7 Day Itinerary to the Solomon Islands

Imagine crystal clear waters, lively coral, sandy uninhabited beaches lined with palm trees and sweet bungalows in the jungle…. Welcome to the Solomon Islands, the 7th least travelled to country in the world, I bet that changes in the coming years, so get in NOW before tourists get in and try to ruin it!  The Solomon Islands is a nation of hundreds of islands in the South Pacific, aka paradise!

Below I have curated a 7 day Solomon Islands Itinerary for you to enjoy your time, based on my recent Solomon Islands trip.

Why 7 days you may ask? There is a lot to see and do in this region of the world, 3 days or 5 days just isn’t enough and honestly 7 days probably isn’t enough anyway but it’s a good way to get a taste for the Islands. 

The itinerary is very flexible, you can stay at certain places longer if you wish, the idea for this itinerary is for you to see as much as humanly possible of the Solomon Islands, while still being able to enjoy your time. Most of the below Solomon Islands itinerary is based in the Western Province – Munda and Gizo.

To prepare yourself for this incredible trip, I’d highly recommend you read our guide on everything you need to know about the Solomon Islands.

There are some things that you will need to prepare for such as making sure to bring big spray and malaria tablets as there are still spots in the Solomon’s that have malaria – it’s not the type of souvenir you want to take home. 

Day 1 – Arrival into Honiara Solomon Islands:

Day one is your arrival day in to the Solomon Islands, where you will head to Munda to spend your first night. 

There are 2 options on how to get to Solomon Islands, you can either arrive in Honiara International Airport on one of the six weekly flights from Brisbane and then take a smaller plane to Munda or you can fly directly into Munda from Brisbane on the one weekly flight (every Saturday) into the newly opened international Munda airport.

Airlines that operate out of th airport include, Solomon Airlines, Virgin Airlines and Fiji Airlines – just to name a few.

Once you arrive into Munda, you can easily walk to the main area where your accommodation is located, everything is fairly close by. For budget travellers, I’d recommend staying at Qua Roviana Accommodation. For travellers who want a little more than the basics then I’d recommend the Agnes Gateway hotel (AGH). 

The rooms at the Qua Roviana are very basic, you get a bed, a desk and a bathroom and much life most hotels in the Solomon’s, there is only 1 tap in the shower – this is a cold water tap. You’ll find some of the more “luxe” resorts do offer hot water but this is not common in the islands.

However, keep in mind that its tropical and hot so a cold shower is to be welcomed! There is free Wi-Fi offered, this can be used in the common lounge area – it is fairly slow, so be patient. 

If you stay at Qua Roviana, you can still enjoy meals at the AGH restaurant. I would however recommend ordering meals in advance eg: ordering your breakfast for a set time the next morning when you are having dinner the night before as things tend to run on island time.

If you aren’t in a rush then you can enjoy the views however if you have plans for the next day or are in a rush I would highly recommend that you order in advance. Most tourists in Munda have their meals at AGH, they are also the main company to for organized tours. 

Day 2 – Explore Munda 

I hope you enjoyed your first night in Munda and the Solomon Islands overall. Enjoy a delicious breakfast with views over the water from the AGH, this will no doubt be your first real glimpse of Munda in the daylight. 

After breakfast, hire a taxi to take you to the Peter Joseph WWII Museum, here the spiritedly guide (and owner) Barney, will proudly share with you all his finds from the island and enthrall you with stories from the war. Barney has dedicated his life to this museum and collecting artifacts from the war.

I know I was surprised to find that the USA and Japan armies fought in the Solomon Islands during World War II. I won’t spoil the experience and tell you what you will see, but you don’t be disappointed by the interesting bits and pieces you’ll see and the stories Barney has to share. 

Take your taxi back to your hotel, to freshen up and grab your bag (and dry bag) for your afternoon adventures. 

You can organise all sorts of day trips from the reception at Agnes Gateway Hotel, I would recommend taking a short trip in a banana boat to Hopei Island where you can snorkel, sunbathe and enjoy a delicious BBQ lunch prepared by the staff.

You can spend as much or as little time as you want here.  Once you have had your fill of BBQ fish and sun, head back to your hotel to relax and shower and get ready for your last activity.

