Is Tokashiki Island Worth Visiting as a Day Trip?
Last Updated on August 6, 2025 by Kay
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Wondering if it’s worth your time and money to visit Tokashiki Island on a day trip while you’re in Okinawa? Then you’ll want to read this.
Tokashiki Island is part of the Kerama Islands, a small group of islands west of Okinawa’s main island. It’s known for having some of the clearest, most beautiful water in Japan, which is why it’s known for snorkeling.
Best of all, Tokashiki is quick and easy to reach from Naha. Depending on the ferry you take, you can get to Tokashiki as quickly as 40 minutes, meaning you can leave in the morning and be on the beach by midday. This is a key reason why Tokashiki is a popular day-trip destination.
Sounds great, right? We thought so too, which is why we decided to check out Tokashiki for a day. But was it worth it?
Well, it’s complicated.
In this post, I’ll share how we got there, what the beach was really like, and essential tips that every visitor should know.
Table of Contents
How to Get to Tokashiki Island
The only way to reach Tokashiki Island from Okinawa’s main island is by ferry, and most people leave from Naha Tomari Port.
There are two types of ferries: a high-speed one (Marine Liner Tokashiki) that takes 40 minutes and a slower ferry (Ferry Tokashiki), which takes 70 minutes. We (obviously) wanted to take the faster option, but we waited until three days before our trip to book, and by then Marine Liner Tokashiki was completely sold out. So don’t make the same mistake as us and book well in advance!
You can book tickets in advance on the official Tokashiki website, which is what we did. You don’t have to pay until the morning of your departure, which I’ll cover later in the article. You can also try to purchase tickets at the ferry ticket counter, located at Tomari Wharf Ferry Terminal Building, but I don’t recommend doing this on the day you want to travel because it’s likely it’ll be sold out.
Both ferries depart from Tomari Port twice a day.
Marine Liner Tokashiki departs at 9 AM and 1 PM, while Ferry Tokashiki departs at 10 AM and 6 PM.
Note that depending on the weather, the ferry may be cancelled.
A round-trip ticket to Tokashiki Island varies depending on which mode of transport you take.
Ferry Tokashiki (the slower one) costs 3210 yen for adults (ages 13 and up) and 1610 yen for children (ages 7 to 12). Since my daughter was six years old, she was free!
Marine Liner Tokashiki costs 4810 yen for adults (ages 13 and up) and 2410 yen for children (ages 7 to 12). Kids ages six and under are free per paying adult. So if you have three children under age 7 and only two paying adults, you’ll need to pay for one of them.
What to Bring to Tokashiki Island
Here’s what I recommend bringing to Tokashiki Island.
- A towel and a change of clothes (especially because you cannot get onto the bus on Tokashiki Island when wet). Make sure not to forget your undies!
- Cash (you’ll need it for the bus and 300 yen for the showers — there are no ATMs on Aharen Beach, which is the best beach on the island)
- Snorkeling equipment (you can also rent these at Aharen Beach)
- A swim ring or lifejacket for kids
- Sunscreen
- Marine shoes (some of the sand has broken seashells and coral on it)
- Bottled water or other drinks to stay hydrated
- A hat and sunglasses
- Waterproof mobile phone case
- Sick bag for the ferry (just in case, my daughter almost vomited on the way back)
Getting to Naha Tomari Port and Getting Tickets
We drove to Naha Tomari Port and parked at one of their paid parking areas, but it’s fairly easy to reach by public transport. In fact, you can take the monorail (Yui Rail) there as it’s only a 10-minute walk from Miebashi Station. Several public buses also stop right in front of the port (Tomari Takahashi Kokudo 58 Go via Urasoe/Omoromachi).
You can also take a taxi if that’s easier for you (and might be more cost-effective if you’re traveling in a small group).
We arrived at the Tomari Wharf Ferry Terminal Building about 30 minutes before the ferry departed, so 9:30 AM. We were shocked to see a huge line of people waiting to pay for their reserved seats. More than half of the visitors were tourists from abroad.
It took about twenty minutes for us to finally make it to the counter to pay for our reserved tickets. Thankfully, everything went smoothly, and then we headed to the ferry.
The terminal is well-marked, and there’s a waiting area, a small shop, and lockers, as well as a convenience store for last-minute food and drinks.
