Osaka, Japan
Osaka
大阪
Osaka Travel Guide & Itinerary
There are too many choices of attractions in Osaka, Japan. In this simple Osaka travel guide, you will find a Osaka travel itinerary for 5 days, recommendation of travel passes, attractions in Osaka and around Osaka, popular restaurants and best hotels to stay in.
If it’s your first time traveling in Osaka, 5 days are only enough for a highlight trip. If you want to visit Osaka, Kyoto, Nara and Kobe, it takes at least a week.
» Start the guide with...TransportationWhere to StayItinerary
Attractions in Osaka
Kansai is rich in number and type of attractions, like dining, shopping, nature, history, trend, culture, enjoyment……
Your Osaka itinerary has to be adjusted according to the season. For example, in the period of springa and autumn , you can arrange more natural attractions to enjoy the pink sakuras or fall colors. Try staying in a traditional Japanese hotel with Onsen for a night in Kobe Arima or Kyoto Arashiyama.
Top Hotels in Osaka
The best area to stay in is Namba or Umeda, as the transportation is very convenient, with many restaurants and shops around. Here are top rated Osaka hotels near train stations.
Recommended Hotels:
Namba
- Hotel Kanade Spacy, very near Namba Station (Booking.com rating 8.1) Check price: Booking.com Agoda
- Namba Oriental Hotel Classic Style (Booking.com rating 8.3) Check price: Booking.com Agoda
- Swissotel Nankai Osaka Luxury, 5 star hotel (Booking.com rating 8.8) Check price: Booking.com Agoda
Umeda
- 1. Hotel Monterey Osaka Short walk to Osaka Station with undercover (Booking.com rating 8.0) Check price: Booking.com Agoda
- 2. Hotel Nature Osaka Umeda budget, simple breakfast (Booking.com rating 7.3) Check price: Booking.com Agoda
- 3. Hotel Granvia Osaka On top of the JR station, high quality (Booking.com rating 8.2) Check price: Booking.com Agoda
Transportation in & around Osaka
As there are a lot of unlimited travel passes in Osaka, sometimes it is difficult to decide it’s the best.
First of all, think about those attractions you plan to go, and see if there is a Travel Pass offered, and then adjust the itinerary.
Some popular travel passes are: Osaka Amazing Pass, Kansai Thru Pass, JR Kansai Area Pass, Kintetsu Rail Pass
Osaka Amazing Pass (1 or 2 day) highly recommeded!
- (1) Card holders can enter 40 attractions free of charge, including Umeda Observatory, Osaka Tenshukaku, Osaka Life Past and Present Museum and sightseeing boat ride
- Unlimited rides on Osaka Metro, trams, buses and some private railways* Private railways are only applicable to 1-day tickets
- Ticket Price: 2700 yen for 1-day ticket, 3600 yen for 2-day ticket (limited to 2 consecutive days)
- Available facilities and sections: https://www.osaka-info.jp/osp/cht/
» purchase the pass, pick it up at Kansai Airport
*If you will also travel to Nara / Kyoto / Kobe Arima / Uji / Wakayama, it is recommended to buy:
Kansai Thru Pass
- Card holders can take private railways, trams, subways, buses in the Kansai area
- Includes transportation from Osaka to Kyoto, Nara, Kobe, Arima
- Important: Passes can be used discontinuously during the validity period
- 4300 yen for 2 days, 5300 yen for 3 days
» Buy a Kansai Thru Pass
Other travel passes and transportation cards:
- Osaka Metro Day Pass: 1 or 2 day pass, unlimited rides on Osaka subways, trams and Osaka metro-operated buses, suitable for people mainly active in the city. » Buy the pass
- Kansai ICOCA Card: a rechargeable rail card for JR / Metro / Kintetsu, deposit 500Yen can be refunded, refund fee 220Yen » Buy the Card
Which transportation pass should I buy?
- only stay in Osaka: Osaka Amazing Pass & Kansai ICOCA Card
- also go to 2-3 cities around Osaka: Osaka Amazing Pass & Kansai Thru Pass
Osaka Itinerary for 5 Days
Below is a Osaka trip itinerary for 5 days, it includes visiting popular tourist attractions in Osaka, a day trip to Kyoto, a day trip to Nara / Kobe Arima. It can be a sample itinerary for you to have more travel ideas for your coming trip in Osaka.
