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Voykit pocket guide · Palau
Koror
Koror is a base, not a destination: the good days are on the water. Sleep here, book your boat and dive days first, use the town for a museum morning and an evening meal, and keep the last 24 hours before a flight free of diving.
Koror is a small island town linked by bridge to the mainland. The Rock Islands, the dive walls and Jellyfish Lake (when open) are all reached by boat from the Malakal docks, so the trips that go wrong are the ones without a booked boat, a permit or a spare day. Four short clusters cover the town; a taxi or your hotel's shuttle joins them.
- Country
- Palau
- Best months
- Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · Nov · Dec
- Time zone
- Pacific/Palau
- Stay
- 2 days: One boat day + a museum morning
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- US dollars. Cards work at hotels, dive shops, larger restaurants and supermarkets; carry small bills for taxis, small eateries and markets. ATMs are in Koror.
- Daily spend
- Budget US$80–130 excl. bed · Mid US$130–250 excl. bed · High US$250+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Buy a SIM at a local carrier's shop with your passport; coverage is good in Koror and thins out on the Rock Islands. Ask your hotel which plan suits a short stay.
- Emergency
- Emergency 911 (confirm with your hotel) · Hotel front desk Save on arrival · Your embassy Write the 24-hour line here before you go · Insurer or dive-accident line Save before you fly
- Plugs
- 120 V, 60 Hz; US-style two-pin sockets (types A and B). Bring an adapter if you need one.
- Tipping
- Not expected, though 10–15% in sit-down restaurants and a tip for a boat crew or guide after a good day are common.
- Water
- Tap water is treated in Koror, but many visitors drink bottled water; ask your hotel.
- Toilets
- Hotels, cafes, shops and the museums; carry small bills and wet wipes for boats and beaches.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee (cafe or hotel) | US$3–6 |
| Plate lunch at a local eatery | US$8–16 |
| Local beer, bar or restaurant | US$4–7 |
| Taxi across Koror | US$5–12 |
| Airport taxi to Koror | US$25–50 |
| Local SIM, about a week | US$15–30 |
| Museum entry | US$5–20 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- Roman Tmetuchl International Airport (ROR)
- ROR to Koror: one pre-booked hotel shuttle or airport taxi, about 25–40 minutes across Babeldaob and the bridge — the risk is a flight that lands in the small hours with no ride arranged, not the distance.
By rail and road
| Station | Serves | To the centre |
|---|---|---|
| Roman Tmetuchl International Airport (Airport) | Flights from Guam, Manila and regional hubs (check schedules) | Taxi or shuttle 30–50 min |
| Malakal harbour (Malakal) | Dive and Rock Islands boats, some island transfers | Taxi 10–15 min |
Typical fares
- Airport to Koror, taxi or shuttle
- US$25–50 per car, about 30–50 minutes
- Short taxi ride, Koror
- US$5–12
- Rock Islands boat day, with lunch
- US$120–200 per person plus permits
Show 8 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Eat, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Walk inside a cluster in the morning or evening; take a taxi or hotel shuttle between clusters and to the docks and airport. There is no public bus or rail, and taxis are few late at night.
| How | Fare | Use for |
|---|---|---|
| Walking | Free | Downtown Koror and the museum grounds |
| Taxi | US$5–12 in town | Between clusters, the docks, the airport |
| Hotel or dive-shop shuttle | Often free or small fee | The docks and the airport |
| Rental car | US$50–90 a day (check) | Babeldaob day trips |
| Boat with a licensed operator | US$120–200 per person for a day | Rock Islands, dive sites, Peleliu |
Fares are estimates; check before you ride.
- Passes
- No pass. Agree the taxi fare before you get in, or use your hotel's shuttle and the boat operator's pickup.
- Late at night
- No rail. Taxis are few late at night: ask the hotel to book the ride back before you go out.
See and do
01Rock Islands boat dayRock Islands
Limestone islands, lagoons and snorkelling; the reason to come.
Hours: best Dry season, first departure · Price: US$120–200 plus permits · Time: Full day
02A dive day at Blue Corner or German Channel
World-class diving with sharks and big fish, with a certified operator.
Hours: best Nov–May · Price: US$180–260 · Time: Full day
03Jellyfish Lake, when open
Snorkel among millions of stingless jellyfish.
Hours: best Morning · Price: About US$100 permit plus the boat · Time: Half day
04Belau National Museum
The story of Palau in one place, with a traditional bai in the grounds.
Hours: best Weekday morning · Price: US$10–20 · Time: 1.5 h
05Palau International Coral Reef Center
A primer on the reef, with live fish; strong for children and rainy days.
Hours: best Weekday morning or rainy afternoon · Price: US$10–20 · Time: 1 h · 7.3405, 134.4685
06Sashimi in downtown KororSashimi
Fresh tuna and reef fish, a Japanese-era legacy.
Hours: best Early dinner · Price: US$15–35 · Time: 1 h · 7.3455, 134.4790
07Etpison Museum
Artefacts, storyboards and Japanese-era history.
