# Okinawa: map, what to do and when to go

The main island of Okinawa: the old Ryukyu Kingdom, the memory of 1945, and a reef sea within reach of Naha.

Canonical: https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/okinawa/
Language: en. Extended author commentary and itinerary notes may remain in Portuguese. Dates below belong to individual sources; this is not live availability.

## Direct answer
- **Okinawa: how do I get from Naha Airport to the center?** Naha Airport (OKA) is a few kilometers from the center, and the Yui Rail monorail leaves from the airport itself.
- **Okinawa: do I need to rent a car, or can I do the itinerary by bus and monorail?** The monorail covers Naha and Shuri.
- **Okinawa: how do I get to the Kerama Islands?** Boats leave from Tomari Port in Naha.

## Shuri and central Naha
Take the monorail to Shuri station and walk about 15 minutes to Shuri Castle Park; the paid area opens at 8:30 a.m. If you arrive a little early, you can watch the opening ceremony in front of the Houshinmon gate.
- Shuri Castle
- Tamaudun
- Kinjo-cho Ishidatami-michi
- Kokusai-dori
- Makishi Public Market
- Tsuboya Yachimun Street

## The south: the memory of 1945 and Sefa Utaki
Pick up the rental car early and start at 9 a.m. at the Former Underground Naval Headquarters, in Tomigusuku, about 4 km south of central Naha. One hour is enough for the tunnels and the museum.
- Okinawa Prefectural Museum and Art Museum
- Former Underground Naval Headquarters
- Himeyuri Peace Museum
- Okinawa Peace Memorial Park
- Sefa Utaki
- Okinawa World

## The north: Churaumi, Bise, and Nakijin
With the car picked up the night before, on the return from the Kerama boat, leave Naha around 6:30 a.m. on the Okinawa Expressway to Nago and continue to the Ocean Expo Park: from Naha Airport, next to the center, it is about 2 hours. The Churaumi Aquarium opens at 8:30 a.m.
- Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium
- Bise Fukugi Tree Road
- Nakijin Castle
- Kouri Island

## Manzamo, castles of the center, and late afternoon in Chatan
Head down Route 58 to Cape Manzamo, in Onna, to see the cliff in the morning light.
- Nakagusuku Castle
- Katsuren Castle
- Mihama American Village
- Cape Manzamo

