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One minute you’re winding along the Highlands Highway, ears popping as you climb into cooler air, and the next you’re staring down into a valley crowded with sweet potato gardens, smoke curling up from a dozen villages, and a wall of mist-wrapped peaks. These are the “Highlands” of Papua New Guinea and they are the most popular destination for travelers.
With good reason.
While I personally preferred the scarification ceremonies of Sepik River, the Highlands have all the hiking, dramatic hillside landscapes, and most importantly iconic tribal culture that brings people to PNG in the first place. The weather is also quite nice too.
This guide will help you travel the Highlands without the help of a guided tour, it also provides our tried and true itinerary for backpacking the Highlands and helps you better understand how travel in PNG works as well as the cost.
Can You Independently Travel in Papua New Guinea?
Definetly. Will it be easy? Absolutely not.
This isn’t a place for “first-time travelers” to visit in general, and independent travel in Papua New Guinea is super rare. This is because the lack of infrastructure makes it quite challenging to get around on your own.
Read More: What Traveling Independently in Papua New Guinea is Actually Like.
Basic PNG Highlands Travel Info: When to Go + Why
Let’s cover some basic details about traveling in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea.
- When to Go: Dry season, which is May-September.
- How Long to Go: Less than 4 days? Not worth it. If traveling 100% indepenently, I would give it 7+.
- Weather: While daytime temps were still quite warm, I was comfortable in a long-sleeve + pants each day. Definitely bring layers if you plan to do any serious high-elevation hikes.
- Packing List: Here’s my Papua New Guinea packing list.
Now, exactly what kind of person would like visiting the Highlands? Why go in the first place? The Highlands offer the highest density of tribe encounters in PNG as well as scenic hiking and the opportunity to experience some genuine village life. If you want to photograph the tribes and see the unique cultures…this is the destination for you.
If you’re a little put off by paying for tribal performances and want to visit somewhere else in the country less focused on various tribal attire/practices, check out these guides.
Your Guide to Visiting New Ireland, Papua New Guinea
Visit the Sepik River and Papua New Guinea’s Crocodile Men
Why The Highlands Are the Most “Backpacker-Friendly” Destination in Papua New Guinea
When people ask me if you can travel to Papua New Guinea independently, I always direct them to the Highlands for a few reasons.
1. It’s the only region with real road access.
The Highlands Highway connects the major towns (Mount Hagen, Goroka, Lae, and Madang), meaning you can move between them by PMV or shared vehicle instead of relying on expensive, infrequent flights or private transfer which are freakishly expensive.
2. It’s the cheapest region to travel.
Road access means cheaper transport, more budget guesthouses, and market food readily available. You also have the most say over the cost here since you can simply choose to visit less (or more) tribes depending on your budget.
3. It has the most (relatively) established tourism infrastructure
Between Mount Hagen and Goroka, there’s a cluster of hotels, lodges, and guesthouses. Nowhere close to a backpacker circuit in the Southeast Asia sense, but enough that you’re not entirely reliant on informal arrangements the way you are in Sepik. Locals are also a little more used to tourists here.
4. The cultural festivals can make your trip even easier and shorter.
The Mount Hagen Show and Goroka Show run for two days each every August + September. Attending these saves you loads of money if you wanted to visit many of the tribes AND condenses you’re trip so you don’t have to stick around for a week.
Your 9-Day Papua New Guinea Highlands Itinerary
This is my recommended Highlands route for budget-travelers who want to get a taste of tribal culture in Papua New Guinea. The entire route can be traveled by PMV. You can use this itinerary as an outline for your guide, or you can just do it yourself using guides at the places you stay.
There’s also quite a lot of downtime baked into this itinerary so you don’t get yourself in a tight spot relying on public transport AND so you can explore the villages and have your own little adventures.
Before you go, read this blog post on which tribes I think are worth visiting.
Day 1: Flight into Mount Hagen, Optional Drive to Wii Towai
Mount Hagen is the furthest west the average traveler will go in the Highlands. Which makes it an excellent starting point for your route. Upon arrival, you should hit the local grocery store for supplies so you aren’t reliant on the accommodation’s meals, then head to the bus station to wait for your PMV. Unless you arrive in Mount Hagen mid-day or afternoon, there is no reason to stay in the town itself. If for some reason you couldn’t catch the morning flight, the most affordable place to stay is Shalom Mission Home for around $50 per night.
Your first destination is a small village called Mingende, and it’s about 3-5 hours away from Mount Hagen depending on road conditions and if the PMV is moving at a quick pace or making a lot of stops. The PMV usually costs under $20 per person (for foreigners).
