The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwell have arrived in Port Moresby for the first leg of their visit to Papua New Guinea, Australia and New Zealand.

There was a crowd of several thousand at the airport, trying to catch a glimpse of Prince Charles and his wife Camilla.

The royal couple was given a 21 gun salute and was also greeted by 200 school children in traditional PNG dress.

Prime minister Peter O'Neill met the couple and Prince Charles inspected the guard of honour and the military band.

The governor-general awarded Prince Charles one of PNG's highest honours, making him a grand companion of the Order of Logohu, which means he can be called a chief.

Their royal highnesses were then whisked off to their hotel as children along the roads cheered and waved Papua New Guinean and British flags.

On Sunday they will travel to Boera village to get a taste of the local culture and attend a public church service.

The Duchess of Cornwall will also have an orchid named after her.

Thousands of people wait at Port Moresby Airport to catch a glimpse of Prince Charles and Camilla. ( ABC: Liam Fox )

Resident Ganiga Gomara says everyone is very excited.

"They don't know what to expect but on the day they will definitely be more than excited," she said.

It will be Prince Charles' fourth visit to PNG and Camilla's first.

Preparations for the royal visit have been underway for several weeks, with the city's infamous potholes being filled in along the route the royal couple will travel.

Scores of people have also been picking up garbage from the streets.

The November 3-16 trip is the latest to the Commonwealth by senior royals to mark Queen Elizabeth II's diamond jubilee.

Prince Charles will be looking to build on a surge in enthusiasm for the royal family during his Pacific tour.

When the royals arrive in Australia, they will tour Longreach, in Queensland's central west, as well as Melbourne, Adelaide, Hobart, Sydney and Canberra.

The royal couple wrap up their trip in New Zealand, where Prince Charles will celebrate his 64th birthday on November 14.

Their main functions are in Auckland and Wellington and will include a traditional Maori welcome that involves the hongi, or pressing of noses, and inspecting costumes from the upcoming Peter Jackson film The Hobbit.

ABC/AFP