I don't say this casually: Fiji is one of our favorite places we have ever been. We were blown away by how much we loved it. This is going to sound so dumb, but we had a trip to Hawaii planned a month after Fiji, and both Jason and I kept saying the whole time in Hawaii just how much we loved Fiji and how we wished we were there. I know, first-world problems. Here's the thing though, the people are so nice, the islands and pristine beaches are incredible, the adventure, snorkeling, and marine life are oh so much fun, and Fijian culture is so deeply woven into every experience that you leave feeling like you didn't just visit a destination. You became part of something. It sounds so cheesy, but it's true. We loved it so much that we are already going back next year.

I'm breaking down our entire Fiji family itinerary so you can plan your own trip, including where we stayed and everything we did as a family. If you've been wondering where to go in Fiji with kids, this post is your roadmap. I've added a quick guide to the main regions first so you can choose the right home base.

Pro Tip: We booked almost the entire trip using points and miles, and we were able to visit for less than 1/10 of the cost. I'm not going to rehash all the mechanics here, because I've written a whole separate guide on it. If that's what you're after, start with our Fiji on Points Guide and then come back for the itinerary.
If you're planning a trip, I highly recommend you grab our free Itinerary Builder here!

Where to Go in Fiji With Kids: Choosing Your Island or Region

Fiji has over 330 islands, so the hardest part is picking where to base yourself. Most families fly into Nadi Airport on Viti Levu, Fiji's main island, and then either stay along the coast or ferry out to the islands. Here is a quick, honest breakdown of the main regions and who each one is best for.

Mamanuca Islands

The Mamanuca Islands are the most popular and most accessible island group, an easy ferry ride from Port Denarau. This is where you'll find postcard sandbars, crystal-clear waters, and some of the best snorkeling right off the beach. Monuriki, the uninhabited little island where the Tom Hanks movie Cast Away was filmed, sits here (it's a different spot from the resort island known as Castaway Island), as does Mana Island, where they film Survivor, along with many small islands, sandbars, and a few family-friendly resorts. We chose Tokoriki in the Mamanucas and were so happy with this little island. If you want island time without a long journey, start here.

Yasawa Islands

The Yasawa Islands sit just beyond the Mamanucas and are a little more remote and rugged. Think dramatic scenery, local village life, and fewer crowds. They take longer to reach, so they suit families with a bit more travel time and older kids who can handle a longer boat ride. The payoff is a quieter, more off-the-beaten-path Fiji holiday. Although to be honest, the Mamanucas didn't feel busy or any less rugged.

Coral Coast

The Coral Coast, running along the southern shore of Viti Levu, is one of the best places for families who want to stay on the main island. Snorkeling is right off the beach, there's a real mix of resorts, and there's plenty to do beyond the pool. The standout for kids is Kula Wild Adventure Park near Sigatoka, Fiji's biggest family fun park, with a zip line, a jungle water slide, a kiddie splash pool, and hands-on animal encounters like feeding endangered sea turtles. Just know the zip line and water park often carry an extra cost on top of admission. It makes an easy day trip whether you're staying nearby or coming from Nadi (roughly 1.5 to 2 hours away).

The eastern end of the Coral Coast rolls into Pacific Harbour, which is known as Fiji's adventure capital. This is where you'll find world-class diving, the famous Beqa Lagoon, Navua River adventures, and some of the most immersive cultural experiences in the country. It's also where our second resort sat, right on the edge of the Coral Coast, and it turned out to be the most memorable half of our trip.

Denarau Island

You'll see Denarau Island recommended a lot because it's convenient, BUT I'm going to give a hot-take opinion and recommend that most families skip it. Here's what you need to know: it's connected to the mainland by a short causeway near Nadi, and it has big-name resorts, the Port Denarau Marina, where most ferries depart, restaurants, and an inflatable water park at Big Bula. Because it is more commercialized than the rest of the island, it feels less special. I wouldn't base my family here. It's a fine spot for a quick first or last night near the airport, but the real Fiji, the part your whole family will remember, is out on the islands and along the Coral Coast. Personally, I'd get moving as soon as you can and get out of the Denarau area.

Vanua Levu

Vanua Levu, Fiji's second-largest island (also called the "Garden Island"), is for families craving something even more off the beaten path. It's home to the well-known Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort, which has a fantastic kids club and marine focus. It takes more effort to reach, so it suits families with extra time who want to go deeper.

For our trip, we split our 10 days between the Mamanuca Islands and the Coral Coast, and it gave us the best of both worlds: barefoot island time, then a five-star adventure base on the mainland. More on where we stayed and what we did below.

