I recently did a workation (work + vacation) in Okinawa, Japan’s subtropical island prefecture, and put it together as a model itinerary. To keep any trouble from affecting my job too much, this plan includes just a single workday.
This is a 5-day, 4-night itinerary: depart on an evening flight, then one day of paid leave, one workday, and the weekend.
Note that this plan assumes you can use portable Wi-Fi or tethering. Bring a portable charger too, so you don’t end up hunting for power outlets.
So without further ado, here is an itinerary that lets you enjoy both work and vacation!
Day 1 - Wednesday -
18:30 Meet at the airport
I left work on time and headed straight to the airport. Even after arriving, I kept working in the lounge while having a light meal. (I could go on forever about airport lounges, so I’ll skip that here.) Since this is a “workation,” not a “vacation,” I make sure to work properly on any day I’m not on paid leave, so the job doesn’t suffer.
23:00 Arrive at Naha Airport
After landing at Naha Airport, I hurried to the Yui Rail (monorail) station at the airport to catch the last train.
23:45 Arrive at the hotel
It was quite late by then, so I got ready for bed in a hurry. Good night.
Day 2 - Thursday -
Today I used my day of paid leave for a day trip to Tokashiki Island, easily reachable from Naha.
7:30 Wake up & breakfast
I stayed at a hotel near Tomari Port, where the ferry to Tokashiki Island departs, so I didn’t have to rush through breakfast or getting ready.
9:00 Depart
Head to Tomari Port.
9:20 Arrive at Tomari Port
Buy your ferry ticket to Tokashiki Island at Tomari Port. A round-trip ticket was cheaper, so that’s what I got! During tourist season, booking online in advance is apparently the safest bet.
10:00 Depart for Tokashiki Island
Board the ferry and set off for Tokashiki Island.
11:10 Arrive at Tokashiki Island
After a 70-minute boat ride, we arrived at Tokashiki Port!
11:30 Local bus to Aharen Beach
To get to Aharen Beach, the island’s most famous beach, take the local bus. Walk to the right after getting off the ferry and you’ll find the bus stop. If you want to visit other beaches or lookout points, there are also tours and bike rentals available.
11:45 Arrive at Aharen Beach
I wanted to head straight for that beautiful water, but unfortunately it was cloudy. The forecast said it would clear up soon, so I trusted it and had lunch first. A cat was lounging by the roadside.
12:00 Lunch
I had vegetable soba at a place called Barrack. Locals told me “this place is delicious!”, so I clearly made the right choice.
12:45 To the sea
Sure enough, the sun came out! I headed to the beach grinning (or maybe smirking) with excitement.
Just look at this water! The vivid light blue completely captivated me. I’m sorry I ever thought “resort beaches are all pretty much the same, right?”… It was absolutely worth coming all the way to this island.
I also met a shisa (Okinawa’s traditional lion-dog guardian statue) with quite a personality.
13:30 To the observation deck
I went to the observation deck near the beach. Just a heads-up: the stairs on the way were overgrown with weeds, so you might want to protect your ankles with socks… The view from the top stretched far into the distance.
14:00 To the bus stop
Walk slowly along the beach back to the bus stop.
14:30 Bus to Tokashiki Port
It was hard to leave, but with the ferry schedule to keep, I boarded the bus. Next time I’d love to stay overnight at an inn on Tokashiki Island and take it slow.
15:30 Ferry departs
Another 70-minute boat ride, same as the way there. On the lowest deck you can apparently lie down during the crossing, so if you’re worn out from playing, give it a try.
17:10 Arrive at Tomari Port
Head back to the hotel.
18:30 A swim in the hotel pool
The hotel had a pool, so I went for a swim before dinner.
I have to admit, my stamina impresses even me. (laughs)
20:00 Dinner
I got takeout and ate it at a relaxed pace in my hotel room. Work tomorrow, so it’s early to bed.
Day 3 - Friday -
Now let me walk you through the workday schedule. Being at a resort is all the more reason to work even more efficiently than usual!
8:30 Arrive at Umikaji Terrace on Senaga Island
I got up early, took the monorail to Akamine Station, then transferred to a bus to reach Umikaji Terrace on Senaga Island, a Mediterranean-style seaside shopping complex near the airport. “Umikaji” means sea breeze in the Okinawan dialect. (If you prefer slow mornings or worry about battery life, definitely stay at a hotel on Senaga Island. Once I earn a bit more, I’ll stay there too. (laughs))
8:45 Start working on the terrace
Working on a seaside terrace feels wonderful. Whenever I looked up, tired from computer work, a beautiful sea spread out before me. The cat looked pretty comfortable too.
11:00 Lunch
The restaurants open around this time, so I worked while having lunch. It was a weekday and still early, so it wasn’t crowded and I could take my time, but on busy days this schedule might be difficult.
