15th May | Saturday

Arrival in Dili

Dili

We fly into Dili independently, and we're picked up from Dili International Airport and taken straight to the hotel to settle in and meet the rest of the group. The mandatory briefing follows tonight after dinner.

The latest recommended arrival time is 4 pm.

• Hotel Check-In, Welcome Dinner and Briefing | We transfer to the group's beachfront hotel, checking in and meeting our tour leader and fellow travellers. We finish the day with a welcome dinner, followed by the tour briefing.

Accommodation | Hotel Esplanada (or equivalent), Dili

Meals | Dinner

16th May | Sunday

Dili — Cristo Rei and the Road to Independence

Dili

We start above the city at sunrise, escape the afternoon heat in the hills at Dare, then follow the route of the 1991 march in the cool of the late afternoon.

• Cristo Rei Hike | We set off early to hike up to Cristo Rei, Dili’s defining landmark. It’s 570 steps up the hill to the 27-metre-high Christ statue, roughly 45 minutes each way, and we reach the top soon after sunrise, before the heat sets in. From the top, we’re rewarded with panoramic views over the Banda Sea and the city we’ll spend the next few days exploring. Back down by 08:00 for breakfast.

• Tais Market | After breakfast, we browse the hand-woven tais textiles that are central to Timorese identity, a good place to buy directly from the weavers.

Lunch, then rest at the hotel through peak heat.

• Dare Memorial | In the mid-afternoon, we drive up into the cooler hills above Dili to the Dare Memorial, which honours the Timorese who supported Australian soldiers against the Japanese occupation in the Second World War, with views back over the city and the sea.

• Motael Church & Santa Cruz Cemetery | In the late afternoon, we visit Motael Church, the oldest church in Dili and the site where a young independence activist was shot in 1991, an event that triggered the march to Santa Cruz Cemetery. We then follow the route of that march to Santa Cruz, where it ended in the massacre of 12 November 1991.

• Sunset walk | We close the day with a sunset walk along the Dili waterfront, taking in the coastal scenery and soaking up a local favourite pastime, hanging out by the water. Dinner option of local street food with locals.

Accommodation | Hotel Esplanada (or equivalent), Dili

Meals | Breakfast, Lunch

17th May | Monday

Dili — The Resistance and Community Visits

Dili

A morning with the history of the resistance, heard first from someone who lived through it, then Chega! and two of the most important community visits on the whole tour.

• Xanana Gusmão Reading Room | We take part in a 75-minute structured dialogue with a documented resistance survivor, held in the very room where the independence movement was once coordinated, a rare and direct way to hear this history firsthand. 

• Timorese Resistance Archive & Museum | We continue indoors through the late morning at the Timorese Resistance Archive and Museum, which documents the clandestine Timorese resistance movement through personal testimonies, photographs, objects and documents from the occupation period.

Rest at the hotel through peak heat.

• Chega! Exhibition | After the midday rest, we visit the Chega! Exhibition at the former Balide prison to learn about the country’s path through occupation and resistance in raw detail.

• Alola Foundation | Next, we visit the Alola Foundation for a 45-minute programme briefing. It is one of Timor-Leste's most important women's organisations, working across women's economic empowerment, tais weaving cooperatives, and maternal health advocacy. They also run the Alola Esperansa craft shop on site, a good place to pick up local souvenirs while supporting the organisation's work directly.

• Ba Futuru | We finish the day at Ba Futuru, a peacebuilding organisation working with at-risk youth through theatre, film, and photography. Creative tools are used to help process trauma and build practical skills. A chance to see the work up close and hear directly from some of the young people involved.

An early night is recommended, as tomorrow requires port departure for the 09:00 barge boat to Atauro Island.

Accommodation | Hotel Esplanada (or equivalent), Dili

Meals | Breakfast

18th May | Tuesday

Atauro Island

Dili · Atauro Island

We catch the 09:00 barge boat from Dili port to Atauro Island, a crossing of up to three hours, depending on the weather, to one of the most biodiverse reef systems anywhere in the world.

• Barge Boat to Atauro Island | The barge departs Dili port at 09:00 and arrives at Atauro around midday, depending on the weather.

• Conservation International Reef Briefing | After settling in at the local homestay and lunch, a marine scientist from Conservation International joins us for a briefing on the island's coral biodiversity and tara bandu, the traditional marine law protecting these waters, preparing us for tomorrow's snorkelling.

Rest at the homestay through peak heat.

