Quick answers to the questions we get most about our small-group tours in Ishigaki, from booking and pick-up to ages, gear and weather.
Can’t find your answer? Message us on WhatsApp or LINE and we’ll get back to you quickly.
Booking & Payment · Pick-up & Tour Day · Who Can Join · Snorkeling Tours · Hiking Tours · Island Tours · Family & Cruise Tours
Message us on WhatsApp, LINE or email, or send the form on our Contact page, with your tour, date, number of guests and hotel.
The form is a booking request: your tour is confirmed once we send you a confirmation by email or message.
We usually reply within 24 hours, and often within a few hours during the day.
WhatsApp and LINE are the fastest way to reach us.
Often, yes. It depends on availability and the weather, and in many cases we can arrange a tour for the next day.
Send us your dates and we’ll tell you what’s possible.
No, we accept cash only, in Japanese Yen, paid at the end of the tour. US Dollars are also accepted on our Shore Excursion.
Groups of 4 or more guests may be asked for a deposit, paid through a secure online payment link.
Need cash? See our ATM and Currency Exchange guide.
Cancellation is free up to 48 hours before your tour. Between 48 and 24 hours before, the fee is 50% of the tour price, and within 24 hours (or a no-show) it’s 100%.
You can reschedule once for free if you ask more than 24 hours before the tour, subject to availability.
If we cancel because of weather or safety, there’s no fee and any deposit is refunded in full. Full details are in our Terms and Conditions.
Yes, free pick-up is available from major hotel areas in Ishigaki. Your pick-up time is confirmed the day before your tour, so just tell us your hotel name and area when booking.
On our Shore Excursion, pick-up and drop-off are at the cruise port.
Our single-activity tours are half-day, about 4 hours from pick-up to drop-off, with 1.5 to 2 hours in the water or on the trail.
The combination tours run about 4.5 hours as a half-day or about 6.5 hours as a full-day.
Lunch is included only on the full-day option.
For snorkeling: mask, snorkel, fins, wetsuit or rash guard, reef shoes, life jacket and a safety float. If you wear glasses, optical masks are available from -2 to -6 (please ask when booking).
For hiking: water shoes for river hikes, gloves (optional) and drinking water, with long pants available if you want them.
For snorkeling: swimwear, a towel, reef-safe sunscreen and a change of clothes.
For hiking: clothes you don’t mind getting wet or dirty, walking shoes or sandals with good grip, and a hat and sunscreen.
On every tour, bring cash to pay for the tour. Full packing details are sent after booking.
Safety comes first, and we check conditions every morning. Hikes go ahead in light rain, and on days with strong swell we move to a calmer snorkeling spot rather than cancel.
In heavy rain, lightning or other unsafe conditions, we change to a safer route or reschedule, and we contact you in advance.
For the best time to visit, see our Weather and Seasons guide.
Yes. No snorkeling or hiking experience is needed.
Before any water activity, your guide gives a full safety briefing and a short snorkeling lesson. Life jackets are mandatory for all water activities, and your guide stays close the whole time.
Our shared tours are for guests aged 12 to 70.
Children under 12 can join our Family Tour, a private tour where we adjust the pace and activities to your kids’ ages.
Guests aged 60 and above complete a short medical questionnaire before the tour.
We keep groups small: a maximum of 7 guests per guide, and usually fewer.
That means a relaxed day, more time at each spot, and personal attention from your guide.
Yes. Every tour is led entirely in fluent, natural English, with no translation apps or mixed-language guiding.
Our guides also speak Japanese and Hebrew if needed.
Please tell us about any medical condition, injury or pregnancy before booking.
Our tours may not be suitable for guests who are pregnant or have serious back, neck or hip injuries, severe heart conditions, limited mobility or photosensitive epilepsy.
If you’re not sure, message us and we’ll help you find out.
No. All our snorkeling tours use beach entry: you walk into the water from the sand.
There’s no seasickness, getting in is easier, and we can reach shallow reef areas that boats can’t.
