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Port Moresby Tours & Trips

Find the right tour for you through Port Moresby. We've got 21 adventures going to Port Moresby, starting from just 5 days in length, and the longest tour is 147 days. The most popular month to go is August, which has the largest number of tour departures.

21 Port Moresby tour packages with 17 reviews

• Hiking & Trekking
• Jungle Trekking

The Kokoda Track

Base Camp was an epic, challenging adventure - made all the better for our excellent guides: leader Hem, and assistant guides Mekh & Indra. Our safety and welfare was their #1 priority, and made sure we were looked after all the way! Spending time acclimatising, and enjoying the hospitality of the owners of the teahouses was a great experience. The scenery was just 'wow moment' every day, and we all made it to Base Camp with the exception of one (very important to train beforehand, as it is more likely you will make it the whole way) I would highly recommend Intrepid Travel for your Everest Base Camp trip!

• In-depth Cultural

Australian Led Kokoda

I recently trekked Kokoda with my daughter and a friend. After a lot of research I decided to go with No Roads. It turned out to be a very smart decision. Their advice in preparing for the trek was outstanding and as this was my 1st trek I was very inexperienced. Our guide Justin was simply amazing his knowledge on trekking and the history of Kokoda was truly remarkable. The porters were all very kind and caring I would recommend this company to anyone thinking of doing Kokoda. If you are thinking of trekking Kokoda, do it. It was the most inspirational and amazing experience

Papua New Guinea Sepik Explorer

• Festival & Events

Goroka Festival and Asaro Mudmen Day trip 5-night Tour - Bird of Paradise Hotel

Wonderful experience

Papua New Guinea Goroka Show and Kalam Cultural Festival

Was a mind opening... unforgettable experience

• Photography

Ultimate Photography Expedition in Papua New Guinea with David Kirkland

Bougainville & Siwai Cultural Show

• Kayak & Canoe

Tigak Sea Kayaking

• Intl. Flights Included

Crocodile Men, Birds of Paradise and Wig Warriors

• Flights included

Papua New Guinea Highlands Tribes Tour and Goroka Festival

Rabaul Mask Festival

The guides in Rabaul were utterly kind and helpful, a bit late but I reckon that's due to their local culture. Also, I would have appreciated some help from the organiser in Port Moresby airport to take the domestic flight to Rabaul. Anyway, I had a very good time in the mask festival and in Papua New Guinea with the fantastic people I met over there. Buena tuna! (Thank you in Tolai language).

Mount Hagen Festival & West New Britain

• Local Living

Goroka Festival, Madang & The Sepik River

Rabaul Mask Festival, Volcanic Chickens and the South Seas

Mount Hagen Festival in the Highlands

What people love about port moresby tours.

Base Camp was an epic, challenging adventure - made all the better for our excellent guides: leader Hem, and assistant guides Mekh & Indra. Our safety and welfare was their #1 priority, and made sure we were looked after all the way! Spending time acclimatising, and enjoying the hospitality of the owners of the teahouses was a great experience. The scenery was just 'wow moment' every day, and we all made it to Base Camp with the exception of one (very important to train beforehand, as it is more likely you will make it the whole way) I would highly recommend Intrepid Travel for your Everest Base Camp trip!

Hard work ,rewarding thought provoking ,great history lessons great respect to those who’s foot steps we were following great bunch of fellow treckers and carnt speak highly enough of the local guides.kind gentle helpful and to top it of the most amazing voices . On behalf of Jarrad and my self thank you very much for the experience

• to Australia/Oceania (6)
• to Papua New Guinea (6)

Top Tours in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

Port moresby tours.

• Walking Tours
• Hiking & Camping Tours
• Multi-day Tours
• 5.0 of 5 bubbles
• 4.0 of 5 bubbles & up
• Good for a Rainy Day
• Good for Adrenaline Seekers
• Adventurous
• Good for Big Groups
• Good for Kids
• Budget-friendly
• Hidden Gems
• Good for Couples
• Honeymoon spot
• Things to do ranked using Tripadvisor data including reviews, ratings, photos, and popularity.

