Okinawa: Nov 2 – 9, 2025
Discover the Ryukyu Kingdom on an 8-day women’s trip with a small group of curious travelers
THE ISLAND OF WOMEN
According to Ryukyu Kingdom beliefs, the world was created by a woman. Her name was Amamikiyo. Follow in her footsteps on this extraordinary journey through Okinawa.
On this island, women priestesses called noro have long held special powers: the ability to connect with the gods.
Today, female shamans known as yuta continue that lineage – and we’ll meet them on our trip.
Read Yulia's Okinawa article here.
ⵙ WHAT’S THE JOURNEY?
Welcome to Okinawa, the Japanese island far south in the Pacific basin with a strong Ryukyu culture that’s distinct from what we typically know as Japanese.
On this trip, you will experience Onari-gami—Okinawa’s ancient belief in the spiritual power of women.
Sensing the intuitive and unseen connections women have carried for generations, you’ll connect with nature, culture, and the wisdom of local women.
In 8 days and 7 nights, we’ll explore the island from the north to the south: from the largest city of Naha to the sacred Yanbaru forest, the mountain springs of Kin, and everywhere in between.
ⵣ TRIP HIGHLIGHTS
Yulia has curated an itinerary filled with incredible sights, experiences, and people
ⵆ WHO IS THIS TRIP FOR?
We’ve crafted an itinerary centered on the wisdom of women. Want to see this magical island in community with other women-identifying travelers? This trip is for you.
ⵆ Tap into the wisdom of women
Step deep into Okinawan villages where you’ll meet local women. Here, women cultivate the fields, preserve traditional crafts, and safeguard community festivals and spiritual traditions.
ⵆ Discover longevity rituals
Okinawa is known as one of the world's five major longevity regions, known as Blue Zones. On this trip, you’ll tap into the local secrets to healthy longevity, born from Okinawa’s unique climate and culture.
ⵆ Taste a new cuisine
Discover Okinawa’s traditional food culture, deeply rooted in Ryukyu cuisine. This culinary tradition integrates local ingredients like tofu, goya, and seaweed varieties, ancestral cooking methods, and social practices.
ⵆ Experience ancient wellness
Sweat in a traditional herbal sauna and relax in the Onsen natural hot springs. Walk the ancient forest with a shaman. Connect with yourself.
ⵆ Unplug from your daily routine
Learn the royal art of bingata textile dyeing. Make the traditional travel amulet still used throughout Okinawa. Harvest the super citrus, shikuwasa.
ⵆ A solo traveler?
Meet interesting women travelers with stories to tell from all over the world and leave countless hours of planning to us, expert travelers and organizers. Our deep relationships with people who live and work in Okinawa will give you a close look into this island.
“Yulia created an unforgettable experience that taught us all something and introduced us to amazing people! We became a small family, not just a group of people who happened to travel together.” — Vanessa A., Jordan Oct 2024
ⵆ TRIP DETAILS
Departures:
Depending on the airline, travelers coming from the US would need to depart on Fri, Oct 31 to arrive in Naha (airport code OKA) on Nov 2nd. Eva Air offers good options.
Price
Payment plans are available at check-out
All accommodations are in three-star hotels or higher, single-occupancy rooms.
The last day to book is Mon, Sep 1, 2025.
What's included
✔ 7 nights accommodations in three-star hotels or higher, including 3 nights in a traditional Yanbaru forest village. Please note, all rooms are single-occupancy, except for Yanbaru accommodations at Nanmei Shinshitsu. These traditional homes have shared accommodations (double-occupancy) only.
✔ 7 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 7 dinners (including a farewell dinner on Day 8)
✔ All in-country transportation (we will have our own driver and explore the wonders of Okinawa at our own pace!), including airport transfers on days of arrival and departure
✔ A licensed driver and a licensed guide to accompany us throughout the trip
✔ All entrance fees to all sites we will visit
✔ All experiences:
- Naha city tour
- Bingata textile dyeing workshop
- Ryukyu cuisine medicinal workshop
- Traditional tofu-making session
- Kamado rice cooking session
- A 4-hour buna herbal sauna session
- Access to Shuri-jo Castle
- Local Yanbaru guide to take us through the ancient villages of Yanbaru
- Hiking with a female shaman in Yanbaru Forest
What's not included
- Airfare to/from Naha, Okinawa
- Mandatory travel insurance
- Tips for service personnel (driver, local guides, etc)
- Personal expenses + drinks
“It was a privilege to join this well-curated journey as seen through Yulia's heart. I'd go back in a heartbeat!”
— Sandra S., Jordan Oct 2024
Join usⴾ TRIP ITINERARY
DAY 1
We arrive at Naha airport where a car awaits to take us to Naha Tokyu REI Hotel (transfer included). We get to know our fellow travelers during our first dinner together.
Overnight: Naha Tokyu REI Hotel
Meals included: Dinner
DAY 2
After breakfast, we set off to Yanbaru, a sacred forest in the north of the island dubbed “Galapagos of the East” for its stunning biodiversity. On the way, we have lunch at an island farm, before arriving at a 400-year-old village where we’ll spend the next three days. We met our sherpa traditional guide and get to know the community, its traditional lifestyle, local sea and mountain deities, and the region's culture.
Overnight: at Nanmei Shinsitsu
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
DAY 3
After breakfast, we leave for Hedo, a community with deep-rooted spiritual traditions. We have lunch with a village elder who comes from a 700-year-old spiritual lineage, connecting Hedo with the Ryukyu Kingdom through prayers and rituals. Later, we embark on a walk through the sacred Yanbaru forest alongside a yuta female shaman. We return to our home base for dinner just in time to try our hand at traditional tofu making.
