Tour Overview
| Duration | 8 Days / 7 Nights |
|---|---|
| Country | Solomon Islands — The Pacific’s Last Frontier |
| Price From | $2,495 per person (twin share) |
| Tour Style | History / Diving & Culture |
| Data Source | Solomon Islands Tourism — 2026 |
Itinerary Highlights
Day 1: Arrive Honiara — Crossroads of the Pacific
Arrive at Henderson International Airport. Transfer to your hotel overlooking Iron Bottom Sound, so named for the dozens of WWII ships sunk here during the Guadalcanal campaign. Evening briefing: the Solomons at war and in peace. Overnight in Honiara.
Day 2: Guadalcanal — WWII Battlefield Tour
Full-day WWII history tour. Visit the US War Memorial on Skyline Ridge with panoramic views over the battlefields. Explore Bloody Ridge (Edson’s Ridge), where 800 US Marines held off 3,000 Japanese soldiers in September 1942. Visit the Vilu War Museum — an open-air collection of WWII aircraft, artillery, and vehicles in a tropical garden. Afternoon: the Japanese Memorial at Mount Austin and the Bonegi wrecks on the beach — rusting transports visible from the shore. Visit the Betikama Adventist College museum with its incredible collection of WWII artifacts. Overnight in Honiara.
Day 3: Central Market & Guadalcanal Villages
Morning at Honiara’s Central Market — the vibrant heart of Solomon Islands life. Fresh fish, tropical fruits, betel nut, shell money (traditional currency still used in some islands), and handicrafts. Drive to the eastern villages: meet local people, learn about traditional shell money making, and experience village hospitality. Afternoon snorkeling at Mbonege Beach — WWII wrecks in shallow water, now vibrant artificial reefs. Overnight in Honiara.
Day 4: Western Province — Gizo & Kennedy Island
Morning flight to Gizo, the capital of the Western Province and hub of Solomon Islands tourism. Check into your waterfront bungalow. Afternoon boat trip to Kennedy Island — the tiny island where a young Lt. John F. Kennedy and his PT-109 crew swam to safety after their boat was rammed by a Japanese destroyer in 1943. Snorkel in the crystal-clear waters — the Solomons have some of the world’s most pristine coral reefs. Overnight in Gizo.
Day 5: Tetepare Island — The Last Wild Island
Day excursion to Tetepare Island, the largest uninhabited island in the South Pacific. This 120-square-kilometer wilderness is a conservation area managed by descendants of its original inhabitants. Walk through ancient rainforest where leatherback turtles nest and dugongs feed in the seagrass. Snorkel over pristine coral gardens. Lunch with the conservation rangers. This is the Solomon Islands that hasn’t changed in thousands of years. Overnight in Gizo.
Day 6: Marovo Lagoon — UNESCO Wonder
Boat journey to Marovo Lagoon, the world’s largest saltwater lagoon and a proposed UNESCO World Heritage site. This extraordinary place is a double barrier reef lagoon — a geological rarity. Visit a village known for its master woodcarvers, whose intricate ebony and kerosene-wood carvings are prized worldwide. Snorkel among WWII wrecks and coral bommies in impossibly clear water. Lunch of fresh lobster and reef fish with a local family in their stilt house on the lagoon. Overnight in Gizo.
Day 7: Skull Island & Return to Honiara
Morning visit to Skull Island — a sacred site with skulls of revered chiefs and warriors from headhunting days. This is not for the faint-hearted but offers profound insight into pre-Christian Solomon Islands culture. Afternoon flight back to Honiara. Visit the National Museum for a comprehensive overview of Solomon Islands culture, including the famous war canoes. Farewell dinner with panpipe music. Overnight in Honiara.
Day 8: Depart Honiara
Morning at the National Art Gallery for last-minute carvings and shell jewelry. Transfer to airport.
Inclusions
- 7 nights (Honiara hotel + Gizo waterfront bungalows)
- Daily breakfast + 4 dinners
- Internal flights (Honiara-Gizo return)
- Guadalcanal WWII battlefield full-day tour
- Kennedy Island boat trip and snorkeling
- Tetepare Island day excursion
- Marovo Lagoon boat trip
- Skull Island visit
- Airport transfers
Why Solomon Islands
- WWII battlefield tour — walk where history was made at Guadalcanal
- Kennedy Island — stand where JFK was rescued
- Tetepare — the South Pacific’s largest uninhabited wilderness island
- Marovo Lagoon — the world’s largest saltwater lagoon
- World War II wrecks — some of the world’s best wreck diving
