
Visit Papua New Guinea with Pope Francis
4 Day / 3 Night Port Moresby Stay attending 2 major Papal Events & PNG's Cultural & Social Highlights
Saturday 7th to Tuesday 10th September 2024
4 Days / 3 Nights
Fully Escorted & Safe Small Group Tour
*From AUD2,245 p.p
TWIN SHARE
Single Supplement AUD300 p.p.
*Price based on budget accommodation for group of 10 persons
INCLUSIONS : All Meals, Accommodation, Guides, Sightseeing, Entry Fees , Porterage, Transfers, Land Transport & Experienced Australian Tour Leader.
Exclusions : International Airfare - Ex Brisbane approximately AUD750 Return
Why not combine this 4 Day Short Stay tour with other interesting destinations within Papua New Guinea including Rabaul on New Britain Island and the neighbouring idyllic Duke of York Islands along with the Iconic Goroka Cultural Show in the Eastern Highlands. This is a once in a Lifetime Opportunity. 7 and 10 Day package options

Air Nuigini Flights depart on Saturday 7th of September 2024 from Brisbane at 10.40 am arriving in Port Moresby at 1.50 pm. Depart from Cairns at 7.00 am arriving in Port Moresby at 8.30 am. Depart from Honiara, Solomon Islands at 11.40 am arriving in Port Moresby at 1.00 pm. Friday the 6th of September departures will have you arrive from Sydney in Port Moresby at 3.15 pm on Friday, from Hong Kong at 5.30 am on Saturday, From Manila at 5.00 am on Saturday. A flight from Singapore on Saturday at 10.35 pm will have you arrive in Port Moresby at 5.15 am on Sunday and after an early check-in and rest will have you arrive in time to join in the 2 days of the Papal visit events in Port Moresby.





Day By Day Itinerary of Short Stay Papal Visit
Day 1– Saturday 7th Sept.–Arrival in PNG & visit renowned Nature Park
Arrive at Jacksons Airport, Port Moresby on your flight from your airport of choice. Transfer to your hotel with early check-in for those arriving on early morning flights. In the afternoon we will visit the Port Moresby Nature Park. Spread over 30 acres the park is home to over 250 native animals and birds along with hundreds of plant species, many of which are rarely seen outside of PNG. The Nature Park has won a number of international awards for its works. We will spend the evening in comfortable accommodation in Port Moresby where you will be briefed on the tour that you will enjoy with some of the rarest and authentic experiences a global traveller could wish for.
Sanctuary Hotel Resort and Spa - Port Moresby or similar
Day 2 – Sunday 8th Sept - Attend Mass with Pope Francis
Following Pope Francis's arrival from his visit to Indonesia on Friday 6th and his official meetings with PNG government officials and a gathering of the PNG Council of Churches on the previous Saturday the Pope will meet the passionate people of Papua New Guinea. This morning Pope Francis will have a breakfast meeting with the Prime Minister James Marape. Prime Minister Marape has expressed his appreciation that the Holy Father is visiting Papua New Guinea on the eve of the country’s 49th Independence anniversary. Prime Minister Marape said the National Government is happy and ready to welcome him and “make the visit a success”. It will be the 87-year-old Pontiff’s first visit to the country and the Oceania region. Pope Francis is the 266th and current Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, a title he holds ex-officio as Bishop of Rome, and sovereign of Vatican City.
This morning we will attend the Sir John Guise Stadium where Pope Francis will conduct the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the ritual re-enactment of the Last Supper and of the death of Jesus, commemorated by the consecration of the Host (bread) and wine. After this important event we will safely explore Port Moresby attending the Boroko Craft Market and the Ela Beach Craft Market where you can pick up hand-carved masks, drums and ornaments, jewellery made from shells, paintings by Papua New Guinea artists, and the woven bags used by Papua New Guineans called bilums.
We will view stilt houses, or pile dwellings perched above the sea, which used to be very common in PNG’s capital Port Moresby. Today there are only two stilt villages left – Hanuabada on the north-west outskirts of the city and Koki at the eastern end of Ela Beach. We will collectively choose a great place in Port Moresby for an early afternoon meal choosing from some considered suggestions depending on the groups tastes and preferences. We will also visit PNG’s National Parliament House.
Sanctuary Hotel Resort and Spa - Port Moresby or similar.
Day 3 – Monday 9th Sept. - Join the Pope's Youth Festival - for all ages




