Papua New Guinea - Birding in Paradise (Small Group) 2025

20 Aug 2025 - 06 Sep 2025 (18 days)

PGK47,950 - No Spaces Available

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Tour Leader: Erik Forsyth

Tour price (Per person): PGK47,950 * USD11,822 * GBP9,427 * EUR11,376 * AUD18,981

Single Supplement: PGK4,950 * USD1,220 * GBP973 * EUR1,174 * AUD1,959

Flight costs: PGK3,400 * USD838 * GBP668 * EUR807 * AUD1,346

Can be linked with: Papua New Guinea - New Britain Extension III 2025

Papua New Guinea - Birding in Paradise (Small Group) 2026

25 Jul 2026 - 11 Aug 2026 (18 days)

PGK49,900 - Spaces Available

Book Now

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Tour Leader: Paul Varney

Pricing notes : *Prices are estimated and dates may change*

Tour price (Per person): PGK49,900 * USD12,302 * GBP9,811 * EUR11,838 * AUD19,753

Can be linked with: Papua New Guinea - New Britain Extension II 2026

Of all the world’s birding destinations, Papua New Guinea must certainly rank amongst the most fascinating and exotic. The second largest island on Earth, New Guinea was the last inhabited island to be explored by Europeans, and even today many areas have little or no exposure to Western influence. The virtually untouched forests come alive with incredible fruit doves, fig parrots, fairywrens, jewel-babblers, pittas, honeyeaters and berrypeckers, while over twenty species of dazzling birds-of-paradise present sometimes unbelievably iridescent colours and wild tail plumes in one of the most astonishing exhibits of the natural world!

Travelling by air, road, and boat we will explore the diverse habitats of the country, from winding lowland rivers and sprawling grasslands, to the richly forested highlands. Native tribes still dress themselves to mimic the island’s fabulous birds, adorned with elaborate head plumes made from the feathers of parrots and birds-of-paradise. Our eighteen-day tour covers the highlights of this enchanted and little-travelled country. We can expect a phenomenal variety of remarkable birds in and amongst vast regions of immaculate forests that have been experienced by few people on earth!

Top Birds

King of Saxony, Magnificent, King, Twelve-wired, Greater, Raggiana, Lesser & Blue Bird-of-paradise; Magnificent & Growling Riflebirds; Black, Brown & Black-billed Sicklebills; Superb Lophorina; Glossy-mantled, Crinkle-collared & Trumpet Manucodes; Ribbon-tailed & Princess Stephanie's Astrapias; Queen Carola's & Lawes's Parotias; Salvadori's Teal; Forest Bittern; Papuan, Pygmy & Gurney's Eagles; Doria's & Black-mantled Goshawks; Papuan Harrier; New Guinea Flightless Rail; New Guinea Woodcock; New Guinea Bronzewing; Cinnamon Ground Dove; Pheasant Pigeon; Sclater’s Crowned Pigeon; Wompoo, Pink-spotted, Ornate, Orange-fronted, Superb, Coroneted, Beautiful, White-bibbed, Orange-bellied & Dwarf Fruit Doves; Purple-tailed, Rufescent, Pinon's, Collared, Zoe's & Torresian Imperial Pigeons; Papuan Mountain Pigeon; Papuan Boobook; Marbled & Papuan Frogmouths; Archbold's Nightjar; Feline, Starry, Wallace's, Mountain & Barred Owlet-Nightjars; Hook-billed, Common Paradise, Little Paradise, Buff-breasted Paradise, Brown-headed Paradise, Forest, Torresian, Yellow-billed, Mountain, Papuan Dwarf & Azure Kingfishers; Shovel-billed, Blue-winged & Rufous-bellied Kookaburras; Pesquet's, Yellow-capped, Buff-faced Pygmy, Orange-breasted Fig, Papuan King & Brehm's Tiger Parrots; Papuan Eclectus; Striated, Red-flanked, Fairy, Papuan, Yellow-billed & Orange-billed Lorikeets; Purple-bellied, Dusky, Goldie's & Coconut Lorikeets; Papuan Pitta; Archbold's, MacGregor's, Flame, Yellow-breasted & Fawn-breasted Bowerbirds; Papuan Treecreeper; Wallace's, Emperor, White-shouldered & Orange-crowned Fairywren; Goldenface; Papuan Babbler; Papuan Logrunner; Loria's & Crested Satinbirds; Tit & Crested Berrypeckers; Papuan Whipbird; Spotted, Blue & Chestnut-backed Jewel-babbler; Painted Quail-thrush; Mottled Berryhunter; Papuan & Black Sittellas; Wattled Ploughbill; Rufous-naped Whistler; Crested Pitohui; Lesser & Greater Melampittas; Blue-capped Ifrit; Mountain Firetail; White-spotted, Great-billed, Grey-headed, Hooded & Chestnut-breasted Mannikins.

