Okinawa in 4 days without a car: Naha, Shuri, Churaumi and Kouri
4 days · 13 places · Nights near Makishi 牧志, Churaumi Aquarium, Motobu
This plan covers the main island of Okinawa with no rental car, using the Yui Rail monorail and buses. The first two nights are in Makishi, beside Kokusai-dōri, and both days go out from it and come back: American Village in Chatan and central Naha on day 1, Sefa-utaki, Shikina-en and Shuri on day 2. On day 3 the plan moves north after the Peace Memorial Museum and spends the last night near Churaumi Aquarium, which puts Kouri Island first thing on the final morning, Nakijin Castle around midday and Cape Manzamo on the way back to the airport.
Calculated by Michiplan for a trip starting Wed, Dec 2, 2026, with days from 06:00. Every ride here is estimated from how often its line runs: no open timetable covers these lines. Check the times before you go.
Day 1: American Village, then Kokusai-dōri
Wed, Dec 2, 2026 · 4 places · 3h 24m on the move- Naha Airport (OKA) · leave 06:00
23 minEstimated time: this line publishes no open timetable, so the ride is worked out from how often it runs. Check before you go
- 6 min
- Yui Rail Line · 14 min
- Leave the bags at Makishi 牧志, 06:23–06:33
1h 6mEstimated time: this line publishes no open timetable, so the ride is worked out from how often it runs. Check before you go
- 沖縄バス ・那覇バス 琉球バス交通: 120名護西空港線 · 44 min
- 5 min
- Breakfast near Mihama Town Resort American Village 07:39–08:39
- 1
Stop 1: Mihama Town Resort American Village08:39–10:09 1h 3mEstimated time: this line publishes no open timetable, so the ride is worked out from how often it runs. Check before you go
- (有)カリー観光: 那覇空港発→美ら海水族館 · 45 min
- 2
Stop 2: Kokusai-dōri11:12–12:12 - Lunch near Kokusai-dōri 12:12–13:12
17 min
- 3
Stop 3: Naminoue Shrine13:29–14:09 28 minEstimated time: this line publishes no open timetable, so the ride is worked out from how often it runs. Check before you go
- 5 min
- 那覇バス ・ 琉球バス交通: 2識名開南線 (+1) · 10 min
- 5 min
- 4
Stop 4: Naha Municipal Tsuboya Pottery Museum14:37–15:47 7 min
- Dinner near Makishi 牧志 17:00–18:00
- Hotel near Makishi 牧志 · arrive 15:54
Day 2: Sefa-utaki, Shikina-en and Shuri
Thu, Dec 3 · 4 places · 3h 33m on the move- Hotel near Makishi 牧志 · leave 06:31
1h 25mEstimated time: this line publishes no open timetable, so the ride is worked out from how often it runs. Check before you go
- 12 min
- 東陽バス: 志喜屋線 · 53 min
- 5 min
- 5
Stop 5: Sefa-utaki07:56–08:51 - Breakfast near Sefa-utaki 08:51–09:51
1h 15mEstimated time: this line publishes no open timetable, so the ride is worked out from how often it runs. Check before you go
- 5 min
- 東陽バス: 志喜屋線 · 42 min
- 13 min
- 6
Stop 6: Shikina-en11:06–12:26 - Lunch near Shikina-en 12:26–13:26
20 minEstimated time: this line publishes no open timetable, so the ride is worked out from how often it runs. Check before you go
- 那覇バス ・ 琉球バス交通: 14牧志開南循環線 (+3) · 8 min
- 5 min
- 7
Stop 7: Shuri Castle13:46–16:16 9 min
- 8
Stop 8: Tamaudun16:25–18:05 24 minEstimated time: this line publishes no open timetable, so the ride is worked out from how often it runs. Check before you go
- 6 min
- 那覇バス ・ 琉球バス交通: 346那覇西原線 (+6) · 11 min
- Dinner near Makishi 牧志 18:29–19:29
- Hotel near Makishi 牧志 · arrive 18:29
Day 3: Itoman, then north to Churaumi
Fri, Dec 4 · 2 places · 3h 20m on the move- Hotel near Makishi 牧志 · leave 07:16
- Breakfast near Makishi 牧志 07:16–08:16
39 min, 1 changeEstimated time: this line publishes no open timetable, so the ride is worked out from how often it runs. Check before you go
- Yui Rail Line · 11 min
- Taxi · 28 min
- 9
Stop 9: Okinawa Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum08:58–10:28 45 min, 1 changeEstimated time: this line publishes no open timetable, so the ride is worked out from how often it runs. Check before you go
- Taxi · 28 min
- Yui Rail Line · 11 min
