Morobe district, Papua New Guinea

Places to visit near Lae

Lae is a town in Morobe district, Papua New Guinea, home to about 76,255 people. Within 50 km by road there are 172 places to visit — 130 churches, 20 hill stations & viewpoints, 13 beaches & coast and 2 lakes, dams & reservoirs. The must-see places are Huon Gulf (23 km), Mount Shungol (43 km) and Roosevelt Ridge (57 km).

Updated · Distances are road estimates · Open Lae on the map

Lae, Papua New Guinea
Lae, Morobe district, Papua New Guinea. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

Lae at a glance

Location
Morobe district, Papua New Guinea
Population
about 76,255
Coordinates
6.7233° S, 146.9961° E
Places within 50 km
172 (2 must-see)
Best time to visit
October to February for cool, clear air for hill stations & viewpoints; October to March for beaches & coast; year-round for churches

Top places to visit near Lae

Ranked by how worth the drive they are from Lae: must-see places and the closest well-loved spots first. Open a place for photos, today’s visitor status, timings and directions.

More places near Lae

Things to see near Lae, by type

Churches near Lae

147 churches within 100 km of Lae. The closest is Lae Pidgin SDA Church (1 km); the best-known is Lae Kingdom Hall (2 km). Best time: year-round.

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Hill stations & viewpoints near Lae

56 hill stations & viewpoints within 100 km of Lae. The closest is Mount Lunaman (2 km). Best time: october to february for cool, clear air.

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Beaches & coast near Lae

29 beaches & coast within 100 km of Lae. The closest is Saiwap Beach, Lae (1 km); the best-known is Huon Gulf (23 km). Best time: october to march.

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Lakes, dams & reservoirs near Lae

7 lakes, dams & reservoirs within 100 km of Lae. The closest is Lake Wanum (1 km). Best time: august to december when reservoirs are full and gates may open.

All lakes, dams & reservoirs in Papua New Guinea →

Rivers, islands & mangroves near Lae

6 rivers, islands & mangroves within 100 km of Lae. The closest is Knirps Island (57 km). Best time: september to february.

All rivers, islands & mangroves in Papua New Guinea →

Wildlife, forests & gardens near Lae

2 wildlife, forests & gardens within 100 km of Lae. The closest is Lae Botanical Gardens (1 km). Best time: november to march for sightings.

All wildlife, forests & gardens in Papua New Guinea →

A one-day trip from Lae

5 of the best places within 60 km, in driving order so you don’t double back: about 53 km on the road.

  1. Start in Lae
  2. 1 km Lae Botanical Gardens · garden, Morobe
  3. 2 km Lae Kingdom Hall · church, Morobe
  4. 4 km Markham Valley · viewpoint, Morobe
  5. 24 km Huon Gulf · beach, Morobe
  6. 20 km Mount Lunaman · viewpoint, Morobe
  7. 2 km Back to Lae

Plan a longer trip from Lae — the planner adds a place to stay each night and keeps the route to one loop.

From travellers near Lae

No traveller has reported from around Lae yet. Been to one of these places recently? Open it and post what you found — is the waterfall flowing, how crowded was the temple, is the beach safe — so the next visitor knows before they drive.

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How to reach Lae

    All places near Lae by distance

    Within 15 km of Lae

    15–50 km — half-day trips

    50–100 km — one-day trips

    Count by type (within 100 km)

    Places near Lae by type
    TypeWithin 50 kmWithin 100 kmNearest
    Churches130147Lae Pidgin SDA Church (1 km)
    Hill stations & viewpoints2056Mount Lunaman (2 km)
    Beaches & coast1329Saiwap Beach, Lae (1 km)
    Lakes, dams & reservoirs27Lake Wanum (1 km)
    Rivers, islands & mangroves06Knirps Island (57 km)
    Wildlife, forests & gardens22Lae Botanical Gardens (1 km)
    Forts & heritage12Amelia Earhart Memorial (1 km)
    Other attractions22Shiraz Centre Lae (3 km)
    Parks11Hilma Wong Friendly Park (3 km)
    Mosques & dargahs11Lae Mosque (6 km)

    Lae: questions travellers ask

    What are the best places to visit near Lae?

    Lae Botanical Gardens (garden, about 1 km), Lae Kingdom Hall (church, about 2 km), Mount Lunaman (viewpoint, about 2 km), Huon Gulf (beach, about 23 km), Markham Valley (viewpoint, about 4 km), Mount Shungol (viewpoint, about 43 km).

    How many tourist places are there within 50 km of Lae?

    172 places on Spotwander: 130 churches, 20 hill stations & viewpoints, 13 beaches & coast, 2 lakes, dams & reservoirs, 2 wildlife, forests & gardens.

    Which is the nearest church to Lae?

    Lae Pidgin SDA Church, about 1 km by road; SDA Memorial Church Lae (0 km) is next.

    Which is the nearest viewpoint to Lae?

    Mount Lunaman, about 2 km by road; Markham Valley (4 km) is next.

    Which is the nearest beach to Lae?

    Saiwap Beach, Lae, about 1 km by road; Voco Point (3 km) is next.

    What is a good one-day trip from Lae?

    Start in Lae, visit Lae Botanical Gardens, then Lae Kingdom Hall, then Markham Valley, then Huon Gulf, then Mount Lunaman, and drive back — about 53 km by road in all.

    What is the best time to visit places near Lae?

    October to February for cool, clear air for hill stations & viewpoints; October to March for beaches & coast; year-round for churches.

    Towns near Lae

    Sources: places from OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata and GeoNames; Lae’s location and population from GeoNames; see also Lae on Wikipedia. Data sources & credits.