There are very few travel experiences I’d describe as genuinely unlike anything else. Papua New Guinea’s tribal festivals are one of them.
I was fortunate enough to attend the Mount Hagen Festival – a vibrant gathering of PNG’s tribes performing traditional sing-sings (ceremonial dances) over several days in a competition to be named the best performers of the year. I also got to spend time staying with several tribes in the northern part of the country. It remains one of the most extraordinary things I’ve ever done, and if you’re considering going, you absolutely should.
The two main festivals are:
Mount Hagen Festival – held annually in August in the Western Highlands. The larger and more well-known of the two.
Goroka Show – held in September in the Eastern Highlands. Slightly smaller but equally spectacular.
Both are worth going to. Both sell out. Book well in advance. Increasingly more tour companies are offering this trip. I went with Wander Expeditions and had a really great experience.
What makes PNG’s tribal festivals worth travelling for?
The authenticity is real
My favourite thing about the Mount Hagen Festival is that it isn’t primarily about entertaining tourists. There were a handful of tourist groups there – ours included – but that wasn’t really the point. This is a genuine celebration of cultural heritage: an opportunity for tribal groups, now largely modernised in day-to-day life, to come together and honour traditions that were still practiced one or two generations ago and remain very much alive for special occasions in villages today.
The face and body painting are extraordinary up close. The sing-sings are genuinely mesmerising. And the energy of the whole thing – with hundreds of performers, drums, feathers, ochre and ash – is something photographs don’t fully capture (I tried anyway).
It still feels raw
Papua New Guinea isn’t a tourist hotspot, and that shows in the best possible way. Staying with local tribes isn’t heavily commercialised yet. Yes, there’s an element of performance to it – the people of PNG don’t cover themselves in body paint every morning, obviously – but this isn’t a polished show put on for visitors. It’s something that’s still fresh in cultural memory, still genuinely meaningful. You can honestly feel the difference.
The tribal history will surprise you
One of the most unexpectedly fascinating parts of the whole trip was learning about the different tribes. What they did, why, and how those traditions developed.
The Dusk Shakers, for example, have a tradition where widowers mark the end of their mourning period by shaking ashes from their heads and removing bamboo rods from their noses.
The Skeleton Tribe developed whole-body painting specifically to terrify rival tribes in battle.
The Insect Hunters use smoke to attract insects, and then eat them.
The Asaro Mudmen wore large white clay masks and cover their bodies in white clay to convince enemies they. wereghosts.
The Asaro people also performed a Moko Moko victory dance, involving a lot of… hip shaking.
Every tribe has a story, and understanding those stories adds an entirely different layer to watching them perform.
PNG is nothing like you’d expect
I went in expecting similarities with Indonesia, given the two countries share the island of New Guinea. I couldn’t have been more wrong. The language, the food, the culture, the character of the people – it was completely different. PNG has its own utterly distinct identity that doesn’t map neatly onto anywhere else in the Pacific or Southeast Asia. The betel nut chewing alone will catch you off guard. Red stains on every pavement, people of all ages partaking, it’s woven into daily life in a way that’s hard to convey.
How to visit a PNG tribal festival
There are several things you need to think through, including dates, logistics, festival access, and more.
Book through a reputable operator
This is not a trip to organise independently. Well… you can, but the logistic, the hassle of festival tickets, and some safety concerns in the Highlands make it honestly not worth it. I went through Wander Expeditions, who work with a local fixer and handle all transport, tribal visits, and logistics on the ground. Having that local knowledge and established relationships with the tribes makes an enormous difference, both in terms of what you get to see and how smoothly the whole thing runs. A local operator will also secure your festival tickets for you.
When to go
Mount Hagen Cultural Show: August annually
Goroka Show: September annually
Both are multi-day events. Most tour packages run for around a week including a day in Port Moresby, the festival, and tribal village stays. On the village stays – I’d highly recommend building these in – the festival itself is extraordinary but the village time is what makes the trip genuinely immersive. It’s here that you learn more about each tribe and the history – the festival is much more photos and dancing.
