NEXCO Central sells passes that let you drive within a set area for a flat fee. The more you drive inside the area the less each kilometre costs, and used well it comes to far less than paying the tolls. Plans come and go, and each must be applied for in advance.
The ferry between Irago (Aichi) and Toba carries your car across the bay in about an hour, cutting out the drive around it. The fare goes by vehicle length and includes one driver; passengers pay separately. Sailings are cancelled in rough weather.
Wild dolphins and finless porpoises live in these waters, and the crew logs sightings from the deck — most often off Kamishima and in the Irago Strait, but also around Tōshijima, Sugashima and Toba Bay. There is no guarantee on any one crossing, so treat it as a bonus for standing outside rather than a reason to book.
This section covers the car parks for visiting Ise Jingu — Naiku and Geku. They differ in two ways that matter: how far they are from the entrance, and what time they let you in. The fee is the same wherever you park at Naiku, and the Geku lots are free.
Heading somewhere else in Ise-Shima? Each place has its own parking notes on its facility page. Futami Okitama Shrine and Meoto Iwa are further down this page. Motorcycle parking is on the motorcycle page.
Capacity, fees and entry hours change from time to time, so a listing here may be out of date. Check the official information before you set out.
The map shows the car parks open all year. Seasonal overflow lots are listed further down.
Naiku9 lots / 1955 spaces
The same fee applies at every lot below.
The closest lots to Ujibashi Bridge, but only 207 spaces between them. A1 accepts cars around the clock, so it suits an early start for the 5am opening.
Peak periodsOver Golden Week, A2 becomes the shuttle bus stop and cannot be used for parking (2 to 5 May in 2026). The Silver Week notice lists only A1, with 49 spaces.
About as close as A1/A2 but with just 53 spaces. The 7pm limit is on entry only — you can drive out at any hour. Five accessible spaces.
MotorcyclesMotorcycle parking for Naiku is along the exit lane of this A4 car park. Follow the directions of the marshals on the day.
Peak periodsWhile the road to Naiku is closed to traffic, this lot is reserved for disabled and priority parking.
One of the few B lots open around the clock. If you are arriving before dawn, choose A1 or this one.
Peak periodsOver Silver Week this lot becomes the shuttle bus stop and cannot be used for parking (September 20-22 in 2026).
Peak periodsOver Silver Week this lot becomes the shuttle bus stop and cannot be used for parking (September 20-22 in 2026).
The largest lot around the shrine with 625 spaces, and it takes mid-size vehicles. Note that it only opens at 7am, while the shrine itself opens at 5am.
Like B5, entry is from 7am only. Mid-size vehicles are accepted.
Peak periodsThe Silver Week notice gives 385 spaces here, with entry around the clock.
About 110 m from Okage Yokocho, closer than any other car park here. Dearer than the municipal lots, but free if you have had a prayer ceremony performed at the shrine — just show your parking ticket — and free for guests staying at the hall. Four-wheeled vehicles only, up to 5 m long, 2 m wide and 2.1 m high; no motorcycles or bicycles. Payment in 1,000-yen notes only.
Peak periodsOver the New Year period, Golden Week and Silver Week, the road this car park sits on (Ujiurata-cho to Naiku) is closed to traffic. Whether people heading for this car park are let through is not stated anywhere, so call the hall before you set off.
For coaches and microbuses only. Reservations are not accepted.
Geku3 lots / 360 spaces
The same fee applies at every lot below.
The largest of the Geku lots.
MotorcyclesAt Geku, motorcycles use part of the ordinary car park. Follow the directions of the marshals on the day.
Overflow car parks and the park & bus ride run over the New Year period, Golden Week and Silver Week (the September holidays). Outside those periods they are normally closed, though one of them opens whenever the regular lots fill up. Exit restrictions come into force at the same time, so you cannot drive from the expressway to the shrines — see which exit to take. For the New Year period, the hatsumode page sets out how to get there.
Over the New Year period, Golden Week and Silver Week, the road running from Ujiurata-cho to the Naiku entrance is closed to traffic. Only the following may pass:
- Tour coaches
- Route buses
- Taxis
- Motorcycles and mopeds
- Bicycles and other light vehicles
- Vehicles with local business
- Holders of a disability certificate or an Omoiyari priority parking permit
It is not stated whether people driving to the Jingu Kaikan car park, which sits on this road, are let through. Call the hall before you set off.
