Papua New Guinea Sepik River Crocodile Festival & East Sepik Province Tour

7 nights, 8 days 1 Aug, 2026 – 8 Aug, 2026

Start Date

1 Aug, 2026

End Date

8 Aug, 2026

Duration

7 nights, 8 days

Price

2995

YPT takes you on their inaugural trip to the Sepik River Crocodile & Arts Festival, held around the remote village of Ambunti. Occurring just before our well-known Mount Hagen Festival Tour, it allows you to immerse and connect with the locals on a deeper level.

Your tour begins in the capital, Port Moresby, where you’ll meet our guide and fellow travellers, doing a tour of one of the most dangerous cities on earth, before heading out to the Yacht Club for dinner. The following day we’ll board a plane and boat to make our way to East Sepik Province. The journey itself is an adventure and offers deep insights into lesser visited parts of the country.

From there we dive into the main event: the Sepik River Crocodile & Arts Festival. This two day celebration showcases the heritage, artistry, and traditions of the Sepik people, particularly their deep spiritual and cultural connection to the crocodile (pukpuk in Tok Pisin). Being a sacred symbol in Sepik culture, the crocodile represents strength, resilience, and the spirit of the river.

You can expect traditional ceremonial performances, crocodile races, and storytelling sessions from local elders. Furthermore, the festival is a platform to display intricate wood carvings, masks, and totems, each with its own story or spiritual meaning. There´s a reason why National Geographic comes here too!

Another part of the tour is our visit of Wewak, the capital of East Sepik Province. It is known for its historical significance of the region’s role in WWII, as it was a key battleground in the Pacific Theatre. Learn about Japanese occupation and visit leftover weapons, and vehicles. But we won´t miss out on Wewak´s stunning beaches, rounding off the visit of this region. So better pack your swimmers!

This trip allows a rare deep dive into unique PNG culture and beauty, even more wild than other festivals and you get to do it with fellow Pioneers, while being led by one of our experienced YPT guides.

The shared toilet and shower facilities in the guesthouses at Ambunti and Kanganamun are very basic, reflecting the limited infrastructure in the villages. If you have opted for a single supplement, this will be arranged in Port Moresby and Wewak. However, in the villages you may be required to share accommodation depending on availability, in which case you will not be charged extra.

Tour Highlight

Experience Sepik River Crocodile Festival and its ceremonial performances, crocodile races, and storytelling sessions from local elders. Understand the spiritual connection between human and reptile and the numerous myths around them.
Explore Sewak and its War Museum, displaying the region’s role in WW2 and as key battleground in the Pacific Theatre.
Travel through PNG via air, land, and water to see all it has to offer on a trip that combines culture, history, and relaxation at white pristine beaches.

Included

Full eVisa support
Twin-shared accommodation
Private transportation on land and water
Domestic flights
Entrance fees & travel permits
Some breakfasts
YPT and local English-speaking guides

Excluded

eVisa fees
Single Supplement in Port Moresby and Wewak ($400)
International flights to and from Papua New Guinea
Most meals in Port Moresby and East Sepik Province
Drinks and personal expenses
Tips for the local guide
Travel insurance

Group	Start date	End date	Duration	Price	Single Supplement

Print Itinerary

Full Itinerary

Saturday 1st August – Arrival in Port Moresby

Arrive at your convenience into Port Moresby – the capital city of Papua New Guinea which is well connected with flights from Australia, Singapore, the Philippines and Hong Kong.
Enjoy some lunch at your own convenience.
Pre-tour meeting will be held at the lobby of our hotel at 3:00pm to discuss tour itinerary and to meet your fellow travellers and YPT guide.
We’ll then head out to visit botanical park, and to the beachfront to take a photo in front of the Port Moresby sign.
Dinner and drinks at the beautiful Yacht Club Waterfront.
Overnight in Port Moresby.

Sunday 2nd August – Port Moresby – Wewak

Morning

Leisurely breakfast in the hotel.
Head to the airport for our departing flight at 11:15am arriving into Wewak at 12:35pm, overlooking the spectacular PNG landscape whilst in the air.

