10-Day Premium Kokoda Pilgrimage

Days
10
From
$4,795
The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award

10-day Premium Kokoda Pilgrimage

Over the past 30 years Major Charlie Lynn has developed the ultimate trek itinerary to allow trekkers to maximise the value of their pilgrimage.

His 10-day Premium Kokoda Pilgrimages offer the ultimate Kokoda experience  includes visits to all battlefields, fire support bases, logistic areas and evacuation centres along the original Kokoda Trail. 

In addition to this we take a day to explore the mystical, historical Myola lakes which were considered to be tabu by the local Koiari  tribes from the beginning of time until 1942.

We also trek across to the eastern side of the range that was defended by the 53rd and 2/16th Battalions.

We provide superior battlefield presentations regarding the strategy of the Kokoda campaign; the phases of war; the principles applicable to each phase; our battlefield tactics; and soldiers recollections.

We follow the original wartime trail mapped by the Royal Australian Army Survey Corps in 1981 and rediscovered through numerous mapping expeditions led by Major Charlie Lynn over a three year period from 2010 - 2013.

What's included

  • Meals
  • All transportation
  • All accommodation
  • All trek fees
  • Mosquito-proof tents

Dates & Availability for 10-Day Premium Kokoda Pilgrimage

Date
Status Price  
13 Apr - 25 Apr 2024
Owers Corner to Kokoda
Scott Babington Limited Places $6,295 $5,895 $5,995 $5,095
14 Apr - 25 Apr 2024
Owers Corner to Kokoda
Peter Morrison Limited Places $5,995 $5,595 $5,695 $4,795
24 Apr - 5 May 2024
Owers Corner to Kokoda
Reg Yates Limited Places $5,995 $5,595 $5,695 $4,795
6 May - 17 May 2024
Owers Corner to Kokoda
Peter Davis Taking Bookings $5,995 $5,595 $5,695 $4,795
10 Jun - 21 Jun 2024
Owers Corner to Kokoda
Dave Sherry Taking Bookings $5,995 $5,595 $5,695 $4,795
24 Jun - 5 Jul 2024
Owers Corner to Kokoda
Rowan Tracey Taking Bookings $5,995 $5,595 $5,695 $4,795
1 Jul - 12 Jul 2024
Owers Corner to Kokoda
Scott Babington Taking Bookings $5,995 $5,595 $5,695 $4,795
5 Jul - 16 Jul 2024
Owers Corner to Kokoda
Scott Babington Taking Bookings $5,995 $5,595 $5,695 $4,795
15 Jul - 26 Jul 2024
Owers Corner to Kokoda
Private group only Private group
21 Jul - 1 Aug 2024
Owers Corner to Kokoda
Peter Davis Taking Bookings $5,995 $5,595 $5,695 $4,795
5 Aug - 16 Aug 2024
Owers Corner to Kokoda
Scott Babington Private group only Private group
12 Aug - 23 Aug 2024
Owers Corner to Kokoda
Limited Places $5,995 $5,595 $5,695 $4,795
23 Aug - 3 Sep 2024
Owers Corner to Kokoda
Reg Yates Taking Bookings $5,995 $5,595 $5,695 $4,795
31 Aug - 11 Sep 2024
Owers Corner to Kokoda
Scott Babington Taking Bookings $5,995 $5,595 $5,695 $4,795
2 Sep - 13 Sep 2024
Owers Corner to Kokoda
Craig Moffat Taking Bookings $5,995 $5,595 $5,695 $4,795
16 Sep - 27 Sep 2024
Owers Corner to Kokoda
Craig Moffat Taking Bookings $5,995 $5,595 $5,695 $4,795
23 Sep - 4 Oct 2024
Owers Corner to Kokoda
Private group only Private group
24 Sep - 5 Oct 2024
Owers Corner to Kokoda
Peter Morrison Taking Bookings $5,995 $5,595 $5,695 $4,795
30 Sep - 11 Oct 2024
Owers Corner to Kokoda
Scott Babington Private group only Private group
7 Oct - 18 Oct 2024
Owers Corner to Kokoda
Max Walker Taking Bookings $5,995 $5,595 $5,695 $4,795
24 Oct - 4 Nov 2024
Owers Corner to Kokoda
Peter Morrison Taking Bookings $5,995 $5,595 $5,695 $4,795
13 Apr - 25 Apr 2025
Owers Corner to Kokoda
Scott Babington Taking Bookings $6,445 $6,045 $6,145 $5,245
14 Apr - 25 Apr 2025
Owers Corner to Kokoda
Peter Davis Taking Bookings $5,995 $5,595 $5,695 $4,795
24 Apr - 5 May 2025
Owers Corner to Kokoda
Craig Moffat Taking Bookings $5,995 $5,595 $5,695 $4,795
6 May - 17 May 2025
Owers Corner to Kokoda
Peter Davis Taking Bookings $5,995 $6,070 $5,695 $4,795
29 May - 9 Jun 2025
Owers Corner to Kokoda
Scott Babington Taking Bookings $5,995 $5,595 $5,695 $4,795
9 Jun - 20 Jun 2025
Owers Corner to Kokoda
Craig Moffat Taking Bookings $5,995 $5,595 $5,695 $4,795
23 Jun - 2 Jul 2025
Owers Corner to Kokoda
Scott Babington Taking Bookings $5,995 $5,595 $5,695 $4,795
13 Apr - 25 Apr 2026
Owers Corner to Kokoda
Scott Babington Taking Bookings $6,445 $6,045 $6,145 $5,245
14 Apr - 25 Apr 2026
Owers Corner to Kokoda
Taking Bookings $5,995 $5,595 $5,695 $4,795
24 Apr - 5 May 2026
Owers Corner to Kokoda
Taking Bookings $5,995 $5,595 $5,695 $4,795