1. Adventure Kokoda

2. Australian Kokoda Tours

3. Kaiye City Tours

4. Ecotourism Melanesia

5. Maramuni Treks

6. SportfishingPNG LTD

7. the dive centre png.

8. Advance Native Tours

9. BunaTreks and Tours

10. ProdivePNG Ltd.

11. Sightseeing tour of Port Moresby city - PNG JAPAN

12. Guydeez Port-Moresby

13. Sport Fishing PNG

What travellers are saying

• Private Port Moresby City Tour
• ADVENTURE KOKODA 8 Day History Trek Australian Led
• 11 Day Kokoda Trek From Port Moresby
• Adventure Kokoda
• Australian Kokoda Tours
• Advance Native Tours
• Ecotourism Melanesia
• Maramuni Treks

THE 10 BEST Port Moresby Tours & Excursions

Tours in port moresby.

• Walking Tours
• Hiking & Camping Tours
• Multi-day Tours
• 5.0 of 5 bubbles
• 4.0 of 5 bubbles & up
• Good for a Rainy Day
• Good for Adrenaline Seekers
• Adventurous
• Good for Big Groups
• Good for Kids
• Budget-friendly
• Hidden Gems
• Good for Couples
• Honeymoon spot
• Things to do ranked using Tripadvisor data including reviews, ratings, photos, and popularity.

1. Adventure Kokoda

2. Australian Kokoda Tours

3. Kaiye City Tours

4. Ecotourism Melanesia

5. Maramuni Treks

6. SportfishingPNG LTD

7. the dive centre png.

8. Advance Native Tours

9. BunaTreks and Tours

10. ProdivePNG Ltd.

11. Sightseeing tour of Port Moresby city - PNG JAPAN

12. Guydeez Port-Moresby

13. Sport Fishing PNG

What travellers are saying

• Private Port Moresby City Tour
• ADVENTURE KOKODA 8 Day History Trek Australian Led
• 11 Day Kokoda Trek From Port Moresby
• Adventure Kokoda
• Australian Kokoda Tours
• Advance Native Tours
• Ecotourism Melanesia
• Maramuni Treks

• Essential Odyssey
• Sepik River Value (Best Overall Sampler & Budget)
• Sepik River Deep (More Remote & Expensive)
• Sepik River & Crocodile Festival Package (August 1)
• Cheapest Possible Sepik Tour
• Muschu Island Overnight Tour From Wewak, Sepik
• Sepik Spirit PNG and Asaro Mudmen Compact Combo Tour
• Port Moresby
• Sogeri Plateau from Port Moresby Tour
• Birding, Nature, and Wildlife from Moresby Tour: Variarata, Kokoda, Gaire Village & Hiking
• Varirata Park Day Tour
• 5 Day from Tari: Tough Trekking
• 4 Day from Tari: Cultural & Natural Highlights
• 4 Day from Goroka: Best of the Highlands From the Cradle Cultural City
• WWII Diving
• Goroka-Madang Walk
• Madang Retreat
• Goroka Festival Package
• Mt Hagen Festival Package
• Rabaul Mask Festival Package
• Mt Hagen & Paiya Show Package
• Ht Hagen, Witch Doctors, and Trekking
• Discover Papua New Guinea’s Vibrant Cultural Tapestry: 5-Day Goroka Cultural Show Experience
• Cultural Immersion in Simbai Valley: 6-Day Kalam Festival Experience
• Experience East New Britain’s Cultural Marvels: 6-Day Shell Money Festival Photography Tour
• Experience Papua New Guinea’s Vibrant Culture: 7-Day National Mask and Warwagira Festival
• Extended Cultural Immersion in Simbai Valley: 8-Day Goroka Cultural Show and Kalam Festival
• Extended Colorful Festivals of Culture: 18-Day Goroka Cultural Show and Kalam Festival
• Goroka Day Tour
• Goroka Bird of Paradise Watching (Birding Tour)
• Hagen Day Tour
• Madang Day Tour
• Tari Day Tour
• Port Moresby Day Tour
• Wewak Day Tour
• Muschu Island Day Tour From Wewak
• Alotau – Milne Bay Day Tour
• Rabaul Day Tour
• Mount Wilhelm
• Milne Bay/Alotau
• Cultures & Diving: Fife Bay to Tawali & Alotau

