Okinawa
Coral beaches and an island culture all its own.
Subtropical islands that were the Ryūkyū Kingdom until 1879, with their own cooking, music and crafts. We arrange the parts that are hard to arrange from abroad: a guide to Shuri, a boat to the Kerama Islands, and the island hops in between.
A personal reply within one working day, from the specialist who plans your trip.
- Nights
- 4 to 5 nights, more with a second island
- Best weeks
- April to early May, and late October to November
- Getting there
- About 2 h 45 from Tokyo and 2 h 20 from Osaka by air. The Yui Rail reaches central Naha in 13 min
- Island hops
- Ishigaki and Miyako, each about an hour by air from Naha. The Kerama Islands, 40 to 60 min by fast boat
More than the beaches.
From 1429 to 1879, Okinawa was the Ryūkyū Kingdom. Nine of its castles and sacred sites, Shuri among them, have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000, and the forests of the north joined the list in 2021. Awamori, the islands’ rice spirit, has been made for over 600 years and is said to be Japan’s oldest distilled spirit.
Most visitors stay on one beach. Okinawa rewards moving: a few nights in Naha for Shuri and the food, then a smaller island where the evenings are quiet. We plan the hops and the boats between them.
Ask someone who knows Okinawa.
Tell us your dates and what you’d like from Okinawa, or the one thing you need booked. The specialist who plans your trip replies within one working day.
What we arrange in Okinawa.
Each can be booked on its own, or as part of a whole trip.
Shuri, with a guide
The castle hill of the Ryūkyū kings, its old stone-paved lanes and the royal tomb of Tamaudun. The Seiden, rebuilt after the 2019 fire, opens inside from 23 November 2026 with timed tickets; we book yours.Request this →
The Kerama Islands by boat
A national park since 2014, for its coral reefs and the humpback whales that come to breed. Snorkel the reefs in summer, or watch for whales from January to March. We charter the boat and the guide.Request this →
Okinawan cooking, and awamori
Okinawa soba, gōyā champurū and rafute, pork belly braised in awamori. Then a tasting of kūsu, awamori aged three years or more, at a distillery in Shuri.Request this →
A shisa of your own
At Naha’s Traditional Arts and Crafts Center you make a shisa, the lion-dog guardian of Okinawan roofs, in the Tsuboya style, or try bingata dyeing or Ryūkyū glass. Your shisa is fired and sent on about a month later.Request this →
Also in Okinawa:Hotels & ryokanTrain tickets & transfersSpecial requestsSIM cards & pocket wifi
Where to stay.
Okinawa is a chain of islands, and where you stay decides which ones you see. Five choices, and who each one suits.
We book hotels and ryokan →Naha
Suits first nights · food lovers
Most hotels are around Kokusai-dōri, close to Shuri and the markets, and 13 minutes from the airport on the Yui Rail.
Onna, on the west coast
Suits beach resorts · families
Resort hotels along the beaches of Onna Village, near Cape Manzamo.
Motobu
Suits churaumi aquarium · the north
The peninsula of the Churaumi Aquarium, about two hours from the airport by car.
The Kerama Islands
Suits snorkellers · quiet nights
Small guesthouses and pensions on Zamami and Tokashiki, 40 to 60 minutes from Naha by fast boat.
Ishigaki, Taketomi and Miyako
Suits island hopping · beach villas
An hour’s flight south: Ishigaki for the Yaeyama islands and Japan’s largest coral reef, Taketomi’s guesthouses ten minutes away by ferry, and Miyako’s resorts and villas.
When to go.
Okinawa is warm all year: in Naha the average high never falls below 19 °C. Our pick is late October to November: the sea still warm, the typhoons mostly past, and the beaches quiet.
March to May
Spring
Many resort beaches open for swimming in March. The rainy season usually runs from about 10 May to 21 June, earlier than on the mainland.
June to August
Summer
Hot, with typhoons most likely from July to September. Box jellyfish appear from June to September, so swim inside the nets at managed beaches. The Zento Eisa Festival fills Okinawa City with drum dancing on the first weekend after Obon.
September to November
Autumn
Typhoons ease through October. The Naha Ōtsunahiki, a tug-of-war on a giant rice-straw rope, fills Route 58 in October, and the Shurijo Castle Revival Festival follows in early November.
December to February
Winter
Mild, at around 20 °C by day. Humpback whales come to the Kerama Islands from about January to March.
| Month | Average high | Rainfall | Usual peak |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 20 °C (68 °F) | 102 mm | Whale season |
| February | 20 °C (68 °F) | 115 mm | Whale season |
| March | 22 °C (71 °F) | 143 mm | Whale season |
| April | 24 °C (76 °F) | 161 mm | |
| May | 27 °C (81 °F) | 245 mm | |
| June | 30 °C (86 °F) | 284 mm | |
| July | 32 °C (89 °F) | 188 mm | |
| August | 32 °C (89 °F) | 240 mm | |
| September | 31 °C (87 °F) | 275 mm | |
| October | 28 °C (83 °F) | 179 mm | |
| November | 25 °C (77 °F) | 119 mm | |
| December | 22 °C (71 °F) | 110 mm |
Pairs well with Okinawa.
Easy to combine, with a direct flight from Naha.
About 2 h 20 by air to Kansai, then 75 min on the Haruka
Kyoto
Temples, moss gardens and lantern-lit lanes.Okinawa and Kyoto →
Questions about Okinawa.
How many nights, and which islands?
Four or five, split between Naha and one smaller island: the Keramas for a short trip, Ishigaki or Miyako for a longer one.
When are the typhoons?
Most often from July to October, with August the busiest month: Okinawa sees about eight a year on average. A typhoon can stop flights and ferries for a day or two, so we leave room around island hops.
Can we swim at Kabira Bay?
No: swimming and snorkelling from the beach aren’t permitted there. We plan your swims at Ishigaki’s other beaches.
Can you book just one thing, like a boat to the Keramas?
Yes. Every service can be booked on its own, from one table for dinner to a boat for a morning. One booking is as welcome as a whole trip.
Book a single service →Plan your Okinawa.
Tell us your dates and what you’d like to see and feel. We’ll send a personal quote, and change anything until it feels right.
A personal reply within one working day, from the specialist who plans your trip.