Read More: How to book domestic flights in Papua New Guinea
Before you get to Mingende, this is the most “remote” region on this itinerary, and there are ZERO hotels listed online or with bookable owners on Google; you must contact my local guide to help set you up with affordable lodging. Lodging can be as little as $25-$75 per room when arranged locally.
Mindema Guide Nicholas: +675 7194 3451
Day 2: Wii Towai Tribes and Stunning Hikes
Assuming you have either slept here already OR are arriving in the late-morning hours via PMV, you can begin to enjoy the stunning scenery of this small village area. There are a few different things you can do here depending on your interests.
- Scenic hillside treks.
- Visit the Wii Towai Spirit Birds
- See the Frog Hunters of Wii Towai
Each of the tribes you visit will cost 350 kina in this region for you/your group. This is about $78 for each. To cut costs, you can reduce the number of tribal visits. You will arrange this with Nicholas as well.
Day 3: Another Night in Wii Towai
This is essentially a buffer day. But if you’re traveling all the way to the Highlands, you’re going to want to get to know the villages and do some hikes while you’re here. The scenery is really breathtaking, and the village here is laid-back. We were rarely approached with things to buy. Giving yourself these extra days lets you actually hang out in the village for a bit (and leaves room for your long PMV on day 1 or 2 to go wrong).
Day 4: Mindima (Skeleton Village)
Mindima is very close to the Wii Towai waterfall village by PMV. In fact, traveling along the highway will only take about 30 minutes once you nab a ride. Nicholas can always help you if you need assistance. This ride should only cost you about $3 (or less). The reason prices aren’t set in stone is that it’s up to each PMV driver to decide their costs, and they will usually charge foreigners a little more.
I recommend staying in my guide Kawage’s new property, which is right in the Mindima Village where the Skeleton Tribe lives.
Kawage: +675 7446 3025
You can easily walk to his accommodation from the main road where the PMV drops you off. Just follow the Google Map directions for “Skeleton Tribe Ecolodge.” His property is here. The cost of a room is $75 per night for a double, which is by far the best price in the region.
Day 5: Mindima Tribes and Birds of Paradise
Let’s take a look at all the things you can do during your two-night stay in Skeleton. You’ll likely do a few of these things when you arrive and a few today. Or you can just choose one and enjoy the scenery.
- Short walk to see the Birds of Paradise that reside nearby.
- Kundai Pia “Dust Shakers” (400 kina)
- The Insect Hunters of Mindima. (400 kina)
- The Skeleton Tribe. (500 kina)
- Shop for cool local crafts at the small roadside market.
Day 6: Asaro
The town of Asaro has, by far, the most options when it comes to tribes and accommodation, and it sits quite close to the domestic airport town of Goroka. From here, you can embark on all sorts of activities or simply enjoy the really scenic lodges tucked into the communities. This is why I recommend you spend the most time here of all the villages.
Cafii: +675 7008 3090
The PMV ride to Asaro is also very straightforward. It takes about 2-3 hours, though, passing over some really pretty highland passes. Because this PMV can take quite a long time, I suggest arranging 3 nights in Asaro.
Cafii has a lovely lodge, again right in the heart of the village, and it’s 100% locally-owned. He and his wife run it, and it’s a great place to stay. You can book it per night with him for 450 kina for a double or 300 kina for a single, but he also offers package deals, which I’ll get to momentarily, as he has his own bus as well.
Day 7: Asaro Mudmen + Trekking
Let’s talk about Asaro and its attractions. Performances in Asaro will all be around 400 kina each.
- Moko Moko Victory Dance
- Asaro Mud-Men
- Yangpela Asaro Mudboys
- Widow ceremony
- Burning Heads
- Fire-making demonstrations and Mask-making demonstrations
- Gimisave Arunumuna Tribe Women Group
- Bena Tribe’s Neheya Initiation
- Sunrise/sunset hike up the hillside for panoramic views
Day 8: Final day in Asaro
The final day to do more of the tribal activities or explore the region. There are lots of villages here to wander to.
If your flight from Goroka to Port Moresby is early in the morning tomorrow, you should transfer to Goroka by PMV this afternoon. While the PMV ride is only about 30 minutes to the airport area, PMVs are too unreliable timing-wise to warrant an airport transfer. The cheapest Goroka place to stay is Bendam Lodge ($50 per night), but you’ll have to book directly with the owner at veronicamerimba@gmail.com, phone +675 7336 5772. She also offers free airport drop-off.
The other option would be to hire Caffi’s bus to transport you for about $30 to guarantee you reach the airport on time. You’ll need to arrange this with him in advance.
