Cheap flights to Port Moresby

Quick summary

Why track Port Moresby with SniperAir

You do not need to compare prices every day

Port Moresby is the capital of Papua New Guinea, on the Coral Sea coast. Wikivoyage (EN) calls it the gateway to the country: almost every international visitor passes through it, often on the way to the Highlands, the Kokoda Track or the islands. SniperAir tracks flight prices to POM and alerts you; it does not sell or book tickets.

This page is about the city itself: arriving, what to see in a layover or a few days, and how to get around. Port Moresby is not a city of old streets to wander. It began as a colonial trading post, became the capital at independence in 1975, and is spread across harbour, hillsides and the government district of Waigani according to Wikipedia (EN) and Wikivoyage (EN).

A general reminder: official travel advice differs by country of departure and can change, so read your own government's advice before setting an alert and again before booking. For the country as a whole, see our Papua New Guinea page.

Airport and getting into town

POM, Jacksons International, about 8 km from the centre

Transfer times and fares differ by source and season, so we publish none. The safest approach, as Wikivoyage (EN) advises, is to ask your accommodation to arrange the airport pick-up.

To go further, you will almost always fly again: the national road network does not link the main towns according to Wikipedia (EN), and many domestic flights leave from Port Moresby. Leave a generous margin between an international arrival and a domestic connection, because the terminals are separate.

For your alerts, you can also compare a connection through a large Australian city, a near neighbour, since the result can differ from a direct flight. No prices are quoted here.

Landmarks and sights

Bay, beaches, stilt villages and hills: the look of the city

Port Moresby is best seen from the Coral Sea. Four photos illustrate the city; the other places are described in text.

The harbour buildings at sunset

The city first grew on the peninsula between the harbour and the hills, with the business district by the water and homes on the higher ground according to Wikivoyage (EN). Captain John Moresby gave the site its name in 1873, after his father, Admiral Sir Fairfax Moresby, according to Wikipedia (EN, FR, ES).

The shoreline and its beach

This view shows the urban shoreline, with a sandy beach and buildings on the hill. The best-known public beach is Ela Beach, about a kilometre of white sand with a boardwalk and sports courts according to Wikipedia (EN). Wikipedia (FR, ES) places the annual Hiri Moale festival there, recalling the trading voyages of the Motu people.

A clifftop road at dusk

The hill-lined bay explains how spread out the city is: the business district sits near the port, while Waigani, closer to the airport, was built in the 1970s for the institutions of the newly independent state according to Wikivoyage (EN) and Wikipedia (FR). Walking between districts is not recommended according to Wikipedia (EN), so people travel by arranged transport.

A village on stilts

Motu villages built on stilts above the water are a feature of this coast, and Hanuabada, inside the city, is the best-known example according to Wikipedia (FR, EN). These are living communities: ask your accommodation for advice before visiting and be respectful of residents.

Other landmarks: the National Parliament at Waigani, whose design draws on a spirit house from the Sepik region according to Wikipedia (EN, FR) and Wikivoyage (EN, DE); Touaguba Hill, with a view over the centre and the sea according to Wikivoyage (EN); and Bomana War Cemetery north of the city, where Commonwealth servicemen lie according to Wikivoyage (EN). We give no opening hours, which change.

Museums and culture

National museum, nature park and war memory

National Museum and Art Gallery

At Waigani, beside Parliament, the Papua New Guinea National Museum and Art Gallery shows sculpture, beads, canoes and cultural objects according to Wikivoyage (EN); Wikipedia (FR) also mentions relics of the Second World War. The institution traces back to a collecting programme begun in 1889 according to Wikipedia (EN). Check opening hours and photography rules before going: we give no prices.

Port Moresby Nature Park

This park of about 30 acres, formerly the national botanical gardens, is home to more than 550 animals according to Wikipedia (EN), including birds of paradise, cassowaries, tree-kangaroos and crocodiles. Wikivoyage (EN) calls it a must-see and points to the neighbouring orchid garden. Hours and fees change, so ask before you go.

