You can enjoy Okinawa without renting a car. Recommended itinerary for a 2-day, 1-night weekend trip to Okinawa

Ai Nishimura

Administrator of the blog "My Diary," which began in 2004. A writer who has traveled to all 47 prefectures and loves local culture and history.
Author of Shimane's "Geography, Place Names, and Maps" Mysteries (Jitsugyo no Nihonsha), My Town is the "Number One in Japan" Dictionary (PHP Institute), and Prefectures Explained in Neko Neko Japanese History (Jitsugyo no Nihonsha). Official blogger for Suntory Gourmet Guide, official top user for Retty, and official platinum blogger for Excite.

A two-day, one-night trip to Okinawa

This trip to Okinawa took advantage of the Yui Rail and buses.

If you are traveling to Okinawa without renting a car, you can use the Yui Rail (Okinawa Urban Monorail Line) and various buses as your means of transportation. First, let's introduce each means of transportation and how to use them to your advantage.

Yui Rail (Okinawa Urban Monorail Line)

The Okinawa Urban Monorail Line "Yui Rail" that runs through the main island, mainly in Naha City, is a public transportation system used by many tourists and locals alike. Instead of inserting a ticket into the ticket gate, you enter by holding up the QR code on your ticket.

If you plan to use the Yui Rail to go sightseeing around Naha city, the free pass is a good deal. A one-day pass is 800 yen for adults and 400 yen for children, and a two-day pass is 1,400 yen for adults and 700 yen for children, and is valid for 24 or 48 hours from the time it is issued at the counter. Group free passes can also be purchased for groups of 15 or more.

bus

Various buses are also convenient for sightseeing on the main island of Okinawa. Okinawa has a very comprehensive bus system. There are four main types of buses you can use: "limousine buses" that go directly from the airport to the hotel, "shuttle buses" that go from the airport to tourist spots, "sightseeing buses" that go around popular tourist spots, and "routed buses" that cover almost the entire mainland.

When traveling by bus, it's important to choose a route that will give you the smoothest route to your destination. Some buses offer discount plans, so we recommend checking in advance.

[Limousine bus (Okinawa bus)]

【Shuttle bus】

[Regular sightseeing bus]

【scheduled bus】

For those who want to travel by local buses, the Okinawa Local Bus Tour Pass is a good deal. This tour pass allows unlimited use of all routes of Ryukyu Bus, Okinawa Bus, Naha Bus, and Toyo Bus (excluding routes 111 and 117, which use the expressway), except for limousine buses and regular sightseeing buses, and the fare for a one-day pass is 1,500 yen for adults and 1,200 yen for children. There is also a tour pass that allows unlimited use of both Okinawa local buses and Yui Rail, and it is available for 3,000 yen for adults and 1,500 yen for children.
*3-day passes available for both.

The Okinawa Route Bus Sightseeing Pass can be purchased at the Tourist Information Center at the airport, Naha Bus Terminal, and the Naha City Tourist Information Center on Kokusai Street.

Other means of transportation

There are many bicycle rental shops in Okinawa, and some shops have a wide variety of bicycles, including not only regular bicycles, but also cross bikes, road bikes, and electric bikes for long distances. Each shop has different fees and return methods, so one way to enjoy the area is to explore by bicycle while considering the distance you can travel by yourself.

The second day was also enjoyable from the morning. I would like to suggest a course to stretch your legs a little, "Valley of Gangara". Take a local bus to the direction of Nanjo City.

The weather turned bad from the morning on this day. In winter in Okinawa, the wind is strong and it gets cold all at once when it rains. There are many seas along the walking course, so I was a little worried but I started.

7:30 Breakfast at Miso Meshiya Marutama.

We left the hotel early to have breakfast.
I had breakfast at Marutama, a miso specialty store, where everything was made with miso. Okinawan food is served in large portions, but it was so delicious that I ended up eating it all.