Boarding the Ferry and the Ride
Since we boarded so late, there were almost no seats inside the ferry available, which surprised us. There were, however, plenty of seats on the deck, which made sense because it was hot and bright. The seats burned from the sun!
A kind Japanese woman let my daughter sit next to her inside the air-conditioned part of the ferry while my husband and I stood for the beginning of the ride.
We took turns looking around the ferry, but we both decided it was too hot to sit outside. I started to feel a bit seasick as well when sitting outside.
Twenty minutes into the ride, a Japanese man sitting near my daughter offered me his seat, which I gratefully took. That helped the ferry ride go much faster.
About ten minutes before the ferry was supposed to arrive, the Japanese woman sitting next to my daughter grabbed her things and left her seat. We decided to follow suit and headed for the exit ramp.
We were among the first people there, and this was a great decision because we needed to take a bus to the best beach on the island — Aharen Beach.
Getting to Aharen Beach
Most visitors head straight for Aharen Beach, which is the most developed part of the island. It’s where you’ll find beach rentals, small restaurants, and a few places to stay. There are other beaches, like Tokashiku, but unless you’re staying overnight or driving, Aharen is the most accessible.
You need to take a bus to Aharen Beach on Tokashiki Island. When the ferry docked, we rushed to the bus and were among the first to board. I’m so glad we hurried because the bus filled up quickly and a huge group of people were left waiting for the next bus.
As you can see from the image below, the bus stop is located to your right when you get off the ferry.
You can rent a car to explore the island, but it’s very pricey, and you must make a reservation in advance.
If you don’t want to deal with the rush of people (it’s pretty stressful if you have kids or limited mobility), you might want to consider booking a tour of Tokashiki Island. They will handle everything for you, from ferry tickets to transport to and from Aharen Beach. Make sure you double-check the port because some of their tours depart from Naha Miegusuku Port, which is about a ten-minute drive away from Tomari Wharf.
Aharen Beach Review
The bus takes about 20 minutes to reach Aharen Beach. We arrived at around 11:30 and it dropped us off pretty much right in front of the beach in an area that has shops. This is where you can rent equipment, shower, and where you’ll catch the bus to head back to the port. There are some small restaurants here as well.
Here is a brief overview of what costs to expect:
- Snorkeling equipment costs 1200 yen for a set
- A 5-minute glass boat ride to another island costs 1500 yen per person (round-trip)
- A snorkeling tour costs 5400 yen
If you want to do something, make sure you book it as soon as possible when you arrive because it will sell out soon!
I brought my own snorkel set with me, but we rented two lounge chairs and a parasol for 3000 yen from the shop pictured below. They also gave us a water toy for my daughter to borrow for free.
The beach was already filled with people who managed to book the first ferry, which had arrived 1.5 hours earlier (lucky ducks!).
We found a spot for our things, settled down, and then immediately headed for the water. By this time, it was 11:44 AM.
My daughter enjoyed the clear water in her swim ring, which we brought with us (already inflated), and my husband and I joined her.
Since it was early July, the water was the perfect temperature, leaning a bit warm. And indeed, the clarity was absolutely stunning. We felt like we were in paradise, especially when looking out at the small uninhabited islands.
When she was done with swimming, my daughter spent the rest of her time chasing small fish along the shore.
I snorkelled for a bit as well. The biggest and best coral is located on the far right side of the swimming area on Aharen Beach. I saw so many lovely tropical fish here! The water is fairly deep, so I recommend wearing a life jacket if you’re not a strong swimmer.
If you walk past the swimming area, you’ll see a little rock formation that looks like an entrance.
I suggest venturing past here because to the left, there’s a path that will take you to an observation point. Note that this path has stairs that you’ll have to climb to get up.
The view of the island from the observation point is absolutely stunning!
To the right, there are lots of rocks that lead down to the beach. I saw a group of tourists snorkeling here, although it seemed very rocky without much coral. I don’t recommend bringing small kids to this area because the rocks are extremely slippery.
The bus to go back to the port in time for us to catch the ferry would arrive at 3 PM. We were worried it would be chaotic like in the morning, and we wanted to get seats together on the ferry, so we decided to start leaving and headed for the showers at 2:20 PM. The 300 yen showers are located across from the beach shops, right next to the toilets and bus stop. Surprisingly, there was already a line!
