3 Nights Okinawa Itinerary

Here's our draft itinerary for visiting Okinawa in late January 2026. We haven't been to Okinawa before but have heard its name as a consequence of Karate Kid. We expect it will be the warmest visit of our trip to Japan in January - pleasant but not overly warm. We only have the equivalent of 3 full days and 3 nights - and want to pack in as much as possible without packing in too much that we don't take time to use all our senses to soak up the experience to the full.

Day 1: Arrival and Dotonbori Exploration

Arrival in Okinawa

Welcome to Okinawa! After a short flight from Osaka, we'll be landing at Naha (Okinawa) Airport, at 17:05, collecting the bags, we'll be heading for the hotel, to make the most of our first evening, as the sun will already be setting. We have booked a hire car. This will be my first time driving in Japan - they drive on the left, same as the UK, so that should make it a little easier. We have booked a tiny Japanese style car, a Toyota Passo which should be ideal for the short runs that we have planned. The hotel, the Hilton Naha Shuri Castle is only 20mins away by car from the airport.

Remainder of Day 1

I'd prefer not to eat in the hotel - they never feel authentic, having to deal for a mass market, as opposed to being true to their own. That said, there is a lounge bar on the 20th floor with apparently great views that I'm eager to visit. So I hope to be able to go out for a short walk and find some authentic food and drinks - I'm sure we won't be the first hotel guests trying to escape hotel food and drinks - so local providers will be geared up to expect us. We'll do some reading on tripadvisor closer to the time.

Day 2: Cultural Immersion & Experiences

Road trip

As mentioned we'll have a car for this portion of our trip, and it will be good to get out and see a little of the island. Where we are staying in the south of the island does look quite populated - so getting away from the crowds will be high up on our list.

We are planning to drive to Kadena Port to take a go at the family fishing experience that I found on Viator. If the weather is pleasant then a couple of hours of sea fishing before lunch might be ideal. I understand from some of the feedback, that if you do catch something - getting it cooked at a local restaurant can be arranged!

Later in the day and further up the coast - there is a Mangrove Kayaking option available at Kadena Port - depending on weather conditions this might be a little fun.

If there is time in the day - the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium looks to be interesting. It's one of the worlds largest acquariums and just under 80mins from the hotel. If the weather isn't any good for fishing or kayaking this will be a good alternative.

Day 3: Cultural Immersion and Beer

Go-Karts

My son won't consider doing the street go-karts in Tokyo insisting that they are a menace that the locals would rather ban. I'm hoping that he might consider doing a similar experience in Okinawa. Its a Sunday morning that I've scheduled for 2 hours - we aren't going to be in the way of anyone. I'm already looking forward to getting dressed up as Pikachu.

I'd also like to visit the Former Navy HQ Headquarters which is in Naha, and perhaps hire bikes to tour around Naha for the afternoon. Shuri castle is right beside the hotel - and appears to be one of the must do's in Okinawa.

For now - I'm leaving this free to either eat out or take part in another experience

Day 4: Last-Minute Shopping and Departure

Departure from Okinawa

After a quick breakfast we won't have a lot of time to get organised. Checking out of the hotel, and returning the car to the airport in time for our flight at 13:45 to Tokyo. I'm sure we'll grab some snacks at the airport.

That's it

I can already feel that Okinawa will probably be the calm filling between the fast paced Osaka and an even more hectic Tokyo. The promise of better weather, and access to a car should allow for a more chilled experience.

As I have already said - I'd rather have too many options and leave some out if it gets too busy to enjoy. We'll commit or change the plans as we go - booking experiences as we go - buying local when we can, which will leave our itinerary nice and flexible.

Let me know what you think.

Happy travels!