3 Days in Osaka: Things To Do, See & Eat
Osaka is a vibrant city - where Tokyo is more business like Osaka is seen as more fun and lively.
It’s also known as a foodie-destination - loads of famous Japanes dishes come from Osaka and the region, such as Takoyaki, Okonomiyaki and Kushikatsu.
3 days is probably not enough to see everything that Osaka has to offer, but it’s plenty of time to see some of the main attractions in this fascinating city. Check out my guide below!
Things To Do
Explore Dotonbori
Dotonbori is the where you can find the hustle and bustle of Osaka - Neon lights, shops, restaurants and Pachinko places - there’s loads to see here.
Apart from walking around the main shopping street of Dotonbori, here are a few main things to see in the area:
Running “Glico” Man - This is the iconic bilboard of the Glico man. Glico is a confectionary company and the billboard was installed all the way back in 1935!
Yamba Shrine - this small temple is famous for it’s big Dragon head, which is definitely picture-worthy.
Kuromon market - here you’ll find street food stalls and restaurants
Street food at Shinsekai
Osaka is well known for it’s street food and one of the areas that’s known for it’s food is Shinsekai.
A great way to sample all the foods that Osaka has to offer is to join a street food tour. I joined this one from GetYourGuide and it was really fun. You get to sample a lot of different snacks in one evening, along with great explanations about everything as well as the area. Highly recommend and make sure to get there with plenty of room in your stomach!
Visit Osaka Castle
Of course, a trip to Osaka isn’t complete without visiting the famous Osaka castle and it’s surrounding Castle Gardens. Especially during spring blossom season or autumn it’s very pretty with all the spring blossom trees surrounding the majestic building.
The castle was opened in 1597 and is one of the most famous landmarks in Japan. It also has an observation platform from which you can see a beautiful view on the city of Osaka.
Do some shopping in Orange Street
Orange street is famous for it’s hipster fashion and lifestyle boutique stores as well as cafes and restaurants. What I liked about it is that it was a bit more relaxed than the main street in Dotonbori and not so ‘touristy’ in my opinion, while still being located quite centrally. I particularly liked these shops:
Journal Standard Furniture - for trendy home items
kindal - second hand/vintage store
Biotop - Clothing & lifestyle store
Check out the Nakazakicho neighbourhood (& drink coffee)
Nakazakicho is the area close to Shin-Osaka station (this is where the Shinkansen bullet trains depart from) and has recently been trending as the new, up and coming neighbourhood. You can find plenty of cafes (check out Ourlog Coffee), cute streets and vintage stores. It’s a more quaint and cute side of Osaka, and it’s definitely worth checking out.
Teamlabs Botanic Gardens
One of my favourite things that I did in Osaka was visiting the Teamlabs which is located in the Botanic Gardens. It opens in the evening; when I was there in October it opened from 20:30. I really thought it was a magical experience - they blended digital art with nature and music perfectly. I felt like I was a little bit in an enchanted forest! Some reviews mention it is small, but I thought it was okay - you can plan 1-2 hours there.
You can easily get your tickets for Teamlabs Osaka on Klook.
Daytrip to Katsuoji Temple or Minoo Falls
Even though I didn’t have time to do these daytrips, it is highly recommended to visit the Katsuoji temple and/or Minoo falls (both are close to each other). It does take a but to get there - to the temple you need to take the train and then a bus. Once you’re there, you’re rewarded with a beautiful temple and it’s lovely to have a walk about the temple grounds too - trying to find and spot all the Daruma dolls.
Day trip to Nara or Uji
Both the towns of Nara and Uji are wonderful day trips from Osaka, both of which you can easily access by train.
Nara is around a minute train ride away from Osaka, and here is where you can see the famous deers (though be aware - they can bite!) and the gorgeous temple...
Uji is a small town about 30 minuted from Kyoto and it’s known for it’s matcha and green tea; in fact, you can find loads of Matcha-flavoured foods and drinks in this cute town. You can also read my blog post about Uji and what to do there, here.
Things To Eat
What foods to try
Here are a few quintessential Osaka snacks to try:
Takoyaki - the famous dough-octopus balls, glazed with a sweet and savoury sauce and often topped with bonito flakes. But they can come it many flavours and with many different sauces!
Taiyaki - This is the fish shaped pastry that is filled with Azuki red beans (but nowadays they also put other types of fillings). Great for a snack or dessert!
Doteyaki - a typical beef stew that has a rich, umami flavour.
Kushikatsu - Battered and fried skewers of meat, vegetables and seafood.
Okonomiyaki - A famous, savoury pancake that is made with cabbage and a what batter - often topped with meat and seafood.
Specialty Coffee shops
WOOT - I loved this laid back cafe that is located in a quiet street nearby Orange street. They also serve breakfast and pastries
Yard Coffee House - If you are looking for excellent coffee closeby Namba, then check out this cafe!
Ourlog Coffee - Amazing coffee at this hipster cafe. There’s also a shop in Honmachi.
Yatt Coffee - located in the hip neighbourhood of Nakazakicho, this cafe has great coffee and is also very instagrammable!
Barista Map Coffee Roasters - a world cup barista winner makes the coffee here! Especially
Where To Stay
If you want to stay super central and be in the hustle and bustle of Osaka, then I’d recommend staying in the Namba area. It’s also the easiest to get to after arriving at KIX International Airport. Some options for hotels are:
Hotel Royal Classic Osaka - Classy, luxury hotel right next to the train station, which is super convenient
CINQS Hotel - a stylish and hip hotel, more on the middle tier hotel
I also stayed quite central, just a few stops away from the center, in the Honmachi area. I thought Garner Hotel by IHG Honmachi Midosuji was great value and it was quiet, yet still close to the metro, restaurants and cafes.
Another option, especially if you’re planning on doing a lot of day trips from Osaka, is staying in the Kita neighbourhood, which is where you’ll find the JR Osaka train station. For instance, The Intercontinental Hotel is a great choice to stay at, or, for a medium-budget there is also Hotel Intergate Umeda, which is a trendy yet cozy hotel located really close to the station.
When To Go
The best times to go to Osaka is in spring time for the cherry blossom (March or April) and October to December, when the weather is mild and the crowds have lessened. I went early October and it was actually still very warm, around 25-30C!
January and February are colder months, but it’s also low season so prices will be cheaper. The summer months (especially July & August) are generally quite hot in Japan and prices can be more expensive.
How To Get Around
From the airport
KIX is the international airport in Osaka. By train, it takes about 40 minutes to get to the city center of Osaka. You can take the JR Haruka Limited Express train or the Nankai Rapi:t.
For maximum convenience you can also book an airport transfer on Klook.
Within Osaka
The metro in Osaka is super convenient and can get you almost everywhere within the city using it.
What is really great as well is that you can just check in and out with your credit card or Applepay - no need to buy the Suica/Icoca card anymore!
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