Shurijo Castle, Naha

It took us 3-4 hours that day in this very beautiful rebuilt of the once-destroyed castle. Paying the entrance definitely worth it, especially if you have a valid one or two day Monorail pass because you'll get discount on the castle entrance fee. Make sure you have sunscreen or hat or umbrella as you need that to walk in the unpaid area. A very beautiful and educational site.

WOW! What an amazing castle. You pay around 320 yen to park in the large garage, and make sure to get a stamp pamphlet for the kids. They can stamp their pamphlet at each station throughout the grounds. The outside of the grounds are free, but you pay a small fee to go inside, which is amazing! It's a lot of walking, so make sure that won't be a problem. You end at a gift shop, where I purchased my first sweat towel. I'd recommend NOT going in the summer, but if you do, take lots of water!

This is a 14th century palace featuring Okinawa's dynasty days. Here, you'll get to see how royalty was during the said time period. The place has viewing decks that give you a breath-taking view of the city landscape. The whole area is lush green. Work on souvenirs by completing the stamp map that you get at the information center of this UNESCO World Heritage place. Truly, no visit to Okinawa will be complete if you don't drop by Shurijo Castle. It is highly recommended!

The place itself is nice. You can easily get there by taking the train and getting off at the last station. You can visit the surrounding area for free but if you want to get closer to the castle you have to pay a ticket. Once inside there is a free guided tour in Japanese only about 4 times a day. Unfortunately, when I visited the building, the outside was being restored and repainted so I couldn't see it properly.

Beautifully preserved castle. The culture and history is dripping off every inch of this place and most of it is freely accessible. The only part you do have to pay for is the main living quarters and throne room which was very reasonably priced too. At the top of the Garden walls you get great views of Naha city all the way to the coast.