## Shuri Castle
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/okinawa/#g-lugar-castelo-de-shuri
Naha · Half a day or more
Seat of the Ryukyu Kingdom for about 450 years, the castle occupies a hill in Shuri inside Shuri Castle Park and is part of the World Heritage site. The Seiden, the vermilion-painted main hall that blends Chinese and Japanese techniques, was destroyed by the fire of October 2019 and rebuilt. The park has announced the reopening, with the interior visited by reserved time slot in 30-minute blocks, the rest of the paid area without reservation, and a new price; check the website for the ticket and the conditions on the day. The paid area opens at 8:30 a.m. and closes at 7 p.m. from April to November and at 6 p.m. from December to March, with last entry half an hour before. Five minutes before opening, the ukeejo ceremony announces the opening of the park in front of the Houshinmon gate. Shuri monorail station is about a 15-minute walk away.
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## Tamaudun
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/okinawa/#g-lugar-tamaudun
Naha · Up to half an hour
Mausoleum of the kings of the second Sho dynasty, built in 1501 and carved into limestone rock with a tiled roof, a few minutes' walk from the castle. It has three chambers: one for the purification of remains, another for kings and queens, and the third for the rest of the royal family. Damaged in the war and restored in 1977, it is a World Heritage site and a National Treasure. The stele in the courtyard is considered the oldest inscription in kana, the Japanese syllabic script.
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## Shikinaen
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/okinawa/#g-lugar-shikinaen
Naha · One to two hours
A garden and recreational villa of the royal family, built in 1799 to receive envoys from China. The pond with an arched bridge in Chinese style, the hexagonal pavilion, and the red-tiled house show how the kingdom blended Japanese and Chinese references. Restored between 1975 and 1996 from prewar photographs, it is about 30 minutes by bus from the Naha terminal and is part of the World Heritage site.
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## Kinjo-cho Ishidatami-michi
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/okinawa/#g-lugar-kinjo-cho-ishidatami-michi
Naha · Up to half an hour
A slope paved with Ryukyu limestone, built in the 16th century as part of the road from Shuri to the port of Naha. About 300 meters survived the war, between stone walls and red-roofed houses. It is steep and can be slippery when wet.
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## Kokusai-dori
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/okinawa/#g-lugar-kokusai-dori
Naha · One to two hours
Naha's main street, 1.6 km of shops, cafés, and bars and the stage for the city's big parades. The interest lies more in the covered arcades and lanes that branch off it, with kariyushi shirt shops and small restaurants, than in the row of souvenirs on the main road.
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## Makishi Public Market
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/okinawa/#g-lugar-mercado-publico-de-makishi
Naha · Up to half an hour
A market of fishmongers, butchers, and grocers near Kokusai-dori, born in the postwar years, with space to eat local dishes. It is the place to see what goes into Okinawan cooking: reef fish, cuts of pork, and seaweed such as umibudo.
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## Tsuboya Yachimun Street
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/okinawa/#g-lugar-tsuboya-yachimun-street
One to two hours
The street of potteries in the kingdom's old ceramics center, next to the market. Several workshops belong to families with generations of potters, and the Tsuboya Pottery Museum explains the tradition of yachimun, as Okinawan pottery is called.
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## Naminoue Shrine
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/okinawa/#g-lugar-santuario-naminoue
Naha · Up to half an hour
A Shinto shrine on a cliff above Naminoue Beach, Naha's only swimming beach, which has a jellyfish net and lifeguards. It works as an end-of-afternoon pause for those in the center, not as a beach destination.
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## Okinawa Prefectural Museum and Art Museum
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/okinawa/#g-lugar-museu
Naha · One to two hours
In Omoromachi, about a 10-minute walk from the monorail station, the prefectural museum presents the nature, history, and culture of Okinawa, from the kingdom to the postwar period, and the art museum, in the same building, the art of the island. It is the best indoor alternative in Naha on a rainy day and good context before the castles. It closes on Mondays (or the next business day if Monday is a holiday) and from December 29 to January 3; it is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., until 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, with last entry half an hour before. When checked in October 2026, the museum's permanent exhibition cost 530 yen and the art museum's collection 400 yen.
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## Former Underground Naval Headquarters
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/okinawa/#g-lugar-antigo-quartel-general
Tomigusuku · One to two hours
A 450-meter tunnel complex dug into a hill in Tomigusuku, about 4 km south of central Naha, which served as the headquarters of the Japanese Navy in the Battle of Okinawa. A small museum has some signage in English. It is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with the ticket office open until 4:30 p.m.; check the ticket price on the official website.
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## Himeyuri Peace Museum
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/okinawa/#g-lugar-museu-da-paz-himeyuri
Itoman · One to two hours
It tells the story of the students and teachers of a girls' school who were mobilized as nurses in the military hospitals set up in caves in the south, where many of them died. It has signage in English and video testimonies from survivors with subtitles. It is open from 9 a.m. to 5:25 p.m., with last entry at 5 p.m., and is about a 10-minute bus ride from the Peace Memorial Park.
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## Okinawa Peace Memorial Park
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/okinawa/#g-lugar-parque-memorial-da-paz-de
Itoman · Half a day or more