• Atauro Village - Tuk-Tuk Tour and Social Enterprise Visit | In the late afternoon (around 15:30), we take a tuk-tuk through the village, stopping at two women's cooperatives that produce some of the most distinctive craft work in Timor-Leste. Biojoia de Atauro is run by a group of hearing-impaired women who make jewellery from local materials including coconut shells, seeds and wood. Boneca de Atauro produces handmade embroidery and textile products, from dolls to bags to homeware. Both cooperatives are worth supporting directly, and the work is simply beautiful.

• Beach BBQ Dinner | We close the evening with a proper beach BBQ, fresh seafood on the grill, cold drinks, and the sunset settling in over the water.

Accommodation | Homestay, Atauro Island

Meals | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

19th May | Wednesday

Atauro Island — Reef, Market and Return to Dili

Atauro Island · Dili

A full morning on the reef, followed by the local market and a village walk, then the return ferry to Dili in time for the Independence Eve mass and a group dinner.

• Dawn Snorkelling | We head out at dawn for a guided snorkelling tour across Atauro's reefs, home to over 400 coral species and some of the calmest water and best visibility of the day. Marine life here is at its most active in these early hours, and the guides know the reefs well enough to put us in the right spot at the right time. What turns up is never guaranteed; dugongs, dolphins, reef sharks, and whale sharks all pass through these waters, and on the right morning, whales too.

Atauro is regarded as one of the world's great marine biodiversity destinations, and its reputation isn't overstated. For anyone keen to go further than snorkelling, a scuba diving half-day trip can be arranged separately today, not included as part of the tour.

• Local Seafood and Vegetable Market | Back on land, we visit the local market: a small, lively gathering of fishermen and farmers selling the morning's catch alongside fresh vegetables and local produce. A good 30 minutes to wander, buy, and get a sense of the everyday economy of the island.

• Village Walk | Before the heat builds, we detour out to the old airstrip north of Vila Maumeta, built during the Indonesian occupation and unused since, a quiet, overgrown stretch of tarmac tied to the island's history as a detention site for thousands of Timorese families. From there, a local guide leads us into the village itself, a relaxed walk that gives a proper sense of daily life on Atauro away from the reefs.

We rest at the homestay on Atauro Island. Lunch is prepared by the host family.

• 15:00 - Return Ferry to Dili | The ferry departs Atauro at 15:00 and arrives back in Dili by around 18:00, depending on the weather. We check into the hotel for the night

• Independence Eve Mass | Tonight is Independence Eve, marked with masses across Dili's churches. We walk from the hotel to one of the evening services, at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception or Motael Church, depending on the official programme, which we confirm in advance. Services are conducted in Tetum and Portuguese, with thousands in attendance.
• Group Dinner and Independence Day Briefing | After mass, we sit down together for a group dinner, where our tour leader runs through what to expect tomorrow: the flag-raising ceremony, the parade, the crowds, and how the day will run.

Accommodation | Hotel Esplanada (or equivalent), Dili

Meals | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

20th May | Thursday

INDEPENDENCE DAY

Dili

Today, 20 May 2027, is the 25th anniversary of Timor-Leste's formal restoration of independence.

• Flag-Raising Ceremony and Military Parade | The national flag-raising ceremony has been held at Tasi-Tolu Square for recent anniversaries, though the exact location for 2027 will be confirmed closer to the date and communicated in the pre-departure booklet. We join the public to watch the FALINTIL veterans stand alongside the national defence forces in a formal ceremony. The President and Prime Minister both deliver speeches. We view the military parade and other activities as scheduled.

Rest at the hotel through peak heat.

• The Streets of Dili | The formal ceremonies give way to the city in the late afternoon. Traditional dance performances fill the squares, including likurai, historically performed by women welcoming home warriors returning from conflict. Tais weavings are on display, food stalls sell traditional Timorese dishes, and the national flag is on everything and everyone, worn, waved, and painted onto faces. Music and community gatherings run into the evening across the city.

• Celebration Dinner | After the full day of Independence Day celebrations in Dili, we close the evening with a celebratory dinner, doubling as a farewell for those on the short tour, whose Timor-Leste experience concludes here. For everyone continuing on the long tour, the trip picks up again in the morning.

Accommodation | Hotel Esplanada (or equivalent), Dili

Meals | Breakfast, Dinner

21st May | Friday

Dili → Oecusse Enclave

Dili

Tour Ends

Kupang

The tour ends today, with a transfer to Dili International Airport this morning. Dili connects to Bali and Darwin, and Koryo Tours is happy to advise on onward options if needed.

Accommodation | N/A

Meals | Breakfast

[end of tour]