Afternoon

Check into our hotel in Wewak and lunch on arrival
Begin our afternoon city tour of Wewak by visiting the Father of the Nation Museum – commemorating the legacy of Papua New Guinea’s founding father, Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare. It serves as a tribute to his pivotal role in the country’s journey to independence, offering you a chance to reflect on his lasting influence.
We’ll drive up to Mission Hill for breathtaking views over Wewak and its coastline, and to visit the Japanese WWII memorial. The memorial stands atop a former Imperial Japanese Army bunker, once used to spot incoming airstrikes from the Australian Air Force or ships from the US Navy.
Visit the Holy Spirit Parish — also known as the prominent Catholic church on Wewak Hill. Established in 1971.
Drive out to Cape Wom, located just west of Wewak on the Bismarck Sea. This site marks the place where Japanese Lieutenant General Hatazō Adachi formally surrendered to Australian forces on September 13, 1945 ending WWII operations in New Guinea. A memorial park lays here with leftover Japanese military weapons.
Return to our hotel for dinner, drinks and overnight in Wewak

Monday 3rd August – Wewak – Pagwi – Ambunti

Morning

Breakfast at hotel and begin our 4 hour drive from Wewak to Pagwi Station.
Here we’ll board our local motorized long canoe designed specifically for the Mighty Sepik River. Our canoe can only take light luggage, so best to prepare accordingly for our stay out in the villages. Any large luggage can be left at the hotel in Wewak on our return.
Boating from Pagwi to Ambunti upstream is one of the most scenic journeys in all of PNG, taking you deep into the heart of the country’s largest river system. As the long canoe winds downstream, you’ll pass traditional stilt villages, dense riverside jungle, and fishermen casting nets from dugout canoes. The trip offers glimpses of everyday life along the river and is a peaceful yet immersive way to experience the culture and landscapes of the Sepik. Takes approximately 4 hours. Time for a real adventure!

Afternoon

Arrive in Ambunti, where the festival ground is located, and check into our guesthouse.
Lunch and briefing for the festival starting next morning, so you know what to expect and bring.
Hike up the mountain overlooking the village and the river for stunning sunset views
Dinner and overnight in Ambunti Guest House.
Please note the facilities of the guesthouse, shared toilet and shower facilities are very basic due to limitations of infrastructure in the village.

Tuesday 4th August – Sepik River Crocodile & Arts Festival in Ambunti: Day 1

Morning

Breakfast at Village Guesthouse.
Attend the opening ceremony of the festival.
Experience traditional crocodile ceremonial performances and engage with local tribes. Being a sacred symbol in Sepik culture, the crocodile represents strength, resilience, and the spirit of the river. Sepik people have a deep spiritual and cultural connection to the crocodile (pukpuk in Tok Pisin).

Afternoon

Lunch at the guest house
Explore stalls featuring local artisans and their crafts. The festival is a platform to display intricate wood carvings, masks, and totems, each with its own story or spiritual meaning. Participate in workshops on traditional art forms.
Dinner and overnight in Village Guesthouse in Ambunti

Wednesday 5th August – Sepik River Crocodile & Arts Festival in Ambunti: Day 2

Morning

Breakfast at Village Guesthouse.
Continue enjoying festival activities, including cultural dances and music performances, accompanied by chanting, drumming, and bamboo flutes. Dance movements often narrate myths, local legends, and historical events, providing a window into the oral traditions of the Sepik people.

Afternoon

Lunch at the guest house
Return to the festival for ongoing events
Dinner and overnight in Village Guesthouse in Ambunti.

Thursday 6th August – Ambunti – Kanganamun

Morning

Breakfast at Village Guesthouse.
Board our private Sepik canoe and head downstream past Pagwi and onwards to Kanganamun village (takes approx. 5 hours)
Kanganamun is our local partners home and so you’ll have special access to learn more about how the village functions and the significance this location has to the people

Afternoon

Lunch on arrival at Kanganamun village
Visit the two spirit houses of the village – these spirit houses towering over the village, are intricately carved buildings which serve as the cultural and spiritual heart of the village. Traditionally reserved for men, they are where elders pass down stories, initiate young men, and preserve sacred ancestral knowledge. One of the spirit houses is where the crocodile, eagle and pig clan meet. The other is for the cassowary. Both spirit houses offer unique masks which may be available to purchase.
Dinner and overnight in Kanganamun. Please note the facilities of the guesthouse, shared toilet and shower facilities are very basic due to limitations of infrastructure in the village.

Friday 7th August – Kanganamun – Pagwi – Wewak

Morning

Breakfast at the village
Depart Kanganamun and travel on the motorized canoe back to Pagwi and return to Wewak by road on our private bus.

Afternoon

Check back into our Wewak hotel and lunch on arrival
One of the tour highlights apart from the festival is to take a private speed boat to the nearby coastal islands of both Mushu and Kairiru. Their white sand beaches are perfect for swimming, snorkelling, and sunbathing and ensure you bring home perfect postcard shots of untouched PNG paradise. On Kairiru we’ll pull up to a special spot where a natural hot spring is right on the beach and flows directly into the ocean providing a unique swimming experience for us.
Return back to Wewak for dinner and overnight

Saturday 8th August – Wewak – Port Moresby

Depart Wewak for Port Moresby on the 7:40am flight arriving at 9:00am (flight times to be confirmed)
Tour concludes and YPT can arrange ongoing transport, optional tours of the area or advice on flights out.
Optional: extend your stay to join the Mount Hagen Festival group

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