10 Best Things to do in Osaka, Japan
Osaka is one of Japan’s largest cities, so there’s no shortage of fun things to do here! But, we know all too well that it can be overwhelming, which is why we’ve narrowed it down to our top 10.
After spending a lot of time in Osaka, we’ve explored this city thoroughly and compiled a definitive list of the most fun, famous, and delicious things to do in Osaka – this is the nation’s kitchen, after all!
So if you want to experience this glittering port city to the fullest, then be sure to keep reading.
Quick Pick: Our Favorite Activity
Don’t have time to read the full article?
Our FAVORITE thing to do in Osaka is this small-group food tour of Shinsekai District. We visited local hot spots with a guide and tried 13 dishes!
This district is best to explore with a guide and the places we went didn’t have English menus, so our guide ordered for us!
Check out the 1,100+ positive reviews and book your spot here!
Tip: This tour is popular – book in advance and get FREE cancellation 24 hours before.
Things to do in Osaka
1. Take a comprehensive food tour
Osaka is known as the nation’s kitchen, so doing this top-rated food tour is hands down the best thing that you can do here.
We loved this food tour because it took us to 5 different local eateries in the buzzing Shinsekai District, which is famous for its specialty food stalls and stores. We tried 13 different dishes, plus 2 drinks, which we thought was super generous for $87 USD!
The Shinsekai area is incredibly cool but it can be a bit of a sensory overload at first, so we were really grateful for our guide, Natalie! She showed us around and took us to authentic local hotspots that we definitely would not have found and helped us order, because no where we visited had English menus.
If you want to avoid the tourist traps, I’m certain that you’ll love this tour. Over the course of the evening, we got to try lots of quintessential Osaka foods, such as kitsune udon and takoyaki, and we also learned why it’s such a prominent foodie city.
We had a fantastic time and would 100% do this tour again. In fact, the tour has over 1,000 5-star reviews you can read here, so we’re clearly not the only ones who loved it. But because of its stellar ratings, it means it often sells out, so book as soon as you can!
Book this amazing food tour here before it sells out!
2. Day trip to Hiroshima and Miyajima
The atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945 changed the world and visiting this city while you’re in Japan is an opportunity you shouldn’t miss. We took this tour to Hiroshima from Osaka which included bullet train tickets.
Hiroshima is about a 5-hour drive from Osaka, but the bullet train got us there MUCH faster. We wanted to spend the entire day here, so this tour was nice as it organized the entire day trip for us.
When we arrived in Hiroshima, we took a scenic ferry ride to see the Itsukushima Shrine, which looks as though it’s floating on the surface of the water. We also had time to grab lunch in beautiful Miyajima. Our guide gave us great recommendations on where to find oysters and okonomiyaki pancakes, which are the local specialities.
In the afternoon, we visited Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, which is the site of the nuclear attack. It was honestly haunting, especially seeing the A-bomb dome, which is the only structure in the area that survived the blast. Our guide also took us to the Peace Museum, where we saw victims’ personal artifacts.
Visiting the site of such a tragic event was obviously emotional, but we felt it was so worth it to experience this city first-hand. It cost $364 USD including bullet train tickets, but if you already have a Japan Rail Pass, you can choose to start the tour in Hiroshima for much cheaper.
See Hiroshima and Miyajima by booking this tour here and you can pay later
3. Take a private sightseeing tour of Osaka
We couldn’t wait to explore Osaka and this sightseeing tour that we booked was fantastic. We did this tour on our first day in the city, and it really made us fall in love with Osaka’s fun and quirky feel.
There are different durations available, from 3-7 hours, but we went for the longest option, and we had no regrets. We paid $227 USD for a full-day private tour, which included takoyaki for lunch. It was definitely worth it because there is no way we would have been able to do so much in one day by ourselves!
We spent the morning visiting some of the city’s most beloved areas, including Hozenji Yokocho, an old-school paved alley filled with traditional shops, and Dotonbori, the famous entertainment district where neon-lit streets line the canal. It’s like Osaka’s Times Square, only ten times better!
One area we particularly loved visiting was Amerika-Mura, which is Osaka’s take on an American shopping village. We had so much fun people-watching here, and admiring shoppers’ unusual outfits. This is where our tour would have ended if we had opted for a short tour, but since we went for the full shebang, we kept going!
We got to visit vinyl shops and old school arcades in Shinsekai, Osaka’s awesome retro district, and we even went to a knife store to learn how to use Sakai knives! Then, we rounded off the day with a visit to the gorgeous Osaka Castle, which really does belong on a postcard.
Osaka can be overwhelming at first, but this tour made it feel so much more manageable!
Book your sightseeing tour here and you’ll get FREE cancellation!
4. Go-Kart tour in Osaka
I think we’ve all fantasized about a real life version of Mario Kart at some point in time. But did you know that it actually exists in Osaka?
