Itinerary · Okinawa · Japan
One day in Okinawa
A day-by-day plan grouped by neighbourhood, so you spend your time seeing Okinawa, not crossing it.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: CEphoto, Uwe Aranas, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
One day is a taster: the plan below covers the essentials, but most visitors want 6. Day 1: Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium and Nakijin Castle. Base yourself in Naha (Kokusai-dori).
Key facts
- Days
- 1
- Sights covered
- 5
- Day trips
- None
- Best base
- Naha (Kokusai-dori)
- Book ahead
- Nothing essential
Day by day
Day 1: Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium and Nakijin Castle
Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, Nakijin Castle, Kouri Island and Bise Fukugi Tree Road, then Kokusai-dori in the evening.
Morning
Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium
Watch a whale-shark feeding session at the big tank, then walk to the free dolphin show and Emerald Beach in the same park. Allow Half a day with the park.
Late morning
Nakijin Castle
Combine it with the Churaumi Aquarium, about 15 minutes away by car. Allow 1 hour.
Lunch
Lunch: Goya champuru
Every shokudō diner and izakaya on the island; it is the default order in local canteens.
Afternoon
Kouri Island
Stop at the beach at the island end of the bridge for the classic photo looking back over the water. Allow 2 hours.
Late afternoon
Bise Fukugi Tree Road
Rent bikes at the village entrance and ride to the small beach at the far end of the lanes. Allow 1 hour.
Evening
Kokusai-dori
Explore the covered side arcades rather than the main street for better prices on crafts and snacks.
If it rains
- Swap in Daiichi Makishi Public Market (Naha (Kokusai-dori)): Ask the fishmonger to recommend a cooking style and which upstairs restaurant to use before you buy.
- Swap in Himeyuri Peace Museum (Nanjo and the south): It is emotionally heavy; combine it with a quiet walk or cliff-top café rather than a theme park afterwards.
- 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
$$ · Best for first-timers, budget, food lovers, nightlife and shopping
Naha (Kokusai-dori)
City base on the monorail with Kokusai-dori, the markets and late-night izakaya
Pace and daylight
The sights in this plan add up to roughly 9–10 hours of visiting over one day, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 10.5 hours in December to 13.8 hours in June.
Getting between stops: Car. Rental cars are the practical way to explore, with the Okinawa Expressway running from near Naha to Nago.
More or fewer days
Questions travellers ask
+Is one day enough in Okinawa?
One day is a taster: the plan below covers the essentials, but most visitors want 6. How many days Okinawa needs.