"How much does a trip to Okinawa cost per person?" "What should you keep in mind to save money?" We get questions like these quite often. Since we sometimes found it difficult to answer them ourselves, we decided to do some thorough research.
This time,Data on the Cost of Traveling to Okinawa Released by Okinawa PrefectureLet's take a look at this together. With that in mind,Let’s take a look at the average costs by departure location and consider whether your trip to Okinawa is a bargain or a luxury. We’ll also explore ways to make it more affordable.Please use this as a reference for planning your future trip to Okinawa!
[toc]Average Budget Per Person for a Trip to Okinawa
This information is based on the section titled “2. Travel Patterns of Visitors from Outside the Prefecture and Estimates of Tourism Revenue” in the “Report on the Reiwa 4 Fiscal Year Tourism Statistics Survey,” released by Okinawa Prefecture on October 31, Reiwa 5.
Before we begin analyzing this data, there’s something I’d like everyone to keep in mind.
The cost of round-trip airfare is probably not included.
I thought the figure of about 100,000 yen included airfare, but there’s no “airfare” item listed in the materials. Since this data refers to “amounts spent within Okinawa Prefecture,” I’m guessing that the cost of flights to get to Okinawa wasn’t included in the survey.
This is the average for trips ranging from day trips to stays of 7 nights or more.
The figures in this survey represent averages for stays ranging from day trips to 7 nights or more. The cost per person varies significantly depending on the number of nights stayed and the grade of the accommodation. Therefore, please use these figures for reference only.
A total of 341 TP3T guests stayed for 2 nights, and 311 TP3T guests stayed for 3 nights.
In this survey,Two-night, three-day trips account for 34.21 TP3T of the total, while three-night, four-day trips account for 31.31 TP3T.The rates are as follows. In addition, the rates are 7.31 TP3T for 1 night, 13.21 TP3T for 4 nights, 4.81 TP3T for 5 nights, 3.31 TP3T for 6 nights, and 4.11 TP3T for 7 or more nights (average of 11.73 nights).
Okinawa Trip: 104,505 yen per person
| Accommodation Costs | 39,466 yen |
|---|---|
| Transportation Costs Within the Prefecture | 13,344 yen |
| Souvenirs & Shopping | 17,557 yen |
| Food and Beverage Expenses | 20,709 yen |
| Entertainment and Admission Fees | 11,025 yen |
| Other | 2,405 yen |
| Average Total Expenditures | 104,505 yen |
※Reiwa 4 Tourism Statistics Survey Report 2: Travel Patterns of Out-of-Prefecture Visitors and Estimates of Tourism RevenueFrom
*Note: Since each item has been rounded, the total amounts do not add up exactly.
Accommodation Costs = Resort Hotels, Business Hotels, Villas, etc.
Transportation within the prefecture: rental cars, buses, monorails, ferries, etc.
Entertainment and Admission Fees = Admission fees for tourist attractions, etc.
"Other"—I guess that means medical expenses and stuff like that...?
Round-trip airfare
Although this data doesn't include it, the average cost of a round-trip airline ticket should be roughly as follows.
| Point of Departure | Estimated Round-Trip Time | Estimated Round-Trip Time (Off-Season) |
|---|---|---|
| From Tokyo | Estimated price: 35,000 yen and up | Estimated price: 25,000 yen and up |
| From Hokkaido | Starting at 50,000 yen | Estimated price: 30,000 yen and up |
| From Nagoya | Estimated price: 25,000 yen and up | Estimated price: 15,000 yen and up |
| From Kansai | Estimated price: 25,000 yen and up | Estimated price: 15,000 yen and up |
| From Fukuoka | Approx. 20,000 yen and up | Starting at 12,000 yen |
*Prices may vary depending on the airline seat, airport, and travel season.