Day Tour from Port Moresby

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• Sepik Spirit (Board from Karawari – Cruise Ship)
• Karawari Lodge (Sepik)
• Rondon Ridge (Mt. Hagen)
• Lake Murray Lodge (Kiunga)
• Malolo Plantation Lodge (Madang)
• Bensbach WIldlife Lodge (Bensbach River, Far West PNG)

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Moresby Discovery Tour – 1/2 Day Morning

Snorkelling.

• New Britain
• New Ireland
• Tufi – Canoeing, Snorkeling & Diving

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Why Book With Us?

• Great All Inclusive Prices!
• Custom Tour Designed to Suit You!
• Experienced Tour Operator!
• On the Ground Support in PNG!

Any Questions?

Do not hesitate to contact us. We are an expert team and we are happy to discuss your requirements.

1300 844 155

[email protected]

Tour Details

If you are in Port Moresby on business or holiday, please feel free to contact us to arrange a Port Moresby sightseeing tour. This half day tour morning tour starts with a pick up from your hotel between 7am and 8am (depending upon locality) and has you back for lunch.

Departure & Return Location

Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

Departure Time

Pick up from your hotel between 7am and 8am.

Price Includes

• Secure transport
• Pick up and drop off at your hotel
• Entrance fees as required

Price Excludes

• Any Private Expenses

Complementaries

What to expect.

Port Moresby has an intriguing history and PNG as a whole has an incredible cultural history. Even to this day, PNG consists of over 800 entirely different language groups and an equally extensive diversity of culture and dress. This tour will showcase this history and culture, with a visit to the impressive National Museum and Art Gallery which hosts displays from all 22 provinces incorporating some truly unique artifacts, including carvings, paintings, masks, headdress, totems, shields, spears and drums to name but a few.

The gallery also includes modern art which showcases some extraordinarily talented modern artists, inspired by their traditional roots and tribal arts along side an interactive audio experience “Voices From the War” which is a valuable first hand account of the effects of the second world war on Papua New Guinians.

To complement the National Museum and Art Gallery “Voices from the War”, experience, we will visit the immaculately maintained, serene yet emotionally moving, Bomana War Cemetery and Memorial. As the largest war cemetery in the Pacific, Bomana is the permanent resting place for 3824 soldiers from Australian, Papua New Guinea, United Kingdom and other allied forces.

Of course no trip to Port Moresby would be complete without a visit to the Ela Beach foreshore. Recently remodeled for the historic APEC meeting in late 2018, the precinct offers many activities, beaches and displays, including totems and public art, resulting in a busy and vibrant hub that offers our clients many photo opportunities.

Your tour will also include a trip to the 4 mile markets. Although compact, these markets offer you a range of well priced souvenirs, from carvings to jewelry to clothing to bilums. You can find traditional weapons here like spears and bows and arrows and even stone axes for that very different wall display at home … almost guaranteed to be unique to you! We will also visit an outdoor art gallery where you can negotiate for the purchase of a “one of a kind” painting if you wish, or simply take in the spectacle of all these talented artists displaying their skills.

