Palau itineraries: 1 week, 2 weeks and 3 weeks

Palau has one practical base, Koror, and the trip length is really a count of boat days. Use the table to pick a length, then check the month against sea conditions and your budget against the cost page.

Day 1: land at Airai, transfer to Koror, collect your Rock Islands permit and sort the week's boat days with a dive shop or tour operator. Days 2–5: four boat days in the Southern Lagoon, mixing snorkel sites such as the Milky Way and Long Beach with a Jellyfish Lake stop if it is open, and at least one two-tank dive day at Blue Corner or a comparable site. Day 6: hire a car and drive Babeldaob for the Airai bai, Badrulchau monoliths and a waterfall. Day 7: rest, museum, no diving, then the flight out.

At 10 days, keep the same first week, then take the state boat or small plane to Peleliu for two nights at Kloulklubed and a guided day on Bloody Nose Ridge and the Peace Memorial Park. Return to Koror for two nights so the last day before flying is dive-free.

At 14 days, insert four nights on a liveaboard or at Kayangel between the Koror week and Peleliu. This is the version for divers who want repeat time at the outer reefs; non-divers can spend the same days on extra Rock Islands and kayak days instead.

Palau is not a place to move hotels every two nights. Koror holds the dive shops, the museum, most restaurants and the boats, and everything else is a day trip or a short side stay. Extra days are best spent on the water.

Sea conditions decide the plan more than the calendar does. A windy week can cancel outer-reef days, so build one spare day into any 7-day trip. Diving rules matter too: do not fly within 18–24 hours of your last dive, which is why the final day is a land day.

Peleliu is quiet, has limited food and lodging, and its boats and small planes do not run daily. Confirm the return leg before you go. On Babeldaob, fuel and food are limited outside Koror, so fill up before the drive.