Photos from the 10-Day Premium Kokoda Pilgrimage

FAQs about this trek

According to reports we receive we are the only operator to provide real fresh meals along the trail.

We have obviously trained our PNG guides to prepare, cook and serve meals and this has proved to be a most attractive option to trekkers.  Life is too short for ration packs!

Our menu includes breakfast cereals, tropical fruits, biscuits, jam-vegemite-nutella-peanut butter-cheese, pasta, noodles, rice, meat and vegetables with potato, tea/coffee/hot chocolate etc as standard fare.

We are able to provide for special diets as required.

 

 

 

Most of the emergency evacuations from the Kokoda Trail are caused by gastro problems which cause severe vomiting and diarrhoea leading to dehydration - the most likely source of this condition is contaminated food cooked and served by villagers.  This is why we carry ALL of our food with our trek groups.

We provide a personal tent for each trekker. 

Our tents are fully screened and provide protection from malarial mosquitos, leeches, cockroaches, mice and other creepy-crawlies.

For personal protection, privacy, comfort and convenience our guides will set up your tent each night - pack it up the next morning - carry if to the next campsite and have it ready for you again.

Guesthouses in villages along the trail are built from local bush materials - they offer basic shelter from the elements but don't have any privacy or screened protection from malarial mosquitos, leeches, cockroaches, rats and mice, etc!

The increase in trekker numbers over recent years has led to an increase in infestation in villages guesthouses.

If you have to sleep in these because your trek operator does not provide mosquito proof tents make sure you sleep with your mouth closed and that you don't mind the pitter-patter of little mice running across your forehead - if you are a bit sensitive in this area the only guarantee you have against the local infestation is to sleep in an insect proof tent.

There is also no protection from the inevitable snorer in guesthouses where everybody is required to bunk together.

The following list is an indicative guide of the cost of 'hidden extras' to budget for if they are not included in the price of the trek operator you choose:

  • International return airfare - e.g. Sydney - Port Moresby - $1,200
  • Two nights accommodation in Port Moresby - $600
  • Meals in Port Moresby - $150
  • Backpack - $250 - $350
  • Tent - $180 - $300
     

 

 


If your trek operator does not have a Public Liability Insurance policy then you will need to arrange for your own cover.  This is an essential requirement but will be a difficult and expensive exercise to arrange on an individual basis.

If you lead a sedentary lifestyle you will need a minimum of three months physical training and preparation.