Getting to Fiji: Flights and First Steps

We flew Fiji Airways from LAX with a direct flight to Nadi International Airport on Viti Levu. Fiji Airways is a solid airline, and the flight from the United States is overnight, which makes it manageable with kids. You can also connect through cities like San Francisco, or fly in from New Zealand and Australia, which are both quick hops away. Because we are SLC-based, we just took a quick Delta positioning flight to LAX and highly recommend positioning to the West Coast if you can. 

Once we landed at Nadi Airport, we grabbed a taxi straight to Port Denarau Marina, our launching point for the islands. Port Denarau Marina is where most of the ferry services depart for the Mamanuca Islands and Yasawa Islands, so it's a natural first stop even if, like us, you're not staying on Denarau itself.

We booked our ferry, the Mamanuca Express, in advance through Fiji Bookings, and I'd strongly recommend booking ahead, especially during peak season and school holidays. You can also arrange ferry tickets through your hotel. Taxi drivers at the airport are easy to find, and the ride to Port Denarau is straightforward, though transportation in Fiji is more expensive than you might expect.

Hot Tip: We really enjoyed Fiji Airways. Their economy cabin was great, and the flight flew by for us. I can’t say that about most airlines, but Fiji Airways was solid. 

Part One: Sheraton Tokoriki (5 Nights in the Mamanuca Islands)

From Port Denarau, we took the ferry out to Tokoriki Island in the Mamanuca Islands, where we stayed at the Sheraton Tokoriki for five nights. We booked this stay on points (I walk through exactly how in our Fiji on Points guide), and it was a wonderful island base for our family. The ferry is about 2 hours, so be prepared for that (although it's gorgeous). Chances are that your room won't be ready right when you get there, so have swimsuits and sunscreen easily accessible in your luggage.

What to Expect at Sheraton Tokoriki

I want to be upfront because managing expectations is a good idea when traveling to Fiji with kids. This island is absolutely stunning, and while the Sheraton is clean, comfortable, and has plenty to do, it isn't "luxury" in the way it's sometimes marketed. That said, we LOVED this property and will absolutely be back, but if you're thinking five-star along the lines of the Four Seasons, you'll be disappointed.

Here's the thing about Fiji that's important to understand, especially if you're comparing it to places like Bora Bora. Fiji isn't polished overwater-bungalow luxury. The vibe is more rugged and adventurous, with a relaxed atmosphere that honestly feels more authentic. On this island, you land on the beach, you board the boat right from the sand, everyone is barefoot, your luggage goes in the sand, and the staff treats you like family from the moment you arrive. It's a unique experience we wouldn't trade for anything because it just feels so fun and different. The swaying palm trees, pristine water, and surrounding untouched area don't hurt either. However, it's helpful to be prepared expectation-wise.

We got a beachfront room that opened up right on the beach and we had the most incredible view of Yanuya Island.

What We Did on Tokoriki Island

There is so much to do from this little island, and most of our best days were spent on day trips to the nearby islands.

Private boat tour to Mana Sandbar and Monuriki. We booked a private boat through Joe's Adventure and Tours, and it was one of the highlights of our entire trip. Our first stop was Mana Sandbar. Get there first and early, because it is incredible to have it to yourself. You can snorkel right off it, and the water is incredible. If you time your visit during the off-season, you can also tour the Survivor filming locations on Mana Island, which is a fun bonus. From there, we headed to Monuriki, the actual island where the Tom Hanks movie Cast Away was filmed. We hiked the island, played on the beautiful beaches, and snorkeled the coral reefs. The shelling was amazing. Bring proper shoes for the hike and pack mosquito spray.

Village visit at Yanuya Island. A village visit is one of the best ways to experience Fijian culture, and our tour at Yanuya Island was really interesting. Getting to see how a local village lives on these islands gives you a perspective you just can't get at a resort, and it was a great cultural experience for the whole family. Benson loved learning how a Rugby "Scrum" works and playing with some kids his age. Be prepared with some small bills because some of these villages survive on these visits and tips are expected.

Snorkeling right off the beach. Some of the best reefs I've ever snorkeled were right off the beach at Tokoriki, and I'm not exaggerating when I say it rivaled Bora Bora's coral garden. We saw sharks, eels, and an explosion of marine life. The warm water made it easy to snorkel every single day. For a family holiday, having world-class snorkeling steps from your room is unbeatable.

