Kerama Islands ferry: Tomari Port, boats and booking

The ferry from Naha to the Kerama Islands that this page covers leaves from Tomari Port, a port known as Tomarin that sits on Route 58 and about 700 m from Miebashi Station.⁸ The village tourism association describes two vessels that serve it: the high-speed Queen Zamami, which leaves from the north pier, and Ferry Zamami 3, the slower and roomier boat.^1,2 They do not share a pier, and that catches first-time travelers out.

Leave time to walk between the ticket office and the boat. The Zamami Village Office says the walk from the Tomarin ticket office to the high-speed boat pier takes about 10 minutes.⁹ If you arrive from Naha Airport, the tourism association gives a taxi ride of about 15 minutes, which can drop you at either terminal.¹⁰ The monorail to Miebashi Station takes about 14 minutes plus a 10-minute walk, and bus 26 or 99 from the domestic terminal takes around 30 minutes.¹¹

A tour avoids the puzzle. Our full-day listing includes pickup from one of 19 options in Naha, among them DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Naha, Hotel AZAT Naha and Orion Hotel Naha, and the port transfer is a 30-minute car ride. The note on paid parking at the port, 500 yen per day, applies only if you drive there yourself. You step onto a boat chosen by the operator, and the pier puzzle becomes the operator's problem.

The Zamami Village Office publishes its fares in yen, and they are the only fares worth trusting because the village runs both boats. For an adult leaving Naha, the high-speed Queen Zamami costs 3,950 yen one-way and 7,510 yen round-trip.³ Ferry Zamami costs 2,900 yen one-way and 5,510 yen round-trip.⁴ Children, groups and disabled passengers pay other fares, listed on the same page, and the village can change them, so check the current table before you budget.

One small extra applies to everyone who is not exempt. The village collects a 100 yen island entry tax, called the Churashima tax, per person from visitors boarding a ship to Zamami Village.²⁰ It is easy to forget when you are counting coins at a ticket window. A cash-only village is a reminder to carry yen, and the tourism association says most shops accept only cash.²³ The islands have no convenience stores either, so coins and notes for small purchases matter.²⁴

Set those fares beside a guided day. Our listing starts from $83 for 7 hours with the crossings and the instructors in the price, while the ferry fare covers the boat alone and leaves gear, guiding and lunch to you. The half-day listing at the lower end starts from $44 and lasts 3 hours. Compare what each includes, not just the number, and remember that a GetYourGuide from price is a starting point that varies with date and group size.

Boats between Naha and Zamami Village may be canceled in strong wind or high waves, and the decision is made each morning around 8 AM for that day.⁷ The Zamami Village Office timetable carries the same warning, telling travelers that schedule changes or cancellations can be decided because of rough seas and to check for updates before the trip.²⁸ Check the village's boat status page on the morning you travel, not the night before.

Money is returned in one case that matters. If you paid for an online booking and the boat is cancelled because of the weather, you are refunded automatically.²⁹ If you booked a guided tour on GetYourGuide, the listing says the destination may change or the plan be cancelled by the weather on the day, and free cancellation runs up to 24 hours before for a full refund. Those are different rules for different products, so read the one you bought.

Plan slack at both ends. If you are sleeping on the islands, a cancelled boat can strand you, and the tourism association says neither the village nor any other organization in it can be held responsible if weather-related cancellations stop you leaving the next day.³⁰ A day trip with a flexible ticket carries much less exposure, because you sleep in Naha either way. Rough days can also delay the return, so keep your last evening in Naha free and avoid a flight on the same night.