OL Okinawa Lovers
Cape Manza, its cliff shaped like an elephant's trunk, above the sea
47 places

Three or four
in a day. No more

Okinawa's main island is two and a half hours end to end, so a realistic day holds three or four places in the same area. Here they are grouped that way, with the seven that need a boat or a plane kept separate.

24 of them are free 7 need a boat or a plane Six day plans Checked August 2026
Sefa-utaki doubles on 1 October 2026¥300 to ¥600 for adults, and it shuts entirely on six days a year
What things cost

The problem with most lists of places to see in Okinawa is not the places. It is that they mix the main island with the outer islands, and put the far north next to the far south, so the itinerary you build from them cannot actually be driven.

From Itoman in the south to Kunigami in the north is about two and a half hours of driving one way. Add a fifth stop to a day and you spend it getting in and out of the car. So this page starts with combinations rather than a ranking, and the outer islands have a section of their own further down.

Prices are marked where we have confirmed them officially, and marked simply as paid where we have not. Twenty-four of the forty-seven cost nothing at all.

Six days that actually work

by area, not by ranking
Half a day from Naha

Shuri and Kokusai-dori

Shuri Castle Park with the reconstruction under way, then Tamaudun and the Kinjocho stone road on foot. Down the hill to Kokusai-dori. All three are within walking distance of each other.

A loop of the south

Memorial and gusuku

Sefa-utaki (¥300, ¥600 from October) to Chinen Cape, lunch at Minami-no-Eki Yaese, then Himeyuri and Cape Kyan. Bus 82 covers the same route.

Across the centre

Castle, pottery, sunset

Zakimi Castle (free) to Yachimun no Sato to buy a bowl, then Michi-no-Eki Kadena and on to American Village for the evening. Yomitan to Chatan is 20 minutes.

Out to the islands

The causeway day

Stock up at Urumarche, then Katsuren Castle (¥600) and across the Kaichu-Doro. The museum at Ayahashikan is free.

North to the aquarium

The two-hour drive

Buy the ticket at Michi-no-Eki Kyoda for ¥2,000, then Churaumi, Bise Fukugi lane and Emerald Beach next door. Two hours each way from Naha.

Castles and bridges

The far north-west

Nakijin Castle (¥800) then over the Kouri Bridge, with Sorahashi at the near end. The Ocean Tower if the weather holds.

The forty-seven, by area

south to north

Cards with Read the guide on them open a full page on this site with prices, hours and access. The rest are listed here with what you need to decide whether to go.

Naha and Shuri: seven places, all within a short drive or a walk
Shuri Castle Park01Shuri Castle Park

The main hall is still being rebuilt through 2026, and watching the reconstruction is something you can only do now. Free areas and paid areas. The price rises to ¥1,000 on 23 November.

Read the guide
Tamaudun Royal Mausoleum02Tamaudun Royal Mausoleum

The tomb of the Ryukyuan kings, five minutes on foot from the castle. World Heritage.

Kinjocho Stone-Paved RoadFree03Kinjocho Stone-Paved Road

About 300m of the original Ryukyuan paving, still in place. The slope is steep, so wear something you can walk in.

The Great Akagi TreesFree04The Great Akagi Trees

Halfway down the stone road. Six akagi trees, the oldest over two hundred years.

Kokusai-doriFree05Kokusai-dori

About 1.6km of shops and restaurants. Closed to cars on Sundays from 12:00 to 18:00, when it becomes a pedestrian street.

Read the guide
Naminoue ShrineFree06Naminoue Shrine

Built on top of a cliff, with a beach directly below it. The only city-centre beach in Naha.

Fukushuen Garden07Fukushuen Garden

A Chinese garden in central Naha, built with Fuzhou craftsmen and materials. Walkable from Kokusai-dori.

The south: twelve places, and the island's memory
Sefa-utaki08Sefa-utaki

The most sacred site in the Ryukyu Kingdom, where the kings came to worship. World Heritage. The adult ticket doubles to ¥600 on 1 October 2026, and it closes to everyone on six rest days a year.

