Wamena, Indonesia
Wamena is a regional capital of 66,080 people in Highland Papua, Indonesia.
Why visit Wamena
Townapedia lists 1 museum or landmark, 25 places to eat and 15 places to stay in and around town.
Weather in Wamena
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Wamena
Wamena, also known as the District of Wamena (Distrik Wamena), is a large town in the Western New Guinea region of Indonesia. It also serves as the seat of Jayawijaya Regency. It is the largest town in the province of Highland Papua, located in the Baliem Valley and had a population of 64,967 in the 2020 Census; the official estimate in mid 2023 was 66,080. Wamena is the urban centre of a rural area housing Highland Papua's highest concentration of population, with over 300,000 people inhabiting the Baliem Valley and surrounding areas.
From the Wikipedia article Wamena (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Travel tips from other travellers: Wamena on Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Museums and landmarks1
Restaurants and cafes25
Ayam Bakar Fakhira
Restaurant · Indonesian · 0.8 km
Rumah Makan (Indonesian restaurant)
Jl. Jend. Sudirman, Wamena
HOREG Rumah Makan
Restaurant · Ribs, Indonesian · 1.9 km
Iga Bakar, ikan dan lain lain (grilled ribs, crawfish and other Indonesian food)
13 more on the map.
Where to stay15
Hogorasuok Guesthouse
Motel and hotel · 0.8 km
Jalan Diponegoro, Wamena
3 more on the map.
Churches and places of worship26
Gereja Kemah Injil Jemaat Betel (KINGMI)
Church · Gkip, Gkip Kingmi, Gereja Kemah Injil Papua, Protestant
Jalan Trikora, Wamena
GKITP Aithousa Betlehem
Church · Protestant, Gkitp, Gereja Kristen Injili Di Tanah Papua
Jalan Trikora, Wamena
GKITP Ukul Ebehunik
Church · Gkitp, Gereja Kristin Injili Di Tanah Papua · 2.4 km
Jalan Kimbim - Pyramid, Wamena
GIDI Efesus
Church · Gidi, Gereja Injili Di Indonesia, Protestant, Evangelical · 0.8 km
GIDI Jemaat Yerusalem
Church · Gidi, Gereja Injili Di Indonesia, Protestant, Evangelical · 1.2 km
14 more on the map.
History
As far as the outside world was concerned, the discovery of the Baliem Valley, where Wamena is located, and the unexpected presence of its large agricultural population was made by Richard Archbold's third zoological expedition to New Guinea in 1938. On 21 June an aerial reconnaissance flight southwards from Hollandia (now Jayapura) found what the expedition called the ‘Grand Valley’. Since it was almost completely cut off from the outside world, the area was spared by the fighting for the control of New Guinea during World War II. The town itself was founded by the Dutch in 1956, as one of the last towns founded during their presence in Western New Guinea. Since then the valley has gradually been opened up to a limited amount of tourism.
In 2003, during what would be called afterward the Wamena incident, an unidentified mob led by the Free Papua Movement raided the Indonesian Army's armoury of the town, killing two Indonesian soldiers and stealing several assault rifles. Reprisals were harsh, affecting 25 villages, displacing around 7,000 villagers, and killing 50 in the process, torture and destruction of properties by the Indonesian army were also reported.
From the History section of Wamena on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Shopping17
Gas and EV charging3
Schools, colleges and libraries15
Healthcare12
Map of Wamena
114 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Wamena Airport (WMX) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 0 km away.
- Kobakma 50 km north, about 50 min by car
- Tiom 58 km west, about 58 min by car
- Karubaga 70 km northwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Kenyam 84 km southwest, about 1 h 30 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Wamena, Papua, Indonesia 2019 09, Spasimir Pilev, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wamena, Papua, Indonesia 2019 76, Spasimir Pilev, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wamena, Papua, Indonesia 2019 53, Spasimir Pilev, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wamena, Papua, Indonesia 2019 55, Spasimir Pilev, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wamena, Papua, Indonesia 2019 50, Spasimir Pilev, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wamena, Papua, Indonesia 2019 56, Spasimir Pilev, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wamena, Papua, Indonesia 2019 52, Spasimir Pilev, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wamena, Papua, Indonesia 2019 57, Spasimir Pilev, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wamena, Papua, Indonesia 2019 58, Spasimir Pilev, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wamena, Papua, Indonesia 2019 54, Spasimir Pilev, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wamena, Papua, Indonesia 2019 51, Spasimir Pilev, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wamena, Papua, Indonesia 2019 64, Spasimir Pilev, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wamena, Papua, Indonesia 2019 63, Spasimir Pilev, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wamena, Papua, Indonesia 2019 65, Spasimir Pilev, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wamena, Papua, Indonesia 2019 66, Spasimir Pilev, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wamena, Papua, Indonesia 2019 59, Spasimir Pilev, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wamena, Papua, Indonesia 2019 60, Spasimir Pilev, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wamena, Papua, Indonesia 2019 61, Spasimir Pilev, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wamena, Papua, Indonesia 2019 62, Spasimir Pilev, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wamena, Papua, Indonesia 2019 77, Spasimir Pilev, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wamena, Papua, Indonesia 2019 67, Spasimir Pilev, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wamena, Papua, Indonesia 2019 46, Spasimir Pilev, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wamena, Papua, Indonesia 2019 45, Spasimir Pilev, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wamena, Papua, Indonesia 2019 44, Spasimir Pilev, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wamena1, Papua banner, Spasimir Pilev, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wamena, Papua, Indonesia 2019 48, Spasimir Pilev, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wamena, Papua banner, Spasimir Pilev, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wamena, Papua, Indonesia 2019 49, Spasimir Pilev, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wamena, Papua, Indonesia 2019 47, Spasimir Pilev, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wamena2, Papua banner, Spasimir Pilev, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wamena, Papua, Indonesia 2019 02, Spasimir Pilev, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wamena, Papua, Indonesia 2019 85, Spasimir Pilev, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wamena, Papua, Indonesia 2019 84, Spasimir Pilev, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wamena, Papua, Indonesia 2019 41, Spasimir Pilev, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wamena, Papua, Indonesia 2019 39, Spasimir Pilev, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wamena, Papua, Indonesia 2019 33, Spasimir Pilev, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wamena, Papua, Indonesia 2019 43, Spasimir Pilev, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wamena, Papua, Indonesia 2019 32, Spasimir Pilev, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wamena, Papua, Indonesia 2019 38, Spasimir Pilev, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wamena, Papua, Indonesia 2019 34, Spasimir Pilev, CC BY-SA 4.0
Page built November 3, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.