Churaumi Aquarium and Sightseeing Bus Tour (from Naha, Ginowan, Chatan and Onna) reviews, Okinawa Main Island tours & activities, fun things to do in Okinawa Main Island (With pictures only) | VELTRA

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Churaumi Aquarium and Sightseeing Bus Tour (from Naha, Ginowan, Chatan and Onna)

Overall Rating

4.25 4.25 / 5

Reviews

100 reviews
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Good day trip.

Reviewed by: Evelyn, 2020/03/05

Enjoyed day trip. Not enough time to see dolphine show.

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2020/02/29
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Fishtastic

Reviewed by: Greg , 2020/02/19

We had an amazing experience at the aquarium it is a long bus ride but there is a lot to see on the way there including the beautiful ocean once at the aquarium seeing the whale sharks was magnificent watching them feed the whale sharks was absolutely amazing and to think that they actually release them back into the ocean after they’re done studying them is amazing. I would definitely recommend.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2020/02/17
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One day tour at churaumi aquarium.. Easy For those who do not drive.

Reviewed by: Celia , 2020/02/19

I have read good reviews for this trip and just nice that we lucky to get the rebate ( 2 for 1) promo.. So we book the trip!!!

Meeting point : The pick up point is not clearly indicate .. We just know that is at the hotel.. We reached early and scare that we might miss the bus .. Lucky we ask the hotel lobby, yes is the correct place... I suggest that can take picture where is the pick up point and shown at booking page is the best.. Attendance was smooth and easy.. Puncture and fast.. The tour leader couldn't speak english .. But anyway we still OK ..

Lunch at the restaurant opp the sweet potato shop is great.. The udon is nice !

Everyplace given time is just nice except that I prefer the churaumi aquarium to have longer time..
The tour leader bring us to the entry , give us the tickets and also give clear instructions where is the meet up point .. I thk 150min is not enough because what if is elderly ? They have no enough time to look around .. And walk back the carpark is a super long distance for them ..

Pineapple park: it a just mini park wit shopping area .. Time spent here is just nice .. Those do not want shopping can go take pictures outside the shop ..

Overall : it is a good experience .. Those who do not drive can join this tour!!!
We will recommend this to my friends and families ...

  • Cape

Rating:
Attended as:Friends
Activity Date:2020/02/14
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Big Fish!

Reviewed by: Greg , 2020/02/17

The aquarium was a wonderful experience it’s just amazing to see whale sharks in captivity I hope they do catch and release like what I was told The aquarium by far was the best aquarium I have been to little bit of a long bus ride but the scenery along way spray nice all in all it was worth the adventure.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2020/02/17
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Good Experience

Reviewed by: Panida Pureepatipan , 2020/02/11

I’m from Thailand and took this tour with my friend on February 3rd, my chose this tour because we didn’t have a car and saw this tour online with good reviews. On the day we took the tour it started right on time with friendly staff and comfortable ride on the bus. Everything on the schedule was accurate, only negative part was guide not able to speak English but was very helpful to make us comfortable. We love the experience will definitely come back again with friends and family to take this tour again.

  • Our tour guide

Rating:
Attended as:Friends
Activity Date:2020/02/03
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Great day spent with my family.

Reviewed by: haiyen , 2020/01/31

Was lucky to get the rebate plan (2for 1) (rebate will only come in after review) for our trip.
As my family and I weren’t prepared for this trip due to our busy schedule, I only booked it on 22nd Jan(midnight) when I was already in Okinawa. It was confirmed very quickly with details sent within 10hours.

Pickup:
The pickup was at hotel lobby(wasn’t clear on pickup point)
The bus was a little late that day, made my mom frantic and afraid that we were at the wrong pickup point. Attendance was easy and smooth.

First 2 locations:
Scenic and the time given was just perfect. There isn’t much around the area so have a good look & take photos & move on.

Lunch: I DIDN’T GET TO EAT LUNCH
The restaurant opposite the shopping place was full and had no seats to accommodate more guest. There wasn’t any selection to choose lunch so I didn’t get to eat. :)))) again, there weren’t other restaurants to eat at other than a buffet hotpot. Lunchtime was about 50mins so no buffet, don’t waste money.

Churaumi:
Easy & smooth entry. Reach around 2 pm
The bus was to leave at 4 pm. Ok here’s what I’m ??? about:
Dolphin show was 3pm & 3.30pm(dolphin feeding) finishes at about 3.50pm. Bus Bay is 10-15mins of walk back, so we rushed. Imagine elderlies walking, it would take time quite a while. The bus should leave at 4.15 pm for guest to enjoy the shows.

Nago pineapple park:
Time should be extended by 10mins.

Overall, good experience. The guide distributed snacks and kept doing headcounts before we left just to Ensure everyone’s on board. She was very friendly too!

That’s all folks!

  • cape manzamo

  • Nago pineapple park

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2020/01/24
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24 Jan 2020. Worth the price.

Reviewed by: Lek, 2020/01/28

only booked it on 22nd Jan(midnight) when I was already in Okinawa. It was confirmed very quickly with details sent within 10hours.

So pickup:
Pickup was at hotel lobby(wasn’t clear on pickup point)
Bus was a little late that day, made my mom frantic and afraid that we were at the wrong pickup point. Attendance was easy and smooth.

First 2 locations:
Scenic and the time given was just perfect. There isn’t much around the area so have a good look & take photos & move on.

Lunch: I DIDN’T GET TO EAT LUNCH
lunch place was full and had no seats to accommodate more guest. There wasn’t any selection to choose lunch so I didn’t get to eat. :)))) again, there wasn’t other restaurants to eat at other than a buffet hotpot. Lunch time was about 50mins so no buffet, don’t waste money.

Churaumi:
Easy & smooth entry. Reach around 2pm
Bus was to leave at 4pm. Ok here’s what I’m ??? about:
Dolphin show was 3pm & 3.30pm(dolphin feeding) finishes at about 3.50pm. Bus Bay is 10-15mins of walk back WE RUSHED BACK. Imagine elderlies walking, it would take time quite awhile. Bus should leave at 4.15pm for guest to enjoy the shows.

Nago pineapple park:
Time should be extended by 10mins.

Overall, good experience. guide kept doing headcounts before we left just to Ensure everyone’s on board. They were very friendly too!

That’s all folks!

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2020/01/24
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Great Tour to Explore Okinawa

Reviewed by: Ninna, 2020/01/22

My friends and I enjoyed this full day tour offered by Veltra. We did not rent a car during our trip to Okinawa (and in Okinawa, if is very difficult to move around without a car) so we found the bus service very convenient. We were picked up at our hotel in Chatan which was very convenient as well. Not to mention that this tour made us go to different tourist spots in Okinawa at a very affordable price!

Booking this tour went smooth as well. We did not have any planned itinerary for our Okinawa trip due to our pretty busy schedule but we’re glad we found this online. We booked our tour a day before our scheduled trip (luckily they still have available slots!). Everything went fine and smooth, our trip was confirmed shortly.

We had a pleasant time during the trip. We were able to pass through some of the beautiful beaches in Okinawa. The Churaumi Aquarium experience was also great. We had fun watching the dolphin show. Too bad though we lack time to tour the entire park.

The tour guide does not speak English but we can see her effort to guide us in any way possible. We did not have any problem with communication at all since there is an English audio inside the bus.

Would definitely recommend this tour to my family and friends who will visit Okinawa in the future. :)

Rating:
Attended as:Friends
Activity Date:2020/01/16
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Fun Tour with Great Activities but maybe better Planning would be Nice

Reviewed by: Nathan, 2019/12/30

The tour was really fun with a lot of great places to visit and see along the way. I especially loved the aquarium but would’ve appreciated some more time there since it’s the biggest one out of all of the tourist attraction points. The bus tour guide was very friendly and they were also very patient as to wait for everybody to come back before departing.

I really enjoyed the places that we went to but didn’t realize that they took so much time to enjoy and walk through. Especially if you want to go and shop after the activity there wasn’t much time to shop at all. They did mention the big market as an alternative but it can be quite hard to find things you would at the attraction.

I think they could’ve been more accurate with the description of the bus as it said “blue bus with an aquarium logo” but what showed up was a beige bus with a orange and green stripe through the middle so me and other tour goers actually couldn’t find it for 20+ minutes.

If you’re looking for a fast paced tour to see a lot of things then this is probably the tour for you. But I was kind of hoping for more time to shop and be able to actually read the information about things.

  • Aquarium

Rating:
Attended as:Friends
Activity Date:2019/12/27
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Disappointed.

Reviewed by: Laura, 2019/12/27

We were given the option to pre-order Okinawan soba on the bus ahead of the stop at Okashi Goten. We chose not to order as we wanted to look at other options. When we arrived, the pre-ordered food was ready on the tables. We only had 35 minutes at this stop and as the restaurant was busy we didn’t risk ordering food.

Churaumi Aquarium is lovely and you could easily spend a full day there. I recommend checking the times for the planetarium as we were sad to miss this!

I was most excited for Pineapple Park and had assumed that despite the pineapple cart ticket not being included in the tour, we would still have the opportunity to do it out of our own pocket. This is not the case. Instead we were given a ticket for the “shopping route” which meant we didn’t see ANY of the park and instead spent the 30 minutes walking through a big long gift shop. There was free wine samples but I could’ve done with a full glass after this long day.

Rating:
Attended as:Friends
Activity Date:2019/12/27
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Great tour at a fantastic price

Reviewed by: Belle, 2019/12/13

Fantastic tour with a very informative and friendly guide and a friendly driver. The schedule was quite well arranged--nothing felt particularly hurried although that could be because we had expected that all stops outside of the main aquarium one would be brief.

The lunch option (available for an additional 1000yen) was very good--beautiful environment and good food at a fair price. For travellers staying in Naha, I'd recommend skipping the Okashigoten shop there (there's a similar one in Naha with the same prices at which the provided coupon can be used) and exploring/ eating lunch instead.

Travellers who wish to visit the Pineapple Park in great detail should note that this tour makes but a brief stop there. There appears to be a few courses available at the Park but the tour only had time for the shopping course. There was barely any time left at the end of the free wine tasting (which I would highly recommend--the wines are pretty interesting) so travellers who wish to make purchases should be quick.

2.5 hours was plenty for the aquarium and the bus was timed such that tour participants had just enough time to catch the dolphin show at the end. Visiting other attractions, however, might be a bit of a squeeze since the park is quite large, as is the aquarium.

Overall, the tour was a great way to see a lot of Okinawa in a day at a very affordable price. Although the guide and driver didn't speak much English, they did their best and it wasn't a large problem. Would recommend!

  • View from the bus!

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2019/12/09
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Great way to see a lot when you have a short amount of time!

Reviewed by: lesmizgirl, 2019/12/10

Nice ride around Okinawa
Loved being able to see a lot without having to drive around with three small children.
They loved the aquarium and I appreciated the lunch and small gifts that came with trip.
Would definitely recommend this to others.

Rating:
Attended as:Families with Young Children
Activity Date:2019/08/20
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Great tour highly recommend

Reviewed by: Ray Lugo of NJ, 2019/08/12

I was the only American that day on the bus but they provided me with a translator radio which explained the areas we drove through in English so I learned a lot about the areas along the beautiful coastal drive leading to the Aquarium.

Rating:
Attended as:Solo Travelers
Activity Date:2019/08/10
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A fun trip to Nago!

