Guided Tour of Iriomote, Yufu, and (Optional) Taketomi Islands

At 8:20am, your group will assemble at the Yaeyama Tour Ferry Counter in Ishigaki Port's Outlying Islands Waiting Hall. A local guide will lead you as you depart on a 45-minute boat ride from Ishigaki Port to Ohara Port on Iriomote Island.

Iriomote Island

After arriving at Ohara Port, encounter special natural monuments such as Iriomote lynx, Guduoertou carvings, Xiandao Sumu, and rare plants like palm. Take a boat trip around Iriomote Island to the Nakama River mangrove scenic spot and spend 70 minutes admiring the largest mangrove forest in Japan. Continue along the river to the upper reaches, where you will see Sufangmu, a 400-year-old tree! As the tide ebbs and flows, the outlook from the estuary to the downstream will be very different.

Yufu Island

Next, you will hitch a ride on a buffalo cart and clop on over to Yufu Island. How? The highest point on Yufu island is only 1.5 meters above sea level and 2.15 kilometers in circumference. The depth of the sea between Yufu Island and Iriomote Island is about 1 meter deep at high tide and less than 1 meter in normal times; therefore, water buffalo carts are often used to move between the two islands. Visit the Botanical Garden on this isle, and enjoy a sumptuous lunch.

Taketomi Island

After lunch, you will board a bus back to Ohara Port. If you’ve selected a Half-Day Tour, this is where you get on a speed boat back to Ishigaki Port. If not, you will embark on a 25-minute boat ride to Taketomi Port. Once again you will hop onto a water buffalo cart to roam this island. Visit its northern village, see the wooden houses, and revel in the well-preserved white-sand roads that have stood the test of time. Once you have explored the last island on your itinerary, you will board a ferry back to Ishigaki Port and bid farewell to the Yaeyama Archipelago.