Updated November 2026
Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium Tickets:
Price, Hours & Getting There
Okinawa's whale shark tank, two hours north of Naha. The official prices, the season hours, the feeding times, and whether to drive or take a tour.
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Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium tickets are ¥2,180 for an adult, ¥1,440 for a high-school student, ¥710 for elementary and junior-high students and free for children under 6, sold at the gate and online. The aquarium opens 8:30–18:30 (last entry 17:30) for most of the year, with later closing over Golden Week, late July and August, and has no scheduled closing days until 31 March 2027. It sits in Ocean Expo Park on the Motobu Peninsula, about two hours by car from Naha Airport on the Okinawa Expressway or about three hours by express bus — which is why most visitors either rent a car or book a northern day tour from Naha that adds Kouri Island. Allow two to three and a half hours inside. All figures are the aquarium's own, read on 3 November 2026.
Adult / child
¥2,180 / ¥710
Hours
8:30–18:30, last entry 17:30
From Naha
~2 h by car · ~3 h by bus
Kuroshio feeding
15:00 and 17:00
In short: the ticket is the easy part — the decision is how you get there. Drive if you are a family or staying in Motobu; book a northern day tour from Naha if nobody wants to drive.
How Much Are Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium Tickets?
¥2,180 for an adult and ¥710 for a primary or junior-high child; under-6s are free. Group rates need 20 or more people paying in one transaction on the day, and the annual passport costs exactly two standard visits.
| Ticket | Standard | Group (20+, day only) | Annual passport |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult | ¥2,180 | ¥1,730 | ¥4,360 |
| High-school student | ¥1,440 | ¥1,140 | ¥2,880 |
| Elementary & junior-high student | ¥710 | ¥560 | ¥1,420 |
| Preschool (under 6) | Free | Free | — |
Tax included; the aquarium's own English and Japanese fee pages, read 3 November 2026. Neither page lists an after-16:00 rate, so none is shown — guides that quote one are out of date.
What to Book Alongside Your Churaumi Ticket
The ticket is one line of the day. Getting two hours north of Naha — and back — is the rest, and these are the bookings that settle it.
- ▸Northern Okinawa day tour: Churaumi Aquarium, Kouri Island, Cape Manzamo & American Village — If nobody in your group is driving, this is the day in one booking: the coach from Naha or Chatan, the aquarium and Kouri Island. Check whether the option you pick includes the aquarium ticket and which language the guide speaks. Check the northern day tour →
- ▸Car rental at Naha Airport — The aquarium's own access page puts it about two hours from Naha Airport by car on the Okinawa Expressway, against about three by express bus — and a car is what makes Kouri Island and Bise the same afternoon. Check Naha Airport car rentals →
- ▸Hotels near Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium — One night on the Motobu Peninsula means being at the gate for the 8:30 opening, before the coaches from Naha arrive. Check hotels near the aquarium →
- ▸Shared Naha Airport limousine bus transfer — For a family that is not driving, the coach from the airport to the hotel zones — choose the bus number and time at checkout. Check the airport bus →
- ▸Klook Japan eSIM — Your ticket, the bus times and the parking map are all on your phone, and the drive north is the part of the day with no hotel Wi-Fi. See eSIM options on Klook →
These go to Klook, which pays us a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices and availability are Klook's — we do not quote them here because its product pages block automated checks.
What Are Churaumi Aquarium's Opening Hours?
8:30 to 18:30 for most of the year, with last entry an hour before closing. The aquarium stays open later over Golden Week, the second half of July and all of August.
| Season | Hours | Last entry |
|---|---|---|
| Off season (most of the year) | 8:30–18:30 | 17:30 |
| Peak ① — 25 Apr – 6 May and 18 – 31 Jul 2026 | 8:30–20:00 | 19:00 |
| Peak ② — 1 – 31 Aug 2026 | 8:30–21:00 | 20:00 |
| Year-end and New Year | 8:30–18:30 | 17:30 |
| Closed | No scheduled closing days until 31 Mar 2027 | Typhoon closures possible |
The aquarium's own hours page, read 3 November 2026. The 2027 peak-season dates had not been published.
How Do I Get to Churaumi Aquarium from Naha?
By car in about two hours, by express bus in about three, or on a day tour. No train goes there — the Okinawa Monorail stays within the Naha area.
| How | Time from Naha | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Rental car from Naha Airport | About 2 hours, via the Okinawa Expressway | Ocean Expo Park's nine car parks are free. The only option that adds Kouri Island and Bise the same afternoon at your own pace. |
| Express / route bus from Naha Airport | About 3 hours | Okinawa Airport Shuttle, Yanbaru Express Bus, routes 111 and 117. Check each operator's timetable for your date. |
| Day tour from Naha or Chatan | A full day (Klook's northern tour runs about 10 hours) | Coach there and back with Kouri Island, Cape Manzamo and American Village; about 3 to 3.5 hours at the aquarium. |
Car and bus times and the route names are the aquarium's own access page; free parking is Ocean Expo Park's FAQ; read 3 November 2026. The tour duration and aquarium time are Klook's listing. No bus fare is printed because the operator's own fare page could not be read.
