Baliem Valley Festival

Discover the Baliem Valley and visit the famous highland festival

Minimum duration of 6 days/5 nights ● from/to Wamena, Papua ● semi-private tour ● 5 nights in The Baliem Valley Resort ● Level of difficulty: None

This 6 days/ 5 nights special tour from/to Wamena is organized around the Baliem Valley Festival but you also experience selected excursions in the home of the Dani tribes. Surrounded by beautiful vegetation you pass through Dani hamlets, villages and fields. You have this unforgettable experience while staying in the most unique accommodation of the area: The Baliem Valley Resort. We attend the colorful Baliem Valley Festival, in which numerous Dani tribes from all over the highlands participate. The spectacular war and dance performances are overwhelming. As it can be very crowded, we also organize a private festival in a traditional village near our Resort on the second day of the public festival. On this day, our guests can choose to attend the public festival, or our exclusive festival.

Price per person
from/to Wamena, Papua

USD 2.290 Price in EUR / IDR on request
  • 05.08.-10.08.2027
  • Dates can slightly be modified
ENQUIRY
See all prices & conditions below

Day 1: Baliem Valley
Arrival in Wamena and transfer to The Baliem Valley Resort

When arriving at Wamena airport, you meet your local guide and your driver. On the way to The Baliem Valley Resort, we visit the market of Wamena. Here local Danis offer their agricultural products. Besides the very popular sweet potato, many other vegetables and fruits are offered. The market of Wamena is also the biggest trading place for the very sought-after wild boars. Once at The Baliem Valley Resort, you settle in your bungalow and, depending on the time of day, you can enjoy lunch or an afternoon coffee. Later, dinner is served in the restaurant.

Transportation: 45 minutes of drive. Local guide included. Accommodation: The Baliem Valley Resort. Meals: full board.

Day 2: Baliem Valley
Hiking in the southern Baliem Valley and encounters with the Dani people

Today we visit the southern Baliem Valley for a scenic hike of moderate difficulty. Starting in the village of Sogogmo, we follow the mighty Baliem River deeper into the valley. We cross suspension bridges and walk through Dani settlements, meeting people along the way and seeing them working in their terraced fields and wild sugar cane groves. For lunch, we enjoy a picnic with a magnificent view over the river and the narrow valley. We then return along the other side of the river, passing more traditional fields and settlements before meeting our driver again. As we are hiking in mountainous terrain, several short ascents and descents are part of the route. This is one of the hikes in the Baliem Valley that takes us through villages without road access and gives a good impression of everyday life in the more remote parts of the valley. In the late afternoon, we return to the Resort.

Transportation: 2 hours of drive. 4 hours hiking. Local guide included. Accommodation: The Baliem Valley Resort. Meals: full board.

Chief's mummy of Meagaima
Hiking along the Baliem River

Day 3: Baliem Valley
The impressive Kotilola Cave, the Meagaima Mummy and a visit to Papuan coffee farmers

After breakfast, we drive to the famous Kotilola Cave with its gigantic stalactites and stalagmites. Parts of the cave have collapsed over time, allowing sunlight to enter and lush vegetation to flourish. With a torch, you can explore a little deeper into the cave until reaching an underground river. The cave is also home to a large colony of bats. After visiting the cave, we continue along the Baliem River until we reach a small village. From here, we cross the river one by one in traditional dugout canoes before walking to the village of Meagaima. Here, we visit one of the very few preserved Dani chief’s mummies. Due to its remote location, this mummy is only rarely visited by tourists. There is also time to relax for a while in one of the traditional huts before returning across the river. We then continue by car to the village of Pugima, where we meet local coffee farmers and enjoy a freshly roasted cup of Papua highland coffee. Grown at high altitude in fertile volcanic soil and cultivated using traditional methods, the coffee is known for its rich and complex flavour with notes of fruit, chocolate and earthiness. You’ll witness the entire process, from tree to cup, all done by the same family. In the afternoon, we return to the resort.
Please note: After periods of heavy rainfall, the mummy in Meagaima may become inaccessible. In that case, we will instead visit the chief’s mummy in Aikima village.

Transportation: Total 2 hours of drive, 2 hours walking. Local guide included. Accommodation: The Baliem Valley Resort. Meals: full board.

Day 4: Baliem Valley
Attending the public Baliem Valley Festival

After breakfast we drive to the Baliem Valley Festival taking place near Wamena. From the tribune, we have a good view of the performance area. Many villages from the Baliem Valley participate in the festival to present themselves with dance and fighting performances. Originally, the festival served to pacify the Baliem Valley. Once a year, the clans were to get together to interact in a peaceful, joyful atmosphere. This was to prevent possible tensions that could lead to warlike conflicts. Even today, the festival is mainly for the locals. However, the decorated warriors and the informal atmosphere attract more and more foreign visitors. After a certain time, you can freely walk the grounds and interact directly with the performers. In the afternoon, we drive back to the Resort.

Transportation: 2 hours of drive. Guide included. Accommodation: The Baliem Valley Resort. Meals: full board.

Dani performers at the festival
Local crowd attending the festival

Day 5: Baliem Valley
Attend the second day of the public Baliem Valley Festival or join our private traditional festival

Today you have the choice: either you go with your guide once again to the big public Baliem Valley Festival in Wamena. Or you can opt for another very special experience in a small group! In this case, after breakfast we get ready to participate in a pig festival that takes place in a traditional Dani village near the Resort. Many decorated people from the Dani tribe participate in the feast. We are among ourselves and can experience and enjoy the spectacle in privacy. Such pig festivals with hot stones and earth pits are probably the most interesting part of a trip to New Guinea. It is difficult to describe what is so unique about these festivals because too much happens at once. You have to see and experience it for yourself.  For lunch there is a picnic, but if you want you can also try the food from the traditional earth pit. The freshly cooked pork and sweet potatoes are delicious! In the late afternoon we return to the Resort.

Transportation: either 2 hours of drive or 1 hour walking. Guide included. Accommodation: The Baliem Valley Resort. Meals: full board.

Dani woman during a pig festival
Portrait of a Dani

Day 6: Baliem Valley
Last day in the Baliem Valley and transfer to Wamena airport

After breakfast, you are transferred to Wamena Airport in accordance with the departure time of your onward flight.

Transportation: 45 minutes of drive. Meals: breakfast.

PRICE & CONDITIONS

Baliem Valley Festival ● minimum duration of 6 days/5 nights ● semi-private tour
Price per person from/to Wamena, Papua
USD 2.290 Price in EUR / IDR on request
  • 05.08.-10.08.2027
+USD 800 for single room
ENQUIRY
INCLUDES
  • 5x nights in The Baliem Valley Resort
  • Local guide
  • Tours as described
  • All transfers
  • All entrance fees
  • Meals full board
  • Surat Jalan travel permit
DOES NOT INCLUDE
  • Flights to/from Wamena, Papua (airport code: WMX)
  • Additional drinks and personal expenses

We accept payments in USD, EUR, and IDR. Please let us know your preferred currency. Payments can be made easily by standard online bank transfer. Credit card payments are also possible, but a 3.5% fee applies. To confirm the booking, we require a non-refundable deposit of 15% of the tour price. The remaining balance is due no later than 30 days before the start of the tour. Deposit and balance payment conditions may differ if individual partners have stricter payment terms. Prices are subject to change. The final price will be confirmed at the time of booking. Foreign visitors require a travel permit for Papua (Surat Jalan) and/or an entrance ticket for Raja Ampat. For this, we require a copy of the passport and Indonesian visa. 

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