Baliem Valley Culture Tour

Experience the home of the Dani and Lani

6 days/5 nights ● from/to Wamena, Papua ● Private Tour ● 5 nights in The Baliem Valley Resort ● 4 full-day tours ● Level of difficulty: None

This 6 days/ 5 nights cultural tour to Papua brings you to the Baliem Valley, home of the Dani and Lani tribes. You meet the Danis during private excursions. Surrounded by beautiful vegetation you pass through Dani hamlets, villages and fields. You discover Lake Habbema, the highest lake in all of Indonesia. You attend a traditional pig festival, which is by far the most amazing experience of a trip to Papua. And you have this unforgettable experience while staying in the most unique accommodation in the area: The Baliem Valley Resort. No fitness level needed, this cultural trip in the Baliem Valley is for everyone!

Price per person
from/to Wamena, Papua

for minimum 2 guests
USD 1.850 Price in EUR / IDR on request
  • PRIVATE TOUR
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.

Inside the spacious bungalow @ The Baliem Valley Resort
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.

Kotilola Cave
The mummy of Meagaima

Day 4: Baliem Valley
Excursion to Lake Habbema, the highest lake in all of Indonesia

After an early breakfast, we drive to Lake Habbema. As we climb higher into the mountains, the savannah-like landscape of the Baliem Valley gives way to spectacular mountain rainforest with enormous tree ferns and screw pines covered in moss, lichens and climbing plants. Eventually, the forest disappears altogether and opens into the very different alpine landscape surrounding the lake. At around 3.200 metres, Lake Habbema lies on a vast highland plateau surrounded by meadows, rhododendrons, orchids and other alpine plants. The unusual vegetation and almost otherworldly landscape make this one of the most unique environments in Papua. The lake also has an interesting history. During Richard Archbold’s famous expedition to New Guinea in 1938, his Catalina seaplane landed on Lake Habbema, which became an important base for the exploration of the surrounding highlands and the Baliem Valley. We enjoy a picnic by the lake and, if the weather is clear, have spectacular views towards Mount Trikora. Afterwards, we go for a walk along the lake, and those who don’t mind the cold can even go for a swim! We return to the Resort in the afternoon.

Transportation: 3 hours of 4×4 drive. 2-3 hours walking. Local guide included. Accommodation: The Baliem Valley Resort. Meals: full board.

Lake Habbema is surrounded by fairytale scenery, and you usually have the place all to yourself

Day 5: Baliem Valley
Traditional pig festival, an unforgettable experience

Today is a very special day! After breakfast, we get ready to participate in a pig feast which takes place in a traditional Dani village. Many decorated people from the Dani tribe take part in the festival. Such pig feasts with hot stones and earth pits are probably the most interesting part of a trip to New Guinea. It is difficult to describe what exactly is so unique about these festivals because there is just too much happening at once. You have to see and experience it yourself.  For lunch, there is a picnic but you can also eat the food from the traditional earth pit if you like. The freshly cooked pork and sweet potatoes are delicious! In the late afternoon, we return to the Resort.

The pig festival takes place in changing villages. Precise information on travel times cannot be provided. 1 hour walking. Local guide included. Accommodation: The Baliem Valley Resort. Meals: full board.

During a pig festival
decorated dani man starting a fire
A Dani from the Baliem Valley starting a fire

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 Culture Tour ● 6 days/5 nights ● Private Tour
Price per person from/to Wamena, Papua
for minimum 2 guests
USD 1.850 Price in EUR / IDR on request
  • +USD 250 for single room
for 3-6 guests
USD 1.550 Price in EUR / IDR on request
  • +USD 250 for single room
for 1 single guest
USD 3.240 Price in EUR / IDR on request
  • in 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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