• Sightseeing in one of the Pacifics most diverse cities
• Visit the National Museum and Art Gallery
• Time for reflection at Bomana War Cemetery and Memorial
• Enjoy the Ela Beach precinct
• Stroll through the 4 mile market
• View a selection of arts and crafts at an open air gallery

Related Tours

KOKODA AERIAL TOUR

KOKODA Trek – 10 Day

Top Tours in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

Port moresby tours.

• Walking Tours
• Hiking & Camping Tours
• Multi-day Tours
• 5.0 of 5 bubbles
• 4.0 of 5 bubbles & up
• Good for a Rainy Day
• Good for Adrenaline Seekers
• Adventurous
• Good for Big Groups
• Good for Kids
• Budget-friendly
• Hidden Gems
• Good for Couples
• Honeymoon spot
• Things to do ranked using Tripadvisor data including reviews, ratings, photos, and popularity.

1. Adventure Kokoda

2. Australian Kokoda Tours

3. Kaiye City Tours

4. Ecotourism Melanesia

5. Maramuni Treks

6. SportfishingPNG LTD

7. the dive centre png.

8. Advance Native Tours

9. BunaTreks and Tours

10. ProdivePNG Ltd.

11. Sightseeing tour of Port Moresby city - PNG JAPAN

12. Guydeez Port-Moresby

13. Sport Fishing PNG

What travellers are saying

• Private Port Moresby City Tour
• ADVENTURE KOKODA 8 Day History Trek Australian Led
• 11 Day Kokoda Trek From Port Moresby
• Adventure Kokoda
• Australian Kokoda Tours
• Advance Native Tours
• Ecotourism Melanesia
• Maramuni Treks

• Destinations
• Travel Blog
• Reservations
• About Orana Travel

Papua New Guinea Shore Excursions

Gopaia Village Greeting, Alotau

Our Oceania Regatta cruise made two stops for Papua New Guinea Shore Excursions at two very dissimilar ports. Our first shore excursion was Alotau, which is a small, poor town set in lush tropical rainforest. For our second port of call, the Oceania Regatta docked in Port Moresby, which is a larger city that has become a major migration destination for many Papua New Guinea tribes.

Alotau Harbor

Alotau, Papua New Guinea Shore Excursion

The small town of Alotau was one of our favorite destinations on our Oceania Regatta cruise, but you have to be mentally prepared for the poverty. A shore excursion to Alotau is like a visit to towns in Tanzania. People can’t afford bikes or cars, so they walk along the road sides. Open trucks pick up passengers waiting at make shift bus stops. Clothing is brightly colored and various tribes speak their own distinctive languages. People are extremely friendly and many know a few words of English. Other than the rainforest vegetation, it seemed just like Tanzania.

Milne Bay, Alotau

Papua New Guinea Tok Pisin

The language that binds the tribes together is Tok Pisin, which uses mainly English words, but spelling is completely phonetic. For example, “enter” might be written “kum insait” which means “come inside”. Needless to say, written Tok Pisin is very entertaining for foreigners.

Alotau Tours, Papua New Guinea Shore Excursions

Alotau Tours was waiting for us just outside the port gate in Alotau. Our van was what you might expect in a poor country. The seat belts didn’t work. The interior was falling apart. The suspension was shot. However the air conditioning was working, which was the most important part. Eight of us from the Oceania Regatta was all it took to completely fill the van.

Alotau Roads

As we headed out of town, I was immediately struck with how similar this was to the outskirts of Arusha in Tanzania. People in colorful clothing walked along the roadside or waited for the open air truck transit. Just outside of town, we came to a river bed where the bridge had collapsed two months early. So, the van drove down through the shallow waters in the river to reach the other side of the collapsed bridge.

Sago Preparation, Gopaia Village, Alotau

Gopaia Cultural Village

The Gopaia cultural village was our first stop. Members of this large extended family put on grass clothing and greeted us with a welcome dance. The experience reminded me of a visit to Chinchero Community Visit in Peru where women and children earn money through tourist visits, while able bodied men are at their regular jobs instead.

