Best of PNG - Highlands Tribes Tour 2026

Meet your guide, Christopher, who has been running PNG tours since 2011, and has been to every Goroka Festival since 2010.  You will have time to visit Port Moresby Nature Park in the afternoon. 

Fly to Mount Hagen, at 1130,  then transfer to Shine Inn and check-in, followed by lunch. After lunch, transfer to Mt. Hagen Market and continue for a cultural visit to a Huli wigman village.

Full day birding – Breakfast at 6 AM and  transfer in vehicles to the birding site. The first site chosen depends on a number of factors; recent sitings, the weather, and the composition of the group.  We spend the first part of the morning in a hide looking for birds of paradise and spotting other endemic species. Later in the morning, we see cultural performance by the Hagen wigmen . In the afternnoon, we go to  Kumul Lodge to see birds feeding at a bird platform.  

Birds of Paradise than could be seen - Raggiana bird of paradise,, King of Saxony, Stephanie’s Astraphia, Ribbon-tailed Astrapia, Brown sickle bill, Black sickle bill, Superb bird of paradise, Loria’s bird of paradise, Short tailed paradigalla.  Other birds include Honey eater, Blue capped ifritta, fantails, robins, swallows, whistlers, doves & pigeons, falcons, parrots, lorikeets, scrub wrens, berrypickers, cuckooshrike, goshawk & kites and other species.

We transfer to Eastern Highlands Province by Toyota Coaster.  The scenic four-hour drive takes us through Jiwaka and Chimbu provinces, before we enter the Eastern Highlands.  En route, we will take in the courtship ceremony at Mindimi village in Chimbu Province. We will drive over the Daulo Pass, giving us splendid views of the valley leading to Goroka town in the distance.  On arrival in the Asaro valley, we will check in to our guesthouse. 

Accommodation for one night is in a basic lodge built by the Asaro in their village. The Asaro village guest house has twin and double rooms, 24-hour electricity, male and female “long drop” toilets, and bucket showers in a separate shower area. Here we can walk up Mt Gurupoka to visit a secret cave and animal sacrifice site, or go for a refereshing dip in the Asaro River. 

Asaro Mudmen Day.  We will join other Best of PNG clients for a spectacular Asaro Mudmen Cultural Day. Today, we learn about Asaro traditions, preparing a "mumu" (earth oven), watch several sing-sing performances, and watch an Asaro mask-making demonstration. We will also see the Masalai Omo Skeleton Men story, the Bena warriors' cleansing ritual, and more local traditions. 

At the end of the day, we transfer to our guesthouse in Goroka town run by the local doctor, Ken, and his wife, Lisa. We have been staying here since 2016; it is our haven in the town, five minutes’ walk from supermarkets and banks, and less than 10 minutes' walk from the showgrounds. 

VIP access to the spectacular Highlands Cultural Festival. Up to 150 tribal groups attend to show off their traditional finery in a riot of colour and sound. Tens of thousands of locals come to watch. It is an unforgettable experience. We can take photos and videos freely all day.

VIP access to the spectacular Highlands Cultural Festival. Up to 150 tribal groups attend to show off their traditional finery in a riot of colour and sound. Tens of thousands of locals come to watch. It is an unforgettable experience. We can take photos and videos freely all day.

In the morning we drive 30 minutes to Mount Akameku to see the coffee plantation and see a private sing-sing performed by the Akameku people.  We then drive 40 minutes to Gurunoka for another private sing-sing with the Nupaha tribe.  Return to Goroka for the last night. 

Morning flight back to Port Moresby, ETA 11 AM. You can book an international flight from 3 PM, or ask to add on a night in Port Moresby as a safety buffer. A room at the Crown costs approximately $160 USD with breakfast and transfers.