Ishigaki Island Ferry Congestion Situation and Forecast [The new normal is to book ferry tickets in advance!
Table of Contents
- 1 Ishigaki Island Ferry must be booked in advance! Learn more about local crowds!
- 2 Overview of ferries between Ishigaki Island and various outlying islands
- 3 Congestion in Ishigakijima Remote Island Terminal
- 4 Ishigaki Island Ferry (High Speed Boat) Congestion
- 5 How to avoid congestion
- 6 How to Reserve Ishigaki Island Ferry Tickets in Advance
- 7 summary
Ishigaki Island Ferry isAdvance reservation required!
Learn more about local crowds.
In this issue, we will thoroughly explain the congestion situation and congestion forecast for the Ishigaki Island Ferry, the gateway to the Yaeyama Islands!
As it turns out, you have to book the ferry in advance,Not being able to catch a flight at the desired time orOn the day of the event, I had to wait in a long line to get in.Schedules can fall apart.It is anticipated that the company will be able to
We have collected comments from actual ferry passengers.
◆If you want to know how the ferry terminal on Ishigaki Island looks like and how crowded it is
◆If you want to know if you need to make reservations for Ishigaki Island Ferry
Overview of ferries between Ishigaki Island and various outlying islands
Ishigaki Island is the center of remote island tourism in the Yaeyama Islands. First, we will introduce basic information on ferries operating from Ishigaki Island!
There are 5 remote islands that can be reached from Ishigaki Island.
The surrounding islands that can be reached by ferry from Ishigaki Island areTaketomi Island, Iriomote Island, Kohama Island, Kuroshima Island, Hatoma Island5 of the following!
The surrounding islands, such as Kohama Island with its idyllic scenery and Iriomote Island, a World Heritage Site with over 90% of the island surrounded by mangroves and other subtropical rainforests, offer scenery that cannot be seen on Ishigaki Island.
↓Click here to read the article.
Flight Schedule (Timetable)
The timetable is from December 1, 2024 to March 1, 2025. Due to the many fluctuations in fuel surcharges, the timetable has not yet been announced for March and beyond.
Charge
| course | Taketomi Passage | Obama-Hawaii Passage | Kuroshima Route | Iriomote Ohara Route | Iriomote-Uehara route | Hatoma Passage | |
| round-trip ticket | Adult(Yen) | 1,520 | 2,700 | 2,910 | 3,960 | 5,170 | 5,170 |
| Child(Yen) | 790 | 1,360 | 1,480 | 2,020 | 2,600 | 2,600 | |
| one-way (trip) | Adult(Yen) | 790 | 1,400 | 1,510 | 2,060 | 2,690 | 2,690 |
| Child(Yen) | 410 | 710 | 770 | 1,050 | 1,350 | 1,350 | |
Rates are as of 10/1/2024 and will be revised on 1/1/2025.
◆Click here for the latest information
Ishigakijima Remote Island Terminal (Ferry Terminal)
Access & Parking
Ishigaki Island Ferry TerminalEuglena Ishigaki Port Terminalis located in the urban area of Ishigaki Island.
The neighborhood is lined with a shopping district called "Euglena Mall" and restaurants, so you can shop and dine nearby.
There is a parking lot in front of the remote island terminal that can hold about 50 vehicles and costs from 100 yen per hour, but it is often full during the summer.
Nearby.Parking Lot No. 2(parking capacity for approximately 100 cars) andCoin-operated parking a few minutes' walk awayPlease be assured that there are many of them.
Travel time from the airport: about 30-40 minutes by car
⚫︎Car rental: Parking available, ideal for sightseeing in Ishigaki Island
⚫︎ Taxi: Estimated fare is about 3,000 yen
⚫︎ Bus: Take a direct bus or local bus that runs about twice an hour.
Learn more about how to get to the remote island terminal
Congestion in Ishigakijima Remote Island Terminal
《In the Ishigakijima Remote Island Terminal in July 2023》 《In the Ishigakijima Remote Island Terminal in July 2023》 《In the Ishigakijima Terminal in July 2023
During summer vacation and Obon, the peak season for travel to Ishigaki Island, the Ishigakijima Remote Island Terminal is expected to be crowded with more than twice as many people as in the photo above.
We surveyed the usual crowds at Ishigakijima Remote Island Terminal.
Click here for the Ishigaki Island Ferry Congestion Column
What if the ferry tickets are full?
Measures to take before traveling to Ishigaki Island
Congestion Survey Methodology
We surveyed congestion based on a questionnaire (804 responses) conducted among customers who used Ishigakijima Tours' online ferry tickets, as well as the experiences of local resident staff who actually visited the remote island terminal.
