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Okinawa Shore Excursion: Custom Car Tour, Licensed Guide

By Japan Guide Agency
9.4 out of 10
Exceptional
Free cancellation available
Price is CHF 424 per adult* *Get a lower price by selecting multiple adult tickets
See tickets

Features

  • Free cancellation available
  • 6h
  • Mobile voucher
  • Instant confirmation
  • Selective hotel pickup
  • Multiple languages

Overview

This tour is designed for the travellers who visit Okinawa by cruise ship. We will pick you up at Naha Port or hotels near the port.

Okinawa offers a unique experience of your stay in Japan due to its relatively distant location from the main island of Honshu and the consequential subtropical to tropical climate. Your private guide can fill you in on the details and much more on this full-day tour of Okinawa, the capital city of Naha in particular.

Start your day with a morning pickup at your hotel, let us know what you would like to experience and we will customise a six-hour tour that's best for you!

Note1: Please select 3-4 your must-see spots from a list in the tour information to create your customised itinerary.
Note2: National Government Licensed Guide Interpreter certification is issued by the Japanese government requires a good knowledge and understanding of Japanese culture and history.

Activity location

  • Shuri Castle
    • 2 1
    • 903-0815, Naha, Okinawa, Japan

Meeting/Redemption Point

  • Shuri Castle
    • 2 1
    • 903-0815, Naha, Okinawa, Japan

Check availability

Van (Up to 7 Pax)

  • Activity duration is 6 hours6h
    6h
  • English

Van (Up to 7 Pax)
Pickup included

Price details
CHF 517.23 x 1 AdultCHF 517.23
Total
Price is CHF 517.23
Until Sat, 15 Aug

Minivan (Up to 4 Pax)

  • Activity duration is 6 hours6h
    6h
  • English

Minivan (Up to 4 Pax)
Pickup included

Price details
CHF 475.75 x 1 AdultCHF 475.75
Total
Price is CHF 475.75
Until Sat, 15 Aug

Regular Car (Up to 2 Pax)

  • Activity duration is 6 hours6h
    6h
  • English

Regular Car (Up to 2 Pax)
Pickup included

Price details
CHF 423.51 x 1 AdultCHF 423.51
Total
Price is CHF 423.51
Until Sat, 15 Aug
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What's included, what's not

  • Inclusions
    Private vehicle
  • Inclusions
    Customisable Walking Tour of your choice of 3-4 sites from 'Itinerary' list.
  • Inclusions
    Licensed Local English Speaking Guide
  • Exclusions
    Entrance fees, Lunch, and Other personal expenses
  • Exclusions
    You cannot combine multiple tour groups.
  • Exclusions
    Guide Entry fees are only covered for sights listed under Itinerary

Know before you book

    • Specialised infant seats are available
    • Service animals allowed
    • Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
    • Transport options are wheelchair accessible
    • Wheelchair accessible
    • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
    • Only one reservation per group allowed. You cannot combine multiple reservations into one group.
    • There are only a limited number of car seats and booster seats. Rear-facing car seats are not available. You must contact us directly if you need them.

Activity itinerary

Shuri Castle

  • 30m
  • Admission ticket not included
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The main buildings of Shuri Castle were destroyed by fire in the night of October 31, 2019. The city hopes to rebuild the main building by 2022, the 50th anniversary of Okinawa's reversion to Japan. A city district of Naha today, Shuri is the name of the former capital of the Ryukyu Kingdom. Shuri Castle (首里城, Shurijō) served as the administrative centre and residence of the Ryukyu kings for several centuries until Okinawa became a Japanese prefecture in 1879. The castle is included as one of the UNESCO World Heritage designated Castles of the Ryukyu Kingdom sites. Shuri Castle was originally built in the late 1300s, and played an integral role in the political unification of the island. Wars and fires destroyed the castle multiple times over the centuries, most recently in the Battle of Okinawa in 1945. The current buildings are beautiful reconstructions dating from 1992. The approach to the castle's central buildings leads through multiple gates, including the well known Shureimon Gate. The castle's hilltop location allows for nice views over Naha along the way.

Kokusaidori

  • 30m
Naha’s International Street was known post-WW II as the miracle mile for its almost-instantaneous reconstruction. With rows of souvenirs and restaurants, it is a staple sightseeing spot for visitors to Okinawa. Popular spots to visit include the central Makishi Public Market, dining establishments and the Don Quijote, Japan’s largest discount store. If you’re going for a stroll at night, there are izakaya where you can listen to performances of traditional Okinawa folk music and shamisen players.

Himeyuri Peace Museum

  • 30m
  • Admission ticket not included
Near the end of World War Two, Okinawa Honto became the site of one of the war's bloodiest battles, when the US forces invaded and occupied the island. An estimated 200,000 people, including more than 100,000 civilians and 12,500 Americans were killed in the battle, which lasted from April to June 1945. The devastating effects of the war had a profound impact on the Okinawans, and there are a number of monuments and museums relating to the period throughout Okinawa Honto. The worst fighting of the battle took place in the south, and that is where some of the larger monuments have been constructed.