Yep, with this go-kart tour, we got to dress up as cartoon characters and zoom around the streets like we were in a video game. It was insane – and an awesome way to sightsee, I might add.
The experience only lasted just over an hour, so it was easy to fit into our busy itinerary, and we got to whizz through Osaka’s coolest areas. We drove through the buzzing shopping area of Shinsaibashi and quirky America Mura. My favorite part of the tour had to be zipping through the exciting, neon-lit streets of Dotonbori and Namba!
Our guide, Albert, made us feel super safe and helped us navigate Osaka’s streets with confidence, and he took some fantastic photos for us, too. Go karting around the city streets is the kind of quirky experience that you can only get in Japan, so I say take full advantage while you’re here.
It costs $62 USD and most people will need to show an international driving permit in order to be allowed to participate. You can check the rules and read recent reviews here!
The last thing to note is that go karting is a very popular thing to do in Osaka, and this top-rated tour is highly sought after. I would advise you to book this tour at least a week or more in advance.
Reserve your go-kart easily here!
5. Experience a traditional tea ceremony
Everyone should experience a traditional tea ceremony while in Japan, and we loved this tea cermeony that we did in Osaka.
We felt like it gave us a comprehensive experience, because we got to learn about the history of the tea ceremony, its cultural significance, and how to make our own matcha.
Our gracious hostess, Mai, did an amazing job of guiding us through the tea ceremony and showing us how to do the different movements properly. She also taught us how to make matcha properly, and then we got to enjoy it with some mochi sweets.
This is also a very family-friendly class, and there’s caffeine-free matcha available for children. It’s a very calming thing to do, and we thought that it made a nice change of pace, because Osaka is a very high-energy city.
The ceremony costs $26 USD, so it’s one of the more budget-friendly things to do in the city. There are daily time slots available, but it’s worth booking in advance if you want to secure a particular time, as this is a popular thing to do.
Take in a traditional tea ceremony by reserving a time here!
6. Take a cooking class
Osaka is famous for its food, and what better way to discover the local cuisine than to make it yourself in this cooking class!
We had the best time with our host, Yayo, who taught us to make all kinds of delicious dishes from Osaka and the Kansai region. He spoke great English, and the class was very hands-on. We were in a super small group, too, so we got lots of personalized instruction.
We loved learning about the difference between the okonomiyaki pancakes from Osaka and those from Hiroshima, and making the city’s famous takoyaki balls! In case you didn’t know, takoyaki are deep fried octopus balls, so learning how to make them was definitely a new culinary challenge for us.
We also made miso soup, and for dessert we prepared matcha and taiyaki, which are those famous fish-shaped waffles that seem to be all over Instagram nowadays! They were stuffed with sweet red bean paste, and it was the perfect way to end the meal.
This class costs $117 USD and it was a really delicious thing to do in Osaka. You can do it at lunch or dinner time, but it usually sells out at least a few days in advance, so be sure to book ahead of time.
Read reviews from other travelers and book this cooking class here!
7. Party like a local!
One of the biggest challenges when visiting Osaka is finding local hotspots – and this is especially true when it comes to nightlife. So we booked this night tour to explore Osaka’s backstreets and discover hidden gems.
We loved exploring the maze of backstreets in the buzzing Namba and Shinsaibashi districts, both of which are known for their thriving nightlife. Our guide, Kevin, took us to places where locals actually hang out!
We visited four different izakayas, and I’m not kidding you when I say that we wouldn’t have managed to find a single one of these on our own! It’s no wonder this tour has 700+ raving reviews!
We got a typical izakaya dinner, which basically consists of lots of smaller dishes, like yakitori and takoyaki, so we were super happy with that. Kevin also had us trying lots of different drinks that we wouldn’t have known to order, like whisky cocktails, and we got to drink sake out of a traditional tin. It really did affect the flavor!
There were a few sightseeing surprises along the way, too. We made a quick stop at the quaint Hozenji Temple, and we walked along the canal in Dotonbori and posed for photos in front of the famous Glico sign.
Honestly, we think that $110 USD was a relatively small price to pay for what an amazing time we had. You could easily spend close to that without a guide, especially if you end up at the overpriced touristy restaurants!
Book this tour here and party like a local!
8. Do a sake tasting and make takoyaki from scratch
We love sake, and never say “no” to a tasting, so of course we just had to book this sake tasting in Osaka. Plus, it includes the chance to make takoyaki from scratch – bonus!
It proved to be such a fun, wholesome, and delicious experience that we just had to include it on our top 10 list.
For starters, our host, Momoko, was lovely and made us feel super welcome. She led an awesome sake tasting, during which we got to taste 12 different types of sake.
We loved learning about seasonal styles of sake and different flavor profiles. It gave us a better idea of what we each prefer, and helped inform our ordering later on in our trip. Momoko had us note our favorite sakes, and then at the end of the session we were treated to another round of our top pick!