Ishigakijima Remote Island Terminal during busy times
The terminal is crowded during GW, summer vacation, weekends, and holidays, and there are long lines at the ticket windows to purchase tickets.
The most crowded times are in the mornings and evenings.Please allow plenty of time for those boarding the 7:00 and 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. ferries.
Click here to see the congestion in the video ↓↓.
Ishigaki Island Ferry (High Speed Boat) Congestion
Next, let us introduce you to the ferry boarding and how crowded it is.
Congestion Survey Methodology
We surveyed ferry congestion based on reviews from those who purchased ferry tickets and forecasted congestion during the peak season.
Busy season (high season) congestion forecast
During popular seasons such as summer vacation, there are long lines not only at the counter but also to board the ferry.
⚫︎ There was a huge line to get on the boat, so if you open the QR code during that time, it will go smoothly.
Recently,Many days are full and cannot be reserved on the same day.It is. Please make your reservations early as you may not be able to board the flight of your choice.
Most ferries run only once an hour, so it would be a shame to waste valuable travel time.
How to avoid congestion
In fact, here are some ways to avoid the crowds recommended by those who have used the ferry on Ishigaki Island.
No more waiting in long lines!
Advance reservations recommended.
To avoid crowds on the day of the eventAdvance ferry reservations recommended.It is.
If you make a reservation in advance, all you have to do is present your reservation completion e-mail (QR code ticket) when you board the ship, so there is no need to wait in long lines at the ticket counter.
The above are the results of a survey (multiple responses allowed) in which we asked those who used advance ferry reservations what made them decide to purchase a ferry.
Facts,Half of the customers make reservations to avoid crowds and the hassle of purchasing on the day of the event.It can be seen that the
⚫︎ Speedy! I was able to book in advance and the day of was easy.
⚫︎If you buy at the counter, there are many people and it takes a long time. I definitely prefer web reservation.
We used ⚫︎ during the Bon Festival season. After arriving at the terminal where we boarded the ferry, we had made reservations in advance and were able to board the ferry smoothly without having to wait in line at the ticket booth.The ferry terminal was quite crowded due to the Obon season, and I was glad that I had made a reservation in advance.I recommend it because it's easy to get on! I recommend it because it is easy to ride!
Same-day reservations are full and many cannot be guided!
I'll book the ferry together with the airline tickets.
《In the Ishigakijima Remote Island Terminal in March 2024》.
Go to the counter on the day of the event.Unable to purchase ferry for desired time due to full capacityWhat a thing to happen!
It is recommended that you also book the ferry at the same time you book your hotel and flight.
Ferry boarding times can be changed free of charge as long as there is availability.
If the roads are crowded and you cannot make it in time or if you want to move a little earlier, no worries.Once you have decided on a date, you should make a ferry reservation anyway!
Don't worry, you can cancel without charge before embarkation.
I felt comfortable with the fact that I could confirm my reservation in advance at ⚫︎.
⚫︎This was my second visit to Taketomi Island, and the first time I used this service when I heard that it was now possible to book ferry tickets in advance. I had reserved a different time, but my plans changed suddenly, and when I contacted them to change the date and time, they gladly responded as soon as possible.
How to Reserve Ishigaki Island Ferry Tickets in Advance
This section introduces how to purchase advance ferry ticket reservations and how to board the ferry on the day of the cruise.
How to make a reservation
Click here for ferry reservations
(1) On the ferry page above, select "round trip/one way" and "route", then click "View Reservations & Availability".
Select the desired date and time, and click "Next.
Enter necessary information such as number of people and names
(4) If you are satisfied with the contents, click "Apply".
(5) Reservation is complete when you receive a confirmation e-mail.
*We recommend that you register a non-carrier e-mail address, as you may not receive carrier e-mails.
Steps to embarkation on the day of embarkation
From the URL attached to the confirmation emailSimply open the QR code and present it to the embarkation staff!
There is no ticketing at the terminal, so it is easy.
*If you have opened the QR code at the time of booking, you can take a screenshot and leave it to be read.
Points to note when boarding the ship
Ferries available for Ishigaki Island Tours areYaeyama Kanko FerryThe flight will be operated by For details on the day's operation, please contactthis way (direction close to the speaker or towards the speaker)for more information.
summary
We have introduced the crowded conditions at the remote island terminal and how to use the ferry to avoid the crowds.
Enjoy an efficient trip to the islands by making use of advance reservations!
↓Click here to read the article.
