Hi! Am going to Osaka for the first time with my family and this is our first time in Japan. Am overwhelmed with planning the itinerary, but am splitting organizing with my sister. I am assigned for the Osaka proper and she will do the Kyoto and Nara + USJ.
I got these from 2 blogs, but please let me know your thoughts? Also am coming in at the afternoon so am very torn on the first day itinerary. Would also like to include shopping at Donki, Daiso, Tokyu Hands, Shinshaibashi (Uniqlo, GU, Adidas, Asics), Den Den town.
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Can I do that in one day since they are almost next to each other?
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OPTION 1: I got this from a Klook vlog, but removed some parts already. Very generic
DAY 1
\*\*Arrival from airport – quick late lunch near airbnb
* Osaka Castle
* Tempozan Ferris Wheel (optional)
* Dotonburi
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DAY 2
* USJ – We got the Express Pass
* Shinsekai + Tsukenkaku Tower
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DAY 3
* Nara day trip\*\*
* Team Lab Osaka
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Day 4
* Pokemon Center Osaka
* Umeda Sky
* Kuromon Market
* Shopping for souvenirs
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\*\*I did not include Kyoto and Nara here because my sister is organizing that.
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OPTION 2 from [https://www.nomadasaurus.com/3-days-in-osaka-itinerary/](https://www.nomadasaurus.com/3-days-in-osaka-itinerary/) but removed some parts already
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DAY 1
* Osaka Castle and Osaka Park
* HEP Five Ferris wheel (optional)
* Umeda Sky Building + Pokemon Center – Is the Pokemon cafe recommended?
* River Cruise – Nakanoshima river vs Tombori river cruise\* – read it is short and expensive?
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DAY 2
* Sumiyoshi Taisha
* Shitenno-ji Temple
* Explore Shinsekai + Tsunkekaku Tower
* Kuromon Market (late lunch)
* Den Den town
* Explore Dotonbori from sunset to night time
* \+ Hozen-ji temple + Fudo-myoo statue + Hozen-ji Yokocho (optional)
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DAY 3
* Minoo Park
* Abueno Harukas – is this worth visiting or can I skip this?
* Osaka Bay area
* Shop for souvenirs?
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Appreciate your help!
3 comments
The best things about Osaka (from a tourist perspective) are it’s shopping, food and nightlife. I’m getting the feeling from your post that the latter two aren’t necessarily huge priorities but you specifically mention shopping and included specific areas for that so it might be worth making that the focus of your time in Osaka and just pick whatever sightseeing spots are of interest to you and nearby (you don’t mention which area you’re staying in but I’m gonna assume it’s at least somewhere inside the loop line). Getting around in Osaka is very easy and most of the attractions on your list are not too out of the way.
In my opinion the only can’t miss place in Osaka is the Dotombori. Especially at night. Even if you have no interest in nightlife or drinking or whatever it’s a great and fun atmosphere to just go for a little while and take it in. Everything else in the city is completely optional as far as sightseeing goes. The castle, the aquarium, Sumiyoshi Taisha, even USJ are all basically fine but not spectacular. I lived in Osaka for ten years and it’s my favourite city in the world but as a sightseeing destination it’s honestly not that great. You’ll be seeing more interesting things in Kyoto and Nara. I’d recommend using your time in Osaka to focus on shopping, eating, doing fun big city things like going to game centers or maid cafes, people watching and seeing whichever sights are of particular interest to you.
For what it’s worth my favourite place on your list is actually Abeno Harukas which is pretty near Tsutenkaku and the Tennoji area is in general just kind of fun with good Kushi Katsu.
Not necessarily advice but in case this affects your decision, Osaka Castle looks nothing like a castle on the inside and resembles a modern-day museum. If you are planning to go for the history or the view from the top then by all means, but if you’re only interesting in the castle aesthetic it’s better to just take a photo outside and leave.
We were at USJ on Monday. We arrived an hour early and there were already a ton of people in the park. Super Mario World got busy by 10 and there was almost no room to move around. So, I’d suggest getting there at least an hour early to try and beat at least some of the crowd.