Island Hopping Tours
ishigaki-japan.com has teamed up with a one of Ishigaki's most established tour companies to bring you a huge range of island-hopping day trips. For the most part tours are conducted in Japanese, but all international travellers will be provided with an explanatory pamphlet which is written in English. English-speaking tour assistants are also available at an additional cost.
Staff will arrange and schedule all relevant transportation throughout the tours such as ferries, buses and river boat services. Many tours include optional extras, such as authentic Japanese lunches and guided canoeing excursions. A tour can be created which suits your particular needs and interests.
Popular Tours
“Sangara Falls” Canoe and Trekking Tour – Iriomote Island
Adult: ¥14,500 ¥Child: 11,000
This full-day tour begins with a ferry ride to the port of Uehara where you will be greeted by staff who will take you to the tour base where we'll change clothes and board canoes. After paddling up the beautiful, mangrove-lined, Nishita river, we'll moor our canoes and take a 50 minute trek through the jungle. On arriving at Sangara Falls guests will be provided with a Japanese lunch box and you'll have plenty of time to bathe or simply relax while taking in the beauty of the waterfall and its surroundings.
An Expedition to Iriomote's Last Paradise - Funauki Bay Tour (Apr - Sep)
Adult: ¥16,800 ¥Child: 11,700 (A shorter, cheaper version of this tour is also available during the low-season)
Explore one of least accessible areas of Iriomote's coastline in this tour of Funauki bay.
The tour starts with a bus trip down Iriomote's west coast to the port of Shirahama where you'll board a boat for a tour of Funauki bay. We'll stop off at Uchibanare island to enjoy a slice of history at the now deserted coal mining settlement before heading up the mangrove-lined Mizuochi river to view its waterfall.
After arriving back at the village of Funauki you'll be treated to a tour of the black pearl cultivation facility. All guests will be served with a traditional Japanese lunch prepared with fresh, locally-sourced ingredients (included in tour cost). Once lunch has settled we'll embark on a short trek through the jungle to Ida beach. Here you'll have plenty of time to cool off while swimming or snorkeling at this beautiful spot which sees very few tourists.
On the way back to Uehara port we'll make a stop at Irimote's famous 'Hoshizuna beach' where you'll get the chance to search for star sand.
Taketomi Island Tour
Adult: ¥5,800 ¥Child: 3,500
Marvel at the beauty of Yaeyama's coral reefs via a glass-bottomed boat during this three hour trip to Taketomi island.
A mini bus will take you the islands most interesting spots, such as the beautiful beaches of Kondoi and Kaiji (which is famous for its unusual star-shaped sand). Relax while winding through Taketomi's traditional village on a water buffalo-drawn cart before heading back to Ishigaki.
Other Tours
The tours listed above represent some of the most popular options, but there are dozens of tours on offer, including day-trips to the islands of Kohama, Kuroshima and Hateruma, along with alternative day-trips to Iriomote.
Claim Your 10% Discount
All of ishigaki-japan.com's visitors are entitled to a 10% discount off any of Hirata Tourism's tours, including those not listed above. To qualify simply state that you are a visitor to ishigaki-japan.com when booking your tour (for peace of mind you may wish to download our discount voucher). By mentioning us you not only pay less, but you are supporting our ongoing efforts to document this beautiful chain of islands.
An information desk targeted at supporting foreign travellers is located on the right hand side of Hirata's ferry terminal office. If you have any queries about tour options don't hesitate to speak to their friendly, English-speaking staff.
Hirata's Yaeyama information desk office is located in Ishigaki's outer island ferry terminal. They have a wide range of tours on offer and their friendly team of English-speaking staff are more than happy to help you plan an exciting day trip.