At the Gopai Cultural Village they showed us how to prepare meals from Sago palm pulp and from coconuts. Shells served as knives. They started a fire by rubbing sticks, placing the embers in coconuts husks and then blowing. This was similar to the way the Hadzabe Bushmen start their fires in Tanzania. A meal was then cooked in a clay pot over the open fire. The Gopai village visit was extremely friendly and pleasant. The village setting in the rainforest at the waterfront made the temperatures very bearable in comparison to the hot sun in town.

Betel Nut Red Teeth, Buai

Buai – Betel Nut Chew

Our second stop was another village inland from the water. The village people weren’t there to greet us, which isn’t all that unexpected in a third world poverty setting. The village claimed our visit wasn’t scheduled until the next day, so they weren’t prepared to entertain visitors. Our guide improvised and did her own demonstration of how to prepare betel nut chew, which is called buai. She mixed betel nut with mustard leaves and sea shell lime to create an extremely popular and addictive chew.

Red Betel Nut Smiles

When the betel nut mixture turns bright red in your mouth it’s reached the perfect flavor. The betel nut mixture turns red. It stains the lips and teeth bright red when chewed. You see lots of red mouthed people everywhere in Papua New Guinea, which is a bit unnerving at first. The coloring makes you think the person might have blood in their mouth. Our guide explained that the highlanders are the main producers of betel nut, but that most highlanders don’t consume it themselves. Our guide admitted that she is totally addicted to chewing betel nut.

Alotau Viewpoint, Milne Bay

Alotau Viewpoint

Our next stop on our Papua New Guinea Shore Excursions was a lovely Alotau viewpoint. You could see the town, Milne Bay and our cruise ship. We regretted not having any currency, as children in ceremonial dress were looking for tips while their mothers watched over them at the viewpoint. I rectified this at the end of the tour when I spotted two children and their parents just outside the port gate. We took pictures of them and gave them $20.

Alotau Children Dressed for Tourists

Alotau Daily Market

Our last stop on our Alotau shore excursion was the daily market. The Alotau daily market is a unique experience. At the market, locals barter the excess food they have harvested. Dried fish were on display while the seller fanned away the flies that were trying to eat the dead fish. You could buy a small mound of about 10 peanuts or an extremely tiny bag of popcorn. The locals paid no attention to tourists here. We had a nice conversation with a man who said he flew in to Alotau 5 months ago, but he still hadn’t earned enough money yet to fly back home.

Alotau Fishing Boats

Alotau Cruise Ship Market

Near the daily market, brightly colored stalls were set up specifically for cruise ship visitors. The main items on sale were bags and wood carvings. The wood carvings were exceptional quality and very low priced. Our guide proudly showed off her own purse, which as made of chicken feathers. You can only really understand what it looked like by seeing a picture.

Some passengers on the Oceania Regatta struggled with the experience in Alotau, because of the poverty. I thought it was a highlight of the cruise.

Friendly People, Port Moresby

Port Moresby Papua New Guinea Shore Excursions

Our Port Moresby Shore Excursion was very different than our Alotau visit. The poverty was more extreme in the big city. Perhaps it was just more readily visible than in the rainforest of Alotau. People were living in shanties. Sheet metal and plastics were used to make homes. Along the streets, people tried to sell anything they could under the shade of large umbrellas. My impression was that you could live off the land in Alotau, but that life in the city was much harder. Clearly that’s not true because the tribes of Papua New Guinea are flocking to Port Moresby as their best chance for survival.

Port Moresby Poverty

Safety in Port Moresby

The cruise line warned us to be wary of traveling alone or in small groups in Port Moresby. Crime is a problem in Port Moresby and tourists have been targeted at times, so you need to leave anything valuable on the ship. Cabs aren’t metered. You need to negotiate the cab fare, which is difficult for a tourist to determine. So, Port Moresby was the only port where we took an Oceania organized tour.