We didn’t have to wait too long, thankfully, and were done by 2:35 PM. By this time, there was already a bus full of people leaving! People were panicking because they thought this was the one and only bus going to the ferry port, and unfortunately, the poor bus driver couldn’t speak English.
(Ya’ll, I really dislike it when people complain about Japanese employees not being able to speak English. They don’t get paid very much at all, especially to be bilingual, so cut them some slack, be kind, and use a translation app if they don’t understand you.)
So don’t worry if a bus is packed and leaving before 3 PM because there will be enough buses coming! In fact, there are at least three. They arrive early and depart when full so that they can get everyone to the port in time.
We got on the second bus, which got us to the port by 3 PM. We were able to board the ferry and get seats right next to each other since it was pretty empty at the time.
We could have explored the shops on the port before boarding but we were tired and wanted to sleep on the ride back, which is exactly what we did.
Note that the time schedule for the bus changes between October to February and the bus leaves Aharen Beach earlier at 2:30 PM.
Is Tokashiki Island and Aharen Beach Worth It?
We ended up spending about half a day on Tokashiki and only three hours on Aharen Beach, and to be honest, I didn’t think it was worth it as a “day” trip.
The vibe is low-key. It’s not remote, but it’s quiet compared to the Okinawa mainland. The water is calm, the sand is soft, and you can see coral just by snorkeling right off the beach. It’s certainly less crowded than beaches on Okinawa’s main island and we enjoyed our time on Aharen Island, but the effort just to get there and back was absolutely not worth it for me, and my husband feels the same way.
Maybe I would feel differently if I had been able to book the Marine Liner or a tour, so I could have spent more time on the island.
And although the water was very beautiful, I felt that it wasn’t that much different from the beaches in Hawaii, Okinawa, and some areas of Japan’s main island. For instance, my daughter wanted to see fish, but we saw far more swimming near the shore in Wakayama.
Overall, if you’re coming from Naha and looking for a simple beach day with crystal-clear water and fewer people, Tokashiki is the most convenient option. Just be prepared for ferry and bus logistics, and know that while it’s beautiful, it’s not exactly secret or completely crowd-free.
FAQ
Here are some frequently asked questions about Tokashiki Island and answers that will hopefully be helpful for you.
What is the most popular beach on Tokashiki Island?
The most popular beach is Aharen Beach. The second-most is Tokashiku Beach.
Is Tokashiki Island kid-friendly?
Yes, Tokashiki Island, specifically Aharen Beach, is very kid-friendly. My daughter loved her time there, and if you rent something, the shops will let your child borrow a beach toy for free! However, my daughter did get very seasick on the way back and almost threw up.
Can you bring strollers on the ferry to Tokashiki Island?
Yes, you can bring strollers on the ferry, as well as on the bus (if there’s room, you’ll need to fold it up).
How much does it cost to go to Tokashiki Island?
Depending on the ferry, a round-trip costs 3210 to 4810 yen for adults. The usage of Aharen Beach is free, but you might want to budget money for a parasol and chairs (3000 yen), snorkeling equipment (1200 yen), etc.
Make sure you have cash for the bus (800 yen round-trip) as well as the showers (300 yen).
Overall, I suggest budgeting 10,000 yen for your trip. It’ll likely be under that but I always think it’s better to be safe than sorry.
How much does the bus cost to Aharen Beach?
The bus to Aharen Beach costs 400 yen one-way for adults and 200 yen for children ages six and up.
Can you stay overnight on Tokashiki Island?
Yes, you can stay overnight. We had considered it but since we had rented a car for our mainland Okinawa trip and it was too expensive to bring on the ferry, we decided to do a day trip. Now I wish we had stayed overnight!
If you’re interested in spending a night or two on Tokashiki Island (which I highly suggest to make the most of your visit), I suggest staying at the following:
kamekamehouse
- Within walking distance of Aharen Beach
- Breakfast included
- Free pick up and drop off at the ferry terminal
STAY IN ALOHA
- You get the entire house (great deal when traveling as a family or in a group)
- Near Tokashiki Port
HOTEL KANALOA
- Affordable and clean
- Near Tokashiki Port
- Good for families
Tokashiku Marine Village
- Near Tokashiku Beach
- Great staff
- Note that the hotel is old, but given the location, it’s still worth staying at