When is the best time to go to Papua New Guinea?

When is the best time to go to Papua New Guinea? Here's some information to help you in your decision:

  • In July, the weather is good across more than 16% of the territory of Papua New Guinea
  • The best months to go to Port Moresby are June, July, August and September
  • On average, it is hot all year round in Port Moresby
  • The rainiest months in this city are January, February and March
  • Alotau is the city with the best climate, with good weather 8 months a year
  • The best months for swimming in Port Moresby are January, February, March, April, May, June, July, October, November and December


Where and when to go based on the weather?

Highlands Region of Papua New Guinea
Goroka, Mendi, Wabag...

All year round
20°C to 25°C°C
14 to 30 days

Islands
Rabaul, Kavieng, Kimbe...

July, August, September, October and November
28°C to 31°C°C
14 to 28 days
29°C to 31°C
January, February, March, April, May, June and December
29°C to 31°C°C
15 to 27 days
30°C to 31°C

Momase Region
Madang, Lae, Vanimo...

May, June, July, August, September, October and November
26°C to 31°C°C
11 to 24 days
28°C to 30°C
January, February, March, April and December
28°C to 30°C°C
15 to 26 days
29°C to 31°C

South of Papua New Guinea
Port Moresby, Kiunga, Daru...

June, July and August
23°C to 30°C°C
6 to 20 days
26°C to 28°C
January, February, March, April, May, September, October, November and December
24°C to 32°C°C
7 to 28 days
26°C to 30°C

Best time to travel to Papua New Guinea by cities

Chargement en cours
Highlands Region Highlands Region Islands Islands Momase Region Momase Region South South

See full list of cities


Temperatures and rainfall in Papua New Guinea

On these 3 graphs, we present the evolution of temperatures of Papua New Guinea and month-by-month rainfall for the cities of Port Moresby, Madang, Lae, Goroka and Kavieng, as well as the month-by-month sea temperature for coastal cities.


Peak visitor numbers and tourist seasons in Papua New Guinea

Find out when Papua New Guinea has its high tourist season (the period when the influx of tourists is highest) and off-peak tourist season using our data and figures.

Tourist seasons in Papua New Guinea

The months with low numbers of tourists are: January, February, March, April and May. The number of visitors to Papua New Guinea is high in: June, July, August, September, October, November and December.

  • Very low season in Papua New Guinea: February, April and May.
  • Low season in Papua New Guinea: January and March.
  • High season in Papua New Guinea: June.
  • Peak season in Papua New Guinea: July, August, September, October, November and December.

Figure: Visitor index for Papua New Guinea month by month



Average price for flights to Papua New Guinea

A return flight between Sydney and Port Moresby is generally cheaper if you go in may ($ 607 on average): this is the best time for travellers on a tight budget. In contrast, you may end up paying $ 125 more for your airline ticket to Port Moresby if you go in december.

Find the best price for your flight Flight prices to Papua New Guinea



Where to go in Papua New Guinea?

This table allows you to see the maximum temperature for each city and our opinion on the weather month by month (see colour legend below the table).

Cities jan.feb.mar.apr.mayjun.jul.aug.sep.oct.nov.dec.
Port Moresby31°C31°C30°C30°C30°C29°C29°C29°C29°C30°C31°C31°C
Madang30°C30°C30°C30°C31°C31°C31°C31°C31°C31°C31°C30°C
Lae29°C29°C29°C28°C27°C26°C26°C26°C26°C28°C28°C29°C
Goroka25°C25°C24°C24°C25°C24°C23°C24°C24°C25°C25°C25°C
Kavieng30°C30°C30°C30°C30°C30°C29°C29°C30°C30°C30°C30°C
Kiunga32°C32°C32°C32°C31°C30°C29°C30°C31°C32°C32°C32°C
Rabaul29°C29°C29°C29°C30°C30°C29°C29°C29°C30°C29°C29°C
Aitape28°C28°C28°C28°C28°C28°C28°C28°C28°C29°C29°C28°C
Alotau30°C30°C30°C29°C28°C27°C27°C27°C27°C28°C29°C30°C
Ambunti30°C30°C30°C30°C31°C30°C30°C30°C30°C30°C30°C30°C
Arawa30°C30°C30°C30°C30°C29°C29°C28°C29°C30°C30°C30°C
Daru31°C31°C31°C30°C29°C27°C27°C27°C28°C29°C30°C31°C
Kerema25°C25°C25°C25°C25°C24°C23°C23°C24°C25°C25°C25°C
Kimbe29°C29°C29°C30°C31°C30°C30°C30°C30°C31°C31°C30°C
Lorengau30°C30°C30°C30°C31°C31°C31°C31°C31°C31°C31°C30°C
Mendi21°C21°C21°C21°C21°C20°C20°C20°C21°C21°C21°C21°C
Popondetta30°C30°C30°C30°C30°C30°C30°C30°C30°C30°C30°C30°C
Vanimo29°C29°C29°C29°C30°C30°C29°C30°C30°C30°C30°C29°C
Wabag21°C21°C21°C21°C22°C21°C21°C21°C21°C21°C21°C21°C
Wewak30°C30°C30°C30°C31°C30°C30°C30°C30°C30°C30°C30°C

Legend:

good weather

tolerable weather

bad weather

very bad weather


About Papua New Guinea

What can I do in Papua New Guinea?

Beaches / swimming

Nature and countryside

Culture and heritage

Sports

Family travel

Crafts / shopping

Gastronomy

Nightlife



Is this weather information for Papua New Guinea reliable?

Climate data for Papua New Guinea has been gathered every day since January 2009. The analysis of these meteorological data for Papua New Guinea allows us to determine the average for each month in Port Moresby, Madang, Lae, Goroka, Kavieng, Kiunga, Rabaul, Aitape, and 12 other cities.

So yes: this data is reliable except in cases of temporary climate disruption in the region.

Change units