Okinawa World and Gyokusendo Cave09Okinawa World and Gyokusendo Cave

890m of a 5km limestone cave system, opened to visitors, with eisa drum performances above ground.

Valley of Gangala10Valley of Gangala

A valley formed when a cave system collapsed. Guided tours only, and you have to book.

Himeyuri Monument and Peace Museum11Himeyuri Monument and Peace Museum

The museum charges; the monument itself is free to stand in front of. Bus 82 reaches it, by way of the roadside station at Yaese.

Read the guide
12Free12Peace Memorial Park

The park is free, the museum is not. The Cornerstone of Peace carries over 240,000 names, of every nationality involved.

Umikaji Terrace, Senaga IslandFree13Umikaji Terrace, Senaga Island

White terraced shops beside the airport. Aircraft come down directly overhead on approach.

Azama Sunsun BeachFree14Azama Sunsun Beach

Free to enter, paid parking. The ferry terminal for Kudaka Island is next door.

Chinen Cape ParkFree15Chinen Cape Park

A grass headland sticking out into the sea, five minutes by car from Sefa-utaki.

Cape KyanFree16Cape Kyan

Cliffs near the southern tip of the island, with a memorial tower. Quiet, and worth the detour for the drop alone.

Itokazu Castle RuinsFree17Itokazu Castle Ruins

One of the largest gusuku in the south, with a good deal of the stonework still standing.

Chinen Castle RuinsFree18Chinen Castle Ruins

A nationally designated historic site, and usually empty.

1919DMM Kariyushi Aquarium

Inside the Iias Okinawa Toyosaki mall, about 20 minutes from the airport. A useful place to be when it rains.

The centre: twelve places, castles and the American coast
Katsuren Castle20Katsuren Castle

World Heritage, on high ground with a view all the way along the Kaichu-Doro causeway. Performances at weekends.

Nakagusuku Castle21Nakagusuku Castle

World Heritage. Perry's expedition recorded the quality of the stonework here in 1853.

Zakimi CastleFree22Zakimi Castle

World Heritage, and free to enter and to park. You are allowed on top of the walls. The arch gates are the oldest in Okinawa.

Read the guide Yachimun no SatoFree23Yachimun no Sato

Nineteen working pottery studios in Yomitan, built around shared climbing kilns. You can buy straight from the makers.

Read the guide American VillageFree24American Village

A seafront shopping district in Chatan. Best from late afternoon into the evening.

Read the guide Sunset BeachFree25Sunset Beach

Named for exactly what you would expect. Walkable from American Village.

Read the guide
KozaFree26Koza

Gate Street and Park Avenue in Okinawa City, where the American and the Okinawan have stayed mixed rather than merged.

Southeast Botanical Gardens27Southeast Botanical Gardens

In Okinawa City. A different place entirely during the winter illumination season.

Kaichu-Doro and Ikei IslandFree28Kaichu-Doro and Ikei Island

A 4.7km causeway across the sea to a chain of flat islands. The museum upstairs at Ayahashikan, halfway along, is free.

Read the guide
29Free29Mizugama Beach

In Kadena. Not a resort beach: this is where people who live here walk in the evening.

Little Universe Okinawa30Little Universe Okinawa

Inside the Iias mall in Tomigusuku. Entirely indoors, so the weather is irrelevant.

3131teamLab Future Park

Inside Okinawa Children's Land. A rainy-day answer if you have children with you.

The west coast and the north: sixteen places, and the long drive
Churaumi Aquarium32Churaumi Aquarium

Open until 21:00 through August 2026. The advance ticket at the Kyoda roadside station is ¥2,000, which is the cheapest we have confirmed.

Read the guide Cape Manza33Cape Manza

Free until the visitor centre opened in 2020. It is ¥100 now, free below school age, and open until 20:00 from March to October.

