Yanbaru Day Trip by Car: Cape Hedo and Daisekirinzan from Naha

Can you really drive all the way to the northern tip of Okinawa’s main island and back in a single day? From Naha to Cape Hedo it is about three hours each way, even on the expressway. That is not short, but if you set out early, you can fit in sea cliffs, a subtropical forest and some of the island’s quietest scenery in one day trip.

This article gives you a model day-trip route by rental car from Naha Airport, taking in Michi-no-Eki Yuiyui Kunigami, Cape Hedo, Kayauchi Banta and Daisekirinzan (now called ASMUI). Along with opening hours and fees, it covers what matters on a long drive: fuel, dark roads, wildlife, and how to plan your timing backward from your return time.

The Big Picture of a Yanbaru Day Trip

Is a Day Trip Realistic? Round-Trip Driving Time

From Naha Airport to Kyoda IC (the end of the Okinawa Expressway) takes about 1 to 1 hour 15 minutes. From there, driving north on Route 58 to Michi-no-Eki Yuiyui Kunigami in Kunigami Village takes about another hour, and Cape Hedo is roughly 30 to 40 minutes beyond that. Even without traffic, plan on about three hours each way, which means about six hours of driving round trip.

That leaves less time on site than you might expect. Rather than adding more stops, make Cape Hedo, Kayauchi Banta and Daisekirinzan the stars of the day and use everything else for breaks and meals.

Model Schedule

The table below assumes you leave UMUI Rent-a-Car’s Naha Airport store at around 8:30. Times assume no traffic and will shift with breaks and congestion.

As the table shows, most of the drive home happens after dark. If you want more margin, leave at 8:00, or skip Daisekirinzan and focus on Cape Hedo and Kayauchi Banta.

Before You Set Off

Completing online check-in beforehand shortens the paperwork at the counter, so you can leave earlier. On a long day trip, those 15 minutes in the morning translate directly into breathing room on the way back.

If you want to use an ETC card, check when you book that the car has an ETC unit. It also helps to enter your destination in the navigation system before you leave.

Getting North and Stops on the Way

The Okinawa Expressway to Kyoda IC

From Naha Airport, join the Okinawa Expressway at Naha IC and head north to its end at Kyoda IC. Naha IC to Kyoda IC is about 57 km, and the toll for a standard car is 1,040 yen with ETC or 1,610 yen in cash (as of October 2026). A special ETC-only discount is scheduled to apply until March 31, 2027.

After exiting at Kyoda IC, merge onto Route 58 and continue north toward Kunigami Village. Central Nago is the last large town with plenty of gas stations and restaurants.

Michi-no-Eki Yuiyui Kunigami

This roadside station on Route 58 in Okuma, Kunigami Village, is a handy rest stop just before or after entering Yanbaru. Its shop sells local specialties and ingredients from the area, and the restaurant serves dishes such as those made with Kunigami’s branded pork, “Kunjun pork.” Having lunch here on the way north leaves you more time at Cape Hedo and Daisekirinzan.

The restaurant is open 11:00 to 15:00, and it may have regular closing days depending on the season. It is worth checking before you visit.

Hiji Falls (If You Have Time to Spare)

Hiji Falls, near Yuiyui Kunigami, is one of the most popular waterfalls in the north, reached on foot along a trail from the entrance. The trail is about 1.5 km each way with stairs and a suspension bridge, so the round trip and time at the falls take a lot of your day. If you plan to reach Daisekirinzan on this route, you will have almost no room for it. If you want Hiji Falls to be the main event, build the day without Daisekirinzan.

Opening hours are described as changing with the season, so please check the latest information from the official source.

The Far North: Cape Hedo and Kayauchi Banta

Cape Hedo

Cape Hedo is the northernmost point of Okinawa’s main island. A monument stands at the tip of the cape, commemorating the signal fires once lit here in hopes of reversion to Japan. On a clear day, you can see Yoron Island and Okinoerabu Island in Kagoshima Prefecture, about 22 km to the north, and Izena and Iheya islands to the west.

Limestone rocks dot the cape, and you can walk along the paths while looking out at the sea. Because it is an exposed headland, watch that hats and other light items do not blow away on windy days. Some of the ground is uneven, so wear comfortable shoes.

Kayauchi Banta

About five minutes by car from Cape Hedo, this is a sheer sea-cliff viewpoint. From the top of the cliff you look down on the Kunigami coastline and the blue sea beyond. The viewpoint is a short walk from the parking area, so even a quick stop rewards you with the view.

Take care of your footing near the edge of the cliff, and hold the hands of small children.

Yanbaru Is a World Natural Heritage Site

The forests of northern Okinawa Island, including those in Kunigami Village, were inscribed in 2021 as part of the World Natural Heritage site “Amami-Oshima Island, Tokunoshima Island, northern part of Okinawa Island, and Iriomote Island.” It is a precious forest that is home to species found nowhere else, such as the Okinawa rail. When you visit, please do not park by the roadside to wander into the forest or take plants home.

