Goroka Festival
4 Days Starting and ending in Goroka, Papua New Guinea
Visiting: Goroka, Port Moresby
Tour operator:
Tour code:
2616
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Special diets catered:
Vegetarians
Tour operated in:
EnglishTour Overview
Immerse yourself in the vibrant culture of Papua New Guinea with the Goroka Festival tour. This unforgettable journey begins with a traditional cane swallowing ceremony at Keiya Village, offering a rare glimpse into ancient initiation rites. Over two days, experience the Goroka Festival, the country's largest sing-sing, where thousands of warriors showcase their heritage through colorful costumes, body decorations, and rhythmic dances. Explore the Tumbuna market for unique local handicrafts and delve into the region's rich history at the McCarthy Museum, featuring tribal artifacts and WWII relics. Enjoy comfortable accommodations, all meals, and the expertise of an English-speaking guide, ensuring a seamless and enriching adventure. With private transportation and all activities included, this tour promises an authentic and captivating insight into the heart of Papua New Guinea's cultural tapestry.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1 - Arrival Goroka
Location: Goroka
Accommodation: Lodge
Accommodation Name: the Emanuel Lodge or similar
Meals Included: Lunch, Dinner
Welcome to Papua New Guinea. Upon arrival in Goroka, you will be met at the airport on arrival and transferred to your hotel.
Keiya Village and Cane Swallowing
Following lunch at the hotel, head to Keiya village. Here you will witness some incredible cultural performances including the ‘Cane Swallowing’ ceremony of boys’ initiation where a cane rope is pushed into their stomach through their mouth to cleanse themselves as an initiation ceremony. Often referred to as Dring Kol Wara (Drink Cold Water) by the Bena people of Eastern Highlands, the initiation is practised only by men. In previous times, women were never allowed to know about it, much less see it.
The cane is carefully carved to achieve a smooth surface to allow easy ingestion. With careful preparations, final touches are made to bend the cane into a U-shape before hanging it to dry in kitchen huts. It is dried for about one month before being used. Now and then the dried cane is taken out and left in water to regain moisture to maintain its outer covering. Its length may vary from two to three metres.
The initiation period may last for two to three months, depending on the amount of pork available for meals in the ‘Haus man’. Mothers of young boys cry for their sons as they are taken away to learn their customs and embrace manhood.
During this initiation, initiates are required to lie on their back, face-up, to sleep as it is believed that that will straighten and elongate the intestines in preparation for the Neheya. Meals provided for the initiates comprise of only pork fat and boiled kaukau (sweet potato), believing that this dish, also known as hosamaya, ensures the smooth passing of the cane along the digestive tract. It is prepared only by elderly women who have gone past menopause. To witness this ancient practice is a rare experience.
Return to your hotel for dinner.
Meals
Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation
Red River Lodge or similar
Services
Private vehicle and guide
Day 2 - Goroka Festival
Location: Goroka
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Red River Lodge or similar
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Enjoy an early breakfast as you depart at 7:30 am to get your bearing at the festival. The sing-sing groups start to arrive from 9 am. You will be in awe at their body decorations, colourful traditional costumes and vibrant face painting. Learn about the different types of costumes and their significance in the cultures of these people.
Colours, Kundu drums and chanting explore your senses as thousands of warriors, all dressed in their very finest traditional regalia, performing and dancing and in sing-sing. Each group, with their own cultures and languages, vow to outclass the other groups. Walk among the dancers, shake their hands and meet them.
Tumbuna Market
Following the festival, you will be transferred to the Tumbuna market for the opportunity to purchase locally-made handicrafts before returning to your hotel late in the afternoon.
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation
Red River Lodge or similar
Services
Private vehicle and guide
Day 3 - Goroka Festival
Location: Goroka
Accommodation: Lodge
Accommodation Name: the Emanuel Lodge or similar
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
This morning you will enjoy another festival day at the arena with your guide. A picnic lunch will be provided so you do not miss any of the action.
McCarthy Museum
After the festival at approx. 3.00 pm, you will visit the McCarthy Museum just near the showground.
The museum’s main collections are artifacts and specimens from the Highlands region including wooden dishes, stone mortars, stone blades, magic stones and sandstones for making stone blades. There are also some WWII relics on display including a P-39 Airacobra.
Meals
Breakfast, Picnic Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation
Red River Lodge – Single Premium Room
Services
Private vehicle and guide
Day 4 - Departure
Location: Port Moresby
Meals Included: Breakfast
After breakfast at 7:00 am, you will be picked up from your hotel and transferred to the airport for your flight to Port Moresby (flight not included).
Meals
Breakfast
Services
Private vehicle and guide
What's Included
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Meet and greet service on arrival
You will be welcomed and assisted upon your arrival.
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3 nights accommodation
Accommodation for three nights is included in the tour package.
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3 Breakfasts, 3 Lunches, 3 Dinners
All meals for the duration of the tour are provided.
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English speaking translator
An English-speaking translator will be available to assist you.
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All activities as per itinerary
All scheduled activities in the itinerary are included.
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Private transportation
Private transportation is provided throughout the tour.
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Entrance fees, sightseeing and permits
All entrance fees, sightseeing, and necessary permits are covered.
What's Not Included
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International and domestic flights
Flights to and from the destination are not included.
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Visas
Visa costs are not covered in the tour package.
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Travel and medical insurance
Insurance for travel and medical needs is not included.
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All services, meals other than those indicated above
Any additional services or meals not listed in the inclusions are excluded.
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Personal porters
The service of personal porters is not included.
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Any changes to the proposed and confirmed program.
Alterations to the confirmed itinerary are not covered.
