Renting a Car in Okinawa: Is It Worth It, and What to Prepare

Do you really need a rental car?

Our guide treats a rental car as the standard way to see Okinawa. Outside Naha the sights are spread across the island, and the Motobu Peninsula, home to Churaumi Aquarium and Kouri Island, is about two hours' drive from the airport. Buses do reach the north but are infrequent and slow, and a taxi that far gets expensive.

A car helps most for family trips, beach and resort stays, and if you want to split the north and the south over several days. The guide suggests 4 to 5 days and recommends a rental car.

If you only stay around Kokusai-dori in Naha, you can skip the car: the Yui Rail links the airport, central Naha and Shuri. If driving worries you, see our car-free Okinawa article linked at the end.

• Full Okinawa travel guide →

Before you drive: licence documents and driving on the left

Japan drives on the left, with the steering wheel on the right. If you are used to driving on the right, the guide's advice is to take extra care at roundabouts and on right turns.

According to the guide, most foreign drivers need an International Driving Permit alongside their home licence and passport. Rules differ by country, so check official information for yours before you go.

If left-side driving is new to you, one option is to start with shorter drives on your first day, such as the south, which is fairly close to the airport.

• Passport
• Your home driving licence
• International Driving Permit (check official rules for your country)

Picking up the car: shuttle to the rental office

At Naha Airport, you take a shuttle bus to a rental office nearby and collect the car there. The shuttle ride to the office is about 10-20 minutes.

Offices get busy in peak season, so book ahead. Prices vary by company, car and season. The guide's mid-range budget, which includes a shared rental car along with a hotel and restaurants, is about 18,000-24,000 yen per person per day, so renting as a group keeps costs down.

The guide has no details on parking or toll roads. Ask at the rental office when you pick up the car, or check official information, about parking at your hotel and sights and about tolls.

Areas where a car makes life easier

The south, around Nanjo, has fewer tourists, seaside cafés and sacred sites, and is fairly close to the airport, so it suits the day you pick up the car. Sefa-utaki, a UNESCO World Heritage site considered the Ryukyu Kingdom's most sacred place, is here. Visit quietly.

Chatan (American Village) sits halfway between Naha and the north, a handy base for a road trip. The Onna resort coast has many hotels with pools and their own beaches, near Cape Manzamo.

The Motobu Peninsula is about two hours' drive from the airport, so the guide suggests staying a night or two. Sleeping up north rather than driving there and back in a day makes the driving far more relaxed.

Two sample days by car: the northern drive

In the guide's itinerary, the car pays off most on the two days heading north. The full route is in our separate itinerary article; here we focus on how the driving days flow.

Start the first day at Churaumi Aquarium in the morning. It is quieter early in the morning or late in the afternoon, so set off early. In the afternoon, head to Kouri Island and drive yourself across the long Kouri Bridge over the sea. Stay the night in Motobu or Onna.

The next morning, see Cape Manzamo, the cliff shaped like an elephant's trunk, then relax at the beach or resort and watch the sunset at American Village. Cape Manzamo is also beautiful at sunset, so feel free to swap the order to suit your plans.

• First day: Churaumi Aquarium in the morning, Kouri Island and Kouri Bridge in the afternoon, overnight in Motobu or Onna
• Next day: Cape Manzamo in the morning, beach and resort time, sunset at American Village

Returning the car, weather and a final checklist

Most rentals must be returned with a full tank. The guide's itinerary visits Shuri Castle Park on the last day, then refuels, returns the car and heads to the airport. Leave plenty of time for refuelling, the return and the shuttle.

Typhoons can cancel flights and ferries. Consider travel insurance, turn on airline alerts and keep your plans flexible. The sun is intense, so bring sunscreen and a hat.

If you would rather not drive, Okinawa still works without a car. The article below covers the Yui Rail, bus tours and ferries.

• Booking: reserve ahead in peak season
• Documents: passport, home licence and International Driving Permit
• Pickup: shuttle bus from the airport to the office, about 10-20 min
• Driving: keep left, extra care at roundabouts and right turns
• Parking and tolls: ask at the office or check official information
• Return: check the full-tank condition, refuel, then return

• Search rental cars in Okinawa →
• Okinawa without a rental car →
• A 4-day Okinawa road trip route →
• Renting a car abroad: first-time checklist →
• Driving side by country →

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