--- title: "Top 10 Things To Do in Koror, Palau | Wimup" description: "The 10 best things to do in Koror, Palau, ranked: Blue Corner, the Rock Islands lagoon, Jellyfish Lake, the Belau National Museum and the Koror Jail storyboards." url: https://wimup.com/city/koror type: City guide updated: 2026-11-05 publisher: Wimup (https://wimup.com) --- # Top 10 Things To Do in Koror Koror, Palau · Oceania · By Wimup Editorial, 12 min read Koror is the one real town in Palau and the harbour for everything else. It spreads over a handful of islands joined by causeways and a bridge: dive shops and marinas on Malakal, resorts on Arakabesang, museums along the main road, and the Rock Islands lagoon a short boat ride south. ## Quick answer Give Koror five days and spend most of them on the water. Dive Blue Corner and the German Channel, or snorkel the Rock Islands on a Koror State permit, with Milky Way and Long Beach on the same boat. Keep one day dry before your flight: the Belau National Museum and the Etpison Museum in the morning, the Palau Aquarium after lunch, a storyboard from the Koror Jail shop, and sunset on Malakal. ## Quick facts - **Best months:** Nov · Dec · Jan · Feb - **Ideal length:** 5 days - **Budget per day:** $180–400 - **Language:** Palauan and English - **Getting around:** Taxis in town, dive boats to the islands, a rental car for Babeldaob - **Tourism board:** [Official site](https://pristineparadisepalau.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ## The 10 best things to do in Koror ### 1. Drift the wall at Blue Corner Dive · Blue Corner, Ngemelis, Rock Islands, Palau Palau's most famous dive, a reef point where the current pulls sharks, turtles and schooling fish along a steep wall. Divers clip a reef hook to the edge and hang in the flow, so book it with a Koror operator and come with experience in current. - **Time:** Half day - **Cost:** Dive operator rate - **Best at:** Nov to Feb - **Tip:** Bring a reef hook or rent one Links: [Palau Visitors Authority](https://pristineparadisepalau.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 2. Sail the Rock Islands Southern Lagoon Island · Rock Islands Southern Lagoon, Koror, Palau Hundreds of uninhabited limestone domes in a lagoon UNESCO listed in 2012, a short boat ride south of town. Every visitor needs a Koror State Rock Islands permit, which your operator buys with you before the boat leaves. - **Time:** Full day - **Cost:** Permit plus tour - **Best at:** Calm morning - **Tip:** Ask whether the permit is in the tour price Links: [Koror State](https://www.kororstategov.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 3. Swim with the jellyfish at Jellyfish Lake Nature · Ongeim'l Tketau, Eil Malk, Rock Islands, Palau A marine lake cut off from the sea on Eil Malk, where stingless golden jellyfish drift near the surface. Numbers crashed in 2016 and have been recovering since, so ask your operator what the lake holds before paying the separate permit. - **Time:** 1 hr - **Cost:** Separate permit - **Best at:** Midday sun - **Tip:** Snorkel only, scuba is banned in the lake Links: [Koror State](https://www.kororstategov.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 4. Coat yourself in white mud at Milky Way Nature · Milky Way, Rock Islands, Palau A sheltered cove where the boat crew scoops pale limestone mud off the bottom for a swim-and-scrub stop. The water turns an opaque turquoise, and it sits on most Rock Islands snorkel days. - **Time:** 45 min - **Cost:** In the tour - **Best at:** Late morning - **Tip:** Rinse off before the next snorkel stop ### 5. Read Palau's story at the Belau National Museum Museum · Belau National Museum, Koror, Palau The oldest museum in Micronesia, with storyboards, money beads, canoes and the Japanese and American years laid out in order. A replica bai, the painted men's meeting house, stands in the grounds. - **Time:** 1.5 hrs - **Cost:** Small fee - **Best at:** Last day, before the flight - **Tip:** Look closely at the bai gable paintings Links: [Palau Visitors Authority](https://pristineparadisepalau.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 6. See the Etpison Museum's canoes and rock art Museum · Etpison Museum, Koror, Palau A private family museum opened in 1999, strong on traditional navigation, archaeology and ceremonies. It is the best second stop after the national museum, and the building is a short taxi ride east of downtown. - **Time:** 1 hr - **Cost:** Small fee - **Best at:** Morning - **Tip:** Pair it with the national museum on a land day Links: [Etpison Museum](https://www.etpisonmuseum.org/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 7. Meet the reef dry at the Palau Aquarium Museum · Palau International Coral Reef Center, Malakal, Koror, Palau The aquarium of the Palau International Coral Reef Center, with tanks that recreate each habitat from the mangroves to the outer reef. It is the clearest way to put names to what you saw underwater. - **Time:** 1 hr - **Cost:** Small fee - **Best at:** Afternoon - **Tip:** Good with children on a no-boat day Links: [PICRC](https://picrc.org/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 8. Buy a storyboard at the Koror Jail shop Shopping · Koror Jail, Koror, Palau Inmates carve storyboards, the wooden panels that tell Palauan legends, and sell them from a shop on the jail grounds. Carving here is part of rehabilitation, and buying one supports the carver. - **Time:** 30 min - **Cost:** Varies - **Best at:** Weekday - **Tip:** Ask which legend the panel tells ### 9. Watch the sunset from the Drop Off Bar & Grill Food · Drop Off Bar & Grill, Malakal, Koror, Palau An open-air bar and seafood grill by the Malakal marina, where dive crews and their guests end the day. Come for the sunset over the water and order whatever came off the boats. - **Time:** 2 hrs - **Cost:** $$ - **Best at:** Sunset - **Tip:** Take a taxi back, Malakal is a walk from town ### 10. Drive Babeldaob to the Ngardmau Waterfall Nature · Ngardmau Waterfall, Babeldaob, Palau Cross the Japan-Palau Friendship Bridge to the big island and follow the Compact Road north to Palau's tallest waterfall. The jungle trail runs a steep half hour each way, so pair it with the Badrulchau monoliths. - **Time:** Full day - **Cost:** Entry fee - **Best at:** Dry morning - **Tip:** Rent a car, there are no buses Links: [Palau Visitors Authority](https://pristineparadisepalau.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ## Best dive sites from Koror Seven dives from Koror's boats, from the drift at Blue Corner to the southern wall at Peleliu. 1. **Blue Corner** (Drift · Experienced · Ngemelis): Sharks and schooling fish on a wall swept by current. 2. **Blue Holes** (Cavern · Advanced · Ngemelis): Openings in the reef top drop into a cavern beside Blue Corner. 3. **German Channel** (Mantas · All levels · Ngemelis): A dredged channel where manta rays visit the cleaning stations. 4. **Ulong Channel** (Drift · Experienced · Ulong): A fast drift through a channel on the western barrier reef. 5. **Siaes Tunnel** (Tunnel · Advanced · Western reef): A cavern open at both ends where whitetip reef sharks rest. 6. **Chandelier Cave** (Cave · Guided · Malakal): Air-filled limestone chambers hung with stalactites, near Malakal. 7. **Peleliu Wall** (Wall · Experienced · Peleliu): A long, deep wall with sea fans and big pelagics in the south. ## Best Rock Islands stops from Koror Five stops on a Rock Islands snorkel day. All of them need a Koror State permit. 1. **Jellyfish Lake** (Marine lake · Snorkel · Eil Malk): A marine lake of stingless jellyfish, on its own extra permit. 2. **Milky Way** (Cove · Swim · Southern lagoon): A turquoise cove of soft white limestone mud. 3. **Long Beach** (Sandbar · Low tide · Southern lagoon): A sandbar that surfaces at low tide, the usual lunch stop. 4. **Clam City** (Snorkel · Shallow · Southern lagoon): Giant clams on a shallow lagoon floor, some over 100 kg. 5. **Zero fighter wreck** (Wreck · Snorkel · Southern lagoon): A wartime Japanese fighter plane in snorkelling depth. ## Best museums and history in Koror Six stops on land, from the national museum to the bridge that ties Koror to Babeldaob. 1. **Belau National Museum** (Museum · Small fee · Downtown): Storyboards, money beads and a replica bai in the grounds. 2. **Etpison Museum** (Museum · Small fee · East Koror): A family museum on navigation, rock art and ceremonies. 3. **Palau Aquarium** (Aquarium · Small fee · Malakal): The reef center's tanks, habitat by habitat. 4. **Koror Jail storyboard shop** (Crafts · Cash · Downtown): Storyboards carved and signed by inmates. 5. **Japan-Palau Friendship Bridge** (Landmark · Free · Koror to Airai): The 2002 span that replaced the bridge that collapsed in 1996. 6. **Nan'yo Shrine** (Landmark · Free · Downtown): The site of the 1940 Shinto shrine built for the colonial capital. ## Best restaurants in Koror Three tables, from fine seafood to the best curry on the main road. 1. **Elilai** (Seafood · $$$$ · Koror): Seafood, steaks and pasta with a view over the water. Book ahead. 2. **The Taj** (Indian · $$ · Downtown): Indian cooking on the main road through town. 3. **Carp Sea Food** (Seafood · $$ · Malakal): Waterfront seafood from the team behind Carp Island Resort. ## Best bars in Koror Three places to drink, all on Malakal and all about the water. 1. **Drop Off Bar & Grill** (Bar · Sunset · Malakal): Open-air sunset bar by the marina. 2. **Rip Tide** (Bar · Waterfront · Malakal): A beer over the water at the end of a dive day. 3. **Kramer's Café** (Café bar · Dinner · Malakal): Pirate's Cove dinner spot that turns social at night. ## Best neighborhoods in Koror Three islands of one town, each with its own reason to stay. 1. **Downtown Koror** (District · Stay · Koror Island): The main road, the museums, the shops and most guesthouses. 2. **Malakal** (Island · Dive base · Malakal): The port, the marinas, the dive shops and the sunset bars. 3. **Arakabesang** (Island · Resorts · Arakabesang): A quieter island of resorts and beaches north of town. ## Best day trips from Koror Six trips, from a drive over the bridge to a boat to the far atolls. 1. **Ngardmau Waterfall** (Hike · Entry fee · Babeldaob): Palau's tallest waterfall, at the end of a jungle trail. 2. **Badrulchau Stone Monoliths** (Archaeology · Entry fee · Ngarchelong): Basalt monoliths on the grassland of northern Babeldaob. 3. **Capitol at Ngerulmud** (Landmark · Free · Melekeok): The national capitol, alone on a Melekeok hillside since 2006. 4. **Airai Bai** (Culture · Entry fee · Airai): The oldest standing bai in Palau, its gables painted with legends. 5. **Peleliu** (History · Guide advised · Peleliu): The 1944 battlefield, by state boat or a tour. Hire a local guide. 6. **Kayangel** (Atoll · Boat · Kayangel): The northern coral atoll, a long boat ride from Koror. ## Festivals & annual events in Koror (2026) - **Youth Day** (15 Mar): A national holiday with youth events and sport across Koror. - **Senior Citizens Day** (5 May): A public holiday honouring Palau's elders, with community gatherings. - **President's Day** (1 Jun): A national holiday. Offices close and the long weekend fills the boats. - **Constitution Day** (9 Jul): Marks the 1981 constitution, with speeches and ceremonies. - **Labor Day** (Sep): First Monday of September, a public holiday on the US pattern. - **Independence Day** (1 Oct): Boat races by the Friendship Bridge, music and fireworks, a week of events. - **Olechotel Belau Fair** (Oct): All 16 states bring food, crafts and dance. Dates follow Independence Day. - **Thanksgiving** (Nov): Fourth Thursday of November, kept as a public holiday. ## Must-try dishes in Koror, Palau - **Demok**: Taro leaves in coconut milk, often with crab. Judge a kitchen on it. - **Mangrove crab**: Pulled from the mangrove roots and cooked simply. The best thing on most Koror menus. - **Ukaeb**: Crab minced with coconut cream, lime and chilli, packed back into the shell. - **Sashimi**: Yellowfin and skipjack with soy and wasabi, a habit from the Japanese years. - **Fruit bat soup**: Whole bat in coconut broth. Confronting to look at, mild to eat. - **Tinola**: Chicken with green papaya and ginger over rice. The Filipino dish that stayed. - **Ulkoy**: Squash and shrimp fritters, sold hot from roadside stands. - **Taro**: Grown in wet patches and served with almost everything. ## Koror transport & airports - **Roman Tmetuchl International** (ROR): In Airai on Babeldaob, a 20 to 30 minute drive from Koror. No taxis wait at arrivals, so book a hotel or dive-shop transfer. [Palau airport](https://www.palau-airport.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - **Taxis** (Taxi): The way around town, with no public buses. Hotels and restaurants call one, and the Malakal bars are a short ride from downtown. - **Dive and tour boats** (Boat): Everything south of Koror is a boat. Operators collect you from your hotel and leave from Malakal and the resort docks. [Koror State](https://www.kororstategov.