Very likely. On our Turtle Snorkeling Tour, sea turtles are seen on more than 97% of tours.
They’re also a regular sighting on our other reef snorkeling stops, though no wildlife encounter can be guaranteed.
It changes with the weather and sea conditions. Each morning your guide picks the beach with the safest conditions and best visibility.
We often use Osaki, Yonehara, Yoshihara or Crystal Beach, and sometimes the Blue Cave area.
No. On our Blue Cave Snorkeling Tour, the snorkeling is on the coral reef in front of the cave.
At the end, we swim or wade a short way in and walk through the mostly dry cave for about 10 minutes.
For a relaxed, beginner-friendly reef snorkel, choose our Snorkeling Tour. If turtles are the main goal, pick the Turtle Snorkeling Tour.
For reef snorkeling plus a short cave visit, there’s the Blue Cave tour, and to visit some of the island’s highlights as well, the Snorkeling and Island Tour (half or full day).
They can be very easy or moderate. We adjust every hike to your group’s fitness level and comfort, and the goal is an enjoyable pace, not a physical challenge.
River and jungle trails are generally flatter but on uneven natural ground; mountain viewpoint hikes involve more climbing.
No. Most of our guests aren’t experienced hikers, and the routes are chosen so that people with no hiking experience enjoy them.
If you do want a more challenging climb, tell us when booking.
There’s no fixed route. Your guide picks it with you on the day, depending on the weather, trail conditions and what you’d like to do.
Options include mountain viewpoint climbs, jungle river trails to a hidden waterfall, and gentler walks through Banna Park.
Often, yes. Some of our river routes lead to spots that are safe for a swim after the hike, depending on recent rain and water conditions.
Your guide confirms on the day which spots are safe.
Our Hiking Tour is a half-day, about 4 hours, focused on 1 to 2 hiking locations.
If you’d also like to see more of the island, the Hiking and Island Tour adds stops at popular spots around Ishigaki, as a half-day or a full day with lunch.
Our island tours combine snorkeling or hiking with visits to some of Ishigaki’s highlights.
The half-day option runs about 4.5 hours, with your activity plus 1 to 2 island stops. The full-day option runs about 6.5 hours, adds 3 to 4 island stops and includes lunch.
See the Snorkeling and Island Tour and the Hiking and Island Tour.
There’s no fixed itinerary: your guide picks the stops on the day, based on weather, conditions and your group’s interests.
Places we often visit include Kabira Bay, Sukuji Beach, Yaima Village, Uganzaki Lighthouse, Banna Park, Tamatorizaki View Point, a hidden jungle river and a local mango gelato shop.
Lunch is included only on the full-day option.
The half-day tour doesn’t include a meal, so plan to eat before pick-up or after drop-off.
Yes. Both the activity and the island stops are guided entirely in fluent English, with no translation apps.
Your guide explains the marine life or the trail, and the history and story behind each place you visit.
Yes. Our Family Tour is fully private, for your family only.
Before the tour, we ask about your children’s ages and interests and plan the day around them, and it stays flexible on the day too.
No. Life jackets are mandatory for every child in the water, and your guide stays close with hands-on help.
Snorkeling is never required: younger kids can enjoy shallow water play, mangrove exploring, river walks or gentle nature trails instead.
Yes. Our Shore Excursion is planned around your ship’s departure time, with a time buffer built in.
Pick-up and drop-off are directly at Ishigaki cruise port. Please send us your ship’s arrival and departure times a few days before you arrive.
We follow cruise ship schedules and adjust your pick-up time if your ship arrives earlier or later than planned.
If you hear about a change after booking, let us know as soon as possible.
If your ship skips Ishigaki for weather or any other reason outside your control, you get a full refund with no cancellation fee.
Just contact us as soon as you know.
Send us a message with your dates and who’s coming, and we’ll help you plan your day in Ishigaki.
Ask Us a QuestionStill choosing? Compare all our tours.
