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Wakayama Castle, the main keep (2010)

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The complete guide, 2026–27

Things to do in Wakayama on a cruise port day

A white castle, a tuna show and a cat who runs a station.

Photo: Wak89 / CC BY-SA 3.0

Checked · Researched, not yet visited · times from official timetables and our estimates · 21 sources · Takumi Yamada

What is here

What makes Wakayama: three reasons to get off

Wakayama is the capital of Wakayama Prefecture, on the west coast of the Kii Peninsula, south of Osaka. It was the castle town of the Kishu Tokugawa lords. The port is called Wakayama-Shimotsu; it is a different place from Shingu, Kushimoto and Nachikatsuura, the prefecture's cruise ports on the far side of the peninsula.

Where you dock

Where your ship ties up in Wakayama

Tender or alongside
No. Ships berth alongside at Nishihama Wharf No.5 and No.3, one quay of up to 500 m.
At the terminal
None. On call days the city sets up a tourist information desk with interpreter volunteers and local stalls on the quay. An ATM, Wi-Fi, exchange desk or taxi rank at the quay is not confirmed.

Your berth in Google Maps

If this is your first Japanese port, everyone goes through face-to-face immigration before going ashore; there is no terminal building here, so it is done on board or on the quay. Allow 30 to 60 minutes after the ship clears. What happens at your first Japanese port

How the berths work, and the way into town, in full

Getting off the quay

No shuttle is published by the city or the prefecture; ships may run their own. A taxi rank is not confirmed, though the city's notices speak of many buses and taxis on the quay road. Ask at the information desk.

Only vehicles with a pass from the city's reception council may enter the quay, and coach operators must register by 16:00 the day before. A private driver may have to meet you at the gate, so agree the meeting point in advance.

Wakayama's taxi tariff from 16 March 2026 is ¥650 for the first 1.2 km, then ¥100 per 250 m. Our estimates on distance alone, without the time charge:

From the berth toDriveTaxi
Wakayama Castle4.9 km, ~7 min~¥2,150
JR Wakayama Station6.6 km, ~9 min~¥2,850
Furobashi, Wakaura4.8 km, ~6 min~¥2,150
Kimiidera6.7 km, ~9 min~¥2,850
Kuroshio Market10.7 km, ~15 min~¥4,550
Kishi Station18.0 km, ~25 min~¥7,450
Koyasan (Kongobuji)59 km, ~1 h 30 min~¥23,850

Expect real drive times 1.2 to 1.5 times longer; the Koyasan figure already allows for that.

Nankai Wakayamako Station is 20 minutes on foot by the city's figure. Its trains connect with the Nankai Ferry to Tokushima: weekdays 08:00, 08:22, 10:23, 13:14, 13:35; weekends 08:23, 10:23, 13:14, 13:35 (timetable of December 2024). Wakayamashi is one stop, ¥180, and the castle 15 minutes on foot from there.

From the ship to each place: how, how long, how much
Taxi

Taxi to Wakayama Castle and the stations

  1. A taxi rank on the quay is not confirmed; ask at the city’s information desk by the gangway
  2. Berth → Wakayama Castle (Ichinohashi gate) 4.9 km, about 7 min; → Nankai Wakayamashi Station 4.7 km, 6 min; → JR Wakayama Station 6.6 km, 9 min — our estimates, free-flow
  3. Back: allow 1.2 to 1.5 times these times in traffic

Wakayama tariff from 16 Mar 2026: ¥650 for the first 1.2 km, then ¥100 per 250 m · Berth → castle about ¥2,150, → JR Wakayama about ¥2,850 — our estimates on distance alone · Free-flow times; the time charge and night surcharge are not included

Taxi: ~¥2,150 to the castle

Our estimates use OSRM drive distances and the distance tariff only. From the castle, JR Wakayama Station is 2.3 km, about ¥1,150 by taxi or about 25 min on foot.

