Nuku'alofa is small enough to walk around and taxis are available. You can take a bus from around the terminal, but the bus is unreliable, taxi is a better option. You can go by boat to the minor island around Nuku'alofa from the pier.
Tongatapu can just about be seen in one day by car or motorbike. You can rent cars and motorscooters. A Tongan driver's license for T$25 is available and can be obtained at the police department with your home license.There are few or no road signs on Tongatapu so you'll need a good map if you're touring in a car. The speed limit on most of the island is 40kph and this is stuck to by the local drivers. The Police have radar guns to check. The roads are good in and around Nuku'alofa but deteriorate the further from the town and the further south you travel.You can hire a car from the Friend's Tourist Centre near the main post office for about 50 Pa'anga and a tour of the island is about 120 km.
Most cars on the island are in a terrible state, maintained on a budget and held together by a combination of 'Western Union' stickers and prayer. The low speed limit helps to keep accidents down.
Teta Tours and Toni's guest house offer day tours of all the main tourist sights 40-80 Pa'anga depending on how many are on the tour.
Buses to various points on Tongatapu run from the bus concourse on the seafront in Nuku'alofa although there are no timetables posted and local sources say that they are not reliable after about 1530 hours on most days. With no bus stops you just stand on the side of the road and flag the driver down do not wave, they will wave back and keep driving. The most popular buses in Tonga are generally the loudest, so when you want to get off a reasonably loud "STOP" will do it again, just anywhere you want them to stop. If you don't like kids or crowds avoid the buses at the end-of-school time, they get packed out and the only limit on how many people in a bus is how many can fit in. The general cost of getting from Nuku`alofa to the surfing destination of Ha`atafu on the western penninsula is roughly T$2.20.
