Overview
Samoa is a two-island nation in the heart of the South Pacific, and it sits within our Australia & New Zealand hub because nearly every routing from the UK connects through Auckland or Nadi. No airline flies non-stop from Britain, so a trip here means one or two stops and the best part of a day in transit, but the reward is unhurried Polynesian life: villages built around the open-sided fale, Sunday hymn-singing, waterfalls, blowholes and lava-rock coast. Most visitors base themselves on the main island of Upolu, home to the capital Apia and the country's main airport.
Best time to fly to Samoa
Samoa is warm all year, typically 26–30°C. The drier, cooler season from May to October is the most comfortable time to travel, with lower humidity and less rain. The wet season runs November to April and carries a cyclone risk between January and March. July and August bring UK school holidays and the Teuila Festival, so seats sell early — the When to book chart above shows how fares shift through the year.
Main gateway cities & airports
UK travellers almost always land at Faleolo International Airport (APW), around 40 km west of Apia on Upolu. The connecting hubs that matter are Auckland (AKL) in New Zealand and Nadi (NAN) in Fiji, with some itineraries routing through Sydney or Brisbane. The smaller Fagali'i Airport near Apia handles regional flights, mainly to American Samoa.
Airlines and routes
There are no direct flights from London to Samoa. The most common approach is to reach Auckland with Air New Zealand, Emirates, Qatar Airways or Singapore Airlines, then continue to Apia on Air New Zealand. Fiji Airways offers an alternative through Nadi, connecting from London via Los Angeles or Hong Kong. From London, allow roughly 30–35 hours in total including the layover; from Manchester the journey is similar, with an extra hop to your long-haul hub.
Popular places to visit in Samoa
- Apia: Samoa's easy-going capital, with a lively produce market and Robert Louis Stevenson's former home at Vailima.
- To Sua Ocean Trench: a deep, spring-fed swimming hole reached by ladder, set in gardens on Upolu's south coast.
- Lalomanu Beach: a postcard stretch of white sand and beach fale on Upolu's eastern tip.
- Savai'i: the larger, quieter island, known for lava fields, rainforest and the Alofaaga blowholes.
- Piula Cave Pool: a clear freshwater pool beside the sea, below a hillside church.
Top tips for finding cheap flights to Samoa
- Travel in the shoulder months of April–May or October–November, when demand and fares tend to ease.
- Book several months ahead for the July–September peak, which overlaps the UK summer holidays.
- Compare Auckland and Nadi routings — the cheaper long-haul leg often decides the total price.
- Use the price charts on this page and stay flexible by a few days around your dates.
Travel essentials
UK passport holders do not need a visa for Samoa: you receive a free entry permit for up to 90 days on arrival for tourism, provided your passport has at least six months' validity and you hold an onward or return ticket. The currency is the Samoan tālā (WST), and cash is handy outside Apia and the larger resorts. For the best value, book around two to four months ahead and keep an eye on the price charts on this page.
