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🇫🇲Things to Do in Micronesia
From wreck diving in Chuuk Lagoon to the ancient ruins of Nan Madol - the essential sights, and how to keep your own record of them.
Travel guide - last updated September 2026
The Federated States of Micronesia spans four states across a vast stretch of the western Pacific, with Chuuk Lagoon regularly ranked among the best wreck diving sites in the world, holding an entire sunken Japanese WWII fleet. Nan Madol's stone ruins add a genuinely mysterious ancient site found almost nowhere else in the Pacific. Here are 3 places worth building a trip around.
Top attractions
The sights most first-time visitors build an itinerary around.
Chuuk Lagoon
One of the world's premier wreck diving destinations, with an entire Japanese Imperial Navy fleet sunk during a single WWII air raid in 1944, now coral-encrusted and largely intact underwater.
📍 Chuuk Lagoon
🚉 United Airlines' island-hopper flight connects Chuuk with Guam and Honolulu; the wrecks of the Japanese fleet are dived from boats leaving Weno, and there is no other way to see them.
Nan Madol
A UNESCO World Heritage complex of megalithic structures built on artificial islets off Pohnpei, sometimes called the 'Venice of the Pacific' - its construction methods remain a subject of ongoing archaeological study.
📍 Pohnpei
🚉 The basalt city is on Pohnpei's south-east coast, an hour from Kolonia by road, then a boat or a wade across the channel at the right tide - a local guide and a landowner fee are required.
Kepirohi Waterfall, Pohnpei
A waterfall set within Pohnpei's lush interior, with a natural pool at the base suited for swimming after visiting Nan Madol nearby.
📍 Pohnpei
🚉 The falls are near Nan Madol on the Madolenihmw road, about an hour from Kolonia by taxi or hired car, then a five-minute walk from the roadside.
Mark Micronesia, get the stamp
In MyPassportStory, every country you mark - visited, lived in, or still on the list - becomes a stamp like these in your own travel passport. Add the cities you stopped in, draw the route between them, and turn the whole trip into a shareable passport-style image.
Open MyPassportStoryPlanning questions
How many days do you need in Micronesia?
A week suits a Chuuk Lagoon diving trip well; combining it with Pohnpei's Nan Madol ruins typically needs 10 days or more given inter-island flight schedules.
What's the best time to visit Micronesia?
December-April has slightly calmer seas and better diving visibility, though the climate stays warm and humid year-round.
Is Micronesia good for a first-time visit?
It's manageable, especially for divers heading specifically to Chuuk, which has a well-established dive tourism infrastructure despite the country's overall remoteness.
Do I need a visa to visit Micronesia?
Many nationalities, including the US, can visit visa-free for short tourist stays given the country's close association agreement with the United States. Check the official visa information for your nationality: fsmgov.org.
What are some things to do in Micronesia on a tight budget?
Visiting Nan Madol and Kepirohi Waterfall on Pohnpei is relatively inexpensive, though Chuuk's wreck diving trips are a significant fixed cost given the specialized equipment and logistics involved.
Can I rent a car in Micronesia, and what licence do I need?
Yes on the main islands - Pohnpei and Kosrae in particular reward one, as the circle-island roads reach the waterfalls and ruins that taxis charge heavily for. A foreign licence is accepted for visits, with an International Driving Permit recommended alongside a licence not in English; the minimum age is generally 21 to 25. Roads are potholed and rain is constant, so a high-clearance vehicle helps. Between the four states, travel is only by the island-hopper flight. Confirm arrangements with your accommodation, as rental fleets are small.