Port Moresby Road Side Markets

Driving Through the Streets of Port Moresby

Our Port Moresby Shore Excursion started with a long drive to the Bomana WWII Memorial Cemetery. The bus was not air conditioned and the temperature was a humid 90 F (32 C). We travelled in a convoy of 10 tour buses. The poverty was overwhelming here, but the people were just as friendly as they were in Alotau.

People waved at us from the streets, from their cars and from their shops. Some shouted hello into our open bus windows, which was both friendly and somewhat alarming. Others called out for us to take their picture. As we passed a truck full of passengers riding in an open truck bed, they snapped our pictures at the same time that we snapped theirs.

Bomana War II Cemetery, Port Moresby

Bomana WWII War Cemetery

The war Bomana War Cemetery was sobering. Row on row of white crosses in neat rows on the manicured grounds. Many of the grave stones were for unknown soldiers. Those who were identified were mostly in their early 20s. In WWII the United States lost the most men in Papua New Guinea, followed by Australia.

National Museum, Port Moresby

Parliament and the National Museum

Next our Papua New Guinea Shore Excursions took the long drive back into the city to the Parliament Building. Again we drove through shanties, streets filled with people and open air truck buses packed with passengers. The Parliament building was opened to us for a very brief visit. The King James Bible presented by US VP Mike Pence was proudly on display. Beside the Parliament, the National Museum was the next stop on our tour. The National Museum was amazing and turned out to be the highlight of our visit to Port Moresby. The displays of native art, carvings and archaeological discoveries were impressive. The cool, air conditioned building was also a pleasant respite. Don’t miss the National Museum if you visit Port Moresby.

Wild Bats, Port Moresby Nature Park

Port Moresby Nature Park

The last stop on our Port Moresby shore excursion was the Port Moresby Nature Park. The nature park has birds of paradise and other exotic birds on display. Unfortunately the large aviary is full of vegetation for the birds to hide out in. Most of the birds roost near the top of the aviary, so it’s hard to see the birds and their bright colors. Other smaller cages at the Port Moresby Nature Park provide better opportunities to see the birds and animals, but the small cage sizes are disheartening.

Local Bus, Port Moresby

I appreciate the advances the nature park has made in preserving native species and hope that tourism will fund future improvements. For example, the much larger aviary in Hong Kong allows you to see birds much more easily and in a way that has a much more natural feel. The large number of bats at the Port Moresby Nature Park had a very natural feel though, because they weren’t in cages. These bats were wild and were roosting upside down in the high trees.

The best part of the Port Moresby Nature Park was the local people. They were having barbecues and playing games in the picnic areas. As we walked about the park, many greeted us in English by saying hello or Merry Christmas.

Hanuabada Stilt Village, Port Moresby

Port Moresby Stilt Town

On the way back to the Oceania Regatta, the buses paused in the road so that we could get a view of the stilt houses that have been built out over the bay by people desperate for a place to live. The poverty had an even greater impact when contrasted to our arrival at the ship. Ice cold water and ice cold hand towels greeted us at the dock. We retreated inside the ship to a meal delivered by room service to our stateroom.

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For More Informations

Port moresby day tour.

This complete visit of the city includes the  visits of Nature Park (birds, endemic animals of PNG, orchids …), National Museum, Parliament House, city tour and stop in Koki Fish market, Australian Army Museum and Adventure Park.

Visit of Boroko craft Market. Visits of souvenir and craft shops in Port Moresby. On Saturdays, visit of Craft Market.

Briefing on history of Port Moresby and of the Motu people, original people of Port Moresby, Hiri Trade.

Possibility of singsing at the Museum. Extra cost of 620U$ to be shared by participants.

• Departure Pick at the airport or at your hotel
• Departure Time Any time before 10.00 am
• Return Time Before 5.30 pm
• Included Professional Guide Private transportation All entrance fees Water & light lunch
• Not Included Tips Any personal spending like souvenir Drink out of water

Similar Tours

Port Moresby & surrounding

After the visit of the main highlight of the city, explore the Maggi Highway along the coast for a nice lunch with splendid views at Marching Girls Resort and visit of some traditional Motu village.