Read the guide The Blue Cave34The Blue Cave

Getting inside the cave means a snorkelling or diving tour. The cape car park and facilities are paid.

Read the guide Cape Maeda35Cape Maeda

If you only want the view from the platform, it is a short stop. The steps down are steep.

Read the guide Kouri IslandFree36Kouri Island

The 1,960m Kouri Bridge is free to cross. The roadside station Sorahashi sits at the near end of it.

Read the guide Nakijin Castle37Nakijin Castle

World Heritage. Best known for its cherry blossom, from late January into early February, which is the earliest in Japan.

Read the guide Bise Fukugi Tree LaneFree38Bise Fukugi Tree Lane

Next door to the aquarium. Around 20,000 fukugi trees planted as a windbreak, in lanes you walk through.

Read the guide Emerald BeachFree39Emerald Beach

Inside Ocean Expo Park, so it pairs with the aquarium on foot.

Read the guide Sesoko IslandFree40Sesoko Island

Reached by bridge, no ferry involved. Sesoko Beach shelves very gently.

Read the guide Nago Pineapple Park41Nago Pineapple Park

Self-driving carts take you round the grounds. Discount tickets at the Kyoda roadside station.

Read the guide Bios Hill42Bios Hill

In Uruma, and the price includes the lake boat. ¥1,800 with a Kyoda discount ticket.

Read the guide DINO Dinosaur Park43DINO Dinosaur Park

In Nago, with dinosaurs standing in a forest of tree ferns. ¥800 with a Kyoda ticket.

Read the guide 4444Neo Park Okinawa

In Nago, and the one where the Kyoda discount does most work: ¥1,800, about 31 per cent off.

Read the guide
Mt KatsuuFree45Mt Katsuu

A hill above Nago, about an hour up. Boots and water, not sandals.

Kouri Ocean Tower46Kouri Ocean Tower

On the hill on Kouri Island. The viewing floor is 82m above sea level, looking back down the bridge.

47Free47Cape Hedo

The northern tip of the island. About 30 minutes on from the Yuiyui Kunigami roadside station.

Read the guide

Seven that need a boat or a plane

kept out of the list above on purpose

Guides to Okinawa routinely list Taketomi and Hateruma alongside places you can drive to in an afternoon. Realising halfway through planning that one of your stops needs a flight to Ishigaki and then a ferry is how a day gets lost.

None of these seven can be reached by car from the main island. Each one is a full day at least, and the far southern crossings are cancelled often enough that you should not build a tight connection around them. Sesoko and Kouri, by contrast, both have bridges, which is why they are in the list above rather than this one.

Ie Island30 min ferry from MotobuIe Island

The island you can see from the aquarium, with a climbable peak called Tatchu.

Zamami and Furuzamami Beach50 min ferry from TomariZamami and Furuzamami Beach

In the Kerama Islands, a national park, and the water people mean by Kerama Blue.

Taketomi15 min ferry from IshigakiTaketomi

Red-tiled roofs and white sand lanes. You have to fly to Ishigaki first.

Hateruma80 min ferry from IshigakiHateruma

The southernmost inhabited island in Japan. The crossing is cancelled often.

YonaguniFlight from Naha or IshigakiYonaguni

The westernmost point of Japan. A day trip is not possible.

Sunayama Beach, Miyako50 min flight from NahaSunayama Beach, Miyako

On Miyako Island, and known for the rock arch above the sand.

⚓20 min ferry from AzamaKudaka

The island of the gods. The pier is next to Azama Sunsun Beach.

What costs money, and what does not

two of these have changed recently

Twenty-four of the forty-seven are free. Zakimi Castle is a World Heritage site with no admission and no parking charge. So are Kokusai-dori, Yachimun no Sato and the Bise tree lanes.

On the paid side, four things are worth knowing before you plan around them.

