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Travel guide
Okinawa
4 days · 8 things to do
Best time to go: March to April, and October to November
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Welcome
Okinawa, in a few days
About 1,500 km south-west of Tokyo, Okinawa's main island runs 106 km between the East China Sea and the Pacific, with coral reefs, beaches and forest. The old Ryukyu Kingdom has kept its own language, its pork and bitter-melon cooking, its awamori spirit and a pace the rest of Japan does not share.
- Day by day
- D1 Day 1 2 things
- D2 Day 2 2 things
- D3 Day 3 2 things
- D4 Day 4 2 things
- Worth sorting before you go
- Words that help
- The practical page
- Packing checklist
The trip
Day by day
Map of the sights (numbers follow the suggested order). It prints with the base map.
D1
Day 1
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Churaumi Aquarium · 2 to 3 hOn the Motobu Peninsula, the 7,500 m³ Kuroshio tank is seen through an acrylic panel 22.5 metres wide, with whale sharks swimming among manta rays.
- Afternoon · Kouri Island and bridge free · 2 to 3 hA small round island joined to the main island by a 1,960-metre bridge over a shallow turquoise lagoon; the road around it takes fifteen minutes.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Hotel Collective€110 a night
D2
Day 2
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Cape Manzamo · about 30 minA coral limestone cliff shaped like an elephant's trunk above deep blue sea at Onna, named after a king's praise of its broad meadow.
- Afternoon · Shuri Castle · about 1 h 30Seat of the Ryukyu kings from 1429 to 1879, destroyed in 1945, rebuilt and UNESCO-listed, then burnt again in October 2019; restoration is ongoing.
🛏️ Where to sleep · JR Kyushu Hotel Blossom Naha€110 a night
D3
Day 3
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Kokusai-dori and Makishi Market free · 2 to 3 hNaha's 1.6 km main street, rebuilt on the ruins of 1945 and nicknamed the Miracle Mile, lined with glassware, shisa figures, kariyushi shirts and izakaya.
- Afternoon · Gyokusendo Cave and Okinawa World · 2 to 3 hA 5 km limestone cave found in 1967; 890 metres of walkways pass stalactites, blue pools and underground streams at 21 °C all year.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Hotel Monterey La Soeur Naha€85 a night
D4
Day 4
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Kerama Islands (Zamami and Tokashiki) · a full dayAbout twenty islands west of Naha, a national park since 2014 for their clear water; green turtles graze just off Furuzamami beach on Zamami.
- Afternoon · Cape Hedo free · a full dayThe island's northern tip, where the East China Sea meets the Pacific below limestone cliffs, with a monument to Okinawa's 1972 return to Japan.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Rizzan Sea-Park Hotel Tancha-Bay€150 a night
Before you go
Worth sorting before you go
📶 eSIM data
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
🛡️ Travel insurance
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
💳 Fee-free card
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
🚐 Airport transfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
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Good to know
Flavours & local habits
🍽️ Worth tasting
- Sushi and sashimi: raw fish at its freshest, eaten at the counter.
- Ramen: noodles in a deep broth, the comfort food of the country.
- Tempura: vegetables and prawns in a batter light enough to see through.
- Okonomiyaki: a savoury pancake piled with filling, the pride of Osaka and Hiroshima.
- Matcha and wagashi: green tea and the delicate sweets made to go with it.
⚠️ Best avoided
- Never stand your chopsticks upright in rice, and do not blow your nose at the table.
- Tipping does not exist and can embarrass: leave nothing.
- Eating while walking down the street is frowned upon.
- Get an IC card (Suica or Pasmo) rather than buying single tickets.
Getting by
Words that help
English ↔ Japanese
| English | Japanese |
|---|---|
| Hello | こんにちは (konnichiwa) |
| Thank you | ありがとう (arigatō) |
| Please | お願いします (onegai shimasu) |
| Yes | はい (hai) |
| No | いいえ (iie) |
| Excuse me | すみません (sumimasen) |
| Goodbye | さようなら (sayōnara) |
| Do you speak English? | 英語を話せますか (eigo o hanasemasu ka) |
| I don't understand | わかりません (wakarimasen) |
| How much is it? | いくらですか (ikura desu ka) |
| Where are the toilets? | トイレはどこですか (toire wa doko desu ka) |
| The bill, please | お会計お願いします (okaikei onegai shimasu) |
| Help! | 助けて！ (tasukete!) |
| Cheers! | 乾杯！ (kanpai!) |
The essentials
The practical page
CurrencyJapanese yen (JPY, ¥)
BudgetAbout €125 a day, mid-range
Best seasonMarch to April, and October to November
PlugA/B · 100V
Tap waterSafe to drink
TippingNo tipping, it is not the custom
Emergency110 (police) / 119
EntryVisa-free for 90 days for EU, UK, US, Canadian and Australian passports.
HealthNo vaccination required. Keep tetanus and polio up to date; hepatitis A is worth considering if you eat well outside the tourist trail.
Scan to open this guide online, always up to date.
https://offwegooo.com/en/guides/okinawa
Don't forget
Packing checklist
Have a good trip.
Guide made on offwegooo.com · Photos via Pexels · Details are indicative, check before you leave.