Peace Memorial Park

  • 30m
Near the end of World War Two, Okinawa Honto became the site of one of the war's bloodiest battles, when the US forces invaded and occupied the island. An estimated 200,000 people, including more than 100,000 civilians and 12,500 Americans were killed in the battle, which lasted from April to June 1945. The devastating effects of the war had a profound impact on the Okinawans, and there are a number of monuments and museums relating to the period throughout Okinawa Honto. The worst fighting of the battle took place in the south, and that is where some of the larger monuments have been constructed.

Sefa Utaki

  • 30m
  • Admission ticket not included
Sefa Utaki (斎場御嶽) is an important sacred site of the indigenous Okinawan religion, which, similar to Shinto, places emphasis on the worship of nature. The site is located on a densely forested hillside along the ocean and features several rock formations, which are connected with each other by walking trails. Sefa Utaki is included as one of Okinawa's World Heritage sites. Although regarded as a powerful spiritual site beforehand, it was in the early 16th century that Sefa Utaki came into prominence. During this period the Okinawan religion underwent reorganization and centralization under the royal government, and Sefa Utaki became one of the main locations for religious ceremonies and rituals. Reflecting the strong connection between the royal family and the religion, the sites for prayers at Sefa Utaki were named after important places in Shuri Castle.

Shikinaen Garden

  • 30m
  • Admission ticket not included
Shikinaen (識名園) was constructed in the end of the 18th century as the second residence of the Ryukyu kings. It features beautiful, relatively simple, wooden palace buildings with Okinawan style, red tile roofs and a spacious Japanese style landscape garden with a central pond. While the garden is designed in a style seen elsewhere in Japan, the architecture and flora give Shikinaen a uniquely Okinawan flavour. Shikinaen was completely destroyed in the Battle of Okinawa of 1945, but has been neatly restored in the postwar years. In 2000, Shikinaen was among the sites added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites under the title Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu.

Nakamura Residence

  • 30m
  • Admission ticket not included
Nakamurake (中村家) is a traditional Okinawan style house, dating from the 18th century, when it served as the residence of the Nakamura family. Nakamurake has been designated a major cultural asset by the Japanese government and is open to the public. Nakamurake displays many typical characteristics of a wealthy Okinawan farmer's residence, such as a red tiled roof with statues of shisa, lion like creatures that ward off evil spirits and are omnipresent in Okinawa, and a stone wall and high trees for protection against the frequent typhoons. It is recommended to combine a visit to Nakamurake with a visit to the nearby Nakagusuku Castle Ruins.

Tamaudun

  • 30m
  • Admission ticket not included
A couple of things to be aware of are that this area is currently undergoing renovations so there is a bit of building work still going on at Shuri-jo and Enkakuji – and that the small museum accompanying the mausoleum is not particularly informative unless you can read Japanese.

Fukushu-en Garden

  • 30m
  • Admission ticket not included
The Ryukyu kingdom was strongly influenced by Chinese culture, and this ornamental garden was built in 1992 to celebrate links between Okinawa and China. Entrance is free, and it provides a picturesque corner to get away from the city. Naha also boasts the larger Shikina-en Royal gardens, and whilst these are also worth a visit, they are somewhat inconveniently located 2.5km from Shuri monorail station. Fukushu-en on the other hand is easily reached on foot from the centre of Naha.

Tsuboya Pottery Museum

  • 30m
A short walk from Naha’s central Kokusai-dori street is the Tsuboya Pottery District, which takes you away from the bustle of the city and into some really lovely, leafy backstreets. The atmosphere here is much more peaceful, and you can stop to have a coffee in a pottery shop or pick up traditional Ryukyu ceramics and (of course) more Okinawan shisa.

Makishi Public Market

  • 30m
Okinawa's kitchen, the Makishi Public Market, is a very famous tourist destination. The Makishi Public Market, established in 1972, is a very busy and popular market known as the kitchen of the people of Naha in Okinawa. There are more than 150 stores that sell Okinawan products like seafood, vegetables, fruits, meat, processed food, condiments, and souvenirs. Many people visit this place, including both locals and tourists, as the market is close to Kokusai Street in the centre of Naha. The 1st floor is mainly for shopping, and Okinawan cuisine can be enjoyed on the 2nd floor.

Former Japanese Navy Underground Headquarters

  • 30m
  • Admission ticket not included
This park is located south-west of Naha City in the Tomigusuku uplands and offers a view on the East China Sea, the southern metropolitan area all the way to Shuri Castle. During the time of the Shuri Dynasty period, it was a place where there was located “Hibanmui”, a beacon fire that would announce the arrival of ships from China and Satsuma. During the last stage of World War II, the Japanese Navy Underground Headquarters was established there, thus it became an extreme battleground site. Today, it has been remodeled as a former battlefield park that sends messages of peace to the world from Okinawa, a place for exchanges and relaxation that is widely appreciated by tourists and citizens alike.

Location

Activity location

  • LOB_ACTIVITIESLOB_ACTIVITIES
    Shuri Castle
    • 2 1
    • 903-0815, Naha, Okinawa, Japan

Meeting/Redemption Point

  • PEOPLEPEOPLE
    Shuri Castle
    • 2 1
    • 903-0815, Naha, Okinawa, Japan

Best Deals on Things to Do

Experience the wonders of the world up close with great deals on things to do near and far. We offer one-of-a-kind activities that allow you to explore Naha your way. Whether you love nature, culture, food or a bit of adventure, we have the perfect activity for you.