Reviewed by: Anonymous , 2019/07/16

Overall, it was an enjoyable trip. We had chance to see many nice places. The scenery was very nice at the place we had lunch.
The pineapple garden was really nice but we could have spent more time there. 40 minutes was not enough to explore the garden and do shopping. Unfortunately, we had to wait for a family for 25 minutes even though it stated that people who didn't arrive on time needed to go to the next destination by themselves.
Aquarium was good as well.

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2019/07/10
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A long way to the aquarium.. and too short time there

Reviewed by: Magokoro, 2019/06/21

I booked this tour because of the promised visit to the butterfly farm and Churaumi aquarium. But on the tour I’ve realized that it doesn’t include butterfly farm since April 2019 even though it is still in the program.. We stopped in a few shops for tourists (including pineapple farm that suits kids) till we got to the aquarium after 4.5 hours on the road (direct driving on highway from Naha takes about an hour to there). In aquarium we were given 3 hours but I needed 4-5 hours to see other facilities as well. The place is huge and 3 hours would be enough only to see the aquarium.
On the way back we stopped again in the place selling local sweets for tourists, when most of these sweets can be found at the airport so it was waste of time again.. we were only 6 people on a cloudy day of the rainy season so I returned to Naha at 6 p.m (last drop off) but I can imagine that the way back can take 2 hours more just for dropping off every participant in different locations..

  • On the way to the aquarium

  • Watching whale shark and other 145 species of sea creatures in captivity

Rating:
Attended as:Solo Travelers
Activity Date:2019/06/19
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There was no English language in record. But everything was ok.

Reviewed by: Aleksandr, 2018/06/18

)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

  • We were not alone)))

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2018/06/16
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See a lot in one day

Reviewed by: Michelle Meas, 2018/06/11

This tour was really good for visiting many places in one day at a really inexpensive price. I went to four really interesting spots.
While there was an English audio guide on the bus, it wasn't that good and the actual guide doesn't speak English. Which is fine because you don't necessarily need that because most of the location had employees that do speak some English. Also the tour guide sang a few, what I assume, traditional Ryukyu songs.
I wish I had more time in some places and less in others, but like I said for the price it can't be beat. Just be prepared for a long bus ride.

Rating:
Attended as:Solo Travelers
Activity Date:2018/06/09
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Fun time, bring your own snacks

Reviewed by: Kelly, 2018/05/18

The Good:
Overall a very good time, had lots of fun at all 3 attractions, though I would have loved more time to spend at the Charaumi Aquarium.

I really do recommend the butterfly garden--even if you can't book this tour, that was a really lovely experience, would have loved to spend more time there as well.

Despite the "English Audio" label, neither tour guide or driver could really speak or understand English, but the trip still went really smoothly despite that. I think I missed some extra info (like special highlights of the area, or feeding times for the animals), but the tour guide was really nice, and really tried to be helpful despite the language gap.

The Bad:
My trip started at 8AM when the bus picked me up and ended at 6PM, and while the trip hit 4 different gift stores, they mainly sell a wide variety of sweets. Lunch wound up being a bowl of ramen soup--tasty, but it's not enough to cover breakfast and dinner together.

I didn't like the final gift store that was part of the "free little gift" package, where we got a free cookie with any other purchase, because by the end of the day I was ready for my hotel and real food. However--and I'm assuming the tour company was getting a kick-back from the store--we were parked there for 30 minutes, and after 10 minutes 90% of the group was sitting on the bus waiting to leave.

I realize "dumping tourists in a gift-store" is a common business practice, but when you're inconveniencing and irritating most of your guests, you should probably stop it.

Rating:
Attended as:Solo Travelers
Activity Date:2018/04/22
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Made Northern Okinawa Accessible!

Reviewed by: Allen, 2017/10/25

We were in Chatan for diving and a typhoon prevented our plans! The aquarium and other sights sounded so good but we hadn't prepared to rent a car, and thought it was going to not happen...