Directions from your berth

Taxi

Kimiidera, Wakaura and Kuroshio Market

  1. Berth → Furobashi and Tamatsushima Shrine 4.8 km, about 6 min; → Kishu Toshogu 4.7 km, 7 min; → Kimiidera 6.7 km, 9 min; → Kuroshio Market 10.7 km, about 15 min — our estimates, free-flow
  2. Between them: Tamatsushima → Kimiidera 2.4 km, 4 min; Kimiidera → Kuroshio Market 5.5 km, 8 min; Kishu Toshogu → Tamatsushima about 15 min on foot
  3. Kuroshio Market → berth 10.7 km, about 15 min

Berth → Wakaura about ¥2,150, → Kimiidera about ¥2,850, → Kuroshio Market about ¥4,550; Kimiidera → Kuroshio Market about ¥2,450 — our estimates · Kimiidera cable car ¥400 + ¥200 each way · Kishu Toshogu ¥300 · Tuna-cutting show 12:30 and 15:00 every day, also 11:00 on weekends and holidays

Taxi: ~¥4,550 to Kuroshio Market

Marina City’s own page sends visitors by Wakayama Bus from JR Wakayama or Nankai Wakayamashi Station; its times and fares were not checked. Taxi ranks at the temple and the market are not confirmed: ask the driver to wait or agree a pick-up time.

Directions from your berth

Train

Kishi Station by the Kishigawa Line

  1. Taxi from the berth to JR Wakayama Station: 6.6 km, about 9 min, about ¥2,850 (our estimate)
  2. Wakayama Electric Railway from platform 9, inside the JR station: 14.3 km to Kishi, about 30 min, two trains an hour in the daytime
  3. Back the same way; the cats are on duty 10:00–16:00

Wakayama → Kishi ¥480 each way, child ¥240 · 1-day pass ¥1,200, child ¥600 · IC cards cannot be used on the line: carry cash · Two trains an hour in the daytime (timetable rev. 13 Mar 2021, leaflet of July 2026)

Taxi: ~¥2,850 to JR Wakayama

Buy the ticket or the day pass at the platform 9 window. Yontama is on duty at Kishi except Wednesdays and Thursdays; Gotama is at Idakiso Station, on the same line, except Mondays and Fridays. Kishi has no car park, so do not take a taxi all the way and expect it to wait.

Directions from your berth

Train

Nankai train from Wakayamako Station

  1. Walk 20 min to Nankai Wakayamako Station (city and prefecture figure), or 5 min by taxi
  2. To Wakayamashi: 2.8 km. Weekdays 08:00, 08:22, 10:23, 13:14, 13:35, 15:50, 16:15; weekends and holidays 08:23, 10:23, 13:14, 13:35, 15:50, 16:15
  3. Back from Wakayamashi: weekdays 13:05, 13:24, 15:39, 16:03, 17:30; weekends 13:05, 13:24, 15:41, 16:05. The castle is 15 min on foot from Wakayamashi Station

Wakayamako → Wakayamashi ¥180 (Nankai fare search) · About a dozen trains a day, connecting with the Nankai Ferry (timetable of 21 Dec 2024)

Taxi: ~¥1,250 to the station

The station is unstaffed and the platforms are up stairs on the 3rd floor. With so few trains, treat it as a bonus on the way out, not as the way back.

Directions from your berth

Taxi

Koyasan

  1. Berth → Kongobuji 59 km: about 55 min free-flow by our routing, so allow about 1 h 30 min on the mountain road
  2. On the mountain: Daimon → Kongobuji about 20 min on foot; Kongobuji → Okunoin (Ichinohashi) about 25 min on foot — our estimates
  3. Back the same way: leave the mountain 2 h 30 min before all-aboard

Taxi about ¥23,850 each way, our estimate · Kongobuji ¥1,000 · Kondo and Konpon Daito ¥500 each · Okunoin free · Kongobuji 8:30–17:00, entry to 16:30 · Okunoin Torodo 6:00–17:00

Taxi: ~¥23,850 each way

By train it is about 2 h 20 min each way from Wakayama Station via Hashimoto (the figure on Kimiidera’s access page), which leaves no time on the mountain on any 2027 call. A hired car or the ship’s tour is the only practical way.

