YPT Tours to Bougainville
Young Pioneer Tours are one of the only companies to offer Bougainville Tours to group and independent pioneers, something we have been doing since 2019.
Seeped in beauty, home to some of the most welcoming people on Earth, and with the potential to be the worlds newest’s country, Bougainville is a mountainous island known for its stunning natural beauty and rich cultural heritage. Now really is the time to visit Bougainville!
Group Tours to Bougainville
Currently Young Pioneer Tours offer one standalone group tour to Bougainville, as well as one that combines with our Papua New Guinea Mount Hagen Festival tour. We also offer one tour linked to the Solomon Islands on our Least Visited Countries Tour.
We are currently planning more tours to Bougainville, so watch this space and our social media to get all the news!
Mount Hagen Festival and Bougainville Tour – August 12th – 20th / 26th, 2025 – $2945 / $5945
This tour perfectly combines the Mount Hagen Festival Port Moresby, Lae and Goroka with a week in Bougainville.
Papua New Guinea Bougainville Tour – August 19th-26th, 2025 – $3295
Our yearly scheduled trip to Bougainville where we head all over the island, sample Bougainville culture, visit the Tama Festival, see the Yamamoto crash site, as well as go island hopping in Bougainville.
Independent Tours to Bougainville
While we offer limited group tours to Bougainville, we and our partners in the country can offer bespoke tours to Bougainville throughout the year.
These tours can be combined with trips to mainland Papua New Guinea, overland from West Papua, as well as with Raboul, New Britain and New Ireland to name but a few examples.
Example of a Bougainville itinerary (6 days)
Day 1 – Port Moresby – Buka
Morning
- Arrive in Port Moresby at your own leisure and depart on your next flight to Buka.
Afternoon
- Once arriving at Buka Airport you’ll be greeted by our local Bougainville team and escorted to your accommodation at Exodus Guest House.
- Explore the village and visit a small business that produce traditional clay pots.
- Lunch at a local restaurant.
- Board your car to Kubu to visit the parliament house and access a gorgeous viewpoint allowing you to observe the whole of Buka passage, a strait filled with shipwrecks of WWII.
- On your way back to Buka, you will stop to explore the ruins of Japanese WWII bunkers in Hahela.
- Dinner and overnight at Exodus Guest House.
Day 2 – Buka – Arawa
Morning
- Breakfast at hotel
- Depart to a historical site located next to the police station in Buka Town. This site is known as the mass graveyard for the Bougainville Revolutionary Army during the Bougainville civil war. Our local guide will share facts of what happened during those troubled times.
- Board an iconic banana boat and cross the Buka passage to Kokopau.
Afternoon
- Jump in our 4WDs and embark on a 4-hour journey to Arawa with stops along the highway for photo opportunities and lunch.
- On arrival, check in at the Gold Dust Inn.
- In the afternoon, embark on a visit to the WWII relics in Kieta, a historical site that offers insight into the region’s wartime past. Explore remnants of military fortifications, aircraft wreckage, and other artifacts that tell the story of Kieta’s role during World War II.
- Dinner, drinks and overnight at Gold Dust Inn.
Day 3 – Arawa – Panguna Tour – Lomili – Hurai
Morning
- Breakfast at hotel
- We head out to visit the decommissioned Panguna Mine – this mine used to be the largest open cut mine in the world with a total width of 2 kilometres and a depth of 430 metres. Farmers protested for the mines closure in 1989 which sparked the secessionist movement in Bougainville and the civil war. It’s common to see locals visiting the mine and panning for gold. Here you’ll explore the abandoned installations of this monstrous monument to careless exploitation.
Early Afternoon
- Drive to Lomili cultural village in Nagovis for a guided village tour. Upon arrival, receive a warm traditional welcome from the local community and immerse yourself in the customs and way of life of the Nagovis people. Explore the village, interact with community members, and learn about their unique traditions, including storytelling, traditional crafts, and agricultural practices.
- You’ll witness cultural performances, such as traditional dances and songs, that have been passed down through generations.
- After the village tour, embark on a drive to Siwai, passing through remote communities.
- Overnight in Hurai
Day 4 – Arawa – Buin Region – Asio Bay
Morning
- Breakfast at homestay.
