Getting around Palau: trains, buses, driving and domestic flights

Palau is a small country with one main road on Babeldaob, a compact road grid in Koror, and everything else reached by water or air. That shapes the whole plan: you do not tour Palau by road, you tour it by boat and use the road for two or three days of the trip.

The table below is the short version. Details and traps follow.

Palau has no railway of any kind, so any search for Palau train tickets or a rail pass is a dead end. There is also no national bus service with published routes and timetables that a visitor can rely on. Some hotels and dive shops run shuttles for guests, but you should not build an itinerary around catching a bus.

That means no bus pass and no rail pass to buy. Budget instead for taxis, a hire car for a day or two, and boat trips, which together are the real transport cost of a Palau trip. If you are watching the budget, see Palau travel costs and daily budget before you book boats.

Koror's main road is walkable, and if you stay centrally you can reach restaurants, shops and the main dive shops without a car. Outside the centre there are few pavements and heavy rain is common, so short taxi hops are normal even for locals.

Taxis have no meters. Agree the fare before you get in, and expect US$20–30 for the airport run to Koror, which takes 20–30 minutes. Most hotels include airport transfers, so check before paying for a taxi. Round up for tips; see palau currency and tipping for the local norms.

A hire car is the right call for one day on Babeldaob, the big island north of Koror, where the waterfalls, stone monoliths and the capitol building sit along a single loop road. Expect US$50–80 a day (2026 estimate). The drive from Koror to the capitol area takes about 50 minutes.

Two things catch people out. First, roads away from the main route are poorly signed and potholed, so plan your stops before you leave and allow more time than the distance suggests. Second, some state-run sites charge entry fees and take cash only, so carry small US dollar notes. Driving is on the right with US-style rules and signs.

Boats are not optional in Palau: the Rock Islands, the famous dive sites and most beaches are reachable only by tour or dive boat, typically 20–60 minutes from Koror. Day tours run US$100–180 and two-tank dives US$150–220 (2026 estimates). Check whether the Rock Islands permit is included in the price; it is often extra.

For Peleliu and Angaur in the south, public state boats run a few days a week and take 1–1.5 hours, while small planes cover the same distance in 15–20 minutes. Schedules change with weather and demand, so confirm the return leg before you leave Koror, and keep a buffer day before your international flight. Organised tours are easier than public boats if your dates are tight.

Dive boats generally leave 08:00–09:00 and return 15:00–16:00, so book the day before. If you are staying on an outer island, your hotel arranges transfers; ask what is included before you book.

Palau uses US-style plugs at 120 V, so US and Canadian devices need no adapter. Tap water is not recommended for drinking; buy bottled water or refill at your hotel. Western toilets are available in town, and some Rock Island stops have basic facilities.

Government offices close on national holidays and some sites close on Sundays. Shops in Koror generally run 08:00–21:00, with some closed on Sunday. Mobile coverage is good around Koror and weaker on outer islands, so download offline maps before a Babeldaob drive — see Palau SIM and eSIM for data options.