Directions from your berth

What to do

The best of Wakayama, timed from your ship

Each card: how you get there and what it costs, how long it takes, and the call it needs. Tap one for the full page.

Wakayama Castle, WakayamaPhoto: Saigen Jiro / CC01See

Wakayama Castle

Taxi from the berth to the Ichinohashi gate, 4.9 km, about 7 min and ¥2,150 each way, our estimate; 15 min on foot from Nankai Wakayamashi Station

About 2.5hNeeds a 4.5-hour call
Tuna-cutting show at Kuroshio Market, WakayamaPhoto: Yanajin33 / CC BY-SA 3.02See

Tuna-cutting show at Kuroshio Market

Taxi from the berth to Wakayama Marina City, 10.7 km, about 15 min and ¥4,550 each way, our estimate

About 3hNeeds a 5-hour call
Kishi Station and the cat stationmaster, WakayamaPhoto: 暇・カキコ / CC BY-SA 4.03See

Kishi Station and the cat stationmaster

Taxi from the berth to JR Wakayama Station, 6.6 km, about 9 min and ¥2,850, our estimate; then the Kishigawa Line from platform 9, about 30 min, ¥480

About 4.5hNeeds a 6.5-hour call
Kimiidera, WakayamaPhoto: Hiroaki Kaneko / CC BY-SA 3.04See

Kimiidera

Taxi from the berth, 6.7 km, about 9 min and ¥2,850 each way, our estimate

About 2.5hNeeds a 4.5-hour call
Wakaura: Furobashi and Kishu Toshogu, WakayamaPhoto: 663highland / CC BY-SA 4.05See

Wakaura: Furobashi and Kishu Toshogu

Taxi from the berth to Furobashi, 4.8 km, about 6 min and ¥2,150 each way, our estimate

About 2.5hNeeds a 4.5-hour call
Momijidani garden at Wakayama Castle, WakayamaPhoto: 663highland / CC BY 2.56See

Momijidani garden at Wakayama Castle

Inside the castle grounds; taxi from the berth about 7 min and ¥2,150, our estimate

About 2hNeeds a 4-hour call
Wakayama ramen, WakayamaPhoto: Sakumata / CC07Eat

Wakayama ramen

Taxi from the berth to Ide Shoten, 6.0 km, about 8 min and ¥2,650, our estimate; 9 min on foot from Wakayama Station

About 2hNeeds a 4-hour call
The designer trains of the Kishigawa Line, WakayamaPhoto: MaedaAkihiko / CC BY-SA 4.08See

The designer trains of the Kishigawa Line

From platform 9 of JR Wakayama Station; taxi from the berth about 9 min, our estimate

About 4.5hNeeds a 6.5-hour call
Koyasan: Kongobuji and the Danjo Garan, WakayamaPhoto: Christophe95 / CC BY-SA 4.09See

Koyasan: Kongobuji and the Danjo Garan

Hired car, or a ship’s tour if one is offered: 59 km, about 1 h 30 min each way; taxi about ¥23,850 each way, our estimate

About 7hNeeds a 9-hour call
Okunoin, Koyasan, WakayamaPhoto: Tomaž Vajngerl / CC BY-SA 3.010See

Okunoin, Koyasan

By car to Koyasan, about 1 h 30 min each way; then about 25 min on foot from Kongobuji to the Ichinohashi entrance, our estimate

About 7hNeeds a 9-hour call

Swipe for more. The top ten as a list

The dark pin is your ship. Tap a pin for its page.

Your day, hour by hour

One day in Wakayama, timed from the gangway

Pick the tab for the hours your ship gives you. Every day keeps the hour before all-aboard free; shift each time by your arrival.

Kimiidera, WakayamaKimiideraPhoto: Hiroaki Kaneko / CC BY-SA 3.0

The south shore: Kimiidera, Wakaura and the tuna show

Fits any call of 8 hours or more, on any day of the week.

