From the iconic Osaka Castle to the bustling streets of Dotonbori, this 2 day Osaka itinerary covers everything you’ll want to see on your first visit. Plus we’ve included lots of tips from our personal experience traveling in Osaka, Japan to help you plan your trip.
Osaka is one of those cities that can be a bit polarizing. Big, busy, neon-lit, and a bit gritty on its exterior, Osaka doesn’t retain the kind of historical charm that Kyoto boasts or the world-renowned reputation of Tokyo.
But after multiple visits, we can confidently say—don’t write it off. If you give Osaka a chance, you might just find yourself pleasantly surprised (we sure were!).
Compared to Tokyo, Osaka has much more affordable hotels. Plus, it isn’t nearly as “touristy feeling” as Kyoto. This is a good place to get a taste of local life in a Japanese city.
There’s plenty to do, but we think 2 days in Osaka is the sweet spot to hit the highlights and discover a few hidden gems.
After two very different trips to Osaka, we’ve fine-tuned the perfect itinerary for a solid introduction to the city—one that balances sightseeing, unique experiences, and authentic Japanese culture.
In this 2 day Osaka itinerary, you’ll get an outline of how exactly to spend your time there. And if you like what you see, be sure to check out our complete 2-week Japan itinerary because we have quite literally done all the planning for you!
Osaka Itinerary Contents
For more information and advice on planning your Osaka itinerary, click on the sections below, or just keep scrolling to read it all!
- 2 days in Osaka itinerary
- Osaka travel guide
- Osaka map
- Budget for 2 days in Osaka
- Is 2 days enough?
- Extra time in Osaka
- Perfect Japan itinerary
- More Japan travel resources
Day 1 in Osaka
Welcome to Osaka!
Here’s an overview of today’s schedule:
Morning:
- Check out Osaka Castle & Nishinomaru Garden
- Make your way to Shiteno-ji Temple for a visit
Lunch:
- Head to Kuromon Ichiba Market to wander and grab a bite to eat
Afternoon/Evening:
- Explore Dotonbori
- Dinner in Dotonbori
- Nightlife options
Osaka Castle
- ¥600 to enter museum & observation deck
- Hours: 9am – 5pm
- last entry at 4:30pm
- extended hours on holidays
- Google Maps Location
This is one of the most famous landmarks in Osaka and a great example of Japan’s historic architecture. The grounds are free, but there’s an entrance fee for the museum inside the castle (a bit underwhelming in our opinion).
Our favorite was the view overlooking the city from the 8th floor observation deck (included in entrance fee).
How to get there: The closest station is Tanimachi Yonchome Station along the Tanimachi and Chuo subway lines. The closest JR station is Osakajokoen Station on the JR Loop Line.
Nishinomaru Gardens
- Entrance fee: ¥200 (or ¥350 during the extended hours of the cherry blossom season)
Surrounding the castle are the Nishinomaru Gardens, which are one of the most popular spots in the city for cherry blossom viewing in the springtime. It also offers nice views of the castle and lots of green space that is nice any time of year.
Shiteno-ji Temple
- Cost: It’s free to enter the main temple grounds, but there are small fees for two of the onsite attractions:
- Gokuraku-jodo Garden: ¥300
- Treasure House: ¥500; you can see historic paintings and writings displayed
- Hours: 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
- Google Maps Location
One of the oldest temples in Japan and the most important Buddhist structure in Osaka, the Shitenoji Temple is a good place to get a glimpse into the country’s religion.
This temple was originally built in the 6th century by Prince Shotoku as a way to help promote the introduction of Buddhism to Japan. Over the centuries, Shitenoji has endured several fires and has been reconstructed to reflect the original design.
How to get there: Shitennoji is a short walk from Shitennoji-mae-Yuhigaoka Station on the Tanimachi Subway Line. It should take you about 20 minutes to get here by train from Osaka Castle.
Kuromon Ichiba Market
Once you start getting hungry, make your way to the Kuromon Market for lunch. It’s about a 25 minute walk from the Shitenoji Temple.
This covered market is where chefs and home cooks come for the freshest local ingredients, earning it the nickname “Osaka’s kitchen”.
Not only will you find stalls selling fresh seafood and produce, but you’ll find shops serving up fresh food made on the spot, like noodles, curries and takoyaki.
Wander past the stalls, sample some dishes, and observe locals on their morning grocery runs.
Tip: After lunch you’ll probably have some down time before you want to make your way to Dotonbori neighborhood for the evening. This is a great time to rest up at your hotel, or if you arrived in Osaka this morning and didn’t get an early start, you can fit in a visit to Osaka Castle after lunch.
Explore Dotonbori
Dotonbori is Osaka’s entertainment district. I once heard it described as “Las Vegas meets Blade Runner”, and I think that’s pretty accurate! With neon signs, bars, restaurants, street food, and souvenir shops, be prepared for it to be busy!
Known for its ever-glowing neon lights, thick crowds, and endless food options, a visit to this lively entertainment district should definitely be part of your Osaka itinerary.
To get the full experience, be sure to get there after the sun goes down and the lights shine brightest.
There is a palpable buzz to this place, and your senses will be on overdrive. I once heard it described as “Las Vegas meets Blade Runner,” and I think that’s pretty accurate!
Walk up the main drag, sample food along the way, sit down and people-watch.
Here are some of our top recommendations:
- Walk down the pedestrian street, take in the atmosphere, and do a little souvenir shopping, if you’d like. (This is a good place for it.)
- Try takoyaki (as a snack): There are lots of takoyaki stands in the Dotonbori area, but we’d recommend Takoyaki Juhachiban Dotonbori. They add rice cake to the batter, which makes their takoyaki balls extra crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Lines move fast, order on a machine, cash only.
- Strike a pose in front of the iconic Glico Sign (a symbol of Dotonbori)
- Wander Hozenji Yokocho, a narrow alleyway, until you find the small, hidden Hozenji Buddhist Temple, which is more than 400 years old. Look for the Fudo Myoo statue, which is covered in moss. Fudosan is a protective deity, and you can pay respects by sprinkling water on the moss-covered statue.
- Treat yourself to Melon Bread (from this shop) or “jiggly cheesecake” at Rikuro’s
- Tip: queue in the line for cheesecake that was baked 2 hours ago rather than fresh as the line is shorter and it’s chilled rather than warm; it’s cheaper if you order it for takeaway rather than dining in.
Dinner
Here are some great recommendations for dinner in the Dotonbori neighborhood:
- Namba Okonomiyaki Ajinoya Honten or Okonomiyaki Sakaba: both are cozy okonomiyaki joints in the Dotonbori area, they can have a long wait around peak mealtimes
- Wagyu IDATEN: excellent wagyu restaurant featuring only A5 quality meat
Nightlife
If you’re not too tired and feeling like a night on the town, you’re in the right place! Osaka is known for its bustling nightlife. Here are a few ideas to get you going:
- Go Izakaya hopping: An izakaya is a uniquely Japanese establishment that is sort of like a small bar. They usually serve drinks and small bites in a casual setting. Most of the time the menus are in Japanese, so find out exactly what to order before you go.
- Join a guided bar hopping tour with Magical Trip: If you don’t feel comfortable stepping into an Izakaya on your own, this is a good option.
- Check out an English language comedy show at Ror Comedy.
- Head to a speakeasy: Bar Nayuta is a super cool speakeasy bar hidden in a residential building on the 5th floor, and getting there requires the use of a trap door…
- there is no menu; tell the bartender what flavors/liquor you like
- open from 5pm – 3am every night
Day 2 in Osaka
On day 2 of this 2 days in Osaka itinerary, you’ll have the chance to explore a part of Osaka that’s still somewhat off the radar of most tourists. Plus we’ll offer some activity options to fit different travel styles.
Here’s an overview of today’s schedule:
Morning:
- Explore Minoo Park
Lunch:
- Cooking class (or alternative activities)
Afternoon/Evening:
- teamLab Botanical Gardens
- Dinner
Minoo Park
- Free entry
- open 24 hours a day
- Google Maps Location
Start your morning off with a stroll through the park!
With a paved walking path that leads through forested mountains to a waterfall, Minoh Park is a popular spot for locals but is still under the radar of most tourists.
The path is mostly flat(ish), and it takes around 45 minutes to get to the waterfall, which marks the end of the path. You’ll find stalls selling snacks as well as a few restrooms along the way.
Tip: Be sure to try deep fried maple leaves, the park’s specialty!
We have a complete Minoo Park guide with everything you need to know, including how to get there, things to do, and a fun foodie experience you won’t find in many places in Japan.
How to get there: From the Osaka-Umeda Station (near Osaka Station), take the Hankyu-Takarazuka Line (best if it is the Express Train because it makes fewer stops). Change trains at Ishibashi Handai-mae Station and get on the Hankyu-Mino Line heading to Mino-o Station. The whole trip takes about 45 minutes.
Cooking class
- Time: 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
- When: all days except Sundays
- Cost: 9,700 yen per person
- Meeting point: Dotonbori area
Learn how to make ramen and gyoza from scratch! We think cooking classes are one of the best ways to get a deeper understanding of a culture and cuisine, and it’s a really fun activity to incorporate into your travels.