Through the restricted period the outbound right-hand lane of Route 23 is given over to buses. Ordinary cars are left with the remaining lane; only buses, taxis and road maintenance vehicles may use it. How much of the road is taken depends on the day:
- Days the park & bus ride runs: Ise IC to the Ujiurata-cho junction
- Days it does not: the Nakamura-cho junction to the Ujiurata-cho junction (about 500 m)
On the days it runs, the restricted stretch reaches back to Ise IC and turns are barred at the junctions along it. You cannot reach Naiku from Route 23.
Shuttles run to both Naiku and Geku. Keep your receipt — you need it to board. Standard and kei cars only: coaches, microbuses and motorcycles are told to head straight for their destination instead. From the expressway leave at Asama-higashi IC; from Route 23 take Ise IC onto the Ise-Futami-Toba Line and leave at Asama-higashi IC.
Overflow car parks9 lots / 2050 spaces
The closest of the overflow car parks to Naiku. Coming from the Shima direction you can drive straight in, but from central Ise you cannot turn right into it. You have to pass it and turn around, which is dangerous when traffic is heavy. Carry on a little towards the Ise-doro road and there is a rest area just before the tunnel with room to turn. Do not enter the tunnel — beyond it the mountain road runs for some distance with nowhere to turn around.
West of the athletics stadium, and the largest of the overflow car parks with 480 spaces.
Beside the gymnasium, and the smallest of the overflow car parks with 130 spaces.
Closed in wet weather.
A small car park with just 40 spaces.
You park here and take a shuttle bus from the store to the Naiku entrance.
Peak periodsA one-day trial on 20 September 2026 only. It does not open on other days.
Unlike the other overflow lots, this one is sometimes opened whenever the regular Geku car parks fill up, not only in peak season.
Opening hours are typically 9:00–17:00, and these lots open only when the venue itself is not in use. Which ones open changes from season to season and year to year — the names above follow the most recent announcement (Golden Week 2026). Always check before you set off.
Current status (Rakuraku Ise-Moude) →Two things are easy to get wrong here. The restriction applies to the exits only — you can still join the expressway in any direction — and it runs for a set window each day rather than all day.
The dates and times change every year, so check the official announcement before you set off. Note too that there is no Ise-nishi IC exit at all for traffic coming from the Futami and Toba direction, restriction or not.
In other words, during peak periods you cannot drive to the shrines from the expressway at all. Plan around the park & bus ride from the start, and check whether restrictions are in force before you set off.
Are restrictions in force? (Rakuraku Ise-Moude) →Futami Okitama Shrine, where the wedded rocks stand, is on the coast about 7 km from Jingu. There is parking right in front of the shrine, but it has very few spaces, and the shrine itself says it gets very crowded and points visitors to the free car parks a short walk away. When the sun and moon rise between the rocks →
About a 3-minute walk to Futami Okitama Shrine. A free car park right in front of it, but being the closest it has very few spaces, and the shrine itself says it "gets very crowded" and recommends the five car parks a short walk away below.
About a 3-minute walk to Futami Okitama Shrine, in front of its Sanshuden hall. It too has very few spaces, and no fee is stated officially.
At about a 7-minute walk to Futami Okitama Shrine it is the closest of the five, but there are only 30 spaces.
About a 13-minute walk to Futami Okitama Shrine. A small car park with just 20 spaces.
About a 14-minute walk to Futami Okitama Shrine, with 100 spaces.
About a 15-minute walk to Futami Okitama Shrine. With 220 spaces it is the largest of the five free car parks, so it is the one to try first.
About a 15-minute walk to Futami Okitama Shrine. You step straight out onto the beach from here, so in good weather it is worth walking along the shore instead of the road.
About a 5-minute walk along the shore to Futami Okitama Shrine. A paid car park right beside Meoto Iwa, open to visitors who are not going into the aquarium. With 250 spaces you have a good chance of parking even on a busy day. Which rate applies is set day by day and shown on the calendar on the official page. Coach parking is here too, and must be booked by the previous day.
The walking times are our own estimates, measured along the actual walking route and converted at 80 m per minute. They run longer than the published figures, which disagree with each other. Please do not park on the street — the roads around Futami back up when it is busy.