Kava ceremony. We participated in a traditional kava ceremony, which was a great cultural experience. I'll be honest, it was a one-time thing for us and then we were good, but it's absolutely worth doing once to understand this important part of Fijian culture.

Other activities. We also hiked Tokoriki Island itself (small but worth exploring) and made a point to watch the sunset from the helicopter pad every evening. The sunsets in Fiji are otherworldly. The hotel offers free activities like a crab race, paddleboarding, and kayaking. All are highly recommended.

Part Two: Nanuku Resort on the Coral Coast (Pacific Harbour)

After five nights on Tokoriki, we ferried back to Port Denarau and had a driver take us to Nanuku Resort, which sits right on the edge of the Coral Coast near Pacific Harbour on Viti Levu. I cannot stress enough how much we LOVED this resort, and honestly, "resort" isn't the right word. It was an immersive experience, and trying to explain it, I just fall short.

We stayed in an ocean-view one-bedroom villa, with a private pool and private access to the beach. It was beautiful! It had a small kitchen area, a master suite, and then a really fun outdoor shower area. We booked Nanuku on points as well. For this property, you can use Hilton Honors points or book through American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts, and I cover exactly how in our Fiji on Points guide. Either way, it's a special-occasion stay that's worth every point.

Pro Tip: Arrange the driver through Nanuku. The drive is pretty long, and you'll want an air-conditioned van with car seats if you have little ones.

Why Nanuku Is a True Five-Star Family Experience

Nanuku is a five-star adventure for families, steeped in culture, and unlike any resort experience we've ever had. This corner of the Coral Coast is Fiji's adventure capital, and Nanuku takes that to heart.

Every family gets a dedicated nanny, and I'm usually NOT a kids' club fan, but this was something entirely different. The Lailai Children's Club is built around cultural activities and is fully included in your stay. We opted to do most activities together as a family, and we had our nanny Meme join us on most excursions to help. By the way, we LOVED our nanny Meme. She was so amazing with Benson. We had her come along with us on most of our activities. For example, when Benson was done snorkeling on our private boat tour, he played on the sandbar beach with Meme while Jason and I snorkeled a bit longer. It's the kind of thoughtful, family-friendly setup that makes everyone happy.

Included Activities at Nanuku

A lot of activities are included as part of the experience. We made coconut cups together, went crab hunting at night, followed by a crab race, went frog hunting, and learned traditional ceremonies like the torch lighting with the Nanuku Warriors. Benson made Fijian wooden swords, he rock climbed, we wove baskets together, and spent an evening stargazing. Morning ceremonies set the tone for each day, and we joined the morning snorkel tour, went fishing along the reef, and planted mangrove trees in the mangrove forest, and somehow each of these activities was just so much freaking fun. We also rode bikes throughout the property, took a cooking class featuring local Fijian cuisine, and went tide pooling. The snorkeling at Nanuku was almost as good as Tokoriki, and the coral reefs are spectacular. And yes, all of these were included in our stay.

You can see the full list or included and paid experiences on Nanuku's experiences page, which is worth a look while you plan.

Paid Experiences at Nanuku

Beqa Lagoon snorkeling. We took a boat out to snorkel Beqa Lagoon, which was absolutely world-class. This area is famous for its marine life, and it did not disappoint.

Sandbar excursion. We took a boat out to a sandbar closer to Nanuku Island. There were so many shells it was wild. Benson loved this.

Crab fishing in the mangroves. We went crab fishing in the mangroves and then cooked them up in a traditional way. This was SO much fun, and Benson absolutely loved it. Be prepared: the dinner is not fancy at all. We ate with our fingers out of coconuts, but it's awesome.

Private beachside dinner. We had a starlit private dinner on the beach, just the three of us. With Meme watching Benson earlier in the evening, Jason and I also got to enjoy spa treatments, a rare treat that a dedicated nanny made possible.

Bull shark diving. Jason went scuba diving with the bull sharks through Beqa Adventure Divers. Fair warning: for this dive, you need your Advanced Open Water Diver certification with experience going 30-plus meters (100 feet). I don't have this certification, so I sat it out, but I was supremely jealous. This stretch of coast is one of the best places in the world for this experience, and Jason said it's been one of the coolest things he's ever done.

Visit to Pacific Harbour town. We also took a driver into Pacific Harbour town one day and went to church. It's nice to get off the resort property and see the local community.

A Note on Food and Dining in Fiji

Let me set expectations here, because I wish someone had told me. Overall, the food in Fiji is fine, but it is expensive almost everywhere you go, so build that into your budget. Fiji is not going to be a foodie destination, and that's okay. You're here for the water, the culture, and the people.

