No votes yet

Tuamotu-Gambier Islands, French Polynesia

Tuamotu-Gambier Islands span two local time zones in French Polynesia: most of the Tuamotu Archipelago uses UTC−10, while the Gambier Islands use UTC−9. Check the specific island before arranging a call, flight, or boat connection.

Rikitea, French Polynesia

12:30:31 AM

Saturday, 7 November 2026

UTC−9 · Pacific/Gambier

Time and sun data for Rikitea — the largest city of Tuamotu-Gambier Islands

The sun in Rikitea

Sunrise 5:12 AM Solar noon 11:45 AM Sunset 6:17 PM Daylight 13 h 05 min Night 10 h 55 min Civil twilight 4:48 AM – 6:41 PM

French Polynesia · 83 cities

Largest cities

Rikitea 1 103
Otepa 1 009
Avatoru 700
Tukuhora 530
Otetou 64

All cities

Current time in Tuamotu-Gambier Islands, French Polynesia

There is no single clock that accurately represents every island in this wide administrative region. The Tuamotu islands generally follow Tahiti Time, which is ten hours behind Coordinated Universal Time. The Gambier Islands, including Mangareva, are one hour ahead of the Tuamotus.

Neither zone observes daylight saving time. The difference between them therefore remains stable throughout the year, although the difference from countries that change their clocks may vary seasonally.

In an archipelago spread across a large ocean, “island time” is not merely a relaxed attitude; it can be a different hour.

Time zones across the archipelagos

The Tuamotu-Gambier administrative subdivision joins two archipelagos that are geographically dispersed. A regional label on an address does not by itself settle the time-zone question. The island or atoll is the useful detail.

Rangiroa, Fakarava, Hao, Makemo and most other Tuamotu atolls use UTC−10. Mangareva and the rest of the Gambier Islands use UTC−9. Local clocks do not make a seasonal daylight-saving adjustment. Rikitea, on Mangareva, is one hour ahead of settlements in the Tuamotus.

To convert the time, begin with UTC and subtract ten hours for a Tuamotu location or nine hours for a Gambier location. When the subtraction crosses midnight, remember that the local calendar date also changes.

Settlements and sunrise

The region does not have large cities in the metropolitan sense. Its notable settlements include Rikitea in the Gambier Islands and villages on atolls such as Rangiroa, Fakarava, Hao and Makemo. Because communities are separated by long distances, naming the settlement is more reliable than selecting the broad region in a clock application.

Sunrise depends on the island, date and position within the archipelagos. It cannot be represented faithfully by one permanent regional value. The Gambier Islands lie farther east than much of the Tuamotu chain, but civil time is also set one hour later there. Consequently, comparing sunrise by clock time requires both longitude and the applicable zone.

For an exact sunrise, use a calculator configured for the particular island or its coordinates. This is especially important for photography, lagoon excursions, fishing departures and transfers that begin around dawn. Confirm local operating times directly when transport depends on weather or sea conditions.

Questions and answers

Does the whole region share one time zone?: No. Most Tuamotu islands use UTC−10, while the Gambier Islands use UTC−9.
What are the largest cities in Tuamotu-Gambier?: There are no large cities. Rikitea is the principal settlement of the Gambier Islands, while important Tuamotu communities are found on Rangiroa, Fakarava, Hao and other atolls.
Is sunrise at the same time throughout the region?: No. The islands cover a broad area, so sunrise varies by location and date. Use the coordinates of the specific island for a useful result.