3 days in Okinawa

Day by day

1. Day 1: Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium and Nakijin Castle

   Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, Nakijin Castle and Kouri Island, then Kokusai-dori in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium

      The aquarium's centrepiece is the Kuroshio Sea tank, holding about 7,500 cubic metres of water, in which whale sharks and manta rays swim behind one of the world's largest acrylic panels.

   2. Late morning

      Nakijin Castle

      Combine it with the Churaumi Aquarium, about 15 minutes away by car.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Goya champuru

      Every shokudō diner and izakaya on the island; it is the default order in local canteens.

   4. Afternoon

      Kouri Island

      A road bridge about 2 km long crosses turquoise shallows to this small island, where Tinu Beach has the well-known Heart Rock formation.

   5. Evening

      Kokusai-dori

      Explore the covered side arcades rather than the main street for better prices on crafts and snacks.

2. Day 2: Shuri Castle and Daiichi Makishi Public Market

   Shuri Castle, Daiichi Makishi Public Market and Tsuboya Yachimun Street, then Mihama American Village in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Shuri Castle

      Ride the Yui Rail to Shuri station and walk up through Shureimon gate, then continue down the Kinjo-cho stone-paved path.

   2. Late morning

      Daiichi Makishi Public Market

      Naha's 'kitchen' reopened in a new building in 2023.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Okinawa soba

      Soba shops across the island, including old wooden houses in the Motobu area known as the 'soba road'.

   4. Afternoon

      Tsuboya Yachimun Street

      Look for the old Arayachi climbing kiln along the lane, and buy shisa figurines direct from the workshops.

   5. Evening

      Mihama American Village

      Arrive before sunset, walk the seawall to Sunset Beach and stay for dinner and drinks.

3. Day 3: Okinawa Peace Memorial Park and Himeyuri Peace Museum

   Okinawa Peace Memorial Park, Himeyuri Peace Museum and Sefa-utaki, then Kokusai-dori and Sakaemachi, Naha in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Okinawa Peace Memorial Park

      On the cliffs at Mabuni, where the Battle of Okinawa ended in 1945, the Cornerstone of Peace lists the names of more than 240,000 people of all nationalities who died in the battle.

   2. Late morning

      Himeyuri Peace Museum

      It is emotionally heavy; combine it with a quiet walk or cliff-top café rather than a theme park afterwards.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Rafute

      Okinawan restaurants and izakaya in Naha, often as part of a set meal.

   4. Afternoon

      Sefa-utaki

      The most sacred site of the Ryukyu Kingdom's indigenous religion is a forested grove of prayer spaces among limestone rocks, where royal priestesses were once ordained.

   5. Evening

      Kokusai-dori and Sakaemachi, Naha

      Izakaya, awamori bars and folk-music venues around Kokusai-dori, plus tiny bars inside the Sakaemachi market after dark.

Before you go

If it rains

• Swap in Okinawa World and Gyokusendo Cave (Nanjo and the south): Do the cave first while you are fresh; it is cool and humid inside, a good choice on a rainy day.

Where to stay for this itinerary

With 3 nights, Naha (Kokusai-dori) keeps most of this route within easy reach. For a calmer or cheaper base, Chatan ($$$) suits families, shopping, nightlife and couples. Compare every area.

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 18–21 hours of visiting over 3 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 10.5 hours in December to 13.8 hours in June.

More or fewer days

• One day in Okinawa
• 2 days in Okinawa
• 5 days in Okinawa

Questions travellers ask