Okinawa沖縄県

Places to seeWhere to go in Okinawa

Start with the first of these. Each is worth half a day.

Shuri Castle首里城

The seat of the Ryukyu Kingdom, rebuilt after the 2019 fire. The main hall opens to visitors on 23 November 2026.

Half a day

MAP

Churaumi Aquarium美ら海水族館

Whale sharks in a tank the size of a building, on the north coast of the main island.

Half a day

MAP

Kabira Bay川平湾

Pale blue water and small islands, on Ishigaki. Glass-bottom boats glide over the coral.

2 hoursYou can ride

MAP

Cape Manzamo万座毛

A cliff of raised coral over open sea, shaped like an elephant’s trunk.

1 hour

MAP

Kokusai-dori国際通り

A kilometre of shops, food and music through the middle of Naha. Busy, loud, and the easiest evening.

Half a day

MAP

Miyakojima beaches宮古島のビーチ

Long white beaches and the clearest water in Japan, an hour by air from Naha.

2 days

MAP

Katsuren castle ruins勝連城跡

Stone castle walls on a ridge with the sea on both sides. A world heritage element.

2 hours

MAP

What Okinawa is

The sea is clear and warm, the buildings are low and concrete, and the food, music and language are its own.

Until the nineteenth century this was the Ryukyu Kingdom, which traded across east Asia and built its own castles. Shuri Castle in Naha is where that is told; it burned in 2019 and has been rebuilt; the main hall opens to visitors on 23 November 2026.

When to comeThe same place, four different places

Pick the season first and the days will arrange themselves.

March – May

Warm from March. The sea is swimmable from late April, and it is quieter than summer.

June – August

Bright, and the sea is warm.

September – November

Still warm enough to swim into October, with fewer people and lower prices.

December – February

Around 18–20°C. Too cool for swimming, right for walking, and the whales pass offshore.

Find it fastEverything in Okinawa