This morning we will attend the Youth Festival to be held at Sir John Guise Stadium. More information will be provided as it comes to hand from Fr Lawrence Arockiaraj , the General Co-ordinator of the Papal Visit. But it will be a very colourful and vibrant event. Papua New Guineans are experts when blending traditional culture into their modern celebrations. In a land of over 800 tribes, each with their own customary dress , a proudness of their land and tribal connections is expressed in song, dance and dressing up. To date, over 98% of Papua New Guinea citizens identify as Christian. Catholicism represents the largest Christian denomination in the country with an estimated 4 million people — about 25% of the total population. You will enjoying in a fabulous celebration of the countrys strong bond with Christianity. Children and youth will be central to Pope Francis’ visit to Papua New Guinea and Father Giorgio Licini, secretary-general of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Solomon Islands said young people are central in the planning of the papal trip to Papua New Guinea. In the Catholic Church, “the level of participation by laity and youth is high,” he said. “Everything is ‘young’ in PNG: church, country, modern civilization.” Isabella Saleu, a young laywoman working for Caritas Papua New Guinea — the justice, peace, relief, and development agency of the Catholic Church in the country — said she looks forward to the youth festival planned with the Pope and believes his visit will be a “spiritually enriching experience” that will reinforce the Catholic identity in the country. “The world needs us young people and all the enthusiasm we have to make it better, safer, happier and more Christ-like,” Saleu says “Over the years, the Church has not only evangelised but [also] has contributed immensely to delivering basic services by providing schools and institutions, hospitals, clinics and aid posts, safe houses, and facilities for pastoral and social services.”
Participants of the 4 Day Tour Package will visit a couple of the pastoral facilities around Port Moresby to meet the workers and get a feel for the challenges that they and most importantly the people they help face on a daily basis.
Time permitting we may drive up to the Varirata National Park’s forests on the lookout for Birds of Paradise. We enjoy beautiful views of the Laloki River as we drive further up to the Sogeri Plateau and the foothills of the Owen Stanley Ranges to the start of the Kokoda Track at Ower's Corner. On the return journey we briefly visit the Bomana War Cemetery where those who died in the fighting in Papua New Guinea are buried, their graves brought in by the Australian Army Graves Service from burial grounds in the areas where the fighting had taken place. At days end we will return to our accommodation for a well earned rest and hearty meal. Sanctuary Hotel Resort and Spa - Port Moresby or similar.
Participants of the 7 and 10 Day Tour Package will transit to Jacksons Airport for a 3.25 pm Air Nuigini flight to Rabaul on East New Britain. Upon arrival at in East New Britain we checkin to our accommodation and enjoy coastal views of the Rabaul volcanoes and a delicious evening meal. During the visit to Rabaul we will visit the church and memorial in the village of Rakunai where the beatified catechist Peter To Rot was born. Locals are hoping that during Pope Francis's visit to Papua New Guinea he may Canonise Peter To Rot, elevating him to Sainthood.
Day 4 – Tuesday 10th Sept. - Day of Departure for 4 Day Participants
Today you can fly home today with direct Air Niugini flights to Brisbane at 10.30 am Cairns at 5.00 pm, Manila at 4.55 pm. Flights to Honiara, Hong Kong & Singapore on Wednesday
A range of air carriers provide flights to all the above destination
PARTICIPANTS IN THE 10 DAY PACKAGE CAN CONTINUE ON FROM THE GOROKA SHOW TO THE INTIMATE LAKE KUTUBU FESTIVAL AS PART OF THE MELANESIAN WONDERLAND ADVENTURE OF AN EXOTIC PAPUA NEW GUINEA.
The Photos below are a taste of other amazing destinations across PNG
Did you know?
As Pope St. John Paul II remarked at Peter To Rot's beatification in 1995, his fearless defense of marriage exemplifies a refusal to compromise moral principles, even in the face of adversity.
Locals are hoping that Pope Francis may Canonise Peter To Rot, elevating him to Sainthood during his visit to Papua New Guinea.
Born in 1912, Peter To Rot's narrative finds its origins in the 1870s when Methodist missionaries introduced Christianity to the New Guinea Islands around East New Britain. Subsequently, the Catholic Missionaries of the Sacred Heart arrived, notably winning over many islanders, including influential figures like Angelo To Puia, who embraced Catholicism in 1898. Angelo's conversion spurred his village and neighboring communities to follow suit, establishing a flourishing regional Catholic community. Among the missionaries and clergy who were scarce in the vast Oceania region, lay catechists played a crucial role in nurturing the local Church. Blessed Peter To Rot stood out among them, demonstrating piety and teaching skills that propelled him into a leadership position. Despite the sparse presence of clergy, To Rot dedicated himself to strengthening the faith of his community, even after marrying Paula Ia Varpit in 1936.
The Japanese invasion of the island in 1942 posed a significant threat to the New Guinea Church. To Rot, entrusted with continuing the work of a departing missionary, defied Japanese attempts to undermine Church teachings, particularly regarding marriage. Despite the risk, he organized secret religious gatherings and resisted the re-introduction of legal polygamy by the Japanese, staunchly defending monogamy. His steadfastness led to his arrest and eventual martyrdom in July 1945, underscoring his commitment to the faith and the sanctity of Christian marriage.
Celebrated each year on July 7th, the feast of Blessed Peter To Rot, commemorates his exemplary courage that holds special significance amidst contemporary challenges to traditional marital values. In a culture increasingly diverging from conventional views on marriage, the Church's teachings face growing opposition. Yet, like Blessed Peter, may married individuals remain unwavering in both living out and advocating for these teachings.


