- Begin the drive south towards the region of Buin.
- As part of the preparation of our Bougainville tour, YPT will prepare your visas to visit the micronation of the Twin Kingdom of Me’ekamui and Papaala. During the civil war of Bougainville, and after the takeover of Panguna Man, the leader of the rebellion group, Francis Ona, owned half of the island and proclaimed himself as Kim of Me’ekamui. However, on the other side of the island, another man known as King David Peii II proclaimed himself King of Papaala. Upon Francis Ona’s passing, King David Peii II then combined both kingdoms of the island into a Twin Kingdom.
- On arrival take a tour through Buin as well as exploration of the beautiful Kangu beach and Kihili beach.
Afternoon
- Explore a few nearby villages where the locals receive very few tourists each year and are very eager to show off their performances and local welcoming rituals. In Muguai village we will also experience the traditional drum dance.
- Continue to Asio bay where you’ll check into your accommodation for the night. You’ll be based on a pristine island with a crystal clear ocean, your surrounding being incredibly peaceful – what perfect way to relax.
- Overnight at Asio Bay.
Day 5 – Asio Bay – Pidia – Arawa
Morning
- Breakfast at resort.
- Enjoy some island hopping where you can swim, snorkel and fish in untouched waters.
- Board a banana boat and travel to a cliff over the sea called “Eberia”. “Eberia” literally translates as ‘’this way‟ in the local language and according to local folklore is rumoured to be the gateway to the Underworld. It is a truly unique and spooky sight. You’ll stop and explore the abandoned Arovo Island Resort. Its services were disrupted by the civil war.
Afternoon
- Continue by banana boat to Pidia village, if you are familiar with the movie ”Mr. Pip”, staring Hugh Laurie, which tells the story of a girl in Pidia village going through the events of the Bougainville civil war. It happened here!
- On your way back on the mainland, you’ll stop by a WWII memorial by the town of Kieta where a Japanese Zero plane and a Japanese tank are exposed.
- You’ll also stop by Arawa market to meet the locals and shop for souvenirs – most of this city was destroyed from the civil war.
- Overnight in Arawa.
Day 6 – Arawa – Buka – Port Moresby
- Extremely early start for the scenic drive back to Buka for your flight to Port Moresby
- Transfer to airport for the 12:35pm flight arriving at 1:05pm.
Bespoke Bougainville Tours
World War Two Bougainville Tours – Bougainville was the site of some of the most intense fighting of the Second World War and is home to many famous wrecks. YPT can arrange tours that focus on not only the Second World War, but also specific routes, or battles.
Yamamoto Plane Wreck – While our group tours take in the plane wreck of Yamamoto, we can also arrange private tours that spend more time here, as well as taking in other related history.
Diving in Bougainville – Bougainville offers some of the best diving and snorkelling spots in the world, but alas they lack diving equipment. Young Pioneer Tours can arrange diving in Bougainville with prior warning.
Island Hopping Tours in Bougainville – Young Pioneer Tours can arrange island hopping in Bougainville as part of a regular tour, or over a longer period of time.
Journalist travel to Bougainville – Young Pioneer Tours can arrange trips for journalists to Bougainville, as well as meetings with people who were involved in the conflict for independence within the nascent country.
Bougainville and New Britain Tours
Travel to Bougainville can not only be combined with our regular trips to Papua New Guinea, but also the beaches, beauty and World War Two heritage of both New Britain and New Ireland.
These tours can be facilitated via the Port Moresby to Raboul flights, which then carry on to Buka Airport. These can also be combined with trips to the capital, as well as other parts of Papua New Guinea, as well as overland to West Papua.
Travel between Bougainville and Solomon Islands
It has just been announced that the long closed border crossing between Bougainville and the Solomon Islands has been reopened. We are now able to offer tours that combine both destinations.
These trips cross over into the Western Province of the Solomon Islands, with flights then available to Gizo and Honiara among other exciting places.
We have just planned a trip between the two that will commence after our Least Visited Countries Tour.
Frequently Asked Questions about Travel to Bougainville
Below are some of the most frequently asked questions about traveling to Bougainville. If we have missed something out then please get in touch and let the Bougainville travel experts answer your question for you.
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