Last updated: 4 November 2026

You get to Pitcairn Island on a supply ship. There is no airport, so visitors fly to Tahiti, take a weekly flight to Mangareva in French Polynesia, and then sail about 32 hours on the MV Silver Supporter, the island’s chartered passenger and cargo vessel. It is one of the last places on Earth where the only regular way in is a working ship.

Where Pitcairn is

Pitcairn is a 4.5 km² volcanic island in the South Pacific, around 540 km south-east of Mangareva and more than 2,000 km from Tahiti. It is the only inhabited island of the Pitcairn Islands, a British Overseas Territory that also includes Henderson, Ducie and Oeno. Its one village, Adamstown, is home to descendants of the HMS Bounty mutineers, who landed here in 1790 and burned their ship in what is now Bounty Bay.

The journey, step by step

1. Fly to Tahiti (Papeete), usually via Los Angeles, Auckland, Paris or Tokyo. Allow two or three nights there in case of delays.
2. Take Air Tahiti’s Tuesday flight to Mangareva. Ship departures are timed to match it, so book this flight before anything else.
3. Cross the lagoon by shuttle boat to Rikitea village, where the Silver Supporter crew meets you at the wharf.
4. Sail to Pitcairn. The ship leaves late on Tuesday afternoon and arrives around dawn on Thursday.
5. Go ashore by longboat at Bounty Bay, then ride or walk up the Hill of Difficulty to Adamstown.

About the MV Silver Supporter

The Silver Supporter is a small passenger and cargo vessel chartered by the Pitcairn Islands Government. Each quarter it loads supplies in Tauranga, New Zealand, sails to Pitcairn, and then shuttles back and forth to Mangareva with visitors and islanders, around 26 times a year. It sails at about 10 knots, and passengers share simple cabins and eat with the crew.

Watch: life on Pitcairn Island

2026 sailing pattern

From September to December 2026 the Silver Supporter runs mostly weekly round trips from Mangareva, for example 8–15 September, 22–29 September and every Tuesday in October, with a break in November while it sails to New Zealand for cargo. A few voyages link Pitcairn with New Zealand, giving a one-way route between Mangareva and Auckland via the island.

Check the current timetable with Pitcairn Islands Tourism before booking flights; dates move with weather and cargo.

What it costs

Add international flights to Tahiti and two or three nights in Papeete. A four-day visit from Europe or the UK typically costs well over £8,000 per person once everything is included, which is part of why fewer than a few hundred people visit each year.

What to do on Pitcairn

• Bounty history: the museum in Adamstown holds Bounty relics, including the ship’s Bible, and the wreck lies in Bounty Bay
• Christian’s Cave: a steep climb to the cave where Fletcher Christian is said to have kept watch for ships
• Hiking: trails cross the whole island, which you can walk end to end in a day
• Swimming and snorkelling: at St Paul’s Pool, a natural rock pool
• Pitcairn honey and crafts: carvings, woven baskets and stamps make unusual souvenirs
• Dark skies: there is almost no light pollution

Watch: Pitcairn’s marine life and community

Where to stay

There are no hotels on Pitcairn. Visitors stay in homestays or small guest lodges run by island families, usually with meals included, and hosts will ask for proof of your Silver Supporter berth before confirming. Pitcairn Islands Tourism matches visitors with hosts. Rooms are few, so book as soon as your berth is confirmed.

Best time to visit

Tips before you go

1. Book in this order: Tuesday flight to Mangareva, then the ship, then your homestay.
2. Bring New Zealand dollars: it is the island’s currency and card use is very limited.
3. Expect a wet landing: the longboat transfer can be lively in a swell.
4. Get medical evacuation cover: serious cases take days to reach Tahiti. See our travel insurance guide.
5. Take seasickness remedies for the open Pacific crossing; our Guide sur le mal de mer explains what helps.

Foire aux questions

Sources: Visit Pitcairn (Pitcairn Islands Tourism) shipping schedule 2026–2027; Wikivoyage Pitcairn Islands; Langsamreisen Silver Supporter guide; recent traveller cost reports. Checked November 2026.