Summary
- Start
Nippon Rent a Car Naha Airport branch - Finish
Nippon Rent a Car Naha Airport branch - Mileage
Total 300km
100km per day - Travel Pace
Normal - Onsen Stay
Max.0
The driving distance is normal, about 100 km per day. However, there are many tourists attractions and you may need to hurry your trip depending on your flight.
There are many beach resort hotels in Onna (nights 1) and Motobu (nights 2). But if you would like to have plenty of time to enjoy the beach and marine activities, it is recommended to consider 5days or longer itineraries.
Naha – Onna
Start: Naha(那覇)
Finish: Onna(恩納)
Mileage:100km
Travel Pace: Normal
You will drive from Naha to Onna via Shurijo Castle and Kaichu Road on this day.
The driving distance is short, less than 100 km, but there are many attractions. Choose sightseeing spots depending on your arrival time in Naha.
1
Nippon Rent a Car Naha Airport branch
Parking MAPCODE:
232 543 195*47What is MAPCODE?
12:00
A free shuttle bus will take you from Naha Airport to the car rental agency. The itinerary here is based on the assumption that you can leave the rental car store at 12:00 pm.
25min
2
Shurijo Castle
Parking MAPCODE:
33 161 633What is MAPCODE?
12:30
The first destination is the symbol of Okinawa, Shuri Castle. The main hall was destroyed by fire in 2019, but the Syureimon Gate and other remains can still be enjoyed as before.
An unknown royal tomb called Tamadung is located across from the main gate of Shurijo Castle and can be reached in 2min on foot.
After that, take the expressway (E58) to the north.
60min
3
Kaichu Road(Roadside Station Ayahashi)
Parking MAPCODE:
499 575 319What is MAPCODE?
14:30
“Kaichu Road” means road on the sea. As the name implies, the road runs over the sea and you can drive comfortably while feeling the sea breeze.
Let’s cross the sea and have lunch at Miyagi Island or Hamahika Island.
20min
4
Katsurenjo Castle Ruin
Parking MAPCODE:
499 570 238*84What is MAPCODE?
After returning to the main island, you will soon reach the World Heritage Site of Katsurenjo Castle Ruin. The stairs are tough, but the view after the climb is spectacular.
15min
5
Uruma Gelato
Parking MAPCODE:
499 602 154What is MAPCODE?
The famous gelato right next to the ruins of Katsuren Castle ruin is a great place to take a break.
50min
6
Cape Zampa
Parking MAPCODE:
1 005 685 148What is MAPCODE?
The day ends with a visit to Cape Zampa. Enjoy watching the sunset over the ocean.
20min
7
Inn in Onna
The driving map will show additional 10-20 spots for the day! You will travel only to your favorite spots.
Check pin color and MAPCODE usage.
Onna is located in the middle of the main island of Okinawa, and there are many resort hotels along the beautiful beaches.
- Inn type
Most of the inns are 3 to 5-star beach resort hotels. - Parking
Most inns offer free parking. - Meal Plan for reservation
There are many restaurants in and around the hotel for dinner, so please make reservations according to your preference.
Onna – Motobu🔒
Start: Onna(恩納)
Finish: Motobu(本部)
Mileage:70km
Travel Pace: Relaxing
On this day, we will drive along the coast from Onna to Motobu Peninsula where the famous “Churaumi Aquarium” is located. The distance is only about 70 km and you can drive at a relaxing pace.
1
Inn in Onna
Parking MAPCODE:
🔒Book rental car or hotelWhat is MAPCODE?
10:00
The driving distance is very short, about 50 km, so you can travel at a relaxing pace. If you stay at a beach resort, it is also recommended to do marine activities at the accommodation in the morning and depart in the afternoon.
30min
2
Bios Hill
Parking MAPCODE:
🔒Book rental car or hotelWhat is MAPCODE?
10:30
The first recommendation is “Bios Hill”. Visitors can enjoy various activities such as buffalo carts and jungle cruises while feeling the charm of Okinawa differently from the beaches.
10min
3
Seaside Drive-in
Parking MAPCODE:
🔒Book rental car or hotelWhat is MAPCODE?
11:30
Heading north along the seaside road, you will arrive at “Seaside Drive-in”, a historic drive-in established in 1967. It has a nice retro atmosphere and is ideal for a rest.
15min
4
Cape Manzamo
Parking MAPCODE:
🔒Book rental car or hotelWhat is MAPCODE?
12:30
Further north, you will arrive at one of the highlights of the day, Cape Manzamo.
It is a beautiful cape famous for its resemblance to an elephant’s nose.
15min
5
Busena Marine Park
Parking MAPCODE:
🔒Book rental car or hotelWhat is MAPCODE?
13:15
After driving 13 km from Cape Manzamo, you will reach Busena Marine Park. Visitors can enjoy playing on the white beach, and at the end of the cape, there is an underwater observatory and a glass boat, so even those who cannot go into the ocean can see beautiful coral and fish.
40min
6
Kouri Bridge & Ocean Tower
Parking MAPCODE:
🔒Book rental car or hotelWhat is MAPCODE?
15:00
The last spot of the day and one of the biggest highlights in Okinawa, you will drive over the Kouri Ohashi Bridge to the Kouri Ocean Tower on Kouri Island. The drive on the bridge over the blue ocean is like flying over the sea.
It is recommended to go via “Roadside Station Haneji” and you can drive on a more scenic road. Please refer to the Driving Map.
30min
7
Inn in Motobu
The driving map will show additional 10-20 sightseeing spots and local restaurants for the day!
You can travel freely, choosing only the spots you like!
Check pin color and MAPCODE usage.
On this day, you will stay Motobu Peninsula area. There are hundreds of inns. It is very convenient for next day sightseeing if you stay near Churaumi aquarium.
- Inn Type
There are a variety of inns like 2-star guest houses to 5-star beach resort hotels. Please book at your preferred type of inn. - Parking
Some inns have official parking but in addition to the accommodation fee, the parking lot fee will be charged separately. - Onsen
There is no Onsen in this town and no inns have Onsens. - Meal Plan Reservations
As many restaurants are open till midnight, it is recommended to book your inns with breakfast only or without meals.
Motobu – Naha🔒
Start:Motobu(本部)
Finish:Naha(那覇)
Mileage:100km
Travel Pace: Normal
On this day, we will finally enjoy Churaumi Aquarium before returning to Naha. The driving distance is short, approximately 100 km.
1
Inn in Motobu
Parking MAPCODE:
🔒Book rental car or hotelWhat is MAPCODE?
9:00
It is fine to depart late, but if you want to avoid the crowds and enjoy the Bise Fukugi Tree Road and Churaumi Aquarium, it is recommended to wake up early and go. The Churaumi Aquarium opens at 8:30 a.m.
15min
2
Bise Fukugi Tree Road
Parking MAPCODE:
🔒Book rental car or hotelWhat is MAPCODE?
9:15
The first stop on this day should be the “Bise Fukugi tree road” (a row of fukugi trees).
You can stroll through the green tunnel of Fukugi trees that line a 1km stretch of the village where traditional houses stand side by side.
It takes about 30 minutes to walk or about an hour at a relaxing pace. It is recommended to visit before going to Churaumi Aquarium because it is less crowded and easy to park in the free parking lot.
5min
3
Churaumi Aquarium
Parking MAPCODE:
🔒Book rental car or hotelWhat is MAPCODE?
10:15
After that, it is time for one of the biggest highlights of Okinawa, the Churaumi Aquarium!
The Aquarium is actually a facility within a national park called Ocean Expo Park. In addition to the aquarium, the park has a number of other facilities, including the Oki-chan Theater, where dolphin shows are held, the Manatee Pavilion, and the Dolphin Lagoon.
It starts to get crowded around 10:00 a.m, so it is recommended to enter the park as soon as it opens, if possible.
It takes about one and a half hours for a quick look around for adults and about three hours if you want to see the surrounding facilities and shows.
For lunch, we recommend having lunch in Ocean Park at a yakiniku restaurant or Okinawan soba restaurant in Motobu. Please refer driving map.
After enjoying lunch, let’s move on to Naha at once. It is a one-and-a-half-hour drive on the E58 expressway.
1hour 20min
4
Minatogawa Stateside Town
Parking MAPCODE:
🔒Book rental car or hotelWhat is MAPCODE?
16:00
After getting off the highway, stop by Minatogawa Stateside Town, located just before Naha. There are many cute stores renovated from buildings that were originally housing foreigners who worked at the U.S. military base.
20min
5
Inn in Naha
Parking MAPCODE:
🔒Book rental car or hotelWhat is MAPCODE?
17:30
Once you arrive in Naha city, the last thing to do is to enjoy a stroll along Kokusai-dori Street and Makishi Market.