12:00 To Ryujin-no-Yu, a hot spring bath with an ocean view
Since I was there anyway, I wanted to soak in a hot spring while gazing at the beautiful blue sea, so I squeezed in a quick bath during my lunch break. I couldn’t linger, but the view was spectacular and it even fixed my stiff shoulders — a lovely time.
13:00 Back to work
There were tables in what seemed to be the rest area at Ryujin-no-Yu, so I worked there for a bit. Camping out for hours would be bad manners, but I think it’s fine to use it for about as long as anyone else does, during off-peak hours!
14:30
I moved to a cute cider (soda) shop to continue working. I’ll be putting in unpaid overtime anyway, so please forgive me for spending a little time photographing the cider…! (laughs)
15:30 Working while changing spots now and then
To be honest, this was the time of day when finding a place to work was hardest on this whole workation. I could have rotated through a few cafes, but I got tired of second-guessing “how long is it okay to stay here?”, so I moved to a bench on high ground and worked there. For situations like this where a mouse is hard to use, I recommend mastering keyboard shortcuts! (laughs) Not just the Ctrl-based ones — getting comfortable with the Alt-based shortcuts in Office software is incredibly handy too. Or you could go with a Mac laptop and its excellent trackpad.
17:30 Wrap up work for now & sunset
The sunset over the calm sea was the best. I’m so glad it was sunny.
18:30 Back to the hotel
After the sunset, I headed back to the hotel by bus and monorail. I still had work I wanted to finish that day, so dinner was takeout again. On the way back, I made a detour to buy an unlimited-ride pass for the airport shuttle bus. (You can also buy it at the Naha Airport tourist information center, but it doesn’t open until 9:00, so if you want to catch the 9:00 bus you need to buy in advance.)
20:30 One more push of work
I worked until I reached a good stopping point. Not cutting corners on the work — that’s what a workation is about! (laughs)
23:30 Bedtime
Once work was done, I got ready for bed right away to rest up for the next day.
Day 4 - Saturday -
The weekend is here! To enjoy Okinawa without a car, I used the airport shuttle bus from Naha Airport. If you follow the sightseeing plan below, the unlimited-ride pass is the better deal.
8:00 Leave the hotel
Head from the hotel to the bus terminal at Naha Airport. I left a little early and bought tickets for Churaumi Aquarium at a convenience store on the way. (It’s slightly cheaper than buying them at the aquarium on the day.)
9:00 Depart Naha Airport
Hop on the bus at the airport and off we go!
10:48 Arrive at Nabee Beach
Arrival at Nabee Beach. The buses don’t run very often, so I recommend passing Sun Marina Beach and going to Nabee Beach first — that way you can secure enough time to enjoy both beaches!
A smiling shisa welcomes you. If you sit next to it, you can take a photo that looks like it’s patting your head.
11:56 Depart Nabee Beach
Take the bus to Sun Marina Beach. Because of the bus schedule, it’s one stop backwards. (laughs)
12:09 Arrive at Sun Marina Beach
Sun Marina Beach is inside the Sheraton Okinawa Sunmarina Resort, but non-guests can use it too. I lazed in a hammock, tried the zipline that flies out over the water, and thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful sea. I also had lunch at the resort’s restaurant.
13:50 Depart Sun Marina Beach
Off to Churaumi Aquarium in the north of Okinawa. It’s a fairly long ride, so you could nap, but I recommend taking a seat on the ocean side and enjoying the view from the window. Riding along beside that beautiful sea feels amazing!!
15:32 Arrive at Churaumi Aquarium
Here we are at Churaumi Aquarium, one of Japan’s most famous aquariums.
Pass through the exhibits of adorable fish…
…and on to the famous whale shark area.
17:00 Dolphin show
Exit the aquarium building and keep walking, and you’ll reach the pool where the dolphin show is held.
18:00 Depart Churaumi Aquarium
Take the bus back to Naha. Unlike the way there, you ride from one end of Okinawa to the other in one go, so it feels long — but sleep through it and you’ll be fine!
21:30 Arrive at the hotel
I keep ending every night with “went to bed early,” and I’d love to defy expectations for once, but yes — this night was another early one.
Day 5 - Sunday -
Evening flights get quite a bit more expensive, so this time I left Okinawa around midday.
10:00 Around Shuri Castle
Thinking “if Shuri Castle is ever rebuilt, I’d love to come see it,” I strolled around the area near the castle (the historic Ryukyu royal palace, badly damaged by fire in 2019), bought some bread at a bakery, and headed for the airport.
12:00 Arrive at the airport
I ate the bread in the airport lounge and boarded my flight.
Final thoughts
So there you have it — a workation plan that’s easy to start with, simply by adding one day of work to your trip.
On my workday I happened to have no client meetings, so it worked out fine, but if meetings do come up, quietly working from your hotel room is probably the safer choice.
It’s basic advice, but do bring a privacy filter for your laptop screen — always.