- Palau is a diver's dream, with Blue Corner, German Channel and hundreds of reef and wreck sites
- Every visitor signs the Palau Pledge to protect the environment, and an environmental fee is included in your ticket
- Most people stay in Koror and take boat trips into the Rock Islands
- Fly via Taipei, Manila, Guam or Seoul
- Airports
- Roman Tmetuchl International (ROR), near Koror
- Flight time
- about 22-26h from London to Palau, usually with two stops
- Best time to go
- November-April (drier season)
- Currency
- US dollar (USD)
Palau is a small island nation in the western Pacific, about 800 km east of the Philippines. Its most famous sight, the Rock Islands, is a maze of hundreds of jungle-covered limestone islands rising from a turquoise lagoon, protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Below the water are sharks, manta rays, walls of coral and WWII wrecks, which is why divers rank it among the best places in the world.
Palau is also a conservation pioneer: it created one of the first shark sanctuaries and protects most of its waters as a marine sanctuary. Cars drive on the right, plugs are the US type A/B, and Palau is 8 hours ahead of the UK in summer and 9 hours ahead in winter. This is one of our Oceania guides covering where to go, when to visit, getting there and costs in 2026.
Entry requirements
British passport holders do not normally need a visa. A free visitor permit is usually issued on arrival for up to 30 days, with a passport valid for at least six months and an onward ticket. On arrival your passport is stamped with the Palau Pledge, a promise to act in an ecologically responsible way, which you sign. A Pristine Paradise Environmental Fee is usually included in your airline ticket. Rules change, so check GOV.UK foreign travel advice before booking.
Where to go in Palau
Koror
The main town and commercial centre is where most hotels, dive shops and restaurants are found. It is the base for nearly all boat trips. The Belau National Museum and the Etpison Museum give useful background on Palauan culture and history.
Rock Islands Southern Lagoon
The highlight of Palau. Day trips combine snorkelling, kayaking and beach stops: the Milky Way, where white limestone mud lines a pale blue cove; Long Beach, a sandbar that appears at low tide; and Jellyfish Lake on Eil Malk, where you can snorkel among millions of stingless golden jellyfish when numbers are healthy. A Rock Islands permit is required and usually arranged through tour operators.
Diving sites
Blue Corner is the most famous dive, with strong currents bringing grey reef sharks, barracuda and turtles. German Channel is known for manta rays, while Ulong Channel, Chandelier Cave and dozens of Japanese wrecks offer plenty more. Many divers stay a week or more, or join a liveaboard.
Babeldaob
Palau's largest island, linked to Koror by a bridge, is green and quiet, with the Ngardmau waterfall, the Badrulchau stone monoliths and the capital, Ngerulmud, with its unexpectedly grand Capitol building.
Peleliu and Angaur
Southern islands where fierce WWII battles took place in 1944. Tanks, bunkers, aircraft and memorials remain in the jungle, and they make sobering day trips.
Best time to visit Palau
| Season | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Drier season (November-April) | Calmer seas, less rain and the best diving conditions; most popular time |
| Wetter season (May-October) | More rain and humidity, occasional typhoons nearby, but diving continues year-round |
Temperatures stay around 27-31 °C all year, and water temperature is about 28 °C.
Use reef-safe sunscreen; Palau has banned many common sunscreen ingredients that harm coral, and shops in Koror sell approved brands.
Getting to Palau from the UK
There are no direct flights. Common routes go via Taipei with China Airlines, via Manila, via Seoul, or via Guam with United Airlines, which connects with flights from Tokyo and Honolulu. Schedules change regularly and some routes are seasonal or only a few times a week, so book connections carefully. Allow around 22-26 hours from London. Palau can be combined with Asia trips or with Micronesia via Guam.
Getting around
Koror is small, and taxis are the usual way to get around; most dive shops and tour companies collect you from your hotel. Car hire is available for exploring Babeldaob. To reach the Rock Islands, Peleliu and other islands, you need a boat tour.
Money and costs
Palau uses the US dollar, and it is not cheap. A mid-range hotel in Koror usually costs about US$150-250 a night, and two-tank dives or full-day Rock Islands tours typically cost US$120-200 per person. Budget around US$300-450 (about £230-350) per person per day including a tour or dives. Cards are widely accepted in Koror. Tipping is appreciated on dive boats and tours.
Frequently asked questions
Is Palau good for non-divers?
Yes. Snorkelling in the Rock Islands is superb, and kayaking, Jellyfish Lake and the Milky Way make excellent days out. But diving is the main reason people come.
Is Jellyfish Lake open?
It closed in 2017 when jellyfish numbers crashed, then reopened as numbers recovered. Status depends on the population, so check before you go.
How many days do you need in Palau?
Five to seven days is ideal, given the long journey. Divers often stay a week or longer.
What is the Palau Pledge?
A promise stamped into every visitor's passport, which you sign, to respect Palau's environment and culture, for example not touching coral or taking shells.
Written by
Thomas Ski, mountains & expeditions editor
Thomas is happiest above the tree line or below the Antarctic Circle. He writes our ski, mountain and polar expedition guides.
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