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🇵🇼Things to Do in Palau
From swimming with harmless jellyfish to diving Palau's famous walls - the essential sights, and how to keep your own record of them.
Travel guide - last updated September 2026
Palau is regularly cited among the top diving destinations in the world, and it backs that reputation with genuine rarities - a marine lake where millions of jellyfish have evolved to lose their sting, and a scatter of mushroom-shaped limestone islands recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Palau was also the first country in the world to establish a shark sanctuary within its own waters. Here are 4 places worth building a trip around.
Top attractions
The sights most first-time visitors build an itinerary around.
Jellyfish Lake
A marine lake home to millions of golden jellyfish that have lost most of their sting over thousands of years of isolation from predators, safe to snorkel among (though diving is not permitted).
📍 Eil Malk, Rock Islands
🚉 The lake is on Eil Malk in the Rock Islands, reached by boat from Koror in about 45 minutes - a Rock Islands permit is required, and snorkelling only, as diving is prohibited in the lake.
Rock Islands
A UNESCO World Heritage cluster of over 400 mushroom-shaped limestone islands, with hidden lagoons and beaches accessible mainly by boat tour from Koror.
📍 Rock Islands, near Koror
🚉 The limestone islands are a boat trip from Koror, 20 minutes to the nearest - all visits need the Rock Islands Southern Lagoon permit, bought in Koror before you set out.
Blue Corner & Wall Diving
Palau's signature dive sites, with dramatic drop-offs and strong currents that attract sharks, manta rays and large pelagic fish in numbers rarely seen elsewhere.
📍 Rock Islands, near Koror
🚉 Palau's famous drift dives are 45 to 90 minutes by boat from Koror, and every visitor must sign the Palau Pledge in their passport on arrival before diving anywhere.
Shark Sanctuary
Palau was the first country in the world to declare its entire exclusive economic zone a shark sanctuary in 2009, a designation that has helped sustain the healthy shark populations divers come to see.
📍 Palau's territorial waters
🚉 Palau declared its entire exclusive economic zone a shark sanctuary in 2009 - the sharks are seen on the same Blue Corner and German Channel dives, run daily from Koror.
Mark Palau, 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 Palau?
A week suits Koror, the Rock Islands and several days of diving well - serious diving trips sometimes extend to 10 days or more to cover more sites.
What's the best time to visit Palau?
November-April has calmer seas and the best diving visibility. The wet season (May-October) brings more frequent rain, though diving remains possible year-round.
Is Palau good for a first-time visit?
Yes - Koror is well set up for dive tourism, with English widely spoken and operators experienced in guiding visitors of varying dive experience levels.
Do I need a visa to visit Palau?
Many nationalities can visit visa-free for short tourist stays, and Palau requires all visitors to sign its Palau Pledge, a passport-stamped commitment to environmentally responsible behavior. Check the official visa information for your nationality: palaugov.pw.
What are some things to do in Palau on a tight budget?
Snorkeling Jellyfish Lake and the shallower Rock Islands lagoons is less expensive than a full diving package, and joining a shared-group boat tour costs considerably less than a private charter.
Can I rent a car in Palau, and what licence do I need?
You can on Koror and Babeldaob, and the road across the bridge to the big island opens up the waterfalls and the stone monoliths - but almost everything Palau is known for happens on a boat. A foreign licence is accepted for visits of up to 30 days, and an International Driving Permit is recommended alongside a licence not in English; the minimum age is generally 21. The speed limit is low and enforced. Note the Palau Pledge, stamped in your passport on arrival, and the Rock Islands permit needed for any boat trip. Official visitor information is published by the Palau Visitors Authority at pristineparadisepalau.com.