Planning 3 to 7 Days in Nauru

Dates come from the airline

Nauru Airlines is the only passenger carrier, and it flies a few times a week. That sets the length of your stay. Most trips run for a long weekend of three or four nights, with a full week as the other common option. Look at nauruair.com for current flight days before you commit to anything else, then build the rest around them.

Entry and money checklist

  • Visa: required, arranged before travel, none on arrival.
  • Passport: valid for at least three months after you arrive.
  • Papers: applicants are typically asked for proof of accommodation and an onward ticket.
  • Cash: Australian dollars only. Cards are not accepted, and the single ATM at Menen Hotel is often empty.
  • Boarding: the airline can deny boarding if your visa clearance is missing.

Where you can sleep

Four places take guests. Menen Hotel is the largest, owned by the government, with a restaurant and a bar, on the cliffs of the east coast over Anibare Bay. OD-N-Aiwo Hotel stands in Aiwo and is the tallest building in the country. Ewa Lodge and the Goodworks serviced apartments complete the list. Reserve by email or phone with the hotel itself.

A four-day outline

Day 1: arrive. After you land at the airport in Yaren, check in and take the coast road to Anibare Bay for a walk on the sand. Watch the sun go down over the Aiwo loaders.

Day 2: wartime ridge and plateau. Visit Command Ridge for the twin Japanese guns and the bunker. Then cross Topside, the mined limestone landscape, with a local driver. Stop at Buada Lagoon’s roadside and at Moqua Well in Yaren.

Day 3: sea and village. Go out on a fishing charter from Anibare Boat Harbour for tuna or wahoo, or spend time on the reef flat at low tide in reef shoes. In the afternoon, look at Parliament House from outside and visit the shops in Ewa.

Day 4: depart. Check in early for your flight at the airport.

Using extra days

A longer stay lets you repeat the best parts at different times of day, add a football match at Linkbelt Oval and try a second fishing trip. Divers should bring their own regulator, BCD and dive computer, since the island has no full dive shop, and arrange fills and boat transport ahead through Menen Hotel.

Staying safe

Take normal precautions. Cyclones and big swells are possible between November and May. Anibare Bay has rip currents and surf, and there are no lifeguards, so stay out of the open water. On Topside, the sun is fierce, the rock is sharp and the tracks are unmarked, so use closed shoes, water and a guide.

Booking and sources

Hotels are contacted directly. You can browse Viator for new Nauru listings. Read the UK government travel advice for Nauru first, and check flights at Nauru Airlines .

Read more: Day trips in Nauru and Nauru 7-day plan .