only Galapagos Tortoise

During your walk to Tedside, you might encounter Ms. T, the island’s only Galapagos tortoise. She’s always thrilled to see visitors and will happily approach you, eagerly anticipating a hand-fed snack – her favorite being bananas! It’s a great way for animal enthusiasts to interact with this gentle giant.

Stargazing at Pitcairn’s Dark Sky Sanctuary

Stargaze at Pitcairn’s Dark Sky Sanctuary, where exceptional dark skies are free from light pollution. In late 2018, the Government of Pitcairn Islands applied to the International Dark Sky Association (IDSA) for the four islands in the group to be recognized as an International Dark Sky Sanctuary (IDSS). Visitors can marvel at a dazzling array of stars, planets, and celestial events in this unparalleled setting. Guided tours provide insights into constellations and astronomical phenomena, making it an ideal experience for both novice and seasoned stargazers.

Frequently asked questions about travel to Pitcairn Island

Pitcairn Island FAQ

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