Many of the cooking classes we’ve taken are half-day affairs, with visits to local markets and preparing multiple dishes from scratch. However, this ramen-making class took just 2 hours, which was fine with us considering we had a pretty packed schedule in Osaka.
Is that class full? Try this class instead. This is the one we personally did and had a great experience. The only reason we’re recommending the other one higher is that it seems to run on more days, making it a better option for most travelers.
Alternative options:
If you’d rather have an active day than a cooking class, here are 2 options that look amazing and will show you a different side of Osaka than most tourists see:
a) Bike tour
- Time: 9am – 1pm
- When: weekdays only
- Cost: $57 per person
- Meeting point: Kashiwara station
Explore rural Osaka on bicycle, led by a local guide. This tour can be altered to your fitness level.
b) Hike & fishing
- Time: 9am – 3:30pm
- When: most days
- Cost: $79 per person
- Meeting point: Kawachinagano station
Embark on a 2.5-hour hike with a local far from the tourist path. Try trout fishing and enjoy your catch for lunch!
teamLab Botanical Garden
- Cost: ¥2,000
- Hours: hours are in the early evening (so you can see light illuminations), and timing varies throughout the year based on sunset
- Google Maps Location
You’ve heard of teamLab Borderless, the ultra-popular digital art museum in Tokyo. But what if we told you you could get a taste of the teamLab magic in Osaka?
As of 2022, teamLab has opened a new exhibit at the Nagai Botanical Garden in Osaka. The project, called Digitized Nature, explores the concept of turning nature into art using non-material digital technology that won’t harm the plants.
A botanical garden during the day and art space by night, this is easily one of the coolest new(ish) things to add to your Osaka itinerary! Check their official website for more details and snag your skip the line entry ticket online ahead of time.
Dinner
Getting hungry for dinner? If you opted for the cooking class today, you may not be all that hungry this evening, and a street food snack may suffice. However, if you did a different tour or have a grumbling tummy, here are some of our top restaurant recommendations for Osaka:
- Gyozaoh: cozy izakaya serving vegetarian gyoza, edamame, and cucumber salad
- Matsusakagyu: yakiniku (bbq) restaurant where you order different grades of meat and grill them yourself
- Sake Bar Shiki: sake food pairings in a cozy, foreigner-friendly izakaya
- OKO Fun Okonomiyaki Bar: great vegan and vegetarian okonomiyaki
- Ichiran: if you didn’t have a chance to try this iconic ramen chain in Tokyo, now’s your chance
Nightlife
This is a great time to explore some of the nightlife options we listed on day 1 that you may not have had the chance to do yesterday.
First timer’s guide to Osaka
If this is your first time visiting Osaka, you’ll want to read our First Timer’s guide which is packed with helpful information like how to get around and where to find the best eats.
Osaka map: Our favorite spots!
Click on the map and enter your email to gain access to our custom Osaka Map. It’s filled with 100+ custom pins of everything in this itinerary, plus our favorite sights, activities, restaurants and more!
Budget for 2 days in Osaka
The average daily cost of expenses in Osaka per traveler, based on double occupancy accommodation and not including flight costs, is $250 USD per day. This would make your budget around $500 USD per person for 2 days in Osaka.
Now as with all budgets, there are lots of variables to consider, ways to save money and ways to spend a lot more. Below we’ll break down the average costs of some popular activities and dining in Osaka so you can get a good idea for your own budgeting.
Accommodation*
Based on double-occupancy rooms
- 2 beds in a capsule hotel: $120 USD
- One bedroom Sekai Hotel: $165 USD
- Hotel room in the city center: $235 USD
*Note the price of accommodation will vary pretty substantially by season in Japan. Prices will be much higher during peak tourism season (spring and summer) and drop over wintertime. Osaka is also going to be more affordable in general to find accommodation vs. cities like Tokyo and Kyoto, so it makes a good base for those wanting to explore Japan on a budget.
Meals
Per person average meal costs
- Hotel breakfast: $20 USD
- Street food snack: ¥300 – 500
- Ramen or causal order-at-the-counter meal: ¥600 – 1200
- Sit-down dinner: ¥1200 – 1500
- Cocktail at a speakeasy: ¥2500
Entertainment
Cost for a single entry ticket or tour
- Entrance to Osaka castle and museum: ¥600
- Entrance to Shiteno-ji Temple: free!
- Walking around Minoh Park: free!
- Ramen making class: ¥9,700
- teamLab Botanical Garden skip-the-line ticket: ¥2,000
Transportation
- Cost of an ICOCA metro card (refundable): ¥1,000
- Cost of a metro ride from Osaka Castle to Shiteno-ji Temple: ¥190
- Cost of a metro ride from Osaka-Umeda Station to Minoh Park: ¥280
How many days in Osaka is enough?
