What to do

• Walk through the free outer zone to see Shureimon Gate, Kankaimon Gate, and the stone walls, which survived the 2019 fire.
• Visit the Reconstruction Exhibition Room to see recovered roof tiles and learn how the main hall is being rebuilt.
• Use the viewing deck to look at the main hall reconstruction work in progress rather than a finished building.
• Climb to the highest terraces for open views over Naha city and the coast.

Tickets and fees

Checked in July 2026: the free outer zone covers most of the historic gates and walls, while the paid inner zone costs around yen 400 for adults, with a discount if you show a Yui Rail ticket. The main hall remains under reconstruction, with a targeted public reopening around November 2026, so what you can actually see and photograph varies. Confirm current opening areas and any timed-entry rules on the official Shurijo Castle Park site before your visit.

Getting there

Take the Yui Rail monorail to Shuri Station, then walk about 15 to 20 minutes uphill, or take a connecting bus from the station. From Naha Airport it is roughly 40 minutes by monorail plus the walk, or about 30 to 40 minutes by taxi or car depending on traffic.

Nearby

Within Naha, pair Shurijo Castle with Kokusai-dori shopping street and the Tsuboya pottery district on the same day. If your Okinawa itinerary also covers the outer islands, both Ishigaki Island and Miyako Island are a separate one-hour flight from Naha, not a same-day side trip.

What to do

• See the Kuroshio Sea tank for whale sharks and manta rays, then time your route for the posted feeding programs: manta rays at 9:30 a.m. and whale sharks at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., subject to animal condition.
• Continue through the naturally lit Coral Sea and the Deep Sea displays rather than treating the main tank as the whole visit.
• Use the aquarium as one part of Ocean Expo Park, leaving time for the outdoor areas only after checking weather and park transport.
• If mobility is a concern, use the wheelchair-accessible aquarium floors and ask about the patrol-car support from parking; free wheelchairs are limited and first come, first served.

Tickets and fees

Checked on August 29, 2026: general admission is JPY 2,180 for adults, JPY 1,440 for high-school students and JPY 710 for elementary and junior-high students; children under 6 enter free. The official homepage currently shows summer hours of 8:30 a.m.-9 p.m. with last admission at 8 p.m. This is seasonal, so use the live calendar for your own date rather than relying on an after-4 p.m. ticket or a fixed closing time.

Getting there

There is no rail route to Motobu. From Naha Airport, allow about two hours by car via the Okinawa Expressway or roughly three hours by express bus, with traffic affecting both. Ocean Expo Park parking is free; P7 North Gate parking is the closest to the aquarium. The bus stop is about a 10-minute walk away, and some services require reservations, so confirm the operator timetable before you travel.

Nearby

Combine the aquarium with the rest of Ocean Expo Park and the Motobu coastline for a full day trip from Naha. If you have time for Naha itself, Shurijo Castle is a separate, roughly 90-minute drive back south.

What to do

• Take a glass-bottom boat tour at Kabira Bay, since swimming in the bay itself is prohibited to protect the coral and current.
• Snorkel or dive the surrounding reefs, which are among the most developed coral reef systems in Japan.
• Take the short ferry from Ishigaki port to Taketomi Island for a half-day or full-day trip.
• Rent a car to explore Yonehara Beach, the Blue Cave, and the island's northern coastline at your own pace.

Tickets and fees

Checked in July 2026: there is no entrance fee for Ishigaki Island itself. Budget separately for the Kabira Bay glass-bottom boat, typically around yen 1,000 to 1,500 per adult, plus any snorkeling, diving, or boat tours you book. Ishigaki has no regular passenger ferry from mainland Japan or from Okinawa's main island, so confirm flight schedules and prices in advance rather than assuming a boat option exists.

Getting there

Fly into New Ishigaki Airport, roughly 1 hour from Naha and 3 to 3.5 hours direct from Tokyo, Osaka, or Nagoya on some airlines. From the airport, buses run to central Ishigaki city (about 40 minutes) and on to Kabira Bay (about 50 minutes); taxis are faster but cost more.

Nearby

Ishigaki works well paired with a Taketomi Island day trip by short ferry, or Iriomote Island for jungle and mangrove tours. It sits far from Okinawa's main island, so combining it with Shurijo Castle or Churaumi Aquarium means budgeting a separate roughly one-hour flight to and from Naha, not a same-trip add-on.

What to do

• Spend time at Yonaha Maehama Beach, a roughly 7km stretch of white sand that regularly ranks among Japan's best beaches.
• Drive across Irabu Ohashi, one of Japan's longest toll-free bridges, to Irabu and Shimoji islands.
• Visit Sunayama Beach, reached through a small tunnel of trees and a natural rock arch.
• Snorkel from shore at Aragusuku Beach, where sea turtle sightings are common.

Tickets and fees

Checked in July 2026: Miyako's beaches themselves are free to enter, with paid parking (roughly yen 500 per day) at some of the more developed beach lots and free showers and changing rooms typically included. There is no ferry to Miyako, so flights are the only way in; confirm current schedules and fares before booking, since seat availability tightens in peak season.

Getting there

Fly into Miyako Airport, about 45 to 55 minutes from Naha on ANA, JAL, Peach, or Skymark, or direct from Tokyo Haneda, Osaka Kansai, or Nagoya on some routes. A rental car is close to essential, since public buses are infrequent and do not reach most beaches; an international driving permit is required for foreign licenses.

Nearby

Miyako pairs naturally with a full loop of Irabu, Shimoji, and Ikema islands by rental car in a single day. It is a separate outer island from Okinawa's main island, so treat Shurijo Castle and Churaumi Aquarium as a different leg of the trip that needs its own roughly 45-minute to one-hour flight to or from Naha.