Fortunately this tour allowed us to see the sights and aquarium in a single day at a reasonable cost. Many more things were provided in the package than expected! The staff was friendly, and everything went off without a hitch.

A note, the tour will be focused on the primary language of the participants, and instructions and timelines are provided in several languages. The language practice was very good though, the tour program reviewed local names, crops, and history.
Our tour guide even went as far to sing a couple folk songs!

A good way to pack a day full of activities.

  • Butterflies!

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2017/10/23
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A super bargain for a super place

Reviewed by: Still Just Jerry, 2017/10/17

The tour guide spoke entirely in Japanese so if you are an English speaker, don't expect much from the running commentary. But the trip through the less populated areas of the island, the views from the windows, all were very good. The cost of the entire trip was less than bus fare round trip, and included a couple of interesting side trips. The pineapple farm was pretty, smelled good, and was loaded with interesting gift shops. The butterfly exhibit, where we were provided a simple Soba noodle lunch, was unexpectedly pleasant. Though getting older and a bit run down, the butterflies were gorgeous. I am sure you will read lots about Churaumi elsewhere. Just understand the the pictures I took of the whale shark are the most impressive to all my friends. It is beautiful, and the design of the tank puts him right above you when he swoops by.

You will find yourself wanting to go back, as the 3 hours passes by very quickly. A great tour for a great price. A day well spent!

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2017/09/22
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Cost Efficient Way to Visit the Aquarium and more

Reviewed by: Victoria L, 2017/10/15

The tour was very punctual and the tour guide was very nice and professional. She even gave out some treats during the long ride between destinations. Overall, great value and comfortable ride to and back from the aquarium. It's a much longer journey time-wise due to the multiple stops to pick up additional customers, but if you're looking for a cost-efficient way to visit the aquarium, this one-day tour is a great option to consider, especially taking into account how many other additional sites are included.

  • Bus driver placing the sign indicating departure time.

  • Admission to aquarium is included in the tour price.

Rating:
Attended as:Solo Travelers
Activity Date:2017/09/24
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Loads of fun disputes the rain

Reviewed by: Jess, 2017/05/07

This tour was great fun. The pineapple park wasn't a long visit but you could see some different types of pineapples growing take a stroll though the garden and enjoy sampling different types of drinks. The butterflies were very big and friendly and would land on people who stopped long enough to look at them. It makes everyone feel like a Disney princess. The aquarium is beautiful with a lot of information on sharks and had a good dolphin show and opportunities to feed the dolphins (if you find the hidden. Spot before it closes) they keep doing the dolphin show even when the weather was really bad. Lunch was provided at the butterfly place and it decent. A nice bowl of udon but not super filling.

Rating:
Attended as:Solo Travelers
Activity Date:2017/05/03
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Great value

Reviewed by: Chrissy from Aus, 2016/06/06

I would recommend this. It works out about the same as getting public transport and buying a ticket to the aquarium alone. It was a little rushed, I think the glass place and the pineapple place are a waste of time. The butterfly place was cool as was the dolphin show. The aquarium is amazing! A must see. Overall a good well organised day out.

  • Aquarium

  • Butterfly garden

  • Dolphin show

Rating:
Attended as:Solo Travelers
Activity Date:2016/06/04
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Bang for your buck!