Route bus: "Prefectural Office South Exit" → "Gyokusendo-mae" Approx. 40 minutes

9:00 Walk through the ancient forest and valley "Valley of Gangara"

You can only visit the Valley of Gangara on a guided tour with a set departure time and limited number of participants. Advance reservations are required. Starting from the Cave Cafe inside the natural limestone cave, you will walk with your guide for about 1 hour and 20 minutes through the forest that was created when the limestone cave collapsed into a valley.
This is also a place where excavations are being carried out to search for traces of ancient people, and research is still ongoing. Paleolithic human bones have been found, and evidence that people have been living here since ancient times has been discovered.
You can see banyan trees that are larger than you'd imagine, as well as insects and plants that can't be found on Honshu, giving you a little taste of adventure.

*You can enter the store even if you are not participating in the Gangara Falls tour.

Odekake Nanji (bus) Approx. 15 minutes

11:00 "Okujima" Visit the popular local Oshiro Tempura restaurant

The rain got stronger and I felt like my plans for the day were going to change drastically... But first, I went to Ojima Island in Nanjo City. I had been told that it was a very nice place with a laid-back atmosphere.
It's certainly relaxing. There are no people, it's quiet, the sea is beautiful, and there are lots of cats.
As I walked deeper into the island, a woman who was returning from an errand spoke to me and offered to show me around! My destination was the Oshiro Tempura Shop. In fact, this woman was the one who prepared the tempura at the Oshiro Tempura Shop.
While we were enjoying the crispy tempura, a downpour started and we couldn't move, so we gave up on the next spot and headed back to the center of Naha.
Nanjo City has a lot to offer, including Mibaru Beach, the world heritage site Seifa Utaki, and the spectacular view from Niraikanai Bridge. I would definitely like to return someday.

Odekake Nanji (bus) 30 minutes

12:00 The deeper you go, the deeper it gets! Stroll through Makishi Public Market

Okinawa is an area that gets a lot of rain. On days when the weather is bad, you can enjoy a stroll around the markets in Naha's arcade streets!

It's been a while since I've been to Okinawa. Kokusai Street has completely become urbanized.
However, if you go down a little side street, you can find even more wonderful, deep Naha, where you can immerse yourself in the slow pace of everyday life.
Some markets have become tourist attractions, but the further you go the stronger the local feel becomes. There are foods and ingredients you've never seen before, and you can buy traditional sweets and side dishes that you've always wanted to try.
There are several covered shopping streets lined up in a row, so you can enjoy yourself regardless of the weather!
Recently, the "Senbero" boom has arrived. There are various styles of bars, such as standing bars, and you can see people enjoying themselves with friends over drinks and snacks for 1,000 yen everywhere.

※About the relocation of the public market
The temporary market will open on July 1, 2019 and close on March 31, 2022.
https://kosetsu-ichiba.com/

Route bus: Sakaemachi Market Shopping Arcade → Yogi Crossroads, approx. 10 minutes

13:00 Experience making chinsuko at the Sakaemachi Market cooking class

Before arriving in Okinawa, I made a reservation for a cooking class. Recently, I have been attending more cooking classes during my travels to learn about the cuisine of the city or country I'm visiting.
It's fun to learn by eating, but I think you can also get a sense of the individuality of a town by making it.
So this time, I visited Yonner Food and made the traditional Okinawan sweet "Chinsuko". Chinsuko was originally a royal sweet that was only eaten by royalty and aristocrats. Now it has become a standard Okinawa souvenir.
This is easy and super tasty! Check out the slideshow to see how to make it.

14:30 Late lunch at Tonganashi. Enjoy Okinawa's local food.

After the cooking experience at Yonna Food, we headed back towards the market and had lunch. We had elegant Okinawa soba and juicy noodles at the recently opened "Tutuganashi."

You can choose from Sanmainiku soba and Soki soba, which can be eaten without making a reservation, and each can be made into a set meal. Soba kaiseki must be reserved at least one day in advance. The set includes salad and juicy (cooked rice).
The thin noodles contain germ. The soup was exquisite.

To Naha Airport

And so our trip to Okinawa came to an end.
It was a trip that brought back fond memories of the town of Okinawa I visited a dozen years ago. However, I also encountered and discovered new areas on this trip.
If you choose the last flight, you can enjoy both days to the fullest.
Thank you Okinawa! It was fun.

Originally posted: February 28, 2018