- Collect the bags at Makishi 牧志, 11:13–11:23
- Lunch near Makishi 牧志 11:23–12:23
1h 44m, 1 changeEstimated time: this line publishes no open timetable, so the ride is worked out from how often it runs. Check before you go
- Yui Rail Line · 3 min
- (同)やんばる急行バス: やんばる急行バス空港線 · 1h 25m
- Leave the bags at Churaumi Aquarium, Motobu, 14:10–14:20
6 min
- 10
Stop 10: Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium14:26–18:26 6 min
- Dinner near Churaumi Aquarium, Motobu 18:32–19:32
- Hotel near Churaumi Aquarium, Motobu · arrive 18:32
Day 4: Kouri, Nakijin and Cape Manzamo
Sat, Dec 5 · 3 places · 5h 53m on the move- Hotel near Churaumi Aquarium, Motobu · leave 06:45
55 minEstimated time: this line publishes no open timetable, so the ride is worked out from how often it runs. Check before you go
- (同)やんばる急行バス: やんばる急行バス四島線 · 54 min
- Breakfast near Kouri Island 07:40–08:40
- 11Stop 11: Kouri Island08:40–10:10
51 minEstimated time: this line publishes no open timetable, so the ride is worked out from how often it runs. Check before you go
- (同)やんばる急行バス: やんばる急行バス四島線 · 33 min
- Lunch near Nakijin Castle 11:01–12:01
- 12
Stop 12: Nakijin Castle12:01–14:31 38 minEstimated time: this line publishes no open timetable, so the ride is worked out from how often it runs. Check before you go
- (同)やんばる急行バス: やんばる急行バス四島線 · 21 min
- Collect the bags at Churaumi Aquarium, Motobu, 15:09–15:19
1h 27mEstimated time: this line publishes no open timetable, so the ride is worked out from how often it runs. Check before you go
- 沖縄バス: 空港リムジンバスDE · 57 min
- 14 min
- 13
Stop 13: Cape Manzamo16:46–17:26 2h 2mEstimated time: this line publishes no open timetable, so the ride is worked out from how often it runs. Check before you go
- 14 min
- 北部観光バス: エアポートライナー · 1h 26m
- 7 min
- Naha Airport (OKA) · 19:28
Good to know
- Five stops on this route belong to the World Heritage listing of the Ryukyu Kingdom's gusuku sites: Shuri Castle, Tamaudun, Shikina-en, Sefa-utaki and Nakijin Castle.
- Luggage stays near Makishi for the first two days, is picked up on day 3 before the ride north, then is left near the aquarium and collected again on the way back south, so Cape Manzamo is the only sight you see with your bags.
- Day 4 ends with a bus of about two hours from Cape Manzamo to Naha Airport, arriving in the evening; choose a late flight home.
- The Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum in Itoman is about the Battle of Okinawa. The plan gives it the morning of day 3 on its own, before the long ride north.
Plan your own
It opens with each place on its day, ready to calculate for your own dates or change. Bring the places you want to see. Michiplan puts each on a day and in order around opening hours and train times, and it is free while in beta.
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Photo credits
- 1. Mihama Town Resort American Village: Amoriver Information · CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped
- 2. Kokusai-dōri: 663highland · CC BY 2.5, cropped
- 3. Naminoue Shrine: ChiefHira · CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped
- 4. Naha Municipal Tsuboya Pottery Museum: 663highland · CC BY 2.5, cropped
- 5. Sefa-utaki: Hyppolyte de Saint-Rambert · CC BY 4.0, cropped
- 6. Shikina-en: 663highland · CC BY 2.5, cropped
- 7. Shuri Castle: 663highland · CC BY 2.5, cropped
- 8. Tamaudun: 663highland · CC BY 2.5, cropped
- 9. Okinawa Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum: Syohei Arai · CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped
- 10. Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium: sinnosuke uchida · CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped
- 12. Nakijin Castle: 沖縄発!役に立たない写真集 · Public domain, cropped
- 13. Cape Manzamo: CEphoto, Uwe Aranas · CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped