One Week in Okinawa: 7-Day Itinerary for Beaches, Culture & Hidden Gems

tgandco2
Dec 26, 2025
7 min read

Updated: Dec 28, 2025

**We never got tired of looking at the beautiful water in Okinawa**

As you may know by now, this is a post in a series about our 7-week adventure in India and Japan. Given this would be our third trip to Japan, we wanted to explore areas we hadn't visited before. Okinawa had always been on my list, and with 5 weeks in Japan, we easily fit it into our itinerary.

Like all my travel posts, at the end of this article, you'll find links to related blog posts (other destinations from this trip), plus accommodations, restaurants, and sights to consider for your own planning.

Okinawa is Japan's southernmost prefecture, famous for its subtropical climate, beautiful coral reefs, unique Ryukyuan culture (distinct from mainland Japan), and significant World War II history. It comprises many islands, with Okinawa Island the largest—home to the capital Naha, beaches, Churaumi Aquarium, and Shuri Castle. The region also boasts long lifespans (a Blue Zone) thanks to its healthy diet (tofu, local vegetables) and active lifestyle.

We thought Okinawa would be the most relaxing part of our 7-week itinerary—a chance to rest after the Kumano Kodo hike and before returning to big cities like Osaka and Tokyo. It's the most "Americanized" part of Japan we've visited, with more residents speaking good English than anywhere else here. This stems from long-term U.S. military bases, established after the 1945 Battle of Okinawa; bases like Kadena Air Base remain key assets, hosting about 70% of U.S. forces in Japan even after reversion to Japanese control in 1972. Okinawa also feels like Hawaii—Teresa's brother lives in Honolulu, and we've visited many times. It's a beautiful vacation spot, with options from beach lounging to hiking and snorkelling. Here's how we spent our week.

Day 1: Getting started in Naha

First, you need to fly to Okinawa. Naha, the capital on the main island, has the easiest connections from major cities. After the Kumano Kodo, we travelled by train to Osaka and stayed one night at the APA Hotel & Resort—a great hotel; see my list below.

After our Naha flight, we picked up the rental car and headed to Shuri Castle, stopping for lunch at Shuri Soba. Google Maps couldn't pinpoint it, but the search was worth it—the meal was delicious. Shuri Castle (Shurijo) is a historic Ryukyuan gusuku (castle/fortress) and UNESCO World Heritage Site that served as the Ryukyu Kingdom's royal palace for about 450 years. It blends Japanese and Chinese architectural influences and symbolizes Okinawa's unique history. It's burned and been rebuilt multiple times, most recently after 2019; reconstruction finishes in fall 2026, so it was under construction during our visit. This actually enhanced things—we saw finished areas plus the restoration process. When in Japan, you visit plenty of castles and shrines; this was a good one.

**Shuri Castle was our first stop after arriving in Okinawa**

**The renovation is almost finished, so we saw most of the castle, but also got to see how they are completing the renovations.**

We checked into the Estinate Hotel Naha—a fun, lively spot with friendly staff and free happy-hour beer—then hit Naha Kokusai Dori Shopping Street. This huge, vibrant district offers everything from Okinawan foods and cheesy souvenirs to high-end clothes and jewelry. Teresa and I returned a few times. A must-visit (great in Hawaii, amazing in Japan) is Don Quijote—a combo grocery, department, and souvenir store. Multi-level (up to 10 floors) and packed, it stocks unique Japanese snacks like matcha and cherry blossom Kit Kats, plus clothes, suitcases, appliances, and beer. Even if you buy nothing (hard to do), it's a hilarious experience.

Dinner was at Masara Izakaya. An izakaya is a casual Japanese pub serving drinks (beer, sake, shochu) and small shareable dishes like Spanish tapas, but with Japanese flavours. No English menu or staff fluency meant it was an adventure—we struggled with Google Translate but loved the delicious food. A great first day.

Day 2: North Island

Some blogs recommend staying north to explore it, but with one day, we drove. We left at 7 a.m. for breakfast at Flap Coffee and Bake Shop in Nago (an hour away)—amazing coffee and food. We drove to Cape Hedo, the northernmost point where Pacific and East China Sea waves crash on cliffs; Yoron Island is visible on clear days. No major hiking, but the walks offered stunning photos. Hiji Falls was closed from rains, but we found nearby trails. Next, Kouri Island—with beautiful beaches, plus our first Blue Seal Ice Cream (mmmm). One more hike, then Cape Manzamo for the island's best sunset—it delivered. No doubt about Hawaii vibes: dinner at Hale'aina HOA, a delicious Hawaiian spot. It was a fun day.

Day 3: East/Central Islands

We drove around connected east-central islands, starting at Hamahiga Beach—a beautiful opener. Kafu Banta (Nuchima-su Salt Factory) was fascinating, with a cool gift shop and stunning viewpoint. We would have thought a salt factory would be so interesting? We toured Miyagi and Ikei Islands, awed by the blue waters and beaches.