Full day – Special family & kids tour

This tailor made tour is organized especially for kids. They will discover the animals of PNG and get traditionally dressed.

Contact Info

+675 3240700/3251166/3251230

National Capital District Commission NCDC - PO Box 7270, Boroko, NCD Postcode: 111 - Papua New Guinea

[email protected]

Recent Posts

Pope Francis to embark on tour of Southeast Asia, Oceania in longest papal trip

by NICOLE WINFIELD and NINIEK KARMINI | Associated Press

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis will visit Indonesia, East Timor, Papua New Guinea, and Singapore in September, the Vatican announced Friday, confirming the longest trip of Francis' papacy that is sure to test his health, stamina, and mobility.

The Vatican confirmed the Sept. 2-13 visit, saying the 87-year-old pope would visit Jakarta, Indonesia; Port Moresby and Vanimo, Papua New Guinea; Dili, East Timor; and Singapore. Further details will be announced later.

Francis' health has become a source of increasing concern and speculation, even though the pontiff is able to carry on with a rigorous schedule of meetings at the Vatican and even excursions to local parishes.

Francis, who had part of one lung removed as a young man, had to cancel a planned visit to Dubai late last year after he came down with a bad case of bronchitis. He suffered from respiratory problems all winter and had to curtail his participation in Holy Week events to save his energy for Easter.

Francis has also been using a wheelchair for nearly two years because of bad knee ligaments, and has said that traveling has become increasingly more difficult.

And yet at 11 days, the trip would be the longest of Francis' papacy, outpacing by a few days some of his long trips to the Americas early on in his 11-year papacy. It will bring the Argentine Jesuit to the world's most populous Muslim nation, Indonesia, as well as the former Portuguese colony of East Timor, where the Catholic Church wields enormous influence.

There is also a chance of another leg to the trip being added later: This week, the Vatican foreign minister, Archbishop Paul Gallagher, was in Vietnam and discussed a papal visit, Vatican News reported, without providing details.

In a statement announcing the visit, the Indonesian foreign ministry welcomed the visit and recalled that it had originally been scheduled for 2020 but was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The visit of Pope Francis to Indonesia holds significant importance to the Indonesian people, not only for Catholics but also for all religious communities. The visit is also expected to strengthen the message of tolerance, unity, and world peace," the statement said.

Indonesia is home to roughly 242 million Muslims and 29 million Christians — 8.5 million of whom are Catholics — according to a 2022 report by the Religious Affairs Ministry.

East Timor, which today has a population of about 1.2 million people, is Southeast Asia's only predominantly Christian nation with the exception of the Philippines. According to the 2015 census, 97.6% of East Timor's population is Catholic.

The visit to East Timor will likely reignite attention over a clergy sex abuse scandal involving its revered independence hero and Nobel Peace Prize winner. The Vatican confirmed in 2022 that it had sanctioned Bishop Carlos Ximenes Belo following allegations that he sexually abused boys there during the 1990s. Belo is believed to now be living in Portugal.

Francis will be the first pope to visit Papua New Guinea since St. John Paul II went there in 1984. The country, in a strategically important part of the South Pacific, has struggled with tribal violence and civil unrest.

John Paul also visited Singapore, in 1986. The country today is home to 395,000 Catholics and Francis in 2022 made its archbishop Singapore's first cardinal.

In a statement welcoming the visit, Cardinal William Goh, said it "will bring renewed fervor to all Catholics in Singapore, uniting them in faith and mission, especially in these most challenging of times."

The Vatican has planned only one other papal trip this year — to Belgium to celebrate the anniversary of the country's Catholic university. Francis has also said he wants to return to his native Argentina, but no plans or dates have been announced.