Things to Do in Port Vila

Most things to do in Port Vila are day trips out of town: an island by boat, a waterfall, a swimming hole, a cultural village, a reef. The Port Vila attractions below are the ones the tours on this site reach, with the tour or page for each. If you want one thing that is close to town, runs in the rain and can be booked by one person, the jungle zipline above Mele Bay fits: transfers leave town at 8:00 AM and 1:00 PM, and the outing takes about three and a half hours door to door. Vanuatu Jungle Zipline charges A$140 per adult, with 84 reviews (checked November 2026).

The jungle zipline and the Skybridge

Six ziplines, 1.5 km in all, across a rainforest canyon in the hills above Mele Bay, then the 120-metre Skybridge and the Summit gardens. The drive up from town is 35 minutes by 4WD. It runs in the rain, with rain jackets on site, and the age range starts at five; riders must weigh under 120 kg with a waist of up to 120 cm, and it is not suitable for pregnant women. If someone in your group would rather not zip, the Vanuatu Jungle Skybridge ticket covers the paths, the gardens and the bridge for A$60 per adult (checked November 2026).

Lelepa Island

An island off the north-west coast, reached by van to Havannah Harbour and a short boat ride. Lelepa Island Day Tours Limited’s eight-hour Lelepa Island day trip has snorkelling over giant clams and a sunken plane wreck, a beach BBQ, a bush walk and a village visit; it does not run on Saturdays. See the Lelepa section on the homepage.

Hideaway Island and its underwater post office

A small island just off Mele beach. The Vanuatu Tourism Office describes the resort there as the custodian of a marine sanctuary and the home of an underwater post office, with a shuttle boat from Mele beach and a 2,000 vatu day pass per person paid on the island (checked 13 November 2026). Three tours include it; see the Hideaway Island section.

Mele Cascades

Pools and a waterfall in the rainforest behind Mele Bay. The entry fee is paid at the site; some tours include it and some leave it to you. Mele Cascades has the tours and the fee, tour by tour.

Turtles and snorkelling

Roawia Turtle and snorkeling tours runs a 4.5-hour turtle and snorkelling morning with a choice of four snorkel options, turtles among them, from A$105 per adult with two adults minimum, A$210 for two (checked November 2026). Reviewers did not always see turtles; the homepage’s snorkelling section has the details.

The Blue Lagoon

A swimming hole on Efate’s east coast, which the Vanuatu Tourism Office puts a 45-minute drive from downtown Port Vila, with a cash-only entrance fee and ropes to swing from; the Office notes it is busy with locals at weekends (checked 13 November 2026). Most round-island, buggy and half-day tours stop there, among them Lavanua Tours and Transfers’ Half-Day Tour: Blue Lagoon & Eden on the River, A$100 per adult with two adults minimum, A$200 for two (checked November 2026).

Ekasup Cultural Village

A village experience about 5 km from town, near Erakor, where the chief and his guides show traditional farming, cooking, building and medicine. No entrance fee is published. Ekasup Cultural Village has the three tours that include it.

The Friday fire show

Every Friday night at The Beach Bar in Mele: seating from 5:30 pm, the show at about 7 to 7:30 pm, free entry, tables booked ahead. The Vanuatu fire show has the details and a shared transfer from your hotel.

Sailing, horses and buggies

Sailing Vanuatu’s five-hour sail with two snorkel stops, three horse rides and five buggy and quad days each have their own section on the homepage. For the whole island in one day, see the Efate round island tour.

Which one first

Pick by the kind of day you want:

Prices, ratings and review counts from the GetYourGuide listings (checked November 2026). Treat them as the shape of the market, not a quote: the price that counts is the one on the calendar when you book.

The Skybridge ticket, from the same operator, lists 29 pickup points, among them town hotels, the Erakor Lagoon resorts and the cruise ship port; the Port Vila hotels page shows which part of town suits which trip.