Daisekirinzan (ASMUI Spiritual Hikes)

Daisekirinzan Is Now “ASMUI”

Daisekirinzan in Ginama, Kunigami Village, reopened on December 28, 2024 under the new name “ASMUI Spiritual Hikes.” The name comes from Asumui, the sacred site where, in Ryukyuan mythology, Amamikiyo, the ancestor of the heavenly descendants, is said to have first descended. Many sources still use the old name, so try both names when searching or entering the destination in your navigation system.

Strange rock formations created over a very long time from limestone are scattered through the forest. After check-in you first pass through an area introducing the nature and faith history of Asumui, then enter the forest, with an audio guide to listen to as you walk.

Courses and Time Needed

According to the official website, it takes about 20 to 30 minutes from reception to the starting point, about 60 minutes for the regular course, about 30 minutes for the short course, about 20 minutes for a break at the Spirit Lounge, and 15 to 30 minutes to descend on foot or by bus, for a total of 90 to 150 minutes. Because the shuttle bus is included in the admission, the usual flow is to park the car and take the bus to the starting point.

The walk is not short, so wear walking shoes rather than sandals and bring plenty to drink. If time is tight, the short course is an option.

Tips for Timing Your Visit

The key point is that last entry is 16:00 and the park closes at 17:30. If you only just make the last entry, a leisurely regular course will run right up to closing time. Considering the drive home, aim to enter by 14:00 at the latest and leave the north by 15:30 to 16:00.

Cautions for the Long Drive

Where and When to Refuel

North of Kunigami Village, gas stations become fewer than in towns. Fill the tank in central Nago before you head into the north and you can drive without worrying about the gauge. Fill up in central Nago again on the way back, and you will not be rushing once you are back in Naha.

We could not confirm whether Michi-no-Eki Yuiyui Kunigami has fuel facilities, so please do not count on refueling there.

Dark Mountain Roads After Late Afternoon

Once you leave the towns, northern Route 58 has few street lights and continues with sharp curves and stretches with poor visibility. In autumn and winter the sun sets early and it gets dark around 18:00. Driving unfamiliar roads at night takes far more concentration than in daylight.

To keep the plan manageable, it is important to get through the mountain roads before sunset. Even if you hate to leave the evening scenery, plan to wrap up your time in the north by about 15:30 to 16:00.

Watch for the Okinawa Rail and Other Wildlife

On Yanbaru roads, rare animals such as the Okinawa rail (Yanbaru kuina) may come out onto the road. According to materials from the Ministry of the Environment’s Yanbaru Nature Conservation Office and others, traffic accidents involving the Okinawa rail tend to increase in the April to June breeding season and are said to be most common on Prefectural Road 70 on the east coast side of Kunigami Village. Accidents are said to be most frequent early in the morning (6 to 8 a.m.) and late in the afternoon (4 to 5 p.m.), although there have also been reports of cases at night.

What a driver can do is drive at a speed that lets you stop if an animal runs out. Take particular care where roadside grass overhangs the road, since animals are hard to see. If you find an animal injured in an accident, you are asked to contact the Ministry of the Environment’s Yanbaru Nature Conservation Office (0980-50-1025).

Timing the Drive Home and Returning the Car

Plan Backward from Your Return Time

The key to a day trip is planning backward from your return time. UMUI Rent-a-Car’s Naha Airport store is open until 20:00, but the drive from the north to Naha takes about three hours, and you also need to allow for refueling, breaks and the evening traffic in Naha. If you leave the north at 16:00, returning around 19:00 is realistic.

The Omoromachi store is open 9:00 to 18:00, and the car is returned to the store where you picked it up. On a day trip the return time differs a lot between the Airport store and the Omoromachi store, so check the return store’s opening hours when you book.

Refueling Before Return and Getting to the Airport

The basic rule is to return the car with a full tank. Gas stations near Naha Airport can get crowded with cars about to be returned, so it helps to fill up in central Nago or along the road before you reach Naha.

After you return the car to the Naha Airport store, we take you to the airport by free shuttle. If you have a flight the same day, count back from your departure time including the return procedure and the shuttle.

Yanbaru Day Trip FAQ

Day Trip or Overnight: Which Is Better?

You can cover Cape Hedo, Kayauchi Banta and Daisekirinzan in a day, but it means about six hours of driving round trip. If you also want Hiji Falls or the Nakijin and Motobu area, an overnight stay in the north gives you more breathing room.

Can a First-Time Driver Handle It?

The expressway and Route 58 are relatively easy roads. However, the mountain roads in the north have sharp curves, stretches with poor visibility and animals that may run out. Drive slowly and keep a generous distance from the car ahead.

The sea and forest at the northern tip, three hours from Naha, are the kind of scenery that makes a day trip feel worth it. UMUI Rent-a-Car’s Naha Airport store opens at 8:00, which makes an early start easier. We hope you will consider us for your trip to Yanbaru.

* Opening hours, fees and other information in this article are as of October 2026. They are subject to change, so please check each facility’s official website before you go. Travel times are estimates without traffic.

Photo credits: Wikimedia Commons (CC0 / CC BY-SA 4.0). Photographers are credited in each photo caption.