Can You Hire a Private Driver in Fiji?
Yes, you can and it’s very common to hire a driver in Fiji. Hiring a driver for a couple of hours to even a few days can be a cost-effective way to see the sights in Fiji. It often works out the same or is a little more expensive than hiring a car, making it a good alternative to renting a car without the stress of driving in a foreign country.
Private drivers will take you where you ask them to go, giving you full flexibility to explore Fiji at your own pace. However, private drivers aren’t exactly easy to find until you arrive in Fiji. In this guide, we’ll explain how to hire a driver in Fiji.
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The Difference Between a Taxi Driver (LT) and a Private Driver (LH)
For hiring a driver in Fiji, you have two options: hiring a taxi driver or hiring what we like to call a “tours & transfers” driver.
A licensed taxi in Fiji has “LT”, “ND” or “LK” at the start of their registration number, as well as a “Taxi” sign on the roof. Licensed taxis must use taxi meters in Fiji’s town areas, but can also offer fixed rates for out-of-town sightseeing.
Private drivers or “tours & transfers” drivers typically drive a branded vehicle (usually saying “tours & transfers”, hence our silly name for them) with a license plate starting in “LH”, which means they are licensed to offer transfers or driver hire.
We go into much more detail on the differences in The Guide to Taxis in Fiji: LT Vs. LH Plates, How to Use & More.
© FijiPocketGuide.comWhere to Hire a Driver in Fiji
Not all of Fiji’s 333 islands have roads or a large enough tourist industry to warrant a need for private drivers. So, where can you hire a driver in Fiji?
Drivers can be hired on the islands with the largest road networks, which include Viti Levu (the mainland), Vanua Levu, Taveuni, Ovalau and Kadavu. Viti Levu is the most populated island in Fiji, where most tourists travel, so there are many drivers for hire.
On the other hand, there are quite a limited number of drivers for hire from Savusavu and Labasa on Vanua Levu, as well as on the island of Taveuni. Still, there are at least a good number of resorts that can assist with finding a driver. The guest lodges on Ovalau can usually find a local driver for you with ease.
Kadavu has the least amount of drivers for hire; usually the role is shared between carriers and taxis; see Minivans & Carriers in Fiji: What You Need to Know to learn more.
© FijiPocketGuide.comHow to Hire a Driver in Fiji
Now that you know “where”, the next question is “how do you hire a driver in Fiji?” There are a few different ways to find and hire a driver in Fiji, but no, they’re not easy to find with a quick Google search!
Hiring a Taxi Driver
Taxi drivers in Fiji, i.e., drivers who drive a licensed taxi with the “LT” number plate, sometimes offer their services for day hires or sightseeing outside town areas.
While this is an option, hiring a licensed taxi driver for the day or a few hours is typically more expensive than hiring a private driver (in other words, a “tours and transfers” driver). There are a few exceptions to this rule, particularly on Vanua Levu and Taveuni.
Hiring a taxi driver is simply a case of asking taxi drivers if they offer day rates or sightseeing tours, which you can do at taxi stands in Fiji’s towns, at the airport or while taking a taxi from the airport to your accommodation. Why not? There is no central number to call for taxis in Fiji, so ask for a taxi driver’s driver card for their contact details if you like their service.
Learn more about taxis and where to book them in The Guide to Taxis in Fiji.
Booking a Private Driver Through Your Accommodation
One of the best ways to book a private driver in Fiji is through your accommodation – they all have drivers they work with! If you want to have a driver booked before you arrive in Fiji, perhaps to pick you up from the airport, then email your chosen hotel/resort and ask for a private driver or if they can put you in touch with one.
Alternatively, you can always ask to hire a driver at your accommodation’s reception or travel desk once you are in Fiji.
Haven’t booked your accommodation yet? Start with Where to Stay in Fiji: The Best Accommodations in Fiji.
Booking a Private Driver Through a Tour and Transfer Operator
Many of the private drivers can be found through the ground transfer companies in Fiji, i.e. the ones that we call “tours & transfers” drivers at the beginning of this article. Companies like Uniquely Fiji, Valentine Tours and Rosie Holidays offer private drivers as part of their transportation services.
An easy way to go about this is to book one of the airport transfer services, such as the ones listed in the 10 Best Airport Transfers in Fiji.
Once you arrive in Fiji, inquire about private drivers to transport you to your accommodation. You will usually be given the appropriate contact details (a phone number or WhatsApp contact) so you can schedule transfers/sightseeing trips throughout your stay.
You may want to get a local SIM card, which we can assist with in The Best SIM Card in Fiji for Travellers.
© FijiPocketGuide.comThe Cost of Private Drivers in Fiji
Private drivers play by their own rules when it comes to pricing, so it all comes down to negotiation when hiring a driver in Fiji.
Private driver rates can range from FJ$250-$480 for one-off day hires, but the FJ$350 mark is probably when your driver hire stops being a good deal. The price can be bumped down to FJ$180-$250 a day for multi-day hires, so negotiate for this if you require a driver for more than one day.
Some tour and transfer companies prefer to give an hourly rate, typically around FJ$50 per hour.
On some of the outer islands, the pricing often factors into the specific destinations you’ll visit and any waiting time involved, so be sure to communicate all of this when requesting a quote.
Considering the daily rates of some rental cars in Fiji, it can work out to be better value to hire a driver compared to hiring a vehicle on its own. Check out How Much Does it Cost to Rent a Car in Fiji? to see the cost of rental cars.
For a full comparison, don’t miss Should You Rent a Car or Use a Taxi in Fiji?
More About How to Hire a Driver in Fiji
That’s it from the guide to hiring a driver in Fiji. For more tips for getting around Fiji, check out the following:
- Should You Rent a Car or Use a Taxi in Fiji?
- How to Negotiate a Taxi Price in Fiji
- Taxi Prices in Fiji: The Costs You Need to Know
Finally, check out more transport options around the islands in our Fiji Transport Guide: 20 Best Ways to Get Around Fiji.
Sources:
The information in this guide has been compiled from our extensive research, travel and experiences across Fiji and the South Pacific, accumulated over more than a decade of numerous visits to each destination. Additional sources for this guide include the following:
- Land Transport Authority (Road safety advice - Updated [2025])
- Tourism Fiji (General travel advice - Updated [2025])
- Fiji Immigration (Visa and immigration advice - Updated [2025])
- Fiji Revenue & Customs Service (Customs and visitor taxes - Updated [2025])
- Biosecurity Authority of Fiji (Biosecurity advice - Updated [2025])
- Fiji Meteorological Service (Weather forecast and warnings - Updated [2025])
- Fiji Bureau of Statistics (Statistics and travel data - Updated [2025])
- Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation (Tourism statistics - Updated [2025])
- SPTO (Pacific tourism advice - Updated [2025])
- Fiji Hotel and Tourism Association (Tourism trade association - Updated [2025])
- Safe Travel (New Zealand travel advisory for Fiji - Updated [2025])
- Smart Traveller (Australia travel advisory for Fiji - Updated [2025])
- Travel.State.Gov (U.S. travel advisory for Fiji - Updated [2025])
Our editorial standards: At Fiji Pocket Guide, we uphold strict editorial standards to ensure accurate and quality content.