Is a Day Tour Better Than Renting a Car?
A tour, if nobody in your group drives or you have a single day for the north. A car, if you are a family, want longer than three hours inside, or are staying a night on the Motobu Peninsula.
| Day tour from Naha | Rental car | |
|---|---|---|
| Who drives | Nobody in your group | One of you, on the left, for about 2 hours each way |
| Time at the aquarium | Fixed — about 3 to 3.5 hours | As long as you like, from 8:30 |
| Kouri Island & Bise | Kouri Island and Cape Manzamo on the route | Both, in the order you choose |
| Aquarium ticket | Check the option — some include it, some do not | Buy separately (¥2,180 adult) |
| Paperwork | None | Your licence plus an International Driving Permit, passport and a credit card |
| Best for | Non-drivers, solo travellers, one day in the north | Families, and anyone staying a night in Motobu |
Klook's car-rental page states that non-residents need a passport, their own licence, an International Driving Permit and a credit card. Tour inclusions differ by option and date — check whether the aquarium ticket and an English-speaking guide are included before you book.
Do You Need to Book Churaumi Aquarium in Advance?
Usually not — the aquarium publishes its standard prices for buying on the day. Booking ahead saves the ticket-counter queue and, with a reseller, lets you pay in your own currency; the official site also links to web tickets through asoview. What does need booking is the paid Kuroshio Sea backyard tour, which runs from 1 November 2026 by advance reservation only, opening 30 days ahead at 10:00. And in summer and holiday weeks, the rental car and the day tour are what go first, not the ticket.
How Long Do You Need at Churaumi Aquarium?
Two to three and a half hours inside; day tours allot about 3 to 3.5. Arrive at 8:30 and you are ahead of the coaches that leave Naha after breakfast.
What Time Is the Whale Shark Feeding?
The aquarium's schedule lists feeding in the Kuroshio Sea — the main tank, home to the whale sharks — at 15:00 and 17:00, and the manta rays at 9:30. Programmes can change or be cancelled without notice depending on the animals' condition (read 3 November 2026). If you are on a day tour, check that its aquarium window covers 15:00.
What Else Is There Around Churaumi Aquarium?
- ▸Okichan Theater dolphin show — in Ocean Expo Park outside the aquarium, at 10:30, 11:30, 13:00, 15:00 and 17:00 on the park's programme page, about 20 minutes. Dolphin shows are suspended 4–9 January 2027.
- ▸Emerald Beach — the park's own beach. Swimming is free from 1 April to 31 October (8:30–17:00 in 2026) at the designated beach only; outside that season it is a walk, not a swim.
- ▸Bise Fukugi tree road — the village lanes of Bise lined with fukugi trees, just north of Ocean Expo Park; a short stop for a self-drive afternoon or one of the longer tours.
- ▸Kouri Island — reached by bridge from the Motobu Peninsula; the stop most northern day tours pair with the aquarium, and an easy drive for a self-drive afternoon.
Show times from Ocean Expo Park's programme page and FAQ, swimming season from the park's own notice, the January suspension from the aquarium's site — all read 3 November 2026.
Where to Stay for Churaumi Aquarium
Naha if the aquarium is one day of a longer Okinawa trip; the Motobu Peninsula if you want the 8:30 opening and the north to yourself the next morning.
- ▸Naha — Where the airport, the monorail, the day tours' pick-up points and the airport limousine bus all are — the base if the aquarium is one day of a longer Okinawa trip. Hotels on Klook →
- ▸Motobu / near the aquarium — Klook's search for hotels near the aquarium, on the Motobu Peninsula. A night here turns a four-hour round trip into a short drive, and puts the 8:30 opening, Kouri Island and Bise within easy reach. Hotels on Klook →
Hotel links go to Klook's own search for that area, which pays us a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices and availability are Klook's.
Common Questions
1. How much are Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium tickets?
2. Is there a discount after 4pm at Churaumi Aquarium?
3. What are Churaumi Aquarium's opening hours?
4. How do I get to Churaumi Aquarium from Naha?
5. How long do you need at Churaumi Aquarium?
6. What time is the whale shark feeding at Churaumi Aquarium?
7. Is a day tour better than renting a car for Churaumi Aquarium?
8. Can you buy Churaumi Aquarium tickets at the door?
Settle how you get north
¥2,180 at the gate is the easy part. A northern day tour from Naha does the driving; a car from Naha Airport does it on your schedule.