Discover the Kokoda Track

In 1942, Australian and Papua New Guinean troops fought along this jungle path against the advancing Japanese army in one of the most brutal campaigns of the Pacific War, and memorials and trenches along the trail still commemorate the fallen today.

Depending on fitness and pace, the demanding route takes between six and ten days and requires good physical preparation, since several steep ascents and descents must be tackled daily in tropical heat and humidity, usually with the support of local porters and guides.

Along the roughly 96-kilometer route, trekkers stay overnight in traditional villages of the Koiari and Orokaiva people, whose ancestors, known as the Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels during the war, carried wounded soldiers through the jungle under the greatest hardship.

The demanding hike leads over muddy paths, raging rivers and steep mountain passes such as the notorious Golden Stairs through dense lowland rainforest, ranking among the toughest yet most rewarding trekking routes in the world.

The starting point Owers' Corner lies about 2.5 hours by car from Port Moresby, while the other end of the trail at Kokoda village can be reached by small plane from the capital in about 30 minutes.

In 1942, Australian and Papua New Guinean troops fought along this jungle path against the advancing Japanese army in one of the most brutal campaigns of the Pacific War, and memorials and trenches along the trail still commemorate the fallen today.

Depending on fitness and pace, the demanding route takes between six and ten days and requires good physical preparation, since several steep ascents and descents must be tackled daily in tropical heat and humidity, usually with the support of local porters and guides.

Along the roughly 96-kilometer route, trekkers stay overnight in traditional villages of the Koiari and Orokaiva people, whose ancestors, known as the Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels during the war, carried wounded soldiers through the jungle under the greatest hardship.