Overview
Enjoy a well-rounded experience of Osaka on this small-group tour, which introduces you to both Osaka’s rich history and its thrilling present. You will dive into samurai heritage at the Osaka Museum of History and Osaka Castle, learn about the Osakans of the past at the Osaka Museum of Housing and Living, stroll along Japan’s longest shopping street and through a food market, and explore the colorful nightlife district of Dotonbori.
Comprehensive guided tour of Osaka
Small-group tour (maximum five guests)
Hassle-free pickup from your Osaka hotel
Learn more about Osaka than you would sightseeing alone
Meeting and Pickup
JR Kyoto Station
What To Expect
Osaka Museum of History
Standing on the ruins of ancient palace and just in front of Osaka castle, you can learn about the history of Osaka from primeval to modern days. Inside the museum, numerous reproductions, mannequins and videos are shown. It helps you to understand the city and its people well, and to enjoy the subsequent spots more. Above all, from the 10th floor windows of this museum, you can enjoy a fantastic overview of Osaka Castle!
Osaka Castle
Originally founded in the 16th century, this is one of the largest castles in Japan. Two wide and deep moats, high stone walls and other protective devices make this solid castle an impregnable one. The Main Keep is beautifully decorated with gold ornaments which harmonize completely with the patinated roof. Here, you will learn the life of a samurai warrior hero who was born into a very poor family and finally became the king of the nation.
Tenjinbashi-suji Shopping Street the longest Arcade in Japan
This is the longest shopping street (1.6 miles) in Japan. This street once thrived as the main entrance to the the famous Osaka Tenmangu Shrine and even now is bustling with a lot of locals coming here to enjoy eating and watching shops/people. Unlike Shinsaibashi or Umeda where you can find high-end shops, lots of mom-and-pop stores and a bit old-fashioned shops line this street. Here, you will enjoy strolling around a present-day local shopping street and taste some of its local food.
Osaka Museum of Housing and Living
In this musuem, you can hop back in time and experience a day at the old shopping street in the 1830s, thanks to life-size and accurate reproductions. You will get to know the way of living of Osaka merchants and may feel like meeting locals living moderately but lively in old-day Osaka.
Kuromon Market
Osaka’s food culture has developed because of its people who are extremely fond of delicious things since ancient times, and Osaka has come to be called the Food Capital of Japan. In this market, many shops are lined up, and seafood such as crabs, pufferfish, sea urchin, meat such as Wagyu (Japanese beef) and Kobe beef and also various sweets are prepared at the stores. A large number of customers visit here to enjoy all kinds of food while strolling around. Try to find your very favorite food item, too!
Dotombori District
Now Dotonbori is the most popular tourist attraction in Osaka. Originally, this area was loved by the locals as entertainment area with a row of theaters along the canal. Currently, restaurants with colorful billboards line both sides of the canal including, of course, shops selling takoyaki, the octopus balls that originated in Osaka, and famous ramen shops. Take a photo in front of the well-known Glico-man signboard and enjoy exploring the surroundings. If you are looking for souvenirs, Don Quiote is also nearby.
Additional Info
Traveler Photos
Reviews
Andrea_C, Sep 2024
Yoko-san was very very nice as a tour guide. Showing many places that Osaka has to offer in a private setting made the tour very awesome. She was very knowledgable that added to my experience. Nothing but praise and thank you.
Jon_H, Sep 2024
A wonderful tour. The guide met us right at the ship. We went to some very interesting places with public transportation. He arranged for everything and we walked right into all of the venues that we visited.