Hours: best Afternoon · Price: US$5–15 · Time: 45 min · 7.3452, 134.4795
08Peleliu battlefield
A 1944 WWII battlefield with tanks, caves and memorials.
Hours: best Calm dry-season day · Price: US$120–200 · Time: Full day
09Babeldaob waterfall and bai day
Waterfalls, a traditional meeting house and stone monoliths.
Hours: best Rainy day · Price: US$60–120 with a driver · Time: Full day
10A local plate of reef fish, taro and tapiocaPalauan plate
The island's own cooking.
Hours: best Lunch · Price: US$8–16 · Time: 45 min · 7.3448, 134.4785
Hours and prices are desk estimates (checked 2026-09); anything marked (check) is not confirmed. Coordinates open in any map app.
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Peleliu and the WWII battlefield | Boat about 1–1.5 h each way with an operator (check) | Full day |
| Babeldaob island loop (Ngardmau Falls, Airai bai, Badrulchau monoliths) | Rental car or driver, about 30–60 min to each stop | Full day |
| Kayangel atoll | Boat about 1.5–2 h each way (check) | Full day or overnight |
| Angaur | Boat (check) | Full day or overnight |
Eat
| Where | What · area | Price | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cafe breakfast, downtown Koror | Coffee and a pastry · Downtown | US$5–14 | Budget |
| Local plate: reef fish, taro and tapioca | Reef fish, taro and tapioca plate · Downtown | US$8–16 | Budget |
| Koror main street eateries | Plate lunches and noodles · Main street | US$8–14 | Budget |
| Sashimi and fresh fish, downtown Koror | Sashimi or grilled fish · Downtown | US$15–35 | Mid-range |
| Filipino, Korean and Japanese restaurants | Noodles, barbecue and sushi · Downtown | US$12–25 | Mid-range |
| Hotel seafood dinner | Seafood platters and set menus · Malakal and downtown hotels | US$35–70 | Splurge |
Per person, one dish or one meal, 2026 estimate. Hours are informal: check the day before.
Sleep
| Band | Price a night | Where | What |
|---|---|---|---|
| budget | US$80–130 | Downtown guesthouses | Guesthouses and small hotels |
| mid | US$130–230 | Downtown and Malakal | 3-star hotels and dive lodges |
| splurge | US$230–450+ | Malakal and beach resorts | Resorts with pools |
Per room per night in US dollars, 2026 estimate. Hotels are few and prices are US-level or higher.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Aliiah-LEE |
| How are you? | Ke ua ngerang?keh oo-ah ng-eh-RAHNG |
| Thank you | Sulangsoo-LAHNG |
| Good, fine | UngilOO-ngil |
| No | Ng diakng dee-AK |
| How much? | How much?how much |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Palau Pledge: You sign it on arrival: take nothing, kill nothing, and act with care toward the islands and their people.
- Greetings: Say 'Alii' and smile; a friendly greeting matters more than fast business.
- Dress: Cover swimwear in town and villages; swimwear stays on boats and beaches.
- Reef: Do not touch or stand on coral, feed fish or take shells or coral; use only reef-safe sunscreen.
- Bai and sacred places: Ask before entering a bai (traditional meeting house) or a village site; some are for men only or for ceremonies.
- Photos: Ask before photographing people and ceremonies.
- Sunday: Sunday is a day of church and rest; many shops close.
Red lines
- Follow the Palau Pledge: take nothing, touch no coral, feed no fish.
- Ask before photographing people or entering a bai (traditional meeting house).
- Dress modestly in town; swimwear only on boats and beaches.
Scams and watch-outs
- Boat or tour sellers who take a deposit and give no receipt or written inclusions: book through your hotel or an established operator and keep the paperwork.
- Unagreed taxi fares: agree the price before you get in, or use your hotel's shuttle.
- 'Permits' sold at the dock by people who are not connected to Koror State: the Rock Islands permit is bought from the state office or through a licensed operator.
- Souvenirs sold as 'Palauan' but made abroad, or made from coral or turtle shell, which cannot be exported: buy from known shops and ask where an item was made.
One and two days
1 day
A stopover between flights. Skip: The Rock Islands: they need their own full day.
- 08:308:30 AMBelau National Museum
- 11:0011:00 AMReef centre
- 12:3012:30 PMLocal plate lunch
- 15:003:00 PMEtpison Museum
- 18:006:00 PMSashimi dinner
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Palau Visitors Authority (official): visit-palau.com/
- Wikivoyage — Koror: en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Koror
- UNESCO — Rock Islands Southern Lagoon: whc.unesco.org/en/list/1386/
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Koror
Please take me to this place (English is widely understood)
Please take me to this place
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Take me to
- Rock IslandsRock Islands boat day
- SashimiSashimi and fresh fish, downtown Koror
- Palauan plateLocal plate: reef fish, taro and tapioca
- Emergency911 (confirm with your hotel)
- Hotel front deskSave on arrival
- Your embassyWrite the 24-hour line here before you go
- Insurer or dive-accident lineSave before you fly
Few embassies are in Palau; write your own embassy's 24-hour line below and keep a paper copy.
Give the driver the place name and a landmark; addresses are informal.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/koror). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.