Airfare varies depending on the departure city and season, but for flights from Tokyo (Haneda Airport or Narita Airport), prices typically start at 25,000 yen during the off-season. Of course, please note that prices vary depending on the airline—including full-service carriers (FSCs such as ANA and JAL), mid-cost carriers (MCCs such as Skymark), and low-cost carriers (LCCs such as Peach and Jetstar)—as well as seat class and airline promotions.
Don't buy from budget flight comparison and booking sites.
Flight comparison sites are really convenient, aren’t they? You can instantly find the lowest price available for any given day. However, be careful—if you book through those sites, you’ll be charged high fees (ranging from 2,000 to 10,000 yen per one-way flight). Once you’ve decided on a flight using a comparison or booking site, be sure to purchase it directly on the airline’s official website. That way, you’ll avoid paying those fees. You can use the money you save to enjoy a nice meal in Okinawa or upgrade your room.
Including airfare, the cost is around 130,000 to 140,000 yen per person
| Point of Departure | High Estimated Price | Estimated Off-Season Rates |
|---|---|---|
| From Tokyo | Estimated price: 140,000 yen and up | Estimated price: 130,000 yen and up |
| From Hokkaido | Estimated price: 155,000 yen and up | Estimated price: 135,000 yen and up |
| From Nagoya | Estimated price: 130,000 yen and up | Estimated price: 120,000 yen and up |
| From Kansai | Estimated price: 130,000 yen and up | Estimated price: 120,000 yen and up |
| From Fukuoka | Estimated price: 125,000 yen and up | Estimated price: 117,000 yen and up |
However, if you plan to rent a car, rates tend to be higher during peak season, so you might want to budget an additional 5,000 yen.
Okinawa Trip: How Much Should You Consider a Good Deal?
Including the cost of round-trip airfare,If you can keep it under 100,000 yen per person, it’s definitely a good deal.It seems safe to say that.
Now, let's break it down by category and see what we can do to keep costs down.
Save Money on Your Okinawa Trip!
Let’s try various ways to save money so you can keep the cost of your Okinawa trip under 100,000 yen per person!
Save on Accommodation Costs
| Accommodation Costs | 39,466 yen |
|---|---|
| For a 2-night, 3-day trip | 19,723 yen per night |
| For a 3-night, 4-day trip | 13,148 yen per night |
For a 2-night, 3-day trip, let's keep the cost per night at 19,723 yen or less. For a 3-night, 4-day trip, we'd like to keep it at 13,148 yen or less per night!
It might be a good idea to stay at a high-priced resort hotel in the north for just one night and spend the other night (or two nights) at a compact hotel in Naha.
Save on Airfare
Each airline holds sales from time to time. There are various offers, such as "One-way fares starting at 2,980 yen!" from Peach, "One-way fares starting in the 5,000 yen range!" from Skymark, and JAL sales.
Cheap flights sell out in a flash, so you'll have to stay glued to your computer, but if you manage to snag one, you're in luck.
But there's a better way.I'd like to recommend this!
Save Big on Package Tours
|
Tokyo / Off-Season
|
Total Amount | Average Amount per Case |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation Costs |
77,810 yen per person
|
39,466 yen |
| Round-trip Airfare | Estimated price: 25,000 yen and up | |
| Rental Car (Transportation Expenses) | 13,344 yen |
The total average cost for a trip departing from Tokyo—including off-season hotel stays, round-trip airfare, and a rental car—comes to 77,810 yen per person. There are actually quite a few package tours that cost less than this amount.
| Accommodations + Flights + Car | High Season | Off-season |
|---|---|---|
| From Tokyo | 87,810 yen | 77,810 yen |
| From Hokkaido | 102,810 yen | 82,810 yen |
| From Nagoya | 77,810 yen | 67,810 yen |
| From Kansai | 77,810 yen | 67,810 yen |
| From Fukuoka | 72,810 yen | 64,810 yen |
Using the same calculation method, this figure represents the total average cost of hotels, round-trip airfare, and rental cars from departure points across the country. If you can find a package that includes a hotel, round-trip airfare, and a rental car for 60,000 yen or even 50,000 yen or less, you’ll save a lot of money!