You last activity for the day is a sunset cruise (also organized through AGH). Your boat driver with take you out to enjoy the sunset either on the boat, or he will recommend a spot for you to get off the boat onto one of the many uninhabited islands.

Here you can enjoy a glass (or bottle) of wine and some snacks before heading back to AGH for dinner and then bed! 

Munda is a great spot to base yourself if you enjoy scuba diving, the local dive shop is Dive Munda, also located on AGH grounds. 

Day 3 – Experiencing the Authentic Solomon’s 

Today you’ll be taking a boat from Munda to Rendova Island, where you will be staying at Titiru Eco Lodge for the night. I would recommend that you stay at Titiru longer if you have the time to spare as it’s an incredible place and is better experienced over a few days. 

The trip from Munda to Titiru can take between 40-90 minutes depending on the weather and sea conditions. Once you arrive, you’ll be welcomed by the owner Kilo and all of his wonderful staff. They will get you checked in and take care of your bags. 

I would highly recommend taking part in the cultural demonstrations which are a short walk from the reception area, here you will be shown how the Solomon Islanders used to live (and how some still live!).

If you are planning to buy some souvenirs while in the Solomon Islands, this is the place to do it! At the end of the cultural experience, the villagers will showcase their handmade works – don’t forget to take some cash with you, as they don’t have EFT facilities here! 

There is plenty of things to do at the Titiru Eco lodge, such as kayaking, SUP, snorkelling, mangrove forest walks, village tours, tour to a local cave and hiking the Rendova Peak (which is recommended to do over a few days).

The village tour is very interesting as it shows the way of life for these islanders, it can be an eye-opening experience for westerns who are used to electricity and easy conveniences. 

The resort is fairly small with a max of 16 people being able to stay at a time, they have two family rooms, two garden rooms and two overwater rooms.

The family rooms come with a bathroom however the other four rooms have a separate outdoor shower and toilet – communal use. They are in the process of building a swimming pool for their guests to enjoy, however the lagoon is lovely to swim in.  

All food served is grown on the island from their vegetable gardens and all fish are caught daily so you are receiving the freshest food possible.

The hotel doesn’t serve alcohol so if you want a wine or beer with your meal, you will need to bring your own. Electricity is available however during certain hours as it is runs from a generator and there is no Wi-Fi, making it ideal for those looking for a digital detox.  

Day 4 – Chilling out at Fatboys! 

Today you will be travelling from Rendova to Gizo via boat, it can take roughly 2-3 hours depending on the weather and sea conditions so strap in and enjoy the sights you’ll see along the way.

It should be fairly easy going most of the way as once you get near Munda and most of the way to Gizo, you’ll be travelling through lagoons however the sea can be a tad choppy from Rendova to Munda and the short distance to Fatboy’s Resort in Gizo. Fatboy’s will be your new home for the next few days.

Depending on the weather, I’d recommend a stopover at Skull Island, which is a popular tourist attraction.

The island was once home to headhunting cannibals with human heads being found scattered around the island aka trophies of headhunters. The island itself is a beautiful spot to stop and even do some snorkelling if you have time. 

Fatboy’s Resort is considered one of the more modern and luxe resorts in the Solomon’s. It’s not luxe, like a 5 star hotel is but it’s very “lar de dar” in the Solomon Islands.

The name is a little interesting and is based on one of the characters Joe from a Charles Dickens novel: The Pickwick Papers. The fatboy life revolves around eating, sleeping and making every attempt to avoid work!

At Fatboy’s you can enjoy a hot shower in newly renovated bathrooms. The rooms are very spacious and comfortable and the resort also provides bug spray and mosquito repellent, however, all the beds do some with mosquito nets for that extra bit of comfort and peace of mind.

At Fatboys you can enjoy SUPs, snorkelling, kayaks, polycraft (a little boat you can drive around yourself), reading one of the many novels they have in their little book club or playing 8 ball with your friends or the staff. 

There is Wi-Fi at Fatboy’s, however, only one person at a time can use the Wi-Fi and it isn’t the strongest or fastest connection. 

