The 100 WondersProjectSearch
Objects from Papua New Guinea’s Sepik River region

486 · The Wider World

Sepik River

A river landscape and distinctive artistic traditions invite an encounter with places whose significance depends on community and context.

PhotographSzilas · Public domain

Summary

The Sepik River is a major river in Papua New Guinea, with settlements and distinctive artistic traditions along its waterways. River landscapes, community buildings and objects form part of a living cultural environment.

The art gains meaning from its place and use. The river connects communities and traditions, making cultural context as important as the striking appearance of individual works.

401–500 · The Wider World

The essentials

Explore the full photo gallery →

Allow time

7 days as an initial allowance, excluding approach travel

Choose a base

A verified locally guided Sepik itinerary

Getting there

Use Wewak as the usual gateway, then arrange the road transfer to the river and onward boat travel with an experienced local operator.

Plan ahead

Agree the villages, hosts, permissions, accommodation, meals and return transport before departure. Recheck local security and river conditions for the specific route.

Practical notes updated 30 September 2026. Visitor information and sources

Papua New Guinea · Culture
Country guidesPapua New Guinea
Open my 100Record a visit

The essential experience.

A detail that changes the visit

Community permissions, transport and regional conditions require specific arrangements; avoid treating villages as open-air exhibits.

Exhibit in Otago Museum - Dunedin, New Zealand
Exhibit in Otago Museum - Dunedin, New ZealandPhoto: Daderot · Public domain

For the curious reader

History, landscape and context.

The Sepik is the longest river on the island of New Guinea, and the third largest in Oceania by discharge volume after the Fly and Mamberamo. The majority of the river flows through the Papua New Guinea (PNG) provinces of Sandaun (formerly West Sepik) and East Sepik, with a small section flowing through the Indonesian province of Papua. The river originates in the Victor Emanuel Range in the central highlands of Papua New Guinea. From its mountain headwaters near Telefomin, it travels north-west and leaves the mountains abruptly near Yapsei. From there it flows into Indonesian Papua, before turning back north-east, for the majority of its journey following the great Central Depression.

Abridged background from Sepik, by Wikipedia contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Paragraphs have been selected and shortened; this adapted background remains under the same licence. Retrieved 23 September 2026. Source revision.

Lake Kabufwe, Sepik River, Papua New Guinea, covered in salvinia before it was controlled using the South American weevil, Cyrtobagous salviniae
Lake Kabufwe, Sepik River, Papua New Guinea, covered in salvinia before it was controlled using the South American weevil, Cyrtobagous salviniaePhoto: division, CSIRO · CC BY 3.0
The forested banks of the Sepik River
Sepik RiverPhoto: David Bacon · CC BY 2.0

From inspiration to a practical plan

Plan your visit.

Physical demands
Long small-boat journeys, muddy banks and basic village accommodation; getting in and out of boats can be demanding.
The consequential detail
Community permissions, transport and regional conditions require specific arrangements; avoid treating villages as open-air exhibits.
Add to my travel workbenchResearch access requirements

Through the seasons

A place in the world.

Papua New Guinea.

A place in the world
Sepik River location mapSepik River location map

Select the pin to open a detailed map. Use Closer look to see the surrounding region. Drag to move a zoomed map.

Map: Natural Earth
Explore the interactive atlas

In pictures.

The Sepik’s river communities connect waterborne journeys with distinctive artistic traditions.

Objects from Papua New Guinea’s Sepik River regionPhoto: Szilas, Public domain
Lake Kabufwe, Sepik River, Papua New Guinea, covered in salvinia before it was controlled using the South American weevil, Cyrtobagous salviniaePhoto: division, CSIRO, CC BY 3.0
Exhibit in Otago Museum - Dunedin, New ZealandPhoto: Daderot, Public domain
The forested banks of the Sepik RiverPhoto: David Bacon, CC BY 2.0
A riverside house on stilts beside the SepikPhoto: David Bacon, CC BY 2.0
Vegetation along the Sepik RiverPhoto: David Bacon, CC BY 2.0
Boats beside a village on the Sepik RiverPhoto: David Bacon, CC BY 2.0
The Sepik River seen from a boatPhoto: David Bacon, CC BY 2.0
Open the complete galleryDiscover the world in photographs

Follow the connection

Keep exploring.

Explore more places in the same country.

Early morning at Alola on the Kokoda Track

256 · Papua New Guinea

Kokoda Track

A demanding route through landscape and memory

Useful links and further reading.

Choose a source for the job: official visitor information for access, the UNESCO record for the named property’s designation, and background or library resources for deeper reading.

Read · Wikipedia

Sepik River: background reading

Encyclopaedic context and its bibliography. Follow the cited research for a deeper examination of particular claims.

External resource. Check the provider for access and current arrangements.

Visit · Wikivoyage

Find travel information for Sepik River

A clearly labelled search of the community travel guide; check the page’s coverage and the age of practical details.

External resource. Check the provider for access and current arrangements.

Books · WorldCat

Find books about Sepik River

Search library holdings and editions, useful for finding specialist histories, field guides and works beyond a general travel guide.

External resource. Check the provider for access and current arrangements.

Photography · Wikimedia Commons

Find photographs of Sepik River

Explore further photographs and their individual credits.

External resource. Check the provider for access and current arrangements.

Maps · OpenStreetMap

Explore the local map

Inspect the surrounding area.

External resource. Check the provider for access and current arrangements.
Visitor information behind these practical notes