Reviewed by: Linda Siu, 2016/05/07

The Churaumi Aquarium bus tour and three other spots is a great value. Such a low price for an all day tour. You get lunch, a small bowl of Okinawa Soba, at the Butterfly Garden, the aquarium, pineapple park, and the glass factor. We were a group of six, and at the aquarium, five of us got lost. I followed the guide (I understand Japanese) but the others (all Chinese) failed to follow. When I went back to where I last saw them, they were gone! The guide was very helpful. She helped me look for them and found three (including my husband), but the other two were still missing. She went back to the bus and found the other two, brought them back to us. Reunited! The dolphin show was very entertaining but I was eager to see the whale sharks at the aquarium. They had three whale sharks and my husband took some great photos. The other exhibits were hard to see, so many people! Chinese tourists everywhere! We spent three hours at the aquarium and then it was back to the bus. Next stop, Pineapple park, sampled different juices and baked goods. Final stop, Ryukyu glass factory. The pieces are very pretty but pricey so we spent the short time there eating purple potato ice cream, very good, you have to try it when you come to Okinawa.
It took another two hours to get back to Naha and we asked to be dropped off at Kokusaidori. Since we're all in the service industry, and because she was so helpful, we tipped the guide. There were only two things I didn't like about this tour. First, it took 15 minutes for us to walk from our hotel (Rihga Royal Gran) to the pick up hotel (Loisir). 2nd, lunch was too smal. We all could've eaten two bowls of noodles. We were all so hungry, we had the buffet dinner on the top floor of the Ryubo department store! Still, we had a good time!

  • Dolphin show at Churaumi

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2016/04/14
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well worth it

Reviewed by: michele, 2016/05/04

Had a great time on this bus tour however really wish we could have spent more time at each stop. I felt too rushed and couldn't enjoy the places as much as I would have liked. Definitely worth the price and will recommend to friends and family! A chunk of the trip was picking up and dropping off people to their hotels so the bus ride was very long but it was really convenient for us. Also you get free little gifts. We got a piece from the glass house and pineapple ice cream!

Rating:
Attended as:Friends
Activity Date:2016/05/02
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Visit Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium is impressive

Reviewed by: Kenny, 2016/03/20

The bus was on schedule. The tour price was reasonable. The tour guide and driver were courteous. My family spent a whole day enjoying the world’s best - Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium. Thank you.

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2016/03/16
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Very good

Reviewed by: Meguchi, 2016/02/23

For a first-time visitor to Okinawa like myself, this was a fun choice. At the aquarium I saw the dolphin show and took part in the deep sea experience, so was running around a bit but was pleased. I wasn't expecting much from the soba lunch, but it was tasty.

<Translated by Veltra.com>

Rating:
Attended as:Friends
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Nice experience

Reviewed by: JCMD, 2015/11/14

Very helpful tour guide. We were able to enjoy the whole trip from beginning to end although we did not speak Japanese.

  • Magnificiant sky at the beautiful aquarium

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2015/10/16
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너무좋아요^^!

Reviewed by: 이정렬, 2015/05/28

모든 입장료가 포함이고 특히 츄라우미수족관입장료가 무료라 다른 관광버스 투어보다 좋았습니다

또한 호텔픽업까지 무료!! 최고의 조건과 최고의 가격으로 완변한 하루일정을 보냈습니다!!

마지막으로 특별한 선물과 무료식사(소바) 그리고 디져트까지 여러가지로 얻어가는 기분이라 강력하게 추천합니다! 한가지 참고는 리잔씨파크호텔에 숙소를 예약하신분은 영어표기가 잘못되어 있습니다 Regency Park Hotel 라고 되어있어 잘못된표기지만 안심하시고 예약하세요 픽업하러 옵니다^^

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2015/05/26
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Great Tour!

Reviewed by: SarahM, 2015/04/19

My Japanese language skills are limited, so having the English audio available was great. The tour guide was friendly and very good. I enjoyed the bus tour immensely. I had an easy time finding the pick up location and was dropped off where I could get back to my hotel without getting lost. I didn't realize that Expo Land was a huge theme park until we got there. My goal, however, was to spend time at the Churaumi Aquarium and I was able to do just that. Along the way, we stopped at a few sights, including a Butterfly Museum, Pineapple Park, and Ryukyu Glass Factory. All in all, I had a great time.

  • Butterfly House

  • Churaumi Aquarium

  • Churaumi Aquarium

  • Whale Shark in the world's 2nd largest aquarium tank

  • Pineapple Park - great samples of juice and wine.

Rating:
Attended as:Solo Travelers
Activity Date:2015/04/04
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