If you want to go to Kyoto for more days, please have a look here » Kyoto Itinerary for 3 days
Day 1
Airport – Hotel – Dotonbori – Shinsaibashi
1. Hotel Check In
To start the Osaka trip, you go to Osaka city from the airport by taking Nankai Line Airport Express Train (~34mins) or KIX limousine bus(~70mins). The express train go to Namba Station while the bus has various options of route.
Before arrival, better choose a hotel in Namba or Umeda for convenient transportation to Nara and lots of cites around. You can have a look on the “Top Hotels in Osaka” sections above.
2. Dotonbori
First of all, Dotonbori is definitely a must-go dining and shopping paradise for tourists. You can have an afternoon tea here first, and then come back for dinner after shopping in Shinsaibashi.
When wandering through the alley ways, you can try to find the small but quaint temple called Hozenji Temple. Next to this temple, there is a tiny local shop selling only red bean sweet soup which symbolizes good marriage. For shopaholics, don’t miss the 24-hour discount store called Don Quijote.
Where to buy: Don Quijote, 0101, Sennichimae Doguyasuji Shopping Street, BIC CAMERA
Food to try:
Apart from shopping, there are lots of authentic Japanese dish to try here like tempura, kushikatsu串カツ, Osaka-style okonomiyaki関西お好み焼き, takoyakiたこ焼き , ramen…… The shop closes at 9 o’clock, but restaurants are open until midnight.
Recommended restaurants:
- Kushikatsu – Kushikatsu Yokozuna Bekkan, Kushikatsu Jyan Jyan New world
- Osaka-style okonomiyaki – Okonomyaki Chibo, Mizuno美津の, Fukutaro福丸郎
- Takoyaki – 本家 大たこ, Doutonbori Akaoni道頓堀赤鬼
- Ramen – Ichiran一蘭, Kamukura神座 , 四天王, Menyajouroku 麺屋丈六 Noodle House Jokoku, ぼっこ志(white chicken soup ramen), 麺や拓, つけ麺屋 やすべえ
- Tempura – 天ぷら一番
- Others: Kani Douraku (crab cuisine), Dotonbori Niku Gekijou (grilled meat with rice), Doutomboriimai道頓堀今井 (udon), Gyukatsu Kyoto Katsugyu (Deep-fried beef), Cafe Gram (pancake)
3. Shinsaibashi
Shinsaibashi specializes in shopping, shopping and shopping! You can find shops of make-up products, snacks, clothes, shoe stores and so on. Remember to bring enough money or credit cards! If you have time, you can also go to the nearby Minamisenba and American Village.
- Where to eat: PABLO Half-Baked Cheese Tart, , Crepes de cocorico, Meijiken, Tonkatu Wako, Kougaryuu Takoyaki
- Where to buy: ABC-MART, STEP, Uniqlo, Crysta underground street, BIG STEP
- Where to sleep: Hotel Kanade
Recommended Hotels: Hotel Kanade / Namba Oriental Hotel / Swissotel Nankai Osaka
Day 2
Universal Studios Japan
1. Universal Studio JAPAN
Univeral Studio is one of the top attractions is Osaka. It is the first theme park in Asia, with the theme of Hollywood movies, elements of Japanese animation characters, and the recently added Harry Potter area.As both Japanese and foreign tourists are eager to go, it is recommended to go on a weekday.
Get ready to spend the whole day in the park for fun, and then return to the hotel for a good rest. Buying electronic tickets can save a lot of time for lining up for ticketss.
» Universal Studios Japan Ticket from Klook
If I have been to Universal Studios before, where can I go?
A day trip to Kyoto will be wonderful.
After arriving to Kyoto, have brunch at Nishiki Market, then wearing a kimono to visit Kiyomizu Temple. After that, have dinner and do shopping in Kawaramachi. You can also stay in Kyoto for 2 nights to experience the historical and natural atmosphere. » Kyoto Itinerary for 3 Days
Recommended Hotels: Hotel Kanade / Namba Oriental Hotel / Swissotel Nankai Osaka
Day 3
Nara / Kobe Arima
Osaka city shouldn’t be the only travel destinations if your trip lasts for more than 3 days. There are many great places to go around Osaka. Here are two popular options of day trip: Nara and Arima in Kobe.
Nara
Apart from playing with wild deers, you canvisit Kasuga Grand Shrine and Todaiji Temple. Return to Osaka in the evening, go to Tennoji for dinner, then go to the nearby Spaworld to try a hot spring bath or take a sightseeing boat in Dotonbori.
