Town and Ela Beach
HarbourThe old centre by the harbour.
Papua New Guinea city guide
Port Moresby Travel Guide
Port Moresby is Papua New Guinea's capital and the gateway for almost every visitor. It's not a city to wander, but with arranged transport it has a fine national museum, a nature park full of birds of paradise, moving war history and the start of the Kokoda Track.
1
Hostels in the city
96 km
The Kokoda Track
No road
To the highlands
September
Hiri Moale Festival
Port Moresby at a glance
Port Moresby sits on the Gulf of Papua, on the south coast of the main island. It's the capital, the largest city in the country and the main international gateway, with Jacksons International Airport a few kilometres from the centre.
The city is spread out over hills and bays, from the old town and Ela Beach by the harbour to Waigani, the government district with Parliament House and the National Museum.
Port Moresby has no road connection to the highlands, so most visitors pass through on the way to a domestic flight. Many stay a night or two, and some come to walk the Kokoda Track, which starts about an hour's drive away.
Crime is a serious issue here. Travellers use arranged transport, stay in secure accommodation and move by day, and that shapes everything about a visit.
One to two days is usually enough, before or after the rest of the country.
Where to stay in Port Moresby
Stay in secure accommodation with transfers, in town near the harbour or near the airport. Hostelworld has no budget listings in Port Moresby right now.
Waigani
Museum and ParliamentGovernment district with the National Museum.
Bomana
War cemeteryNorth of the city.
Owers' Corner
Kokoda trailheadStart of the Kokoda Track.
Map data from OpenStreetMap contributors.
Things to do
The museum, birds of paradise and Kokoda
Visit the National Museum and Art Gallery in Waigani, with one of the best collections of Pacific art and artefacts anywhere: masks, carvings, canoes and spirit boards from across the country.
See birds of paradise, tree kangaroos and cassowaries at the Port Moresby Nature Park, a botanical garden and wildlife park.
Visit Bomana War Cemetery, the largest Second World War cemetery in the Pacific, the resting place of thousands of Allied soldiers, many killed on the Kokoda Track.
See Parliament House, built in the style of a haus tambaran (spirit house), from the outside, with a driver.
Walk the Kokoda Track, 96 km over the Owen Stanley Range, following the Second World War campaign route. It starts at Owers' Corner, about an hour from the city, takes eight to ten days and must be walked with a licensed operator and porters. It costs K8,000 to K15,000 all in.
Dive or snorkel the Papuan Barrier Reef from Loloata Island, offshore.
Free things
Port Moresby for free (or nearly)
Bomana War Cemetery is free to visit.
The National Museum has free or low-cost entry.
Even free sights need arranged transport, which is the real cost here.
Food and drink
Hotel restaurants and mumu
Restaurant food in Port Moresby is mostly in hotels and a few restaurants reached by arranged transport. A meal costs K40 to K100.
PNG food is sweet potato, taro, sago, banana and greens, with pork for occasions. A mumu, food cooked in an earth oven with hot stones, is the feast format.
PNG coffee, grown in the highlands, is excellent.
Drink bottled or treated water.
Nightlife
Hotel bars only
Going out at night in Port Moresby is not advisable. Evenings happen in hotel bars and restaurants, reached by arranged transport.
SP Lager, the national beer, costs K10 to K20. Beware of contaminated drinks: there have been cases of methanol poisoning.
Getting around
Getting to and around Port Moresby
Jacksons International Airport is a few kilometres from the centre. Arrange a hotel transfer before you land.
In the city, use hotel transfers, arranged cars or a trusted driver. Don't walk around, and don't use PMV buses or hailed taxis, which have been targeted by armed robbers.
Port Moresby has no road link to the highlands. Air Niugini and PNG Air fly to Goroka, Mount Hagen, Hoskins for Kimbe Bay and elsewhere, for K400 to K1,200 a leg.
For Kokoda, the operator arranges transport to the trailhead.
Costs
What Port Moresby costs
Port Moresby is expensive. Hostelworld has no budget listings right now, and secure guesthouses start around K150 to K350.
Arranged transport is a real cost, and worth it.
Hotel meals are K40 to K100.
Use ATMs inside hotels or shopping centres, as people at banks and ATMs are targeted.
Allow around K300 to K550 a day, before flights.
Safety
Staying safe in Port Moresby
UK government advice says serious crime is a high risk in Port Moresby, and that suburbs can be particularly dangerous. Bag-snatching and armed robbery happen, and people at banks and ATMs are targeted. The area around Parliament House in Waigani is named as high risk.
In practice: use arranged transport, stay in secure accommodation, move in daylight, carry little cash and don't travel alone.
After a road accident, crowds can form quickly. Go somewhere safe before contacting the police.
The Kokoda Track has seen serious attacks and robberies. Only walk it with a trusted, licensed operator. Unexploded wartime weapons remain along it.
Malaria is widespread, so take prophylaxis. Same-sex activity between men is illegal.
In an emergency, call 112, though response is limited.
Day trips from Port Moresby
Day trips from Port Moresby are done with a driver or an operator.
Port Moresby Nature Park
Birds of paradise and tree kangaroos.
Bomana War Cemetery
The largest WWII cemetery in the Pacific.
Kokoda Track
The wartime route over the Owen Stanley Range.
What's on
What's on in Port Moresby
The Hiri Moale Festival in September is the capital's big event.
September
Hiri Moale Festival
Port Moresby
Canoe races and dance marking the Hiri trading voyages.
16 September
Independence Day
Nationwide
Marking independence in 1975.
April to November
Kokoda trekking season
Owen Stanley Range
When the track is walked, with Anzac Day in April.
When to go to Port Moresby
Port Moresby is hot all year, with highs from 29°C to 31°C, and drier than most of the country. May to October is the dry season and the best time, and the season for Kokoda. November to April is wet.
Jan
Wet season
Feb
Wet
Mar
Wet, easing
Apr
Anzac Day on Kokoda
May
Dry season begins
Jun
Dry; Kokoda season
Jul
Peak season
Aug
Dry
Sep
Hiri Moale; Independence Day
Oct
Still dry
Nov
Wet season returns
Dec
Wet
Bar height is temperature. Colour is how busy it gets:
quiet
busy
peak
Average daily highs from weather2travel's Port Moresby climate data. Crowd levels are our rough guide.
How much does Port Moresby cost per day?
Pick a style and a number of nights for a rough total. Per day, for one person, in kina.
Estimates, based on secure guesthouses and arranged transport. Flights and the Kokoda Track sit outside these figures.
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- Beds—
- Food and drink—
- Getting around—
- Doing things—
Port Moresby FAQs
Prices and timetables change. Check before you travel.
Is Port Moresby safe?
It needs real caution. UK advice says serious crime is a high risk. Use arranged transport, stay in secure accommodation, move by day and don't travel alone.
Can I walk the Kokoda Track independently?
No. It must be walked with a licensed operator, who arranges permits and porters.
Can I drive from Port Moresby to the highlands?
No. There's no road link, so you fly.
What is there to see in Port Moresby?
The National Museum, the Nature Park, Bomana War Cemetery and Parliament House from outside.
Are there hostels in Port Moresby?
Not budget ones on Hostelworld right now. Secure guesthouses with transfers are the option.
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