Is Port Moresby Safe or Dangerous? Safety Guide, What to Watch For

Yes — Port Moresby is genuinely one of the more dangerous capital cities to visit, and this is not alarmism: Papua New Guinea has very high rates of violent crime, and Port Moresby specifically sees armed robbery, carjacking, break-ins, and assault committed by organized 'raskol' gangs, including in daytime and central areas. Most governments issue strong travel advisories (typically 'exercise a high degree of caution' or 'reconsider travel'). It's overwhelmingly a business, resource-industry, and transit city rather than a tourist destination, and visitors who go do so with serious precautions: staying in secure hotels, never walking, moving only by hotel or arranged vehicle, keeping a very low profile, and following professional/local security advice. Treated with that level of care, most business visitors are fine — but it demands respect.

Not in the way most destinations are — Port Moresby is not a casual tourist city, and independent sightseeing on foot is genuinely unsafe. If you're visiting Papua New Guinea for its extraordinary culture, diving, trekking (the Kokoda Track), or the Highlands, you typically transit through Port Moresby rather than tour it, and you should arrange everything through reputable operators with security experience. In the city itself, base in a secure hotel, move only by hotel vehicle or a trusted arranged driver (never taxis flagged on the street or walking), keep a low profile with no visible valuables, don't go out after dark except by secure transport, and comply immediately if ever confronted. Check your government's current travel advice, use professional in-country contacts, and treat the city as a high-security transit point, not a place to explore freely.

Handle it like a genuine high-risk posting. Book a reputable hotel with real security and use its transport or a vetted driver/company for every movement — do not walk anywhere, do not take street taxis or PMV buses, and do not go out after dark except by secure vehicle to a specific, secure venue. Keep an extremely low profile: no jewelry, no visible phone or cash, minimal valuables, and don't advertise plans. Keep car windows up and doors locked in traffic (carjacking risk), use ATMs only inside banks/hotels by day, and keep your passport and spares in the hotel safe. If confronted or robbed, comply immediately and don't resist — raskol crime can be violent. Lean on your employer's or operator's security guidance and local contacts, and follow current government travel advice closely.

Papua New Guinea is one of the world's most extraordinary destinations — remarkable cultures, world-class diving, the Kokoda Track, remote Highlands and islands — and adventurous travelers do visit rewardingly, but it must be done carefully and usually through reputable tour operators, lodges, and dive/trek companies that handle logistics and security. The risks are highest in Port Moresby and other urban centers (Lae, Mount Hagen); many of the best experiences are at remote lodges and dive resorts that are relatively self-contained and safer. Go with an established operator, follow their and the current government travel advice, budget for the significant cost, be flexible (infrastructure is limited), and treat urban stops as secure transit. It's a trip for prepared, well-organized travelers, not casual independent tourism.