One of the South Pacific's rawest destinations — a land of continuously erupting volcanoes, grass-skirt kastom villages, and geothermal springs bubbling up on the beach. Tanna rewards the adventurous.
Cruise boats visit Port Resolution on Tanna’s east coast by anchoring off the coast. Confirm your sailing’s anchorage, permitted landing and tender or Zodiac arrangements with the expedition team.
💡 Pro move: Roads on Tanna are unsealed volcanic tracks, often deeply rutted. If an independent vehicle breaks down mid-excursion, you could miss your ship. Ship-sanctioned tours are strongly recommended.
Port Resolution is an anchorage area, not a confirmed cruise wharf. Ship-day anchorage, permitted landing and tender operations are assigned by the crew and depend on weather.
| Cruise Line | Typical Berth / Arrival | Dock or Tender |
|---|---|---|
| Carnival / P&O Australia | Port Resolution area — actual anchorage / landing confirmed by ship📍 | Confirm tender / Zodiac arrangements |
| Royal Caribbean, Princess | Port Resolution area — actual anchorage / landing confirmed by ship📍 | Confirm tender / Zodiac arrangements |
| Ponant / expedition ships | Port Resolution area — actual anchorage / landing confirmed by ship📍 | Confirm tender / Zodiac arrangements |
Tanna's bucket-list draw is Mount Yasur, but ancient kastom villages and geothermal beaches round out a genuinely unforgettable shore day.
Mount Yasur is an active volcano requiring a pre-arranged licensed 4WD/guide visit. Access and the permitted viewing area depend on volcanic safety restrictions, weather and roads. Confirm that the actual excursion fits shore time with a generous all-aboard return buffer; crater access is not guaranteed.
Find Yasur volcano tours →Step back centuries at a traditional kastom village such as Yakel, where villagers wear grass skirts and nambas, the chief oversees community life, and modern technology has been deliberately rejected. Traditional dances and plant medicine are shared with visitors.
Find village cultural tours →One of the largest single trees on earth, a sprawling banyan in central Tanna whose aerial roots have colonised an area the size of a football field. Visitors can walk through the cathedral-like root system.
Find Tanna nature tours →The official tourism guide identifies Iwea hot springs in the Port Resolution area. Ask a local guide about permitted access, fees and safe viewing; do not assume a free white-sand bathing pool next to every tender landing.
Explore Port Resolution →Visit Sulphur Bay, spiritual home of the John Frum movement — one of the Pacific's most fascinating cargo cults, where villagers revere an WWII-era American figure and conduct flag-raising ceremonies. A rare window into a living folk religion.
Find Tanna cultural tours →Only follow a permitted local walk from the actual ship-confirmed landing. No mapped or guaranteed landing-to-hot-springs route is provided.
From the ship-confirmed landing, ask a local guide about a permitted village or beach walk and any hot-spring access. Do not use the bay or yacht-club map point as a surveyed landing. Paths, fees, opening and bathing safety require local confirmation.
Transport options from the pier — taxis, shuttles, transit passes, and whether ride-share apps work here.
For a Port Resolution call, follow the expedition team’s confirmed landing and local guidance for nearby village or beach walks. Lenakel is a separate west-coast town, not a wharf beside this landing; do not plan to walk there.
Arrange transport and exact pickup through your ship or a local operator before landing. Do not assume Lenakel town taxis, a taxi rank or Lenakel short-hop fares apply at Port Resolution. Confirm party size, currency, road conditions and a generous all-aboard return buffer.
Local trucks and minibuses connect settlements, but their timetable and pickup are not a cruise transfer guarantee. Use a pre-arranged return plan rather than relying on an informal service for all-aboard.
The main reason to visit Tanna is Mount Yasur volcano. Local operators offer 4WD tours (up to 6 people) that include transfers and a guided volcano visit. Access depends on current volcanic safety restrictions, weather and road conditions. Use a licensed guide and a pre-arranged 4WD itinerary fitting your actual shore time, with a generous return buffer; crater access is not guaranteed.
Ask your cruise line or a licensed local operator which excursions fit the actual landing, road and volcanic safety conditions and your all-aboard time. Pre-arrange a safe return; no volcano, cave or cultural visit is guaranteed.
Upcoming cruises that call at Tanna Island, Vanuatu. Dates, prices, and ports of call change — always confirm with the cruise line before booking.
Itineraries and prices change — always confirm with the cruise line before booking. Some links are affiliate links that may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.
Other cruise ports within about 250 km.