You should start with a complete medical check-up then consult with your local gymnasium to prepare a personal training program aimed at increasing your aerobic fitness level. As a guide we recommend you start with minimum of 45 minutes of aerobic activity (walking, power-walking, jogging, cycling, tennis, etc) at least four times per week.

You should aim to increase your work rate by ten percent each week after that.

Your training needs to include extensive walking, preferably in a hilly-area, carrying a weighted pack. In the last month of your training you need to be capable of walking at least 10 km daily, carrying 3 to 5 kg more than the weight you expect to carry on your trek.

Think of your training as a deposit in your fitness account – everything you do between now and the trek will pay a dividend on the trail.  If you haven’t made enough ‘deposits’ into your fitness account you will have to go into ‘debt’ on the trail – and debt of any kind is always painful!  

You can’t cheat yourself on Kokoda – if you have done the work you will complete it OK – if you haven’t you will be a candidate for an emergency evacuation!  

39th Battalion preparing for the Kokoda campaign on the Sogeri plateau in 1942

Yes he does. 

The VHF radio net along the Kokoda Trail has improved however there is only one channel and it is sometimes difficult to break into the chatter.  The system does not have a base station with a 24/7 listening watch which could be critical in an emergency.

Professional operators are equipped with satellite phones for use in emergencies.

Trek Operators who do not have a satellite phone with an active account fall into the 'dodgy' category - unfortunately they exist and the only protection trekkers have is the old caveat emptor of 'Let the buyer beware'.

 

Meet the Trek Leaders

Major Charlie Lynn OAM OL - Director, Adventure Kokoda

In 2015 Charlie was inducted as an Officer of the Logohu by the Government of Papua New Guinea in their New Years Honours and Awards list 'for service to the bilateral relations between Papua New Guinea and Australia and especially in the development of the Kokoda Trail and its honoured place in the history of both nations' over the past 25 years.'   More..

Tracie Watson - General Manager

Tracie is the General Manager and engine room of Adventure Kokoda - she is on-call 24/7 and will look after your every need and concern from the moment you book your trek until you arrive back in Australia.  More..

Tau Maguli - Quartermaster

Tau Maguli is our PNG Quartermaster with an enormous task, he coordinates the allocation of 350 of our PNG guides and porters to ensure each trek has an equal number from each village across the Trail and each one gets at least six (6) treks a year.  More..

Peter Morrison

Peter Morrison is an unassuming young Australian.  He first trekked with Adventure Kokoda almost a decade ago and developed a strong desire to learn more about the campaign and the people he met along the trail.  Peter is a professional boxer and former NSW Welterweight  Champion.  More..

 

Captain Reg Yates

Over the past 34 years Captain Reg Yates has explored most of the WW11 battlesites in PNG. He is fluent in Tok Pisin and is well respected by village elders along the Kokoda Trail.  More..

 

Major Scott Babington

Scott joined the Australian Army as a 16 year old apprentice in 1985.  He was promoted through the ranks and has spent over 34 years serving in the Australian Regular Army.  

Scott has worked with the United Nations in Sudan as a Military Observer and as an Adviser in Afghanistan with the US 82nd Airborne and the 3rd Infantry Divisions.  More..

 

Dave Sherry

Dave began exploring Australia as soon as he was old enough to escape Sydney.  He was born in the city but his heart was in the bush and he now lives on a farm just outside the western country town of Horsham.  There are few places in Australia that Dave hasn’t trekked on foot or explored in off-road vehicles.  He even took to the sea as a crew member on the Tall Ship HMAS Bounty during the Bicentenary in 1988.  

Dave first trekked Kokoda in 2006 and began leading expeditions across the trail in 2011.  He has now led more than 35 groups across the trail.  More..

 

Major Craig Moffat OAM

Craig joined the Australian Army in 1979 and was posted to the Royal Australian Infantry Corps where he has served for 40 years with over 20 years serving in Special Operations Command as a Commando.  

Craig has seen regimental service as a soldier and officer rising through the ranks within The Royal Australian Regiment and Special Operations Command, his career culminated as soldier with two Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) appointments prior to commissioning to officer in 2005.  More..