Overnight: at Nanmei Shinsitsu
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
DAY 4
For breakfast, we’ll make our own rice using kamado, a traditional wood-burning stove. Then, we craft a Maasu-bukuro salt pouch, a small amulet made by Okinawan women to protect the health of their families. In the afternoon, we detox in a Buna, a steam bath and sauna infused with wild Yanbaru herbs, designed to improve circulation, enhance skin health, and promote relaxation. For dinner, it’s local BBQ time in a traditional courtyard setting.
Overnight: at Nanmei Shinsitsu
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
DAY 5
After breakfast, we visit a shikuwasa (Okinawan citrus) farm, where we harvest fresh citrus and make juice under the guidance of a local grandmother. In the afternoon, we say goodbye to Yanbaru and travel to Kin Town in the center of Okinawa. It’s time to unwind at our hotel with an onsen hot spring. Dinner will be an exquisite, one-of-a-kind meal worthy of a Michelin star.
Overnight: Asbo Stay Hotel
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
DAY 6
Today, we relax at the hotel onsen (it’s worth spending a whole day here!), and visit Kin Town, exploring its limestone caves and taro (tānmū) fields. Kin Town, blessed with abundant underground spring water, has long utilized this resource to cultivate taro, a staple ingredient for celebratory dishes, and to produce awamori, Okinawa’s traditional liquor. We’ll have lunch at a renowned taro cuisine specialty restaurant, where we’ll enjoy a fusion of traditional and innovative Okinawan flavors.
Overnight: Asbo Stay Hotel
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
DAY 7
Today, we return to the Naha City. On the way, we will visit a Ryukyuan medicinal cuisine workshop, guided by an expert in traditional food therapy based on the concept of "Ishoku Dogen" (food as medicine).
In the afternoon, we’ll try our hand at a Bingata dyeing workshop, and learn about this centuries-old Ryukyuan textile art that was reserved for royal and aristocratic attire. Today, Bingata serves as a medium of self-expression and empowerment, particularly for women artisans. For our final dinner, we will savor a shabu-shabu meal with Okinawa’s premium "Kin Agu" pork and island vegetables.
Overnight: Naha Tokyu REI Hotel
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
DAY 8
Today we leave Okinawa (transfer to Naha airport included) and prepare to miss it as soon as the plane takes off.
Meals included: Breakfast
Explore Okinawa with a seasoned travel journalist Yulia Denisyuk
Yulia is an award-winning travel journalist, photographer, writer, filmmaker, and entrepreneur. She was born in Kazakhstan, grew up in Estonia, and now lives in the United States. Yulia has traveled the world extensively and turned to a travel journalism career after spending more than ten years in large organizations — first as a Navy Sailor, then as a brand manager at Fortune 500 companies. Yulia's work appears in TIME, Conde Nast Traveler, Lonely Planet, Afar magazine, National Geographic Traveller, BBC Travel, and others. Yulia started organizing small-group trips because of one question: Is it safe to travel to Jordan now?
Our groups are intimate. Our journeys are intentional. Our experiences (we hope) will be transformative for you.
Ready to join us?
To hold your spot, book your $500 non-refundable deposit below.
There are only six spots on this trip.
BOOKING POLICY
All payments are non-refundable (in the event of trip cancellation by us, payment will be refunded). The remaining balance or the first payment of the payment plan is due within 30 days of the booking request but not later than 30 days prior to the start of the trip.
Please note: mandatory travel insurance is required to take this trip. We encourage you to purchase comprehensive travel insurance that covers cancellations. We recommend Travel Insured. See more here.
View our full booking terms and conditions here.
FAQs
Do I need to be a photographer (or a social media influencer) to join you on this tour?
No. Our focus is on making sure we travel at our own pace and getting to know the places and people around us. We have a passion for photography and we want to share this passion with the group - but it is not mandatory by all means to be a professional photographer or have an interest in photography/social media. All we ask is that you come with an open mind and heart.
Who fulfills the trip on the ground?
We've partnered with a wonderful Okinawan tour company that has a passion for same things we do to make this happen. We have used this company's services in the past and can attest that they are amazing, care about their people, and genuinely care for the wellbeing of their guests.
What gear do I need to bring?
Whatever gear you are comfortable with or want to learn more about: your phone, your DSLR, or no gear at all - all options are just fine (see #1).
A packing list will be provided to confirmed participants.
How much cash do I need on the ground?
You should expect to need a total of ~ 45,000 YEN for the trip (that's ~$300). This would cover tips, remaining lunches, and any small miscellaneous expenses.
Do I need to arrive and depart at a specific time?
We have included transfers to/from airport as part of the trip, so you will have flexibility in choosing the flights that work for you. Afternoon arrival and morning departure are ideal - but we can work with other schedules as well.
What about visas?
For US or EU citizens: we will not need a visa to enter Okinawa. If you will be traveling with any other passport, please email us so we can advise on visas.
What about travel insurance?
Travel insurance is required to take our trip. All travelers will be asked to provide proof of current and adequate travel insurance 30 days prior to departure. We strongly recommend that travel insurance addresses COVID-related claims and trip cancellation coverage. The bookings (including the deposit and the remaining payment) are non-refundable; Trip cancellation insurance may be the only means of receiving reimbursement for flights and other non-refundable travel expenses should the trip be canceled for any reason by you. There are many options for travel insurance. We recommend Travel Insured; see more here.
More questions?
Reach out to us at any time at hello@yulia-denisyuk.com
Our travelers love going places with us
Hear directly from one of our travelers
Vanessa A. traveled to Jordan with us in 2024. Here, she recaps her experience: