Best time to visit Palau: weather and seasons by month

Palau is hot and humid every month, so the decision is not about temperature but about rain, wind direction and how full the dive boats are. The table below gives the verdict, crowd level and price level for each month, with the one thing that changes your plan.

Palau has a tropical climate with rain in every month and little temperature change: expect 27–31 °C, high humidity and short heavy showers rather than all-day drizzle. February to April is the driest stretch, which is why it lines up with the best diving conditions.

June to October is the wettest half of the year. The south-west monsoon sets in, and in July–September some west-side dive sites become rough enough that operators move to the east side of the reef. Palau lies south of the main typhoon belt, but it is not immune: Bopha in 2012 and Haiyan in 2013 both affected the islands.

November and December are the transition: rain eases and the west side calms again, with fewer boats than in February–April. If your trip is built around diving, that is the trade-off to weigh: February–April gives the most reliable conditions, November–December gives calmer west-side seas with less competition for moorings.

Palau's visitor numbers swing hard around a few Asian holiday periods, and dive boats are limited, so these dates matter more than the weather for availability. Lunar New Year (late January to February) brings high demand from Taiwan and Korea. Golden Week in Japan (late April to early May) sells out dive boats. Christmas and New Year bring holiday demand from Asia and the US.

The lower-price months are the wet ones: June, September and October, when crowds are low and price levels are low. August is also wet but busier because of Asian summer holidays, so it is the weakest value of the low season. Chuseok (September–October) adds a Korean surge even in the low season.

Public holidays close offices but rarely disrupt travel: Youth Day (15 March), Senior Citizens Day (5 May), President's Day (1 June), Constitution Day (9 July), Labor Day (first Monday of September), Independence Day (1 October), Family Day and Thanksgiving (late November).

In the dry-ish months (February–April) you can plan the full boat-trip itinerary: Rock Islands lagoons and snorkelling, Blue Corner and the current dives, and an overnight to Peleliu. Babeldaob's waterfall, monoliths and bai are a hire-car day that works best on a dry day, which this season gives you most often.

In the wet months (June–October) diving still runs, but operators choose the sheltered side of the reef, and in July–September south-west winds can make some west-side sites rough. This is the time to build in land days: the museum in Koror, Babeldaob by car, and flexible boat days that can move if the wind shifts. Price levels are lower and sites are quieter, which suits travellers who are not tied to a fixed dive list.

November and December sit between the two: rain eases and west-side seas calm, without the February–April crowds. Peleliu is listed as best from November to May, so it fits this window.

Book dive boats before flights for any trip in February–April, Golden Week or Christmas; boat capacity, not hotel capacity, is the constraint in Palau. Outside those windows, booking a few weeks ahead is usually enough (check).

Pack for rain in every month: a light rain shell, dry bags for boat days, and reef-safe sunscreen. Seasickness medication is worth having for July–September crossings. Low-season months carry lower price levels for accommodation and some operators (check), while food and permits do not change with the season.

Entry rules, the Palau Pledge and any permit fees are separate from timing; check the visa page before you book.