Kokusai street is very congested and one-way traffic at certain times of the day makes it inconvenient to travel by car. We strongly recommend that you book a hotel as close to Kokusai street as possible and walk to Kokusai street.
The driving map will show additional 10-20 sightseeing spots and local restaurants for the day!
You can travel freely, choosing only the spots you like!
Check pin color and MAPCODE usage.
Naha city is the capital of Okinawa. The “Kokusai-Dori street(国際通り)” is the main street of Naha city and is convenient for shopping and eating. due to traffic jams, it is convenient to travel on food and highly recommended to stay near the street.
- Inn Type
Most of these inns are 3 to 4-star western-style hotels. - Parking
Most inns don’t have their own parking and you will be asked to park in a nearby public paid parking lot. - Onsen
There is no Onsen in this town and no inns have Onsens. - Meal Plan Reservations
As many restaurants are open till midnight, it is recommended to book your inns with breakfast only or without meals.
There are few restaurants in this area and be sure to make a reservation with a plan that includes dinner and breakfast.
There are many restaurants in and around the hotel for dinner, so please make reservations according to your preference.
There are many restaurants for dinner. Additionally, it is also a good idea to have breakfast at “XXXX”. Therefore, it is fine to book a plan with breakfast only or without meals.
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What’s Inside:
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Sample Day-by-day Driving Map(Tokyo – Hakone)
- Scenic Routes:
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Spend your time only on your preferred tourist spots and dining venues. - Safety First:
Routes are optimized for appropriate driving distances, avoiding risky roads for a secure road trip. - Find Hidden Gems:
Discover spots Google misses or public transport can’t reach.- Example: Ukiha Inari Shrine
This photogenic shrine is located along the route from Fukuoka to Yufuin, and within 20 minutes you can have the wonderful scenery all to yourself. Few Japanese, let alone foreigners, know about it, and its inconvenient location makes it difficult to visit except by car.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/9ENmDp69E6V7V3B49
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Sample Restaurant List(Asahikawa)
- Local Cuisine:
Taste regional specialties and must-try dishes at our handpicked spots. We do not accept advertising fees from restaurants. Our selected restaurants are chosen solely based on their appeal and our firsthand experience. - Convenience:
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Provides things you should know about dinner in the town you’re staying in, such as “towns with few restaurants” and “towns with very fast last orders by ordinance.”
Car Booking
Rental Car Booking
Please rent a car with below “Rentalcars.com” link.
- The abundant number of rental cars
- Price comparisons with several major car rental companies
- Free cancellation
Pick-up & Drop-off Location Guide
There are 6 places for pick-up and return cars in Kansai area.
- Airport
There are 2 main airports. The domestic Airport “Itami” is close to Osaka and Kansai Airport is 50km away.- Kansai Airport
50km to the center of Osaka.
45 minutes from Osaka station by train, and 50 minutes by car. - Itami Airport
15km to the center of Osaka.
30 minutes from Osaka station by train, and 20 minutes by car. Please note that the official name of Itami Airport is “Itami International Airport”, but it is for domestic flights only.
- Kansai Airport
- Main stations in Osaka
There are 3 recommended stations for Pick-up and Drop-off. Due to the complexity of the road and heavy traffic, we recommend Shin-Osaka for those who are concerned.- Shin Osaka Station
Recommended for travelers who will take Shinkansen. Only 5min to Osaka station. Easy to pick-up and drop-off. - Shinjuku Station
Sometimes called Umeda Station or Osaka-Umeda Station, but consider them all to be the same station.
Conveniently located 15 minutes to USJ without transfers. - Namba Station
Convenient for Minami downtown area includes Dotonbori, Kuromon Market, Glico Man and many department stores.
- Shin Osaka Station
- Kyoto station
- You also can Pick-up or Drop-off cars in Kyoto. Most car rental shops are located southern side of Kyoto Station.
Important reminder for renting a car
- GPS(Car Navigation System)
MAPCODE from Drive Japan navigates you precisely to the parking lot. GPS from major car rental companies(Nippon, ORIX, Nissan, Times) are always MAPCODE compatible. However, if you are renting a car from another company, we recommend that you check with the rental company after making a reservation, just to be sure. - One-way Rental
You can rent at Airport and return to Osaka or Kyoto, and vice versa. Usually, the one-way charge is about JPY5,000-9,000. - Child Seat
In Japan, the use of a child safety seat or baby seat is mandatory for children under 5 years old.
Be sure to request one from “Extras”. - Snow Tire
Kansai rarely gets much snow, even in winter, and snow tires are not necessary.