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Voykit pocket guide · Papua New Guinea
Port Moresby
Port Moresby is a connection city, not a walking city: arrange a hotel or operator car for every leg, do the museum and one market by day with a driver, keep evenings inside the hotel — and read your own government's travel advice before you book.
Port Moresby has serious crime, including armed robbery and carjacking, and governments advise care or, for some areas, against travel. The sights are simple and spread out, the pavements are poor and taxis should not be hailed. The safe pattern is a booked driver or hotel car door to door, daylight only, and no valuables on show. Four clusters cover a first visit; most visitors are here to connect to a flight or a lodge elsewhere.
- Country
- Papua New Guinea
- Best months
- May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct
- Time zone
- Pacific/Port_Moresby
- Stay
- 1 days: Museum and Parliament by car, back to the hotel before dusk
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- PGK
- Money
- Papua New Guinea kina (K), 100 toea. Cards work at larger hotels, malls and some restaurants; carry small notes for stalls and tips. Take cash from an ATM inside a hotel or bank in daylight, never on the street.
- Daily spend
- Budget K 250–450 excl. bed · Mid K 450–1,000 excl. bed · High K 1,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Digicel has the widest coverage; Vodafone and other carriers also sell SIMs. Buy at the airport or a branded shop with your passport (check current offers).
- Emergency
- Police 000 or 112 (check) · Ambulance Ask your hotel; response is slow (check) · Your hotel security desk Save it before you go out
- Plugs
- 240 V, 50 Hz; type I sockets (Australian style, two flat angled pins). Bring an Australian adapter.
- Tipping
- Not expected. A small tip for a driver or guide who has looked after you is welcome; check whether hotels add a service charge.
- Water
- Do not drink tap water: use bottled or hotel-filtered water and skip ice unless the hotel confirms its source.
- Toilets
- Hotels, the museum, malls and larger cafés. Public toilets are rare and not recommended.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee (café or hotel) | K 10–20 |
| Roast corn at a stall | K 2–6 |
| Beer (SP Lager), hotel bar | K 12–25 |
| Short hotel-car ride in town | K 40–100 |
| Airport hotel car | K 50–120 |
| Tourist SIM, about a week | K 30–100 |
| National Museum entry | K 0–20 (check) |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- Jacksons International Airport (POM)
- POM to your hotel: one pre-booked hotel or operator car, about 20–45 minutes — the risk is arriving without a ride, so do not go outside the terminal looking for one.
By rail and road
| Station | Serves | To the centre |
|---|---|---|
| Jacksons International Airport (POM) (Jacksons Airport) | Air Niugini and airlines to Australia, Asia and domestic flights to every province | Hotel car 15–30 min |
| Domestic terminal | Flights to the Highlands, the islands and the coast | Same transfer as international |
| Public motor vehicles (PMVs) (PMV minibuses) | City routes and highway to the Highlands | Not for visitors |
Typical fares
- Airport to Town by hotel car
- K 50–120, about 15–30 min
- Short hotel-car ride
- K 40–100
- Driver with car for a day
- K 400–800 (check)
Show 8 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Eat, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
There is no safe walking route between clusters and no public transport for visitors. Use your hotel car or a driver booked through the hotel or an operator, daylight only.
| How | Fare | Use for |
|---|---|---|
| Hotel car or booked driver | K 40–100 a ride; K 400–800 a day (check) | Every leg, door to door |
| Walking | Free | Inside a hotel compound or a site with guards |
| Street taxis | Varies | Nothing |
| PMV minibuses | Low | Locals only |
| Rental car | K 300–600 a day (check) | Not recommended for visitors |
Fares are estimates; check before you ride.
- Passes
- No pass. Agree the day rate with your hotel's driver, and pay after the ride.
- Late at night
- No rail. Do not hail taxis: ask the hotel to book the ride back before you go out.
See and do
01National Museum and Art GalleryNational Museum and Art Gallery
The best single look at the country's arts and cultures.
Hours: best Morning · Price: K 0–20 (check) · Time: 1–1.5 h · -9.4136, 147.1811
02Koki market
Fish, fruit and vegetables in a working market, with a guide.
Hours: best Early morning · Price: Free to browse · Time: 30–45 min · -9.4715, 147.1462
03Parliament HouseParliament House
A striking modern building with a spirit-house roofline.
Hours: best Morning · Price: Free · Time: 10–20 min · -9.4113, 147.1877
04Port Moresby Nature Park
Tree kangaroos, cassowaries and birds of paradise close up.
Hours: best Morning · Price: K 20–50 (check) · Time: 1–1.5 h · -9.4150, 147.1720
05Bomana War Cemetery
A quiet and moving Second World War memorial.
Hours: best Morning · Price: Free · Time: 30–45 min · -9.3950, 147.2050
06St Mary's Cathedral
A harbour-side church and a look at Sunday life.
Hours: best Morning · Price: Free · Time: 15–20 min · -9.4808, 147.1509
07Ela Beach and the bayEla Beach
The sea road and harbour view from the car.
Hours: best Late afternoon · Price: Free · Time: 15–20 min · -9.4775, 147.1620
08PNG coffee
Highland coffee is the best-known local product.
Hours: best Mid-morning · Price: K 10–20 · Time: 30–45 min · -9.4795, 147.1530
09Roast corn and fruit
A simple street snack with your driver beside you.
Hours: best Morning · Price: K 2–15 · Time: 15 min · -9.4713, 147.1465
10Hotel dinner
The safe, good way to end each day.
Hours: best Evening · Price: K 80–200 · Time: 1.5 h · -9.4790, 147.1500
Hours and prices are desk estimates (checked 2026-09); anything marked (check) is not confirmed. Coordinates open in any map app.
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Bomana War Cemetery | Hotel car or driver, about 30–45 min | Half day |
| Varirata National Park | Driver, about 1–1.5 h each way (check) | Full day |
| Loloata Island and Bootless Bay | Driver plus boat transfer (check) | Full day |
| Kokoda Track start at Owers' Corner | Operator vehicle, about 2–3 h each way (check) | Full day or multi-day trek |
Eat
| Where | What · area | Price | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Koki fruit and roast-corn stalls | Roast corn, fruit and coconut water · Koki | K 2–15 | Budget |
| Vision City food court | Food-court noodles, rice or grill · Vision City, Waigani | K 20–45 | Budget |
| PNG coffee cafés | Highland coffee and a light meal · Town and Waigani | K 25–60 | Mid-range |
| Hotel deli and bakery counters | Deli sandwich or salad · Hotels | K 30–70 | Mid-range |
| Royal Papua Yacht Club | Club lunch by the water · Town | K 50–110 | Mid-range |
| Hotel dining rooms in Town | Hotel restaurant seafood or grill · Town | K 80–200 | Splurge |
Per person, one dish or one meal, 2026 estimate. Hours change: check the day before, and eat where the hotel or your driver can take you.
Sleep
| Band | Price a night | Where | What |
|---|---|---|---|
| budget | K 300–500 | Waigani, Boroko | Guesthouses and small hotels |
| mid | K 600–1,000 | Town, Waigani | Business hotels |
| splurge | K 1,200–2,500+ | Town and the harbour | Upmarket hotels and serviced apartments |
Per room per night in kina, 2026 estimate.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Gudegoo-day |
| How are you? | Yu orait?yoo or-ite |
| Thank you | Tenkyuten-kyoo |
| How much is this? | Hamas long dispela?ha-mas long dis-pela |
| No meat, please | Nogat mit, plisno-gat meet plees |
| Please take me to this address | Plis kisim mi i go long dispela adrespleez kee-sim mee ee go long dis-pela ad-res |
| No problem | Nogat warino-gat wa-ree |
| Excuse me, sorry | Skiusskyoos |
| Help | Helpim mihelp-im mee |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greetings: Say gude or hello, smile and shake hands lightly; people expect a greeting before you ask for anything.
- Photos: Ask before photographing people; a small fee is sometimes expected. Do not photograph police, military or government buildings without permission.
- Betel nut: Chewing betel nut is common and red spit stains the ground; never spit it in hotels, vehicles or shops.
- Modest dress: Cover shoulders and knees, especially for women; beachwear is for hotel pools.
- Land and custom: Land and waters belong to families and clans; ask your guide before entering or photographing a village or beach.
- Church: Sunday is a church day: expect shops shut and quiet streets; dress neatly for services.
- Bargaining: Ask the price and pay what is fair; do not haggle hard.
Red lines
- Ask permission before photographing people, and expect to pay a small fee in some places.
- Do not photograph police, military or government buildings without permission.
- Betel nut is chewed widely: never spit it in hotels, shops or vehicles.
Scams and watch-outs
- Unbooked taxis and strangers offering a lift: use only a hotel car or a driver arranged through your hotel or operator.
- Street offers to change money or to sell betel nut, phones or 'guide' services: decline and keep walking to the car.
- Requests for a photo fee or a 'security' payment at a market or viewpoint: agree any fee with your driver or guide before you get out.
- Anyone who approaches your car at a junction: keep doors locked and windows up.
One and two days
1 day
A stopover between flights. Skip: Koki market and Bomana; they need another morning.
- 08:308:30 AMNational Museum by hotel car
- 10:3010:30 AMParliament House from the car
- 11:3011:30 AMCoffee at an AC café
- 12:3012:30 PMLunch at the hotel
- 14:002:00 PMRest; be back at the hotel before dusk
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- PNG Tourism Promotion Authority (official): www.papuanewguinea.travel/
- UK FCDO travel advice — Papua New Guinea: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/papua-new-guinea
- Wikivoyage — Port Moresby: en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Port_Moresby
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Port Moresby
Plis kisim mi i go long dispela adres
Please take me to this address
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Take me to
- National Museum and Art GalleryPapua New Guinea National Museum and Art Gallery
- Parliament HouseNational Parliament House (view from the car)
- Ela BeachEla Beach (look from the car, daylight)
- Police000 or 112 (check)
- AmbulanceAsk your hotel; response is slow (check)
- Your hotel security deskSave it before you go out
Most embassies and high commissions are in the capital; write your own embassy's 24-hour line below.
Confirm the fare with your hotel before you go, and keep the hotel's and your operator's numbers on your phone.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/port-moresby). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.