WhatThe situationThen
Sefa-utaki doubles From 1 October 2026, adults go from ¥300 to ¥600 and school children from ¥150 to ¥300. It is the highest-ranking place of worship of the Ryukyu Kingdom. Twice the price
Cape Manza is not free It was until the visitor building opened in 2020. It is ¥100 a head now, free below school age. Older articles still describe it as a free viewpoint. ¥100
The northern attractions are cheaper at Kyoda Neo Park ¥2,600 to ¥1,800, Bios Hill ¥2,200 to ¥1,800, DINO ¥1,000 to ¥800, Churaumi ¥2,180 to ¥2,000. The ticket counter at Michi-no-Eki Kyoda takes cash only. Up to 31% off
Sefa-utaki closes six days a year Three days from the first of the fifth lunar month, and three from the first of the tenth. Nobody enters. The dates move each year because they follow the lunar calendar. Six days

How long things take

one way, from Naha
Churaumi AquariumAbout 2 hours
Nakijin CastleAbout 1 hour 50
Kouri IslandAbout 1 hour 50
Cape ManzaAbout 1 hour 10
Zakimi CastleAbout 1 hour
Katsuren CastleAbout 1 hour
Sefa-utakiAbout 50 minutes
HimeyuriAbout 40 minutes

The expressway ends at Kyoda in the north, and everything beyond that is ordinary road through towns. From the interchange nearest the airport to Kyoda is already about 65km, so the top third of the island is slower than the map suggests.

Fill up before you join the expressway. It has two rest areas, Igei and Nakagusuku, and neither one sells fuel. There are rapid EV chargers but no petrol pumps.

Almost none of this is reachable on public transport in a sensible amount of time. The exception is the southern memorial route, which bus 82 covers. Everything else assumes a car, and what to check before you book one is worth five minutes.

If a day comes apart because of weather, the roadside stations are the reliable fallback: food, local produce and a roof, spaced along every route on this page.

Questions

How many places can I see in one day in Okinawa?+

Three or four, in the same area. The main island runs about two and a half hours from end to end, and adding a fifth stop generally means spending the day in the car rather than at the places. The six combinations at the top of this page are built to that limit.

Which sights in Okinawa are free?+

Twenty-four of the forty-seven listed here. Zakimi Castle is free to enter and to park, despite being a World Heritage site. So are Kokusai-dori, Yachimun no Sato, the Bise fukugi tree lanes, Emerald Beach, Chinen Cape, Cape Kyan, Cape Hedo, Kouri Bridge and the Kaichu-Doro causeway.

Is Sefa-utaki going up in price?+

Yes. From 1 October 2026 the adult ticket goes from ¥300 to ¥600, and school children from ¥150 to ¥300. It also closes completely on six days a year, three from the first day of the fifth lunar month and three from the first of the tenth. Those dates move every year.

Is Cape Manza free?+

No, not since 2020, when the visitor centre opened. It is ¥100 per person, free for children below school age, and open until 20:00 from March to October. A number of older English guides still list it as a free viewpoint.

What is the cheapest way to buy tickets for the northern attractions?+

The discount counter at Michi-no-Eki Kyoda, on the way north. Neo Park drops from ¥2,600 to ¥1,800, Bios Hill from ¥2,200 to ¥1,800, DINO from ¥1,000 to ¥800 and Churaumi from ¥2,180 to ¥2,000. It is cash only, so bring notes.

Can I get to Taketomi or Hateruma from the main island?+

Not directly, and not by car. Both are in the Yaeyama Islands: you fly to Ishigaki and take a ferry from there, 10 to 15 minutes for Taketomi and 60 to 80 minutes for Hateruma. The Hateruma crossing is cancelled often. Seven places in this article need a boat or a plane, and they are listed separately for that reason.

Can I see these places without a car?+

Mostly not. Bus 82 covers the southern memorial route, and the Naha and Shuri group works on the monorail and on foot. Everything else on the west coast and in the north is impractical by bus in a single day.

Sources

checked 4 August 2026