From Naha Airport
Located 15 minutes away via taxi or 30 minutes via monorail, Tomari Port is where you will start your journey to Zamami.
To Tomari Port:
Via Monorail:
Take the monorail from the airport station to Miebashi Station, 7 stops away (14 minutes). Walk another 10 minutes to reach Tomari Port.
Via Bus:
From the airport bus terminal, bus lines 26 or 99 will take you to Tomari Takahashi in around 30 minutes.
Via Taxi:
About 15 minutes from the airport for about 1500 yen. There is a small but significant distance between the High-speed boat departure point and Ferry Zamami departure point. Make sure to tell the driver you want to go to Tomari-Ko-hokugan (泊港北岸）for the Queen Zamami.
From Tomari Port to Zamami Village
There are two ships that service Zamami Village:
the Ferry Zamami 3 and the High-Speed Queen Zamami. Departure times for both boats vary depending on the season, so please make sure to double check the time schedule.
Both boats depart from Tomari Port in Naha, but not from the same location (5 min. walking distance). There is a ticket office next to each departure location.
The Queen Zamami takes 50-70 minutes to reach Zamami or Aka island. It's perfect for a day trip or to take advantage of the later departure time to spend even more time on Zamami.
The Ferry Zamami 3 is a large luxurious ferry that travels to Aka Island in 1.5 hours and to Zamami Island in 2 hours. The ferry is equipped with stabilizers that allow it to sail smoothly even on choppy waters. It runs once a day.
Between islands (Zamami Island - Aka/Geruma Islands - Tokashiki Island)
Between Zamami Island and Aka/Geruma Islands
Zamami Village is made up of many uninhabited islands and three inhabited islands: Zamami Island, Aka Island, and Geruma Island. Although Aka and Geruma are connected by a bridge, you have to take a boat if you want to reach Zamami Island.
The most common way of commuting between the islands is to get on the small inter-village ship Mitsushima. It runs 6 times a day.
In addition to Mitsushima, you may also take the Ferry Zamami or the high-speed boat Queen Zamami to get to the other islands of the village when these two boats are on their way from/to Naha. Please consult the timetable.
Between Zamami Village (Zamami, Aka and Geruma) and Tokashiki (Aharen Port)
The small Mitsushima ferry that connects Zamami Island and Aka/Geruma Islands also goes to Tokashiki Island (Aharen Port) twice a day. To go to Tokashiki Island, you need to make a booking until 5pm on the previous day.
Alternative Routes
There are two other ways to get to Zamami Village from Naha (and from Zamami Village to Naha). These alternative routes tend to be used only in case of boat cancelations. They are much more expensive than normal boat crossing and they require significantly more planning. Please note that if the weather worsens dramatically (e.g. in the case of a typhoon), you will not be able to take these alternative routes.
- Helicopter (Naha Airport - Kerama Airport). One company operates a helicopter charter from Naha Airport. The fees are reduced significantly in case of boat cancelations. Company website (jp).
- Crossing via Tokashiki Island. It may happen that the boats to and from Zamami get cancelled, but those to/from Tokashiki Island operate normally. If this is the case, you can get to Zamami by crossing from Tokashiki Island. You will need to take the following route (both directions possible):
1. Naha - Tokashiki Port (Tokashiki Island). You will first need to go to Tomari port (Naha) and get on the Ferry Tokashiki that will take you to Tokashiki port.
2. Tokashiki Port - Aharen Port. Once you have arrived in Tokashiki Port, you will need to cross the island to go to the second port of Tokashiki Island: Aharen port. This crossing can be made by bus or taxi.
3. Aharen Port - Zamami. Once in Aharen Port, you will need to take a private charter boat to get to Zamami.