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All items of a personal nature e.g. drinks, laundry, telephone calls, tips etc
Personal expenses such as drinks, laundry, and tips are not included.
Mode of Transport
Enjoy private transportation throughout your journey, ensuring a comfortable and convenient travel experience as you explore the vibrant Goroka Festival and other cultural highlights in Papua New Guinea.
Accommodation
Stay at the Red River Lodge or similar accommodations, offering comfortable lodging with all necessary amenities for a pleasant stay during your exploration of the Goroka Festival and surrounding cultural sites.
Check out our Q&As
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What cultural experience can I expect on the first day of the Goroka Festival tour?
On the first day, you will visit Keiya village to witness the 'Cane Swallowing' ceremony, a traditional boys' initiation ritual practiced by the Bena people of Eastern Highlands. This involves a cane rope being ingested as part of a cleansing ceremony.
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What is the significance of the Goroka Festival?
The Goroka Festival is Papua New Guinea's biggest sing-sing, where thousands of warriors from various tribes gather to perform and dance in their traditional regalia. It is a vibrant display of cultural costumes, body decorations, and face painting, showcasing the diverse cultures and languages of the region.
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What activities are included during the Goroka Festival days?
During the Goroka Festival days, you will have the opportunity to observe the sing-sing performances, interact with the dancers, and learn about their costumes and cultural significance. You will also visit the Tumbuna market to purchase local handicrafts and explore the McCarthy Museum to see artifacts and WWII relics.
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What meals are provided during the tour?
The tour includes 3 breakfasts, 3 lunches, and 3 dinners. On the third day, a picnic lunch is provided to ensure you don't miss any festival activities.
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What type of accommodation is provided during the tour?
Accommodation is provided at the Red River Lodge or similar, with options for a Single Premium Room.
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Is transportation included in the tour package?
Yes, private transportation is included in the tour package, along with a private vehicle and guide for all activities as per the itinerary.
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Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?
Yes. Focusing on providing authentic experiences where ever you are in the world, Crooked Compass has access to a vast array of accommodation styles. From boutique properties in larger cities to local guest houses and home stays within small villages. Crooked Compass ensures that local authenticity flows through your accommodation throughout your tour without compromising standard.
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What sort of transportation is used for your tours?
Transportation utilised on a Crooked Compass escorted small group tour is a combination of a private air conditioned vehicle and local transport where appropriate. This may include a local bus ride, use of the cities metro system, a domestic flight to another city or overnight train ride.
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What Ethical Travel credentials does the tour company have?
Crooked Compass strives to be a leader in sustainable tourism. Crooked Compass is firmly committed to the principles of ethical travel. Our comprehensive Sustainable Tourism Practices policy summarises our commitments and actions. Although the very basis of our ground operations lends itself to the ethos of sustainable tourism, this policy re-iterates our commitment to: Use locally owned hotels Use locally owned ground agents Use local guides and drivers Promote community tourism projects from homestays to craft shops Support charities that work within the destinations that we travel to Carbon offset our travels
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Who runs your tours and are they experts in their fields?
Crooked Compass works with the worlds best operators who are specialists in their country, region and cities providing you with in depth local knowledge. We use local guides who live and breathe the areas they work in, making sure you experience their region, their way. We believe it is far better to have a local guide who knows a lot about a little than a text book trained Western tour guide who knows a little about a lot. Using local guides also ensures that money stays within local communities and supports the regions we visit.
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What can I expect from a Crooked Compass tour that I wouldn't get from travelling with an alternative company?
Crooked Compass provides a sensory way to understand the world – we help you live like a local, eat like a local, do what the locals do and seek the faces behind the places whilst discovering untouched lands and natural beauty. Crooked Compass tours delve deep into the heart and soul of a destination ensuring you get out of your journey all you intended and much, much more. Our intriguing itineraries have been created by travellers for travellers. Steering travellers to follow a different path, Crooked Compass’ itineraries allow you to experience the world’s most fascinating destinations in ways you never dreamed possible. It brings to life those ‘bucket list’ experiences you have yearned to do and separates the travellers from the tourists. Crooked Compass tours are culturally rich, reward travellers with unexpected encounters and uncommon rendezvous, creating truly unique, authentic travel experiences.
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Who do your tours cater for?
Crooked Compass escorted small group tours cater for those who are well travelled seeking the what’s next and what’s new. Our travellers are curious minded soft adventurers who want to uncover something more than the mainstream tourist trail. Crooked Compass tours draw travellers with an interest in sustainable tourism and conservation for the areas they visit. A Crooked Compass traveller is someone who is seeking something fresh and unique, who has a yearning for authenticity and discovery, with an appreciation for cultures, tradition and the natural world. We call them Cultural Purists.
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I am concerned about my impact on travelling through untouched regions. Can I offset?
Yes. All travellers on Crooked Compass tours have the option to offset their part of their tour’s carbon footprint by donating $4AUD (tax-deductible) at time of booking. 100% of these funds are donated to Greenfleet, an environmental non-profit organisation dedicated to protecting our climate by restoring our forests. By partnering with Greenfleet, we are confident that our carbon offset program provides genuine and lasting environmental benefits. Your offset donation funds plant trees and restore permanent native forests in Australia and New Zealand. As they grow, these forests provide many community and environmental benefits by absorbing carbon emissions, protecting our unique biodiversity, restoring habitat for native wildlife, preventing soil salinity and erosion, improving water quality and much more. If you’d like to find out more and offset the rest of your carbon emissions, visit www.greenfleet.org.au
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Friday - Monday
Sep 12, 2025 - Sep 15, 2025Book with Confidence
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Low Deposit
Crooked Compass requires a minimum deposit of 20% or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 60 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of crooked compass charges.
Up to 61 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 60 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.