**The smaller islands are also beautiful**

Day 4: Ishigaki Island

We flew for one hour to Ishigaki Island—too far for bridges or ferries. Best hotel in Japan: The Third Ishigakima, modern and near the ferry terminal/downtown. Lunch at Doug's Burger—mmmm, perfect start.

Our prebooked mangrove kayak tour with Ishigaki Adventure PiPi failed: no age-over-65 warning on their site or during booking/payment. After confirmation emails, they cancelled us—pure ageism. We've kayaked worldwide since 65 without issues. We visited the mangrove area, and considering how shallow the stream was, it was ridiculous that they booted us off this tour. Very annoying, made worse by the fact that I had to follow up multiple times to get our refund. Free time led to Ryukyu Pearl—unique black pearls grown here, made into exquisite jewelry. We bought a natural black pearl necklace with freshwater pearls for our daughter's 30th birthday last week—a perfect gift.

Ishigaki Days: Snorkeling and More

First up, Blue Cave Snorkelling—this was much more demanding than kayaking would have been, but no issues with us joining the tour. As good as our snorkelling the Great Barrier Reef trips: vibrant reefs, huge sea turtles up close. Great guide, small group of four. After lunch, we hiked Kabira Terrace for stunning Kabira Bay views.

Last Ishigaki day: ferry to Taketomi Island, 7 km west in Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park amid Sekisei Lagoon corals. No cars—you can rent bikes or walk (we walked). The preserved Ryukyu village with coral walls, hibiscus, red-tile roofs, and shisa lions is a great way to get a sense of how life was in Japan. Amazing day, great Okinawa addition.

Before our 9:50 a.m. flight, we headed to Tofu Higa for breakfast—hyped, lines start before 6 a.m. We arrived at 6:30 to find a huge line-up. However, the line moved quickly, and they took your order at the front of the line. Amazing food with eating instructions. Made our flight.

Back on the main island, we skipped renting a car because of their inflexible return options (we had an early morning flight), so we took an Uber to the hotel and explored Naha on foot. Adding Okinawa to our itinerary was a great move!

Questions? Email thethirdperiod.ca@gmail.com.

Here are links to other posts from our 7-week India/Japan adventure.

Japan 2020

India and Japan - 2025

Here are the services we used in Okinawa:

Accommodations

Estinate Hotel - 4 stars - Great location, friendly, fun staff, free happy-hour beer, taco rice (Okinawan specialty). Parking a block away needs daily renewal (minor hassle).

The Third Ishigakima - 4 stars - Beautiful rooms, great spot. Pricey/limited breakfast (walk to others).

APA Hotel & Resort - 4 stars - Not Okinawa, but perfect Osaka layover: auto check-in, security-coded laundry, onsen. Small rooms are not ideal for extended stays.

Rental Car

Europcar - 1 star - This was the only option I could find for our dates. The off-site check-in was a mess, and to our surpris,e there was no early morning drop-off. We arrived at 7:30 to find the office closed with no key drop-off. The one employee I found yelled at us and then reluctantly processed our return. We had to find our own way to the airport terminal.

Restaurants

Shuri Soba - 3 stars - Limited menu, great service/noodles. Quick lunch.

Izakaya Masara - 4 stars - Fun pub, small plates to share. Smoking allowed (we moved); no English—use Translate, but food's worth it.

Flap Coffee and Bake Shop - 4 stars - Excellent north breakfast.

Blue Seal Ice Cream - 4 stars - Everywhere, always good.

Hale'aina HOA - 4 stars - Hawaiian treats—mmm!

Doug's Burger - 4 stars - Delicious burgers/fries.

Tofu Higa - 5 stars - Authentic; line up early!

Other Stuff

Shuri Castle - 3 stars - Good Japan castle (prefer Osaka Castle).

Naha Kokusai Dori - 5 stars - Crowds, excitement, variety—even non-shoppers enjoy.

Don Quijote - 5 stars - Need one in Toronto! Souvenirs galore.

Cape Hedo - 5 stars - Spectacular north drive.

Kouri Island - 4 stars - Beautiful beaches/clear water.

Hamahiga Beach - 3 stars - Peaceful morning spot

Kafu Banta (salt factory) - 4 stars - Fun salt factory, beautiful viewpoint, quirky gifts.

Ishigaki Island - 5 stars - Lots to do, Taketomi ferry hub.

Ishigaki Adventure PiPi - 0 stars - Ageist; hid restrictions, slow refund. Avoid.

Ryukyu Pearl - 5 stars - Unique black pearls; museum/shop fun

Blue Cave Snorkelling - 5 stars - Great reefs, turtles, small group

Kabira Terrace - Great hike!

Taketomi Island - Car-free traditional charm.