That said, we did have some genuinely incredible fresh fish, especially at Nanuku, where the just-caught seafood at the on-site restaurant was a real highlight. One practical note: Nanuku has a single restaurant and very few dining alternatives nearby, so plan to eat most of your meals on the property. On the islands, you'll largely dine at your resort, too, so a meal plan can make sense. However, some of the rooms have kitchens, and so we stocked up on snacks. Our breakfast was included in our stay thanks to our status. But if you have to pay for every meal here, keep pricing in mind for your budget.

A quick word for families managing dietary needs. As a celiac traveler, I found the resort staff at both the Sheraton and Nanuku genuinely kind and accommodating when I explained my needs clearly and framed gluten as a medical requirement rather than a preference. Still, options can be limited, so I always pack safe snacks and just double-check with the staff, especially for boat days and long transfers when you're away from the resort kitchens.

Fiji Travel Tips for Families

Get off the main island, or at least out to the coast. This is my number one piece of advice for any Fiji family itinerary. Getting out to at least one of the outer islands, or basing yourself along the Coral Coast rather than near the airport, is where the magic really happens. The Mamanuca Islands and Yasawa Islands are the most popular and easiest to reach from Port Denarau.

Manage your luxury expectations. If you're coming from Bora Bora or the Maldives, know that Fiji has a different vibe. It's more rugged, more adventurous, and more culturally immersive. Nanuku was a true five-star experience, but it was still rugged, not the buttoned-up five-star that you'll get in Bora Bora. The Sheraton on Tokoriki was lovely, but I wouldn't classify it as luxury. Choosing the right resort for your family's expectations is key.

Transportation is expensive. Ferries aren't cheap, and neither are drivers. Renting a car is not standard in Fiji. Budget for transportation as a significant line item. We used our credit cards at most places and only needed to exchange a small amount of cash. Also worth noting: large tips are not customary or expected in Fiji.

Be mindful of the wet season. Fiji has a tropical climate, and the wet season runs roughly from November through April. We traveled right at the start of it, around Thanksgiving, and had one full day of rain plus a few hours on two other days. It wasn't a big deal for us, but if you're planning a short trip, the best time to visit is the dry season (May through October) to maximize beach days. Either way, build flexibility into your itinerary.

Family-friendly resorts make all the difference. Fiji does family travel better than almost anywhere. Full stop. Between the kids' clubs, dedicated nannies, and cultural programming, this isn't a destination where you're trying to entertain your kids. They're genuinely engaged. Look for resorts that include cultural activities. Again, I usually hate kids club experiences and rarely, if ever, send my kids to the "kids club"; it's just not my vibe. The program at Nanuku was something entirely different, and I can't recommend it more.

Our Fiji Family Itinerary at a Glance

Days 1 to 5: Tokoriki Island, Mamanuca Islands

• Sheraton Tokoriki (booked on points)
• Mamanuca Express ferry from Port Denarau
• Private boat tour with Joe's Adventure and Tours: Mana Sandbar and Monuriki
• Village visit at Yanuya Island
• Snorkeling, hiking, kava ceremony, island sunsets, spa, playing at the resort pool, and enjoying the bay

Days 6 to 10: Nanuku Resort, Coral Coast (Pacific Harbour)

• Nanuku Resort (booked on points; you can book via Hilton Honors or Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts)
• Private driver from Port Denarau
• Cultural daily activities, kids club, dedicated nanny
• Beqa Lagoon snorkeling, sandbar excursion, mangrove crab fishing
• Bull shark diving, private beachside dinner, spa
• Visit to Pacific Harbour town

Why Fiji Should Be Your Next Family Vacation

If you're searching for where to go in Fiji with kids, I hope this guide shows you just how much this destination has to offer. Fiji is not just a beach vacation. It's a place where your whole family will connect with a culture, explore pristine beaches and coral reefs, and have adventures you'll talk about for years.

For us, the culture and local people are what make it unforgettable. From the staff at both resorts to the village communities we visited, every interaction was warm, genuine, and full of joy. Fiji time is real, so be prepared for that. You slow down, you connect, and we all left feeling so revived.

Fiji is an increasingly popular destination for families, and for good reason. The best resorts cater to kids in ways that feel genuine rather than generic. I truly believe it's one of the best family holiday destinations in the South Pacific, and we cannot wait to go back. If you have any questions about planning your own Fiji family itinerary, reach out. I'd love to help you get there.