Travel agencies offering budget package tours
Needs Tour
Enjoy Great Value on Your Okinawa Trip with LCCs and Your Choice of Hotels
You can take a trip to Okinawa starting in the 30,000-yen range per person! You have the freedom to choose your accommodations—for example, you can stay one night at a resort hotel and one night at a compact hotel. You can also add a rental car to your package.
・TWIN-LINE HOTEL: 2 nights + flight + car rental for around 30,000 yen per person
・Grand Mercure: 2 nights + flight + car rental for around 40,000 yen per person
There are lots of great deals like this!
Enjoy Free Admission to Tourist Attractions with a Package Tour That Includes Special Perks
At Shirokuma Tour and JTB, which primarily sell package tours, some package tour plans come with their own exclusive perks.
As a result, admission to several tourist attractions will be free. In addition, various companies are offering attractive perks, such as a souvenir from Okashi Goten (Shirokuma Tour) and discounts on marine activities (JTB).
Polar Bear Tour
Budget Plans & 12 Major Benefits Worth a Total of 10,000 Yen
Shirakuma Tours appears to keep advertising costs low to offer great value on its tour packages. Their “12 Major Perks” plan, which includes free admission tickets to Okinawa tourist attractions and is worth a total of 10,000 yen, is a fantastic deal. They also offer many budget-friendly packages, andDouble the Value: Great Rates Plus Special PerksThat's it.
JTB
JTBOur exclusive perk, "How to Spend Your Trip," is a great deal!
Many tourist attractions in Okinawa Prefecture offer free admission and discounted activities. From May through October, the program covers more than 60 locations. From October through the following May, it covers more than 30 locations. However, the price of the plan itself is a bit on the high side.
As a side note, there’s also a way for anyone—regardless of their plan—to purchase admission to the Churaumi Aquarium at the lowest price.
Food and Beverage Expenses
As a general guideline, you should budget at least 5,000 yen per person per day for food during a trip to Okinawa. If you order drinks, soft-serve ice cream, or light snacks at major tourist spots, it will cost around 1,000 yen per person. Lunch costs around 1,000 to 2,000 yen. If you plan to have dinner at a restaurant or izakaya and enjoy some drinks, budget about 3,000 to 5,000 yen per person per meal. This will vary depending on how many meals you eat and the establishments you visit.
If you're traveling to enjoy life, food costs are low, too.
Traditional Okinawa soba restaurants (under 1,000 yen), set-meal restaurants (under 1,000 yen), bento shops in Okinawa Prefecture (around 500 yen), bakeries (around 500 yen), and hamburger chains like A&W and JEF (under 1,000 yen)—you can get a taste of Okinawa while keeping your food costs down!
Souvenirs & Shopping
It’s nice to buy a red sweet potato tart from Okashi Goten and eat it at home while reminiscing about Okinawa, isn’t it? I guess you could call it savoring the afterglow of the trip.
According to data from Okinawa Prefecture,The average amount spent on souvenirs and shopping is "17,557 yen."That's what it says. Based on my own experience, I get the impression that people might wonder, "Is there really that much to buy?" Another survey shows a figure of 9,000 yen.
The amount each person spends will vary. If you reduce this amount, the total cost of the trip will naturally go down as well.
Summary
Based on data released by Okinawa Prefecture regarding spending during trips to Okinawa, I’ve been thinking about how to get the most value for your money.
For high-cost items such as airfare, lodging, and rental cars, booking them as part of a package tour is often several thousand to several ten thousand yen cheaper than booking each one separately.
No matter how many "Super Sales" Rakuten Travel runs, travel agencies like Needs Tour and Shirokuma Tour always seem to have great deals. (I think it’s because of their advertising budget.)
I've written a few related articles, so please be sure to check them out!