A park in Mabuni, Itoman, at the far south of the island, where the battle ended. It holds the Cornerstone of Peace, with 242,659 names of the dead of all nationalities as of June 2026, the Peace Hall, and the Okinawa Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum, which explains the battle and the reconstruction. The museum is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with last entry at 4:30 p.m., closes from December 29 to January 3, and the adult ticket costs 300 yen.
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## Sefa Utaki
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/okinawa/#g-lugar-sefa-utaki
Nanjo · One to two hours
The most sacred of the utaki, the places of worship of the kingdom, on Cape Chinen in Nanjo: a stone path between forest and rocks leads to natural altars formed by large blocks of limestone. In the time of the kingdom, men from outside the royal family could not enter, and those of the royal family entered dressed as women; the ceremonies were led by priestesses. The island of Kudaka, to the east at sea, is revered as the place where the creator deity of the islands descended. The adult ticket (ages 16 and over) costs 600 yen and is sold only at the Nanjo regional products center, until 5:15 p.m. from March to October and until 4:45 p.m. from November to February. The Sanguui area, the triangular tunnel between two rocks, is closed to visitors, and the site closes six days a year, on lunar calendar dates published on the official website. It is a World Heritage site.
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## Okinawa World
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/okinawa/#g-lugar-okinawa-world
Nanjo · One to two hours
A theme park in Nanjo that gives access to the 5 km Gyokusendo Cave, of which 890 meters are open to visitors, with stalactites and stalagmites. It is an indoor alternative in the south for a rainy day.
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## Nakagusuku Castle
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/okinawa/#g-lugar-castelo-de-nakagusuku
Kitanakagusuku · One to two hours
Ruins of a six-enclosure castle on a hill facing the Pacific, built in phases with three different masonry techniques. It suffered little damage in the war, and you can follow the evolution of the walls from the main enclosure outward. It is about 50 minutes by bus from Naha, plus a 30-minute walk from the stop. World Heritage site.
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## Katsuren Castle
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/okinawa/#g-lugar-castelo-de-katsuren
Uruma · One to two hours
Ruins at the top of a 98-meter limestone hill in Uruma, with stepped walls that recall the prow of a stone ship. It was the seat of Amawari, destroyed in 1458. The stairway to the top is steep and can be slippery. By bus, it is about 1 hour 40 minutes from the Naha terminal. World Heritage site.
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## Mihama American Village
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/okinawa/#g-lugar-mihama-american-village
Chatan · One to two hours
A complex of shops, bars, restaurants, a cinema, and a bowling alley with colorful facades in Chatan, linked to Depot Island and the Sunset Walk promenade. It shows the mix of Okinawa and the American presence and works as an end-of-afternoon stop, not as an attraction of its own.
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## Zakimi Castle
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/okinawa/#g-lugar-castelo-de-zakimi
Yomitan · Up to half an hour
15th-century ruins on a hill in Yomitan, with curved walls that jut outward and are considered the best-preserved example of a gusuku's defenses. Entry is free, there is a museum next door, and on a clear day the Kerama Islands appear on the horizon. World Heritage site.
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## Cape Manzamo
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/okinawa/#g-lugar-cabo-manzamo
Onna · Up to half an hour
A 20-meter limestone cliff above the sea, on the Onna coast, with a visitor center. The cliff area charges a small entrance fee and closes in the early evening, at a time that changes with the season; check before going. It sits beside Route 58, on the way between the north and the center of the island.
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## Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/okinawa/#g-lugar-aquario-churaumi-de-okinawa
Motobu · Half a day or more
The aquarium of the Ocean Expo Park, in Motobu, is known for the Kuroshio tank, 7,500 cubic meters, with whale sharks and manta rays seen through a large acrylic window. In the low season it is open from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., with last entry at 5:30 p.m., and stays open later during holiday periods. The adult ticket costs 2,180 yen. From Naha Airport, next to the center, it is about 2 hours by car on the expressway, or 3 hours by express bus, and the park's parking is free.
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## Bise Fukugi Tree Road
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/okinawa/#g-lugar-bise-fukugi-tree-road
Up to half an hour
Streets of the village of Bise, next to the Ocean Expo Park, shaded by rows of fukugi, an evergreen tree used as a windbreak, among houses of old architecture. You can explore on foot or by bicycle.
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## Nakijin Castle
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/okinawa/#g-lugar-castelo-de-nakijin
Nakijin · One to two hours
Seat of the Hokuzan kingdom and the second-largest castle on the island after Shuri, surrounded by 1.5 km of undulating walls of Paleozoic limestone, uncut stones stacked dry, without mortar. The cherry trees bloom in late January and early February, when there is a festival. Guided visits are offered in Japanese, English, and Spanish. World Heritage site.
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## Kouri Island
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/okinawa/#g-lugar-ilha-de-kouri
Nakijin · Up to half an hour
A small island linked to the Motobu Peninsula by bridges across Yagaji Island, with a beach and a heart-shaped rock formation that gives the island its nickname, the island of love. It makes a good end to the day in the north, near the lodging in Motobu and on the way to the Onna coast.
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**Okinawa: how do I get from Naha Airport to the center?**
Naha Airport (OKA) is a few kilometers from the center, and the Yui Rail monorail leaves from the airport itself. The adult fare is 290 yen to Kenchomae (13 minutes), 320 to Makishi (16 minutes), and 360 to Shuri (27 minutes). The 24-hour (1,000 yen) and 48-hour (1,800 yen) QR tickets are valid from the time of purchase. The monorail accepts the OKICA card and IC cards from other regions of Japan, such as Suica.