Day 9: Fly out of Goroka
Goroka is well connected to Port Moresby by both airlines. Today, you can leave the Highlands.
If you have more time…
I would venture further east all the way to Lae or up around the coastline to Madang. This route offers lots more WWII history and some stunning islands as well as different scenery.
Read More: My 1-week, 2-week, and 3-week PNG itineraries.
If you have less time…
You have two options (unless it’s festival season, which I’ll cover below).
- Cut Mount Hagen entirely. Fly into and out of Goroka, stay only in Asaro and Mindima. You could cut your trip nearly in half and stay as few as 5-6 days still traveling independently.
- Arrange a package deal with Cafii. I’ve worked with Cafii to create a quick package deal that covers 5-6 days in the Highlands including accommodation, meals, and transport on his bus + 6 tribe visits (of your choosing) for $1,900 (8,500 kina) for a solo traveler. Additional people can be added on for a discounted rate of 2,000 kina per person. While this is more expensive, it’s a great deal for a package tour and takes away all the extra effort required of arranging your own transport.
The reason Cafii is able to orchestrate these deals is that not only is he a guide, but he owns a bus and a small hotel, which means he can set the prices a little easier than others.
Festival Season Itinerary
The other option for a short and affordable trip is to visit during the Goroka Show or Mount Hagen Show. For about $80 (the cost of one tribe visit), you can secure a ticket to the 2-day event in Goroka (or Mount Hagen) and then see ALL the tribes in their full regalia. This means even if you want to visit Asaro additionally, you would only need 4-5 days total in the Highland region.
Important Note on Hotels During the Shows: When festival time comes in August (Mount Hagen) and September (Goroka), hotel prices spike HUGELY during the 2-day event. There are only a few hotels in each town and loads of tourists quickly fill them. You’ll need reservations ahead of time (way ahead), and you should also confirm your reservation directly with the property a few days in advance, as a lot of people have reported the hotel just giving away their room because of double booking.
Quick Logistics for Independent Travel in the Highlands
Let’s go over a few vital pieces of information you’ll need to travel in the Highlands without getting stranded on the side of the road.
- ATMs are only in Mount Hagen and Goroka. You will need cash for ALL payments in the Highlands so be sure to pull out enough.
- You need to contact guides ahead of time. Or at the very least lodging in all destinations. Walking up to “hotels” does not work in the Highlands because they are tucked into local villages and there’s no front desk just waiting around for you. They open when you contact them and arrive.
- To catch the PMV, you’ll go to the mainroad (the Highlands Highway) and hail a ride. Kinda like hitch-hiking.
- There are no formal grocery stores outside of Mount Hagen and Goroka. Do your shopping there if you plan to cook your own meals. You can get simple veggies and roadside things from small vendors on the highway.
- If you rely on lodging food, expect eggs/toast for breakfast and chicken/rice for dinner. It’s tasty just pricier for what you get.
- Internet connectivity is quite good in the Highlands. This is one of the reasons that using the PMVs is so simple. Just make sure you get your SIM sorted in Port Moresby before you get here.
Safety in the Highlands
I’m not going to remake the wheel. If you’re concerned about safety read these guides to answer all your questions.
How to Visit Papua New Guinea WITHOUT a Tour
Papua New Guinea Travel Tips: Planning Your Perfect Trip
Is Papua New Guinea Safe to Travel?
How Much Does A Trip to the Highlands Cost?
If you’re using my guides, then the MOST your trip to the Highlands should cost is 10,500 kina for two people, 8,500 kina for one.
If you’ve decided to follow the itinerary above independently, then you will pay about $1,000 not including food (which you can shop for yourselves) and however many tribes you want to visit at $75-$100 a piece. The average 9-day trip even done on a budget like above is going to run you about $1,600 for two people.
Obviously, you’ll also have to factor in domestic flight costs for reaching the Highlands from Port Moresby.
Want a More Inclusive Highlands Tour With ALL the Tribes Included?
Cafii charges $3,200 all-inclusive (food, transport, all the tribes, different demostrations, guide fees, accommodation, you name it) for this trip.
If you aren’t traveling alone and want to add people, it’s an additional $750 (usually, you’ll need to arrange this in particular with him) per person. This is the single most affordable trip to the Highlands on the market. I know because we asked dozens of different operators and guides before our trip.
For a more “photography-focused tour” you can check out my list of the best groups tours in PNG, but they aren’t as cost effective as this one. Some go to different regions of Papua New Guinea, like Sepik River which happens to be my favorite destination in PNG.
Save Papua New Guinea Highlands Itinerary For Later!