The food at Fatboy’s is incredible, the staff while up a new menu daily depending on the catch (fish) they receive. Crayfish is served in abundance here!

The staff also put on a bit of a show at night, once all meals have been served, they feed the local reef sharks with leftover fish scraps from dinner. 

It’s interesting and terrifying to watch, especially for someone (like me) that’s terrified by sharks, but don’t worry, once the sharks are fed, they disappear to their homes for the night. You won’t really see any if you are snorkelling the reef at Fatboy’s… or you might but they are fairly harmless. 

Day 5 – Island Hopping! 

Today you’ll be island hopping with the Fatboy crew on the “Triangle Tour”!  They will organise where to go and ensure you are well looked after and fed. Your day may look like this (or you could ask the staff to take you to the below destinations). 

Your first stop will be at Saeraghi Beach. Saeraghi is a small village of roughly 25 families, this is a great stop to check out a different style of village life, you can also stay at one of the two homestays here, where the locals welcome you as one of their own, you spend the day with them and they cook you the most amazing meals, the beach here is also incredible! 

Next stop is the famous Njari Island, here there are 2 different areas you can go snorkelling. If the weather is bad on one side of the island, you can still snorkel on the other side of the island.

The Jetty side of the island has an incredible amount of massive piece of coral and sea life, it is harder to get to the beach as the coral is so large. The other side of the island, the reef is accessible via the beach. 

If you are game, you can snorkel out to the buoy (which is a bit of a swim) where one of our amazing guides said that this area is called “Grand Central Station” as the different currents bring fish in from all over!  

The last stop in your island hopping is Kennedy Island which can be seen from the Fatboy’s Resort, it’s a small uninhabited island and was named after John F. Kennedy. John F. Kennedys plane was shot down in World War II and he swam to this island, where a local canoed past, he waved him down and asked him to send a message to the US troops to rescue him. 

Kennedy Island is a great spot for snorkelling and sunbathing. And the staff from Fatboy’s will arrange a delicious BBQ lunch for you here. 

After lunch, you can head back to Fatboy’s Resort, unwind, shower and relax – but, you day isn’t over yet! Before sunset you will be off to enjoy a Sunset ‘Wine Down’ at one of the nearby sandbars with a wine in hand! There is no better way to end an amazing day of island hopping. 

*Note: some of the islands you visit are privately owned, Fatboy’s gains permission from the owners to bring their guests to the islands. 

Day 6 – Last day in Gizo 

Today you will be checking out of the Fatboy’s Resort and heading back to Honiara (or Munda – depending where you are departing from) via the coolest airstrip in the Solomon Islands – more on this soon! 

Wake up, enjoy your last delicious breakfast and relax for a few hours before you have to head out – you’ve certainly earned some down time – however, if you want one last adventure, ask the staff to take you into Gizo town where you can check out the brand new (opened in August 2019) Gizo Market or wonder around the island and check out a few of the sights. 

When you’re ready for your flight, you’ll be transferred to Nusa Tupe Airstrip via boat as the airstrip is on its own island! There is nothing else on the island but the airstrip and a small departure/arrival building. You can walk along the tarmac while you wait for your flight, just watch out for the plane! 

Once you arrive in Honiara, check into the Heritage Park Hotel, here you won’t even know yourself! This hotel is so luxurious compared to where you have stayed during this trip, the food is delicious and the rooms are very comfortable. 

Day 7 – Your Last Day in the Solomon Islands! 

Today is your very last day in the Solomon Islands, you can either spend the day by the pool at the Heritage Park Hotel or you can head out and take in a few sights in Honiara before your flight. 

Such as the Central Markets that sells plenty of fresh foods and a few handcrafted gifts, the National Museum that provides you with some history of the Solomon’s and provides some information on Shell money (the currency that was once used in the Islands – some areas of the Islands, still use it now!) or the Cultural Centre/Art Gallery where you can purchase locally made crafts, all of which are located very close or a short walk from the hotel. 

If you’re a golfer you can check out the eight-hole golf course, which is the only golf course in all of the Solomon’s!

Take it all in today! 

I hope that you enjoy your visit to the ‘Hapi Islands’, a visit to the Solomon Islands is life changing! 

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