Top Mammals

Spectacled Dasyure, Black-tailed Giant Rat, Agile Wallaby, Great Flying Fox

Habitats Covered

lowland and montane rainforest, Eucalyptus savanna, mangroves, grasslands, wetlands, islets

Expected Climate

hot and humid with tropical showers, cooler in the highlands

Max Group Size

6 with 1 Rockjumper leader

Tour Pace & Walking

DIFFICULT: This is a high-intensity “mega” tour designed for passionate listers and serious birders who enjoy a fast-paced schedule. Due to its demanding nature, it’s not recommended for avid photographers, inexperienced birders, or anyone with mobility or health limitations.

moderate pace with some longer hikes

Accommodation

comfortable to good hotels and lodges with one basic lodge

Ease of Birding

moderate, can be challenging at times

Number of Species Expected

300 - 350

Other Attractions

traditional carvings, spectacular forest vistas and mountain scenery

Photographic Opportunities

good

What our clients say about us

Stephan Lorenz
JC - PNG 2022

The tour was excellent overall. The main guide, Stephan Lorentz, was really top class. His knowledge of the birds and calls and the fine id details was exceptional and his field skills were awesome, outdoing the local guides at times. And he is extremely personable and friendly. The local guides were also excellent and provided an exceptionally high level of field skill and support, and great enthusiasm in getting pax onto the more challenging birds. And physical support also, including even helping some of the pax on slippery slopes and cutting stairs on river landings at times!! The landed arrangements were generally slick and the accommodation of good quality. Overall it was an exceptional and really memorable tour with superb birds and birding, much or most of which would not have been possible without the Rockjumper team, slick tour planning and arrangements, Stephan and the local guides.

André Bernon
DK - PNG 2022

Andre and Lev were excellent guides, and ensured we had a great time, even when birding, the weather, or the inevitable logistical challenges of travel within PNG seemed to do their best to thwart us. They did an excellent job of managing expectations, but also ensuring that as many people in the group got to see the birds, while also understanding that not everyone would see ingle bird. Difficulties, whether with accommodations, weather, or even participants, were dealt with quickly, and I have no doubt far more issues were cleared before the group was even aware they existed! I look forward to returning to New Guinea (including West Papua) with Rockjumper soon, and also exploring more birding destinations with Lev and Andre or the other excellent guides you have!

Glen Valentine
AH, Papua New Guinea 2018

Glen Valentine was excellent, seeing and hearing most of the target birds, despite a very chatty, enthusiastic group that must have been very challenging at times.

Lev Frid
KL, Papua New Guinea 2022

I thought Lev Frid did a great job in managing the tour.

Adam Walleyn
BA, Papua New Guinea

Adam Walleyn acted as a very experienced and skilful leader. He had an intimate knowledge of the birds and great skills in finding and showing them. His communication was extremely clear, to the point and flavoured with a good sense of humour. In the few difficult situations that arose due to flights, civil unrest, etc, he showed extremely good skills in handling these with a perfect balance between group decisions and executive decisions. A role model for a tour leader.

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