What other travelers are saying about Shikinaen Royal Garden
Definitely worth a visit. We were there during the week, in the morning, and there was hardly anything going on.
It's all very interesting & there's a predetermined route, which is great.
All in all, a nice excursion & for us the final day in Okinawa.
At one level it is a typical Chinese style garden but the historical palace makes it special. While it is nice place to visit on its own give stars also because of such a considerate staff. It was drizzling and I was inc unprepared. The staff offered his umbrella ☔ to me. The rain made the place even more beautiful, felt like a very romantic place.
Shikinaen was formerly the secondary residence of the monarchs of the Ryukyu Kingdom. Sadly, the palace and gardens were completely destroyed in the Battle of Okinawa. So what you see now is the restored gardens.
The gardens are beautifully landscaped around a photogenic pond, where there's also a wooden palace, pretty bridges and another photogenic Rokkadu-Do pavilion.
The wooden palace looks simple, but was used by the kings and diplomatic guests. The building looks like a simple building, but has Okinawan-style, red tile roofs and a spacious interiors that allow air to flow.
The gardens is a Japanese-style landscape garden with lots of shaded strolling paths and there's a pavilion with views over Naha.
A short walk around these gardens but not much from a floral or botanical aspect. Some historical/ cultural spots along a well signposted path. Enjoyable but underwhelming.