In between tastings, she also taught us how to make takoyaki from scratch using her secret recipe, but with a bit of a twist. Typically, takoyaki is filled with octopus, but we got to make different versions that contained wagyu beef and cheese! It was so delicious.
We had such an amazing time and would definitely do it again! It’s the perfect way to spend an evening in Osaka, and for $67 USD, you can’t go wrong.
Book this combo sake tasting and takoyaki tour in advance!
9. Explore Kyoto and Nara on a day trip
Kyoto and Nara are both within an hour’s drive of Osaka, and if you haven’t got time to stay in either area, then it’s definitely worth taking this day trip!
We loved this tour because it made it so easy to see the highlights of both places, without having to do any planning.
The first stop is Kinkakuji Temple, which is one of the most important Zen temples in Japan. It’s super beautiful, and we loved snapping photos here.
Next our guide, Jewel, took us to Arashiyama, which is a very scenic area of Kyoto that’s known for its temples, shrines, and bamboo forest. This is a very popular place to explore during the cherry blossom and fall foliage seasons, so we would recommend booking this tour in advance if that’s when you’re going to be in Osaka.
Lunch is optional, but we chose to include it because it makes life easier! And on this tour, it’s a buffet that includes beef shabu shabu, which are paper-thin beef slices that everyone should eat at least once in Japan.
The day wraps up with a visit to Nara’s famous deer park, which we absolutely loved. The deer here are very curious and friendly, and they’re actually known for bowing to tourists! They’re a real must-see in Japan, and we loved being able to get so close to them.
The tour costs $108 USD without lunch, or $123 USD including lunch. It’s so worth doing if you’re not going to be staying in Kyoto. It’s one of our favorite cities and a real must-visit!
Book this top-rated day trip here and you can pay closer to your trip date!
Related Read: If you end up spending more time in Kyoto, check out our list of must-do activities in Kyoto!
10. Explore the city by bike
Osaka is a fantastic cycling city and you’ll often see groups of locals out riding together, or young fashionistas riding around on uber-cool vintage bikes. And since we love getting outside, we just had to get involved, so we booked this full-day cycling tour.
We were really impressed by just how much this tour taught us. Our guide, Akira, told us all about Osaka’s history and explained why the city has such a patchwork of old and new architecture. We loved learning about Osaka’s distinct dialect and friendly culture, which Akira definitely personified!
For me, cycling through Osaka Castle Park was a real highlight of this tour, because it’s a lovely park and the castle is just picture-perfect. We also got to visit one of the oldest temples in Japan, and step back in time as we explored the Shinsekai District.
When it was time for lunch, Akira gave our little group a few different options and we were allowed to choose, which was a nice touch. We ended up going to a great local restaurant, and lunch was included in the price of the tour, so we were very happy!
In the afternoon, we got to visit the Tower Knives shop to learn about Japan’s most famous knife exporter, and we even got to practice using them. We also enjoyed stopping at the Namba Yasaka Shrine, which is famous for its huge stage that’s shaped like a lion’s head.
The tour costs $100 USD and is such a fun way to get to know the city!
Easily reserve this bike tour online here!
Where to Stay in Osaka
Osaka is a huge city, so you can find the perfect place to stay whether you want to be right in the action or in a quieter neighborhood. To help narrow down your options, I’ve found three excellent hotels for those looking for a luxury, mid-range, or budget stay.
Luxury – $$$
The Westin Osaka is a fantastic option for luxury travelers. The rooms are large, offer city views, and are upscale and modern. There is even an indoor pool, four restaurants, and an acupuncture salon onsite. The hotel is located near the Umeda Sky Building, so it’s in a great location!
Prices start around $220 USD per night and can be booked in advance online.
Mid-range – $$
Hotel Resol Trinity Osaka is located in the heart of Osaka, within walking distance to the most popular shrines, restaurants, and things to do. The decor is cozy and comfortable, but still upscale and quite a lavish stay at a moderate price point! They offer twin, double, or queen rooms and the staff is friendly and attentive.
Rooms range from about $130 to $250 USD depending on the time of year and room. Check availability and book this stay here.
Budget – $
If you’re looking for a budget-friendly accomodation, the Hotel Vine Osaka Kitahama is a clean and comfortable choice! Located near the train line and some beautiful temples, you can easily explore Osaka from this stay. They have a range of rooms available, from twins all the way up to family rooms.
Prices start around $50 USD and can be booked on Booking.com.
For more options, check out all of the hotels in Osaka here!
Thanks for reading!
I hope our guide on the best things to do in Osaka has been helpful! There’s so much to see in this city that it was hard to narrow it down. But if you pick a few experiences off our list, I’m sure you’ll have an amazing time in Osaka and fall in love with the city like we have.
If Osaka is one of the many stops for you in Japan, check out all our blogs here. We share insider tips and ideas to travel Japan – basically everything we wish we knew before our first trip!
3 BEST Snow Monkey Tours from Tokyo
Thank you for all you’re tips
I am really interest to visit Japan