Times assume 08:00 arrival and 16:00 departure: off the ship 08:30, all-aboard 15:30, at the gangway by 14:30. All taxi figures are our estimates.

  1. 08:30Taxi to Kimiidera, 6.7 km, about 9 minutes, about ¥2,850.
  2. 08:50Kimiidera: cable car (from 08:30, ¥400 + ¥200 each way) or the stone steps, free.
  3. 10:00Taxi 4 minutes to Furobashi and Tamatsushima Shrine; then about 15 minutes on foot to Kishu Toshogu, ¥300.
  4. 11:20Taxi about 9 minutes to Kuroshio Market, about ¥3,150. Lunch.
  5. 12:30Tuna-cutting show, then the fish goes on sale as sushi and rice bowls.
  6. 13:10Taxi back to the quay, 10.7 km, about 15 minutes, about ¥4,550.
  7. 13:40At the gangway, with 50 minutes in hand.

The cat stationmaster of Kishi, ramen and the castle

Fits a 9-hour call. Yontama is on duty Friday to Tuesday; on Wednesdays and Thursdays the candidate Rokutama sits in.

Times assume 09:00 arrival and 18:00 departure: off the ship 09:30, all-aboard 17:30, at the gangway by 16:30. Taxi figures are estimates from the tariff.

  1. 09:30Taxi to JR Wakayama Station, 6.6 km, about 9 minutes, about ¥2,850.
  2. 10:00Kishigawa Line from platform 9, about 30 minutes, ¥480. Cash only.
  3. 10:30Kishi Station: the stationmaster's room, the Tama shrine, the café (10:00–16:00).
  4. 11:36Train back to Wakayama, about 30 minutes: 11:36 on weekdays, 11:38 on weekends; trains leave Kishi twice an hour.
  5. 12:10Walk 9 minutes to Ide Shoten for Wakayama ramen (hours not confirmed).
  6. 13:10Taxi 2.3 km, about ¥1,150, or a city bus, to Wakayama Castle: keep ¥410, Momijidani garden free.
  7. 15:30Taxi back to the quay, about 7 minutes, about ¥2,150.
  8. 16:00At the gangway, half an hour early.
Momijidani garden at Wakayama Castle, WakayamaMomijidani garden at Wakayama CastlePhoto: 663highland / CC BY 2.5

Wakayama Castle and the Momijidani garden

Fits any call. The keep closes on 29–31 December and on occasional days the castle announces on its site: check it the week before.

About three hours from the gangway and back. Start any time from 08:30; the keep opens at 09:00.

  1. 08:40Taxi to the castle's Ichinohashi gate, 4.9 km, about 7 minutes, about ¥2,150.
  2. 09:00Walk up to the keep, about 9 minutes uphill. Adult ¥410, child ¥200.
  3. 10:10Down to the Momijidani garden and the Ohashi-roka covered bridge, both free.
  4. 10:50Wakayama Historical Museum at the foot of the hill, ¥100, if there is time.
  5. 11:10Taxi back to the quay, or a city bus to JR Wakayama Station for ramen first.
  6. 11:40At the gangway, three hours after leaving it.

Under cover: the castle keep and Kuroshio Market

A wet day on any call. The climb to the keep, about 9 minutes, is the only part in the open. About 4.5h ashore; taxi about ¥2,150 to the castle, ¥4,650 on to the market and ¥4,550 back, our estimates. Keep ¥410; Wakayama Historical Museum ¥100. Times count from when you step off the ship.

  1. +0:00Taxi to Wakayama Castle (about 7 min, our estimate)
  2. +0:20The keep, then the Wakayama Historical Museum at the foot of the hill. Keep 9:00–17:30, ¥410; museum 9:00–17:30, ¥100
  3. +2:00Taxi to Kuroshio Market (11.2 km, about 15 min). About ¥4,650
  4. +2:20Lunch inside the market and the 12:30 or 15:00 tuna-cutting show. Market 10:00–17:00; food court 11:00–16:30
  5. +3:50Taxi back to the quay (about 15 min). About ¥4,550
  6. +4:20Back at the gangway

The rainy-day route in full

Sailing on a named ship? Your ship's page for Wakayama sets these times to your exact call.

Or put your own day together

Tick the places in the order you want them. The map numbers them and draws the way from your ship and back; the buttons open the same route in Google Maps, in parts a phone can draw.

Open the course builder as its own page →

Guide or on your own

Wakayama is a day you can do on your own

There is no bookable tour for Wakayama in our catalogue. The days above are the plan: public transport, timed from the gangway.

Before you go

Cash, Wi-Fi, toilets, steps: the practical answers

Cash, cards, ATM
No ATM at the quay is confirmed. Bring yen from the ship. The Kishigawa Line takes cash only; the Tama shop and café at Kishi take cards for goods, not for tickets.
Wi-Fi and SIM
No Wi-Fi at the quay is published. Buy an eSIM before sailing.
Toilets
Use the ship before you leave. The castle park, the stations and Kuroshio Market have public toilets.
Luggage
No lockers are published at the quay.
Steps and slopes
The castle keep is a 9-minute climb from the gate, and Kishu Toshogu has 108 steps. Kimiidera has a cable car; the temple's fee table lists wheelchair users and one helper as free. Kuroshio Market and Kishi Station are on the level. Nankai Wakayamako Station's platforms are up stairs.
English
The city recruits English and Chinese interpreter volunteers for its quay desk. The castle site offers automatic translation and a multilingual leaflet.
Pharmacy, hospital
Dial 119 for an ambulance and 110 for police; the JNTO Japan Visitor Hotline, 050-3816-2787, answers in English 24 h.
With children
Castle keep ¥200 for children, free on Saturdays; the castle park zoo is free. Kishigawa Line ¥240 to Kishi, day pass ¥600. Kimiidera by cable car is ¥200 for school pupils, plus ¥100 each way.

Two things to eat in Wakayama, and where

DishWhere, price, hours
Fresh tuna, as sushi and rice bowls, straight from the cutting showTuna-cutting show at Kuroshio Market, WakayamaThe pick Kuroshio Market, Wakayama Marina CityMarket 10:00–17:00; food court 11:00–16:30; show 12:30 and 15:00, also 11:00 on weekends and holidaysHours vary by season; the market publishes a calendar.
Wakayama ramen (chuka soba): thin noodles in a soy and pork-bone brothThe pick Ide Shoten, 9 min on foot from JR Wakayama StationNot confirmed: the shop has no page of its own that could be checkedThe Japan Tourism Agency's port page names Wakayama ramen as the local dish.Our page

Mistakes to avoid

  1. Planning the day around the port station. Nankai Wakayamako Station has about a dozen trains a day, connecting with the Nankai Ferry to Tokushima. Miss one and the next can be nearly three hours away.
  2. Going to Kishi on a Wednesday or Thursday for Yontama. Those are her days off on the railway's roster. A candidate cat, Rokutama, sits in at Kishi; Gotama is at Idakiso Station on the same line.
  3. Taking the train to Koyasan. About 2 h 20 min each way from Wakayama Station, before the taxi to the station. It leaves no time on the mountain on any call listed for 2027.
  4. Bringing only an IC card for the Kishigawa Line. The line does not accept IC cards. Buy a paper ticket or the ¥1,200 day pass at the platform 9 window, in cash.
  5. Arriving at Kuroshio Market after the show. On weekdays the tuna is cut at 12:30 and 15:00 only. The 15:00 show suits only ships that sail at 18:00 or later.
  6. Booking a tour that says Wakayama but means the other coast. Shingu, Kushimoto and Nachikatsuura are also in Wakayama Prefecture, about four hours away by train. Kumano and Nachi Falls belong to those ports, not this one.

Wakayama cruise port questions

Where do cruise ships dock in Wakayama?

At Nishihama Wharf No.5 and No.3 in Wakayama city, in the main port area of Wakayama-Shimotsu Port. It is a cargo quay with no terminal; on call days the city sets up an information desk and stalls beside the ship. Every call on the city's 2025 and 2026 lists used it. Berths for the 2027 calls are not announced.

Is Wakayama port the same as Shingu?

No. Wakayama-Shimotsu is on the west coast, in Wakayama city. Shingu, Kushimoto and Nachikatsuura are separate ports on the south-east coast of the same prefecture. Princess Cruises' Japanese site names this port Wakayama-Shimotsu on its 2027 voyages.

Is there a shuttle bus?

None is published by the city or the prefecture. Ships may run their own; check the daily programme. A taxi to Wakayama Castle is about ¥2,150.

How far is Wakayama Castle from the cruise port?

About 5 km: 7 minutes and about ¥2,150 by taxi, or about 70 minutes on foot. From Nankai Wakayamashi Station it is 15 minutes on foot.

Who is the cat stationmaster at Kishi Station now?

Yontama. The railway's roster in November 2026 has her at Kishi 10:00–16:00, off on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Gotama, stationmaster of Idakiso, is rostered at Idakiso every working day; on Wednesdays and Thursdays the candidate Rokutama sits in at Kishi. Tama and Nitama are enshrined on the platform.

How do I get to Kishi Station from the ship?

Taxi to JR Wakayama Station, about 9 minutes and ¥2,850, then the Kishigawa Line from platform 9: about 30 minutes, ¥480, two trains an hour, cash only.

Can I visit Koyasan from Wakayama cruise port?

By hired car, or a ship's tour if one is offered, on a call of nine hours or more: 59 km and about 1 h 30 min each way. Not by train: about 2 h 20 min each way from Wakayama Station.

When is the tuna-cutting show at Kuroshio Market?

Every day at 12:30 and 15:00, and also at 11:00 on weekends and holidays. The market is open 10:00–17:00; hours vary by season.

Can I take a train from the port?

Nankai Wakayamako Station is 20 minutes on foot, ¥180 to Wakayamashi, but only about a dozen trains run a day: on weekdays 08:00, 08:22, 10:23, 13:14 and 13:35 in the first half of the day.

What is the weather like in Wakayama?

JMA normals for Wakayama, 1991–2020: highs average 14.3 °C in March, 19.7 °C in April, 32.6 °C in August, 29.0 °C in September and 17.9 °C in November. June is the wettest month by rainy days. The live forecast is on this page.

Which ships call at Wakayama in 2027?

The cruise lines' own pages show Sapphire Princess on 31 March, 19 August and 6 September, Nautica on 13 April and Diamond Princess on 25 November. The city has not listed them yet, so times may change.

Is Wakayama Castle open every day?

The keep is open 09:00–17:30, last entry 17:00. It closes on 29–31 December and on occasional days announced on the castle's site, such as 9 December 2026. The garden and the covered bridge are free, 09:00–17:00.

Read on

Wakayama in depth: the places, the history, the myths

1,394 words · 16 chapters

Why Wakayama is worth getting off the ship for

The keep of Wakayama Castle above the trees of its hill
The keep of Wakayama Castle above the trees of its hillPhoto: Saigen Jiro / CC0

Wakayama gives you a castle seven minutes from the gangway, a market where a whole tuna is cut up at lunchtime, and a country railway whose stationmaster is a cat. None of them needs a tour.

What this port is not: a walk-off port, or the port for Kumano. The quay is a cargo wharf with no terminal, and the day starts in a taxi or on the ship's shuttle. The Kumano shrines and Nachi Falls belong to Shingu, on the other coast.

This guide is built from the city's call lists, the cruise lines' own itineraries, the taxi tariff and each sight's own page. Distances and taxi fares are our estimates from map routing and the official tariff. Everything was checked on 13 November 2026.

Where your ship ties up

BerthWhereUsed by
Nishihama Wharf No.5 and No.3 西浜第5・第3岸壁Wakayama main port area, NishihamaEvery call on the city's 2025–26 lists
Naka Pier No.1–2 中ふ頭Beside Nankai Wakayamako StationListed by the city; no call in 2025–26

The two Nishihama berths form one quay of up to 500 m; Diamond Princess lies across both. There is no terminal building. On call days the city's reception council sets up an information desk with interpreter volunteers and stalls of local food and crafts. The berths for the 2027 calls are not announced.

Wakayama Castle

  • Keep: 09:00–17:30, last entry 17:00; adult ¥410, child ¥200. About 9 minutes' climb from the gate.
  • Momijidani garden and the Ohashi-roka covered bridge: free, 09:00–17:00.
  • Closed: 29–31 December, and on occasional days announced on the castle's site (9 December 2026, for example).

Kishi Station and the cat stationmaster

The Kishigawa Line leaves from platform 9 of JR Wakayama Station: about 30 minutes to Kishi, two trains an hour, ¥480, or ¥1,200 for the day. IC cards are not accepted.

The railway's own roster, read in November 2026:

CatPostWhere, 10:00–16:00Days off
YontamaStationmaster of KishiKishiWednesday, Thursday
GotamaStationmaster of Idakiso, acting at KishiIdakisoMonday, Friday
RokutamaCandidateKishi Wed and Thu; Idakiso Mon and FriTuesday, Saturday, Sunday

Tama, the first stationmaster, and her successor Nitama are enshrined on the platform. The cats stay behind glass, cannot be touched and may be absent; the roster can change at short notice.

The Tama Café in the station is open 10:00–16:00 and the shop until 16:30. Kishi has no car park, so come by train.

The south shore: Kimiidera, Wakaura, Kuroshio Market

  • Kimiidera: cable car 08:30–16:30, admission ¥400 plus ¥200 each way; the stone steps are free on the temple's fee table.
  • Wakaura: Furobashi bridge and Tamatsushima Shrine, open ground. Kishu Toshogu, about 15 minutes on foot: 09:00–16:30, ¥300, 108 steps.
  • Kuroshio Market: 10:00–17:00. Tuna-cutting show 12:30 and 15:00 every day, also 11:00 on weekends and holidays.
A street of Porto Europa at Wakayama Marina City, beside Kuroshio Market
A street of Porto Europa at Wakayama Marina City, beside Kuroshio MarketPhoto: Yanajin33 / CC BY-SA 3.0

What each call day changes

Built from the cruise lines' itineraries and each place's own page. The 2027 calls are not on the city's list yet, and times may change.

CallHoursYontama at KishiTuna shows inside the callCastle keep
Wed 31 Mar 2027, Sapphire Princess09:00–18:00day off; Rokutama sits in12:30, 15:00open
Tue 13 Apr 2027, Nautica07:00–19:00on duty12:30, 15:00open
Thu 19 Aug 2027, Sapphire Princess08:00–16:00day off; Rokutama sits in12:30open
Mon 6 Sep 2027, Sapphire Princess07:00–16:00on duty12:30open
Thu 25 Nov 2027, Diamond Princess07:00–16:00day off; Rokutama sits in12:30open

Koyasan: is there time?

Koyasan is 59 km by road from the berth: about 55 minutes free-flow by our routing, so allow about 1 h 30 min each way on the mountain road. A taxi is about ¥23,850 each way by our estimate. By train, Kimiidera's access page gives about 2 h 20 min each way between Koyasan and Wakayama Station.

CallUsable hoursBy carBy train
31 Mar 2027, 09:00–18:007about 4 h on the mountainno
13 Apr 2027, 07:00–19:0010about 7 hno
19 Aug 2027, 08:00–16:006about 3 h, no margin for traffic: not advisedno
6 Sep and 25 Nov 2027, 07:00–16:007about 4 hno

Kongobuji is open 08:30–17:00, ¥1,000; the Konpon Daito ¥500; the cedar path of Okunoin is free. Oceania's seven excursions for 13 April 2027 do not include Koyasan.

The schedule pattern

In 2026 the city listed eight calls, all at Nishihama Wharf, most from 08:00 or 09:00 to 18:00: Mitsui Ocean Fuji, Asuka III, Viking Eden and Diamond Princess. For 2027 the cruise lines' own pages show Sapphire Princess three times, Nautica once and Diamond Princess once; the city has not listed them yet.

In the year to March 2026 the port took 19 calls, nine of them by Star Navigator from Keelung, each from noon to midnight. The full table is under cruises to Wakayama.

Seabourn Encore's November 2026 voyage from Osaka goes to Hirara on Miyakojima, not to Wakayama, on Osaka's port list as updated on 4 November 2026.

What to eat

Tuna at Kuroshio Market, sold as sushi and bowls straight after the show. Wakayama ramen, called chuka soba, in the city: Ide Shoten is 9 minutes on foot from JR Wakayama Station, hours not confirmed.

Weather

JMA normals for Wakayama, 1991–2020: average highs of 14.3 °C in March, 19.7 °C in April, 32.6 °C in August, 29.0 °C in September and 17.9 °C in November, with 9, 9, 6, 9 and 6.5 days of rain a month. Cherry blossom opens around 24 March and is in full bloom around 3 April in a normal year.

Getting back to the ship

Work backwards from all-aboard and be at the gangway an hour before it. From the castle leave 1 h 30 min before all-aboard; from Kuroshio Market 1 h 45 min; from Kishi 2 h 30 min, because the train is 30 minutes and runs twice an hour. Do not plan the return on the Nankai train: the afternoon trains from Wakayamashi are at 13:05, 13:24, 15:39 and 16:03 on weekdays.

Money, phones and access

There is no terminal, so no exchange desk, ATM or Wi-Fi at the quay is confirmed. Bring yen from the ship. Taxis and the Kishigawa Line are where the cash goes: the line takes no IC cards, and its ticket windows take no credit cards. The Tama shop and café at Kishi take cards for goods.

For phone data, buy an eSIM before the cruise: nothing is published at the quay.

If walking is hard, pick the market or the train. Kuroshio Market and Kishi Station are on the level. The castle keep is a 9-minute climb, and Kishu Toshogu has 108 steps.

Kimiidera has a cable car, and its fee table lists a wheelchair user and one helper as free. Nankai Wakayamako Station has stairs to its platforms and no staff.

Wakayama and its neighbours

On the 2027 itineraries Wakayama sits between the big Kansai ports and the Pacific coast. Sapphire Princess comes from Toba and goes on to Kochi in March, and comes from Kobe in August. Diamond Princess arrives from Osaka. Nautica arrives from Tokyo and goes on to Kochi.

If your ship also calls at Osaka or Kobe, keep Kyoto, Nara and Osaka for those days. Oceania sells two all-day Osaka trips from Wakayama, 8 hours or more each; on a day here the castle, the market and the cat are closer.

The best things to do in Wakayama on a port day

Our full list, with the time each takes from the berth, is on the Wakayama top 10. Timed plans are on Wakayama plans.

How to think about your hours

All-aboard is usually 30 minutes before departure, and you want to be at the gangway an hour before that. The first half hour goes on getting off. So the time you can use is the call length minus about two hours.

Tours

No tours from Wakayama are listed on this site yet. If you hire a car or taxi, give the driver the berth name, Nishihama Wharf No.5 (西浜第5岸壁), and your all-aboard time.

The 21 sources behind this guide
The 11 photographs on this page

Takumi Yamada

Editor, Port of Japan · Tokyo, Japan

Researched from official timetables, operators and the port authority, with our estimates where none is published. Every time and fare in this guide was checked against the sources listed above on 13 November 2026; where we had to estimate (a walk, a taxi in traffic), the text says so. Timetables change — if you find one that has, tell us and we will fix it.

Keep planning: the Wakayama port page · timed plans by call length · ships calling in 2027