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - **Rental car** (Car): Worth a day for Babeldaob, over the Friendship Bridge and round the Compact Road. Drive on the right, at island speeds. [Palau Visitors Authority](https://pristineparadisepalau.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ## Koror at a glance - **Country:** Palau - **Region:** Koror State, on Koror, Malakal and Arakabesang islands - **Population:** About 11,200 in Koror State (2020 census), most of Palau's 17,614 - **Capital:** Palau's capital until 2006, when it moved to Ngerulmud - **Palauan name:** Oreor - **Language:** Palauan and English, both official - **Currency:** US dollar (USD) - **Time zone:** UTC+9, no daylight saving - **Calling code:** +680 - **Airport:** Roman Tmetuchl International (ROR), in Airai - **Power:** 120 V, plug types A and B - **Emergency:** 911 ## Interesting facts - Koror was the seat of Japan's South Seas Government, which is why a Shinto shrine was built there in 1940. - The first Koror-Babeldaob bridge collapsed in 1996, and Japan funded the span that replaced it in 2002. - Every visitor signs the Palau Pledge at immigration, a promise to the island's children stamped into the passport. - Koror State is home to roughly two thirds of everyone in Palau. - Jellyfish Lake's golden jellyfish evolved apart from the sea after the lake was cut off at the end of the last ice age. ## Koror travel FAQ ### When is the best time to visit Koror? November to February. The northeast trades bring the driest weather and the calmest sea, visibility peaks and mantas gather at the German Channel. May to August is the wettest stretch, when swell can keep boats off the outer reefs, though lagoon diving carries on all year. ### Do I need a permit for the Rock Islands? Yes. Koror State sells a Rock Islands permit for a set number of days, and Jellyfish Lake needs its own permit on top. Your operator buys them with you before the boat leaves and rangers check them on the water. Ask whether the fee is in the tour price. ### Is Jellyfish Lake open, and are there jellyfish? The lake closed after the golden jellyfish population crashed in 2016 and has reopened since, with numbers rising and falling with the weather. Ask your operator what the lake holds that week before buying its permit. Snorkel only: scuba is banned in the lake. ### How do I get from the airport to Koror? Roman Tmetuchl International Airport is in Airai on Babeldaob, a 20 to 30 minute drive over the Japan-Palau Friendship Bridge. No taxis wait at arrivals, and many flights land at night, so book a transfer with your hotel or dive shop before you fly. ### Can I enjoy Koror if I do not dive? Yes. A Rock Islands snorkel day reaches Milky Way, Long Beach, Clam City and Jellyfish Lake without a certification, and kayak tours cover the same lagoon. On land there are two museums, the aquarium, the storyboard shops and a day's drive round Babeldaob. ## Nearby guides - [Siargao](https://wimup.com/city/siargao.md): Philippines · 10 picks - [Cebu City](https://wimup.com/city/cebu-city.md): Philippines · 10 picks - [Iloilo City](https://wimup.com/city/iloilo-city.md): Philippines · 10 picks - [All of Oceania →](https://wimup.com/oceania): 24 cities Part of the [Palau guide](https://wimup.com/country/palau.md) · [Oceania](https://wimup.com/oceania.md) ## Sources - [Koror tourism board](https://pristineparadisepalau.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Sail the Rock Islands Southern Lagoon: Koror State](https://www.kororstategov.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [See the Etpison Museum's canoes and rock art: Etpison Museum](https://www.etpisonmuseum.org/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Meet the reef dry at the Palau Aquarium: PICRC](https://picrc.org/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Roman Tmetuchl International: Palau airport](https://www.palau-airport.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - Rankings are Wimup editorial picks. Prices, durations and budgets are editorial estimates, not live quotes; check the official site before you go.