- Food to try : Mochi, Kakinoha sushi, udon with oil tofu
- What to buy : facial blotting paper, available on the shopping street near Kintetsu Station
Kobe Arima
Arima Onsen is one of the three most famous and ancient springs in Japan. (An onsen is a Japanese hot spring.)
Enjoy the onsen during the day, and then go up to the Mountain Rokko for the marvelous night view. Alternatively, you can choose to stay at an onsen Inn for a night.
- Food to try : Specialty carbonated water, onsen carbonated pancakes, hot spring buns, deep-fried potato cakes with minced beef
- What to buy : lots of souvenir shops in the town selling ma konbu, carbonated pancakes, and pickles
- Where to stay : Osaka / Arima Onsen
- » Arima Onsen Guide – Inns with Private / Public Hot Springs (Enjoy Onsen)
Recommended Hotels: Hotel Kanade / Namba Oriental Hotel / Swissotel Nankai Osaka
Day 4
Kuromon Market – Umeda – Umeda Sky Garden Obsersvatory – HEF FIVE Ferris Wheel
1. Kuromon Market
Kuromon Market, which is just next to Namba, is known as the Osaka Kitchen and famous for having a seafood brunch. The Market is for both local and tourists. Fresh seafood and fruits are on sale here every day.
You can try sashimi, Japanese wagyu beef, grilled eel, puffer fish, sea urchin, oysters, lobsters……. There is a free resting and dining place in the market, so you can buy the food and sit down to enjoy them.
After the brunch, you can walk to the nearby DEN DEN TOWN which is regarded as Akihabara in Osaka. It is a district for electrical equipment and toys of animation
- Food to try : sashimi, Japanese wagyu beef, grilled eel, puffer fish, instantly-opened sea urchin and oysters
- Where to buy : Green Beans Parlor to buy coffee beans, Kuromon Nakagawa fruit for seasonal fruits
2. Umeda
Umeda is a transportation hub in Osaka and it takes only 30 minutes to get to Kobe and Kyoto from here. Other than just a convenient district to stay in, it is also a shopping paradise, with several super-large malls, numerous shops, and tons of restaurants. The overall feeling of the area is a bit more upscale than that of Shinsaibashi and Dotonbori.
At night, you can go to the Kuchu Teien Observatory on the 40th floor of Umeda Sky Building to overlook the night view of the entire city of Osaka; or you can take the red ferris wheel HEP FIVE. Both are free entry with the Osaka Amazing Pass during the day. » purchase the pass, pick it up at Kansai Airport
- Where to eat : Tajimaya Wagyu Shabu Shabu, Takimi Koji retro dining street, Soraniwa Dining in Hankyu Department Store, Chikuyoutei (Grilled eel with rice)
- Where to buy : Hankyu Department Store, Hanshin Department Store, Osaka Station City, Hep Five, Yodobashi
- Where to stay: Hotel Monterey Osaka , direct access to the station
Recommended Hotels: Hotel Monterey Osaka / Hotel Granvia Osaka
Day 5
Osaka Castle – Osaka Museum of History – Namba – Airport
1. Osaka Castle
In the morning of the last day of the trip, you can go to the majestic Osaka Castle. Osaka Castle is a landmark of Osaka and one of the three most famous castles in Japan. Almost all tourists traveling i Osaka for the first time will come to visit so it’s a must-go attractions in Osaka. The castle was rebuilt after WWII. It is now the Osaka Castle History Museum (free entry with Osaka Amzaing Pass » purchase) .
The Osaka Castle Park is full of pale pink cherry blossoms in April, so lots of Japanese and tourists come to visit.
Next, lunch can be settled in Ameyoko, where there are many restaurants, snack bars, clothing stores, bistros and souvenir shops.
2. Osaka History Museum
After visiting Osaka Castle, if you have time, you can go to the Osaka Museum of History (free entry with Osaka Amazing Pass) just right next to Osaka Castle. The museum is worth visiting as it introduces and presents the imperial palace of the Asuka period to the modern Japan with high-tech and exquisite exhibits.
There is a free kimono experience on the 7th floor on Sunday (subject to change). No appointment is required. Someone will put on a yukata for you and lend you the clogs. Check the official website for the schedule: http://www.mus-his.city.osaka.jp/eng/index.html
3. Airport
At the end of this Osaka trip, return to Dotonbori at noon for some more authentic Japanese food, and buy some more souvenirs. Then, go back fto the hotel and pick up your luggage.
Then, time to set off for the airport….
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