National Parliament

Opened in 1984 according to Wikipedia (EN, ES), the building blends a traditional design based on a spirit house with modern construction according to Wikipedia (ES). Wikivoyage (DE) says visits are possible on weekdays at fixed times: confirm them before coming.

Bomana War Cemetery

This Commonwealth cemetery recalls the city's wartime role as the last Allied base before Australia according to Wikipedia (FR, EN, ES); the Battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942 stopped the Japanese seaborne invasion according to Wikipedia (FR, ES). It is a place of remembrance, so behave with reserve.

Food and drink

A national cuisine: mumu, sweet potato, seafood and coffee

The food of the country

Staples are root crops, bananas and sago, with dishes cooked in coconut cream according to Wikipedia (EN). The mumu, an earth oven heated with stones, is still a common way to cook large quantities of food according to Wikipedia (EN); on the coast, fish and seafood are important. We name no restaurant, because places open and close.

Markets and casual eating

The Koki market is known for fresh produce according to Wikipedia (EN). Wikivoyage (DE) mentions small cheap eateries, the kai bars, serving fried food. For a sit-down meal, hotels and restaurants in residential districts are the simplest choice according to Wikivoyage (EN).

Drinks

Local lager is the most common drink according to Wikivoyage (EN, ES). Papua New Guinea coffee, grown mostly in the Highlands, is widely drunk according to Wikipedia (EN).

An old exchange

Before colonisation the Motu traded pottery for sago on the hiri voyages according to Wikipedia (FR, ES), and the Hiri Moale festival keeps the memory alive every year.

Getting around

Minibuses, arranged taxis and flights to the rest of the country

PMV minibuses

Residents use minibuses on numbered routes, known as PMVs according to Wikivoyage (EN, DE). They are cheap, but some are overloaded, and a first-time visitor should ask locally for advice.

Taxis and hotel transport

Taxis mostly run without meters, so agree the fare before getting in according to Wikivoyage (EN, DE). Wikivoyage (EN) recommends having your hotel call a trusted driver and keeping his number for later trips.

On foot and by car

Walking between districts is not recommended according to Wikipedia (EN) and Wikivoyage (EN). Driving takes experience: outside the city roads can deteriorate, and a 4x4 is recommended for the surroundings according to Wikivoyage (EN).

To the rest of the country

No national highway links all the main towns, so most travel is by air according to Wikipedia (EN). Lae and Madang, for example, have no direct road link with the capital.

Budget and precautions

Price level and precautions

Price level

According to Wikivoyage (EN, DE), hotels are generally expensive for the quality offered. We give no range, because we lack two independent, current sources. The currency is the kina (PGK).

Flights and alerts

SniperAir tracks prices to POM and compares them with the route's history, but it does not sell or book tickets. If your journey goes through Australia, you can also watch flights to a large Australian city and compare.

Safety

Port Moresby has a reputation for worrying levels of crime according to Wikipedia (EN, ES) and Wikivoyage (EN, DE). Official travel advice varies by country of departure and changes, so read your own government's advice before booking and again before leaving. Travellers usually arrange transport through their accommodation or local guides, avoid walking alone and do not travel at night; keep valuables out of sight.

Entry rules

Entry requirements for Papua New Guinea depend on your nationality: check official websites before buying a ticket.

When to go

A tropical savanna climate, drier than the rest of the island

Port Moresby has a tropical savanna climate (Aw) according to Wikipedia (EN, FR), with warm temperatures all year. Sheltered by the inland mountains and the south-east trade winds, the city is drier than the centre of the island according to Wikipedia (EN, FR, DE). We publish no annual rainfall total, because sources disagree (from 900 to 1,250 mm). To choose your dates, tracking prices early helps you compare several periods.

By length of stay

What to do in Port Moresby depending on the length of your stay

In pictures

Port Moresby in pictures

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions about flights to Port Moresby