**Okinawa: do I need to rent a car, or can I do the itinerary by bus and monorail?**
The monorail covers Naha and Shuri. Outside it, buses leave from the Naha terminal for almost the whole island, but departures are far apart away from the capital, with waits that can reach two hours. A rental car is the most practical way to see the south, the center, and the north. The rental agencies are outside the airport, and a company bus takes you to the lot, which can take half an hour. Traffic drives on the left, speed limits are usually between 40 and 60 km/h, and the south of the island gets congested. Anyone driving in Japan with a foreign license generally needs the international driving permit under the 1949 Geneva Convention, issued before the trip; some nationalities use an official translation instead. Check the rule for your country before booking.

**Okinawa: how do I get to the Kerama Islands?**
Boats leave from Tomari Port in Naha. The Queen Zamami high-speed boat departs from the north side of the port, which has its own ticket office next to the boarding area, and reaches Zamami in about 50 minutes; the Ferry Zamami leaves from the south side, next to the Tomarin terminal, and takes 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours. Reservations by phone open one month ahead and run until the day before, with no reservations on the day itself, and online they open 55 days ahead; the fare is paid on the day, at the ticket office, with the reservation number. In October 2026, the high-speed boat cost 3,950 yen one way and 7,510 round trip (adult), and the ferry 2,900 and 5,510, plus a 100-yen entry fee for the island. Schedules change by day and by month, and bad weather cancels the boats.

**Okinawa: how many days should I stay?**
I'd stay five days on the main island, and four is the minimum I'd defend. One day goes to Shuri and central Naha; another to the south, with the museums and memorials of the Battle of Okinawa and Sefa Utaki; a boat day to the Kerama Islands; and a full day by car to the north, with the Churaumi Aquarium, the village of Bise, and Nakijin Castle. The fifth day comes down from the north by Cape Manzamo and the castles of Katsuren and Nakagusuku to the late afternoon in Chatan. I'd sleep in Naha, near a monorail station, for the first three nights, because Tomari Port, the airport, and the exits to the south are a few minutes away, and I'd spend the night of the north day in Motobu or on the Onna coast, so as not to retrace the road at night. For Yanbaru and Cape Hedo, I'd add a sixth day, with a second night in the north.

**Okinawa: when is the best time to go?**
April, October, and November; the first half of May also works outside Golden Week, summer is the season for beaches and diving, with a chance of typhoons from June to September, and the rainy season usually runs from mid-May to the end of June.

**Okinawa: how do I get to the Churaumi Aquarium?**
The aquarium is in the Ocean Expo Park, in Motobu. From Naha Airport, next to the center, it is about 2 hours by car on the expressway, or 3 hours by express bus, such as lines 111 and 117 and the Yanbaru Express, and the park's parking is free. In the low season it is open from 8:30 to 18:30, with last entry at 17:30, and stays open later during holiday periods. The adult ticket costs 2,180 yen.

**Okinawa: is it safe to swim in the sea?**
From June to September 30, the prefecture keeps up a warning for the habu-kurage, a box jellyfish with strong venom: swim inside the nets, at beaches with lifeguards, cover your skin, and carry vinegar, which is the recommended first aid, without rubbing the affected area and seeking medical attention. At beaches with lifeguards, swimming is allowed inside the marked area and with a jellyfish net; in high seas, jellyfish can pass over the net. In an emergency at sea, call 118, the number of the Japan Coast Guard.


## In the Nilo app
- Plan these 4 days on the map: https://nilopelomundo.com/en/app/guide/okinawa/?utm_source=llm&utm_medium=markdown&utm_content=door-itinerary
- Mark your hotel on the map: https://nilopelomundo.com/en/app/map/okinawa/?utm_source=llm&utm_medium=markdown&utm_content=door-stay

## Full editorial guide (Portuguese)
https://nilopelomundo.com/llm/okinawa.md