It’s possible to see Osaka in a single day, but you really won’t be able to appreciate the city as you’ll be speeding through and simply checking sights off your list.
With that, we think 2-3 days is an ideal amount of time to explore Osaka. It gives you plenty of time to be more thorough and relaxed in your sightseeing.
Have more than 2 days in Osaka?
If you have more than 2 days to spend in Osaka, that’s great! There’s so much to do and see in this part of the world, you can never have too much time!
If you want to spend more time exploring Osaka, here are some suggestions for more things to do.
- make a unique souvenir at Designpocket, where you can craft a food replica keychain or magnet (takoyaki, sushi, matcha parfait); takes 30-40 minutes; check website for prices & reservation info
- do a sake flight tasting (& pair it with small bites if you like) at Sake Koji
- soak at Spa World, where there are several themed onsen, saunas, and a pool (no tattoos)
- go to an arcade and get your game on! Round1 is a good choice & is popular with locals
More things to do in Osaka
We have plenty more suggestions in our things to do in Osaka guide.
Day trips from Osaka
Another suggestion would be to get out and explore other parts of the region. There are plenty of day trips from Osaka to do just that. We’d recommend Kyoto, Nara or Hiroshima if you’ve never been!
→ Psst! Are you trying to choose whether to visit Osaka or Kyoto? Both are worth it if you have the time. But if you can only pick one, our Kyoto vs. Osaka guide can help you decide!
Perfect Japan itinerary
What if I told you I can save you countless hours of precious time?
Not only have we spent a ton of time (like a ton) behind a laptop screen researching all things Japan. We’ve been on 3 separate trips to experience everything first hand, weed out and not-so-worth-it tourist traps and gather insider tips for the things we really recommend!
If you want to save some hours of your life, we’ve already put in more than enough for you and us combined. Trust us.
We did it so you don’t have to!
And we’re happy to share everything we learned…
We’ve curated what we think is the perfect Japan itinerary for your first trip. This itinerary takes you to the iconic sights and unforgettable experiences in Tokyo, Mount Fuji, Osaka, Hiroshima and Kyoto in 14 easy-to-follow days.
Highlights of our classic Japan itinerary
- Sample the freshest sushi on earth at Tokyo’s world-famous fish market
- Experience izakaya culture in hidden alleyways
- Observe sumo wrestlers at their morning practice
- Soak in a beautiful open-air onsen
- See Mount Fuji in all her glory
- Experience a traditional tea ceremony
- Walk through the magical orange gates of Fushimi Inari
- Enjoy Japanese foods you’ve never heard of on an exciting food tour
- Meet the friendly, bowing deer of Nara
- Learn how to make Japanese ramen from scratch
- & so, SO much more!
We’ve spent hours of research putting this all together, just for you! And we’re really proud of the final product!
In full transparency, this is a paid itinerary since it has taken an incredible amount of time for us to create.
Typically, a custom, done-for-you 2-week itinerary would cost upwards of $1,000. But we have done our best to make this a very reasonable price so that it is accessible to anyone planning a trip to Japan.
Plan your trip to Japan
After 3 trips (and counting!), we’ve fallen head over heels for Japan—and we’ve created TONS of resources to help you plan your dream trip. Start with our Ultimate Japan Travel Guide and be sure to check out these helpful articles:
- First time? Our Japan Trip Planner walks you through everything you need to know.
- Use our Japan Rail Pass guide to determine if getting a train pass is optimal for your trip.
- Here’s our curated list of the best things to do in Japan—from iconic sights to once-in-a-lifetime experiences.
- Not sure where to go? Our Japan itinerary ideas will help you map it all out.
- Foodies, rejoice! This guide to what to eat in Japan will have you drooling before you land.
- This guide to what to wear in Japan (and what not to wear) will help you blend in.
- Use our ultimate Japan Packing List to make sure you don’t forget anything.
- Before you go, brush up on these essential Japan travel tips (including major do’s and don’ts!).
Still have questions? Drop us a comment—we LOVE helping travelers plan unforgettable trips to Japan!
Don’t miss your chance to grab our custom Osaka map!
Get our custom Osaka map sent straight to your phone! We loaded this map with all our favorite restaurants, sights, hidden gems, and more, so you can make the most of your time in Osaka.
Just enter your email and we’ll immediately send you access instructions!
Save this article on Pinterest for later!
We want to hear from you!
What did you think of our 2 day Osaka itinerary? Are you planning a trip to Osaka and still have questions? Leave us a comment below and we’ll do our best to get back to you!