Peter Davis

Peter served in the Army Reserve for 7 years and has two grandfathers who served in both World Wars - one being a highly decorated soldier.  Peter recently graduated with a MPhil in Military History with the Australian Defence Force Academy and is now studying for his PhD.  More..

Jake Leske

Australia’s Honey Bee.  Former Navy sailor, Jake Leske, is more than an outstanding Kokoda trek leader, he is Australia’s original ‘Honey Bee’ and a remarkable endurance athlete.  Jake first trekked with Adventure Kokoda to learn more about the Kokoda campaign.  He returned as a volunteer 2IC and later led his first trek.  More..

Warrant Officer James 'Max' Walker

James ‘Max’ Walker (first trek with Adventure Kokoda Aug 2018 – 2IC Apr 2024).  

Max Walker is a former career soldier who first joined the Australian Regular Army as a young apprentice.

During his service, Max was posted to the United Nations in Cambodia and deployed to the Republic of Narau prior to the establishment of the Australian offshore immigration detention facility.  More..

Leigh Campbell

Leigh travelled and lived in other countries from a young age, beginning in Hong Kong at the age of 3 and subsequently moving to England.  He returned to Australia when he was 15 years old.  In 1979, at the age of 18, he joined the 2/4 Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, in Townsville.   

Leigh was accepted into the Special Forces area assigned to water operations as a diver and patrol medic shortly after concluding his first posting at the Malaysian air base Butterworth.  He was extensively involved in the establishment of the 3RAR's parachute capability during the latter part of his military career as a parachute stick commander, reconnaissance patrol commander, and sniper.  More..

 

Fiona Foster

Fiona has a strong passion for Kokoda, PNG and its people which was sparked as a young girl knowing her grandfather fought on Kokoda.

As a school teacher Fiona has extensive experience in developing leadership in young Australians and has been involved in the development of a leadership program within the school environment.  This saw her bring two passions together; teaching our future generations and Kokoda, whilst getting them outside of their comfort zones, and allowing them to learn about themselves.  More..

Carla Valmorbida

Carla brings great organisational skills, energy and humour to her role.  She is passionate about the Kokoda campaign and thrives on seeing how transformative and life-changing this experience can be for trekkers.

Carla was initially inspired to trek Kokoda to honour her Grandfathers service with the AIF in Buna and has now successfully participated in a number of Adventure Kokoda Youth Leadership Challenge treks as a Trek Guide.  More..

Bernie Rowell

Bernie is a Kokoda tragic.  He first trekked with Kokoda to honour his father who served in New Guinea during the war.  He has since trekked it 55 times.  Bernie has transposed his success in business to his passion for leading treks across the Kokoda Trail.  More..

Major Chad Sherrin MM

Chad is a decorated Vietnam veteran - he was awarded the Military Medal for bravery in action.  Chad first joined the 8th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (8 RAR) as a tracking dog handler.  He was promoted through the ranks to Sergeant while serving with 8 RAR and served with the Battalion in Malaysia and South Vietnam.  More..

Lieutenant Colonel Rowan Tracey LLB BA

Rowan is a pioneer of the Kokoda Trail.  He first trekked it 30 years ago when he served with the PNG Defence Force.  He is fluent in the local language 'Tok Pisin'.  Rowan is a military historian and is acknowledged as the most eminent authority on the strategy and tactics of the Kokoda campaign.  More..

Commodore Simon Hart CSC MSc MA

Simon joined the Australian Navy a Cadet Midshipmen in 1973 and carved out an outstanding career spanning 33 years.  He specialised in maritime surface ship operations and spent the majority of his career at sea.  More..

Why Trek with Adventure Kokoda

Our primary goal is to lead you safely across the Kokoda Trail and ensure you have an unforgettable wartime historical and cultural experience.

Charlie has led 101 expeditions across the Kokoda Trail over the past 32 years.

He previously served in the Australian Army for 21 years. During this time he saw active service in Vietnam; was assigned to the joint Australian, New Zealand and British (ANZUK) Force in Singapore/ Malaysia from 1970-72, and as an exchange instructor in Airborne Logistics with the United States Army from 1977-78. He is a graduate of the Army Command and Staff College.

Why choose Adventure Kokoda?

Why is Kokoda so important?Dive into the History