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Papua New Guinea Travel Weather

Trek Zone

When Is the Best Time To Visit Papua New Guinea?

The answer to the question of what is the best month to visit Papua New Guinea depends on what you are interested in doing during your stay. Here you can see an overview of each month and its typical weather conditions.

Tourist Season in Papua New Guinea

The best time to visit most regions of Papua New Guinea is the dry season from May to October, when temperatures are most pleasant and rainfall is not too troublesome. The climatic exceptions are the Lae and Alotau regions, which are best visited in October and November.

The months of the rainy season (December through March) vary from area to area of the country and, due to the intensity of rainfall, can complicate or even prevent travel.

Tourist season month by month. Legend

Tourist season - time period with sightseeing-friendly weather (or sunbathing in the case of small island countries) for the average tourist. For countries with a large geographical spread, the most visited places were taken into account and the data were averaged. For selected countries, seasonal holidays were also taken into account, as long as they significantly affect the tourist traffic in this period.

The best time to travel, you can count on very good weather.

A good time to travel, however, sometimes there can be some weather conditions that make the visit a bit difficult.

Travel possible, but it is not the best time. The weather at this time can be very unpredictable, with a tendency to be bad.

Travel is not recommended, the weather at this time can make sightseeing/resting very difficult or even impossible.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Average temperatures throughout a year for Port Moresby (°F)

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
  • For the most part, Papua New Guinea has favorable diving conditions year-round. In Milne Bay, the best visibility is from September to January and April to June.
  • Tropical typhoons are common in Papua New Guinea, and there is also a risk of earthquakes and landslides.
  • Dolphin watching - the best time is from April to June.

Season and weather by month

January - March

Jan
Feb
Mar

The months of the rainy season. Although air and water temperatures remain steady at around 30°C, rainfall and humidity levels increase.

Good weather is found on the islands of New Britain, New Ireland and around Port Moresby.

Beachcombing and vacationing in Kiunga and Lae are not recommended during this time, as the rains in this region are intense.

Holidays and observances in Papua New Guinea

  • 01 Jan 2026 - New Year's Day
  • 26 Feb 2026 - Remembrance Day of the Late First Prime Minister

April - May

Apr
May

The inter-season period and the beginning of the dry season. The weather becomes more favorable, at times it can be very changeable, and rainfall gradually disappears.

A good time to visit the Port Moresby area and the island of New Ireland (until early May).

There may still be heavy rains in the Kiunga and Lae regions and on the island of New Britain.

Holidays and observances in Papua New Guinea

  • 03 Apr 2026 - Good Friday
  • 04 Apr 2026 - Easter Saturday
  • 05 Apr 2026 - Easter Sunday
  • 06 Apr 2026 - Easter Monday

June - October

Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct

The months of the dry season ideal for travel, it is hot and relatively dry. A very good time to beach and enjoy the sea.

Favorable conditions are in Port Moresby and on the island of New Britain. From October, a very good time to travel to the Lae area. In August and September, a very good time to visit the island of New Ireland.

Meanwhile, the Kiunga regions are best visited in July, August and October.

Holidays and observances in Papua New Guinea

  • 09 Jun 2025 - King's Birthday
  • 23 Jul 2025 - National Remembrance Day
  • 26 Aug 2025 - National Repentance Day
  • 16 Sep 2025 - Independence Day

November

Nov

An inter-seasonal month heralding the beginning of the rainy season. It is still warm, but there is a gradual increase in rainfall.

Sunny weather can still be found on the island of New Britain and around Port Moresby. A very good time to visit Lae, where it is hot and rainless.

The wettest areas this month are Kiunga and the island of New Ireland.

December

Dec

The beginning of the rainy season, it is still sunny, but an increase in the intensity of rainfall may make travel a bit more difficult.

Favorable weather will be found around Port Moresby and on the island of New Ireland.

Not a very favorable time to beach and travel around the islands of New Britain, Kiunga, Lae.

Holidays and observances in Papua New Guinea

  • 25 Dec 2025 - Christmas Day
  • 26 Dec 2025 - Boxing Day

Port Moresby

Friday 2 May
Update 2025-05-01 16:23 CET. Powered by Visual Crossing Weather.
rain
84°F
Humidity
87%
Cloud cover
60%
Wind speed
13 mph
Chance of rain
81%

Port Moresby

Saturday 3 May
Update 2025-05-01 16:23 CET. Powered by Visual Crossing Weather.
cloudy
84°F
Humidity
85%
Cloud cover
99%
Wind speed
9.8 mph
Chance of rain
32%

Port Moresby

Sunday 4 May
Update 2025-05-01 16:23 CET. Powered by Visual Crossing Weather.
partly-cloudy-day
83°F
Humidity
84%
Cloud cover
67%
Wind speed
5.8 mph
Chance of rain
19%

Port Moresby

Monday 5 May
Update 2025-05-01 16:23 CET. Powered by Visual Crossing Weather.
rain
83°F
Humidity
85%
Cloud cover
68%
Wind speed
7 mph
Chance of rain
61%

Port Moresby

Tuesday 6 May
Update 2025-05-01 16:23 CET. Powered by Visual Crossing Weather.
rain
83°F
Humidity
85%
Cloud cover
81%
Wind speed
5.3 mph
Chance of rain
71%

Climate and Average Weather in Papua New Guinea

General weather conditions each month by city.

  • Port Moresby
  • Ambua
  • Rabaul
  • Karawari
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Sea
84°
Sea
84°
Sea
84°
Sea
84°
Sea
82°
Sea
81°
Sea
79°
Sea
77°
Sea
79°
Sea
79°
Sea
82°
Sea
84°
Rain
19 Days
Rain
17 Days
Rain
19 Days
Rain
14 Days
Rain
11 Days
Rain
7 Days
Rain
7 Days
Rain
6 Days
Rain
7 Days
Rain
7 Days
Rain
8 Days
Rain
13 Days
Day
13h
Day
12h
Day
12h
Day
12h
Day
12h
Day
12h
Day
12h
Day
12h
Day
12h
Day
12h
Day
13h
Day
13h
Sun
6h
Sun
6h
Sun
6h
Sun
6h
Sun
6h
Sun
6h
Sun
6h
Sun
7h
Sun
7h
Sun
7h
Sun
7h
Sun
6h
Average temperature (°F)
Average rainfall (in)
RAIN - Days with precipitation
DAY - Average length of day
SUN - Sunshine hours per day (cloudless weather)

Weather Map

Select month
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Switch places
Port MoresbyAmbuaRabaulKarawari
Port Moresby
88 °F
2.68 in
82 °F
Ambua
72 °F
9.76 in
Rabaul
86 °F
5.59 in
86 °F

The icons next to the month name indicate the convenience of the date for visiting the selected area/territory/ country. They are only a suggestion and should not be used as the final criterion for selecting your travel date. The season is defined as the time period with the weather favorable for sightseeing (or sunbathing - small island countries) for the average tourist. For countries with a large geographical range, the most touristic places were included.

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