Getting there
Fly into Port Moresby (POM), the main international hub. You can then take a domestic flight to Mount Hagen or Goroka depending on your festival. Air Niugini and PNG Air operate both routes. Honestly though, domestic schedules can change at short notice. Our flight to Mount Hagen – the last of the day – was cancelled 3 hours after it was supposed to take off. only through tough conversations with the Air Niugini staff were we ablet so build buffer time into your itinerary.
Where to stay
Accommodation in Mount Hagen is basic but functional. Your tour operator will usually handle this as part of the package, but if not:
McRoyal Hotel – we stayed here. Rooms were nice, views were incredible, food was decent. They took security seriously, there were iron gates and gate security at night. This one is close to the Festival grounds (and to the airport) which is what you want for convenience.
Highlander Hotel – recommended by other travellers. Has a nice modern vibe, pools, decent rooms. It’s in town though, so you’d be looking at a 15 min drive to the festival (more with traffic).
For staying with tribes around the highlands, it really is recommend to arrange this through a local tour company. They accommodations are not easy to get to, and you often have to make arrangements for food provisions, water etc to be brought for you, as well as arranging for the tribal shows/demonstrations at the lodges. Our local agency was Buna Treks and Tours who did all of this for us, including the transport and local negotiations.
If you’re spending time in Port Moresby at either end, a handful of mid-range and business hotels are available.
The Crowne Hotel – we stayed here after returning from the highlands, for the convenience of being in the city and having options. Super central, really nice rooms, great restaurant – especially the seafood. Spending an afternoon by the pool after a week with tribes was a great way to relax. There are also several restaurants and bars nearby, as well as a spa around the corner.
The Hilton, as ever, is one of the better chain options in Port Moresby. It has really reasonable prices but is outside of the city in a more industrial area (where you’ll find other chains too). Good option if you want to stay near the airport and/or your tour is doing the transport around the city for you.
Airways Hotel – we stayed here courtesy of (a very reluctant) Air Niugini when our Mount Hagen flight was cancelled. It’s really near the airport and has a shuttle, plus rooms are nice, there’s a pool, restaurant on-site is varied. The model plane outside is a nice touch. Stay here if you want a convenient airport hotel.
Using PNG as a Pacific jumping-off point
Port Moresby is one of the better-connected hubs in the Pacific (comparatively….), with Air Niugini flying to Fiji, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and Australia. If you have flexibility in your schedule, PNG makes a natural jumping-off point for a broader Pacific trip.
Direct flights connect Port Moresby to Honiara (Solomon Islands) – read my honest guide to visiting Solomon Islands for what to expect there. From Honiara, Vanuatu is another short hop – see my Vanuatu guide for everything you need to know about Efate. And from there, you can head to Fiji, and the Pacific is your oyster!
For the full picture on Pacific island hopping, my Oceania destination guides cover every country I’ve visited in the region. You should also be mindful of flight complexities in this region – check out my guide on Pacific airlines for more.
FAQ
When is the Mount Hagen Festival? The Mount Hagen Cultural Show takes place annually in August. The Goroka Show is held in September. Both sell out – book as early as possible.
Is Papua New Guinea suitable for solo travellers? Visiting the festivals as part of an organised group tour is strongly recommended regardless of whether you’re travelling solo or not. A reputable operator with local knowledge makes the experience significantly richer and more comfortable. You could do Port Moresby solo, but take a tour guide as the city’s reputation for safety is not the bet. Don’t try the highlands alone, for logistics and safety concerns.
How long should I spend in Papua New Guinea? A week is a good baseline, and I say that as a fast traveller. A day in Port Moresby, two to three days for the festival itself plus time for tribal village stays. Add extra days if you want to explore beyond the Highlands.
Where should I go after Papua New Guinea? Direct flights from Port Moresby connect to Solomon Islands (and indirectly Vanuatu from there) both worth adding to a Pacific itinerary. Read my Solomon Islands guide and Vanuatu guide for what each is actually like.
What should I pack for PNG? Light, breathable clothing for the Highlands (it can be surprisingly cool at altitude). Good walking shoes. A rain layer. And a camera for getting the best shorts at the festival – though be respectful and ask before photographing performers up close.
