5-Day Osaka Itinerary (For First Timers)

Osaka is Japan's third-largest city and arguably its liveliest. Known for its excellent food, loud locals, and party-loving attitude, this city is endless fun. Its legacy makes sense — the city was long considered an economic and entertainment hub, and still today it lives up to that less reserved, more fun-loving reputation.

As one of Japan's top travel destinations, Osaka hits all the marks with its fantastic mix of history, food, shopping, nightlife, and more. Got a few days to explore everything the city has to offer? This guide will give you a good sense of some of the city's most popular spots to explore.

The city is roughly divided between its North (Kita) and South (Minami). Osaka's transportation system is extensive and convenient and subways are the fastest way to get around. Two major subway lines, the Midosuji and Chuo, and the JR Loop line will connect you with the most popular parts of the city.

One thing to note is if you're coming into the city by Shinkansen from neighboring Kyoto or Kobe, for instance, the train will stop at Shin-Osaka Station, not Osaka Station. Don't fear, though, as Osaka Station is just a four-minute ride away on a local line.

Swissotel Nankai Osaka is a great option and in an ideal location if you're willing to spend some money on your accommodation. Situated right in the heart of the Southern area of Namba, the hotel is directly connected to Nankai Railway's Namba Station and just a ten-minute walk from the Dotonbori entertainment district. At 36 stories, the hotel offers incredible views of the city and has many amenities, including a spa, pool, fitness center, multiple restaurants, and a bar.

A good mid-range option is the Mitsui Garden Hotel Osaka Premier, located in the city's North end. A hot spring bath on the roof, lounge, and river views from some of the rooms are standouts at this hotel. It's also close to the Umeda district, where you can shop at the city's impressive selection of department stores. There are also daily free shuttle buses from Osaka Station to the hotel.

For the budget traveler still looking for somewhere stylish to stay, look no further than the boutique hostel, Kamon Hotel Namba. Staying here, you're close to Kuromon market, Namba Station, and an easy walk to Dotonbori. Japanese noren or panel curtains welcome you when you walk through the entrance and the overall design is contemporary and comfortable. They also have a rooftop terrace to socialize with other guests.

9:00 a.m.

Visit Osaka's royal symbol, Osaka Castle. Built on the site of a former temple under military leader Toyotomi Hideyoshi, it symbolizes power and his unification of Japan during the sixteenth century.

Today, you can enjoy excellent views of the city from the castle, and the surrounding park and grounds span more than 60-thousand square meters. During cherry blossom season in the spring, crowds gather for picnics and enjoy a glimpse of the blossoms.

1:00 p.m.

Catch a Bunraku performance at Osaka's National Bunraku Theater, a traditional form of puppet theater that developed in Osaka in the 17th century. Along with Kabuki, and Noh, Bunraku is considered one of the three theatrical traditions of Japan and has been designated as an Important Intangible Cultural Property of Japan.

Performances usually run in three-week installments at different times of the year. English programs and earphones are available to follow along, and the National Theater has a great introduction to the art form here.

7:00 p.m.

At night Dotonbori is the place to be. The feeling is electric when the neon lights turn on, and the neighborhood comes alive with the many restaurants, izakayas, bars, shopping, and rowdy street antics.

The area boasts a lively and entertaining atmosphere, but the theaters have been replaced by giant mechanical animals advertising for restaurants and neon billboards. Perhaps the most famous billboard is the Glico "running man". You haven't been to Osaka unless you've snapped a photo in front of him on the bridge of the canal.

There's no shortage of dining options to explore here, and you'll want to try some konamon food, which translates to "food made from flour". The most common konamon foods found in Osaka are takoyaki, or octopus balls, and okonomiyaki, a cross between a savory pancake and omelet.

10:00 a.m. 

One of Osaka's most fun and famous destinations is Universal Studios Japan. It's one of the country's most loved amusement parks and features ten different themed areas, with some of the most popular including Super Nintendo World and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Besides the park's permanent areas, it also has special limited time attractions.

A bit of prep will make your trip to USJ a lot smoother. Downloading the app and purchasing tickets in advance online will help you avoid a lot of the wait and hassle. Pass prices can change from the day of the week to the time of day, so check ahead.

12:00 p.m. (alternative to USJ)

Walk an easy ten minutes from Namba Station to find some food wandering the stalls at Kuromon Market. The market was established in 1902 under the name "Enmyoji Ichiba" after a nearby temple.

More than 150 stalls line the halls of the covered market, offering grilled seafood, such as delicious scallops with butter and soy sauce as well as fresh produce. The market has no shortage of chances to be adventurous and try something new!

3:00 p.m. (alternative to USJ)

Some of the best views of Osaka can be seen from the Umeda Sky Building. You can access the building easily by walking around 15 minutes from either Osaka or Umeda Station. The building has a unique shape, with two 40-story towers connected at the top by what it calls the "Floating Garden Observatory".

5:00 p.m.

Tucked away in the basement of the Umeda Sky Building is one of Osaka's best okonomiyaki restaurants. Beat the crowds and catch an early dinner at Kiji. Founded in 1954, the restaurant, which was once a bar, has an unpretentious retro feel. Kiji has a classic range of ingredients such as squid, pork, shrimp, beef, and more. Their signature dish is what they call "Modern Yaki", which is a kind of cross between yakisoba and okonomiyaki.

10:30 a.m.

Start the day at the Osaka Aquarium or Kaiyukan. This aquarium, one of Japan's best, focuses on marine life from the Pacific Rim. It has more than 15 tanks designed to recreate natural habitats from specific regions.

The main attraction is the nine-meter-deep and 34-meter-long tank that houses the aquarium's massive whale sharks. Audio guides are also available to guide you through the different marine exhibits.

1:00 p.m.

Head a bit North outside of the city to marvel at the Tower of the Sun by Japanese artist Okamoto Taro. This structure was originally created for the 1970 Japan World Expo. While previously closed to the public, visitors can now enter the soaring tower to see another incredible artwork called the "Tree of Life".

Reservations are required at least one day in advance and can be made from the website.

3:00 p.m.

Sumiyoshi Taisha is the main shrine of more than two thousand Sumiyoshi shrines across Japan. People from all over the country visit it during important religious days and festivals.

The gods enshrined there are considered to protect travelers, sailors, and fishermen. The shrine used to face the sea, but the coastline has changed over the years and is now landlocked. Take your time to stroll around the grounds, across the bridge, and pray for some good luck with an omikuji or paper fortune.

6:00 p.m.

Head on over to Shinsekai for a self-guided culinary tour through retro-Osaka. The name of the neighborhood reflected the ambitions for the area when it was built, as Shinsekai translates literally into "New World". It was largely destroyed during the bombing raids of World War II, and was rebuilt following the war, hence the 1950s retro Showa-era ambiance.

It's an excellent place just to stroll, take pictures, and people-watch, and it feels almost like a retro-amusement park. Deep-fried skewers of meat and vegetables, known as kushikatsu are the area's signature local dish. Cheap and tasty, they're well worth trying out. Do a little restaurant hopping and you won't be disappointed.

10:00 a.m.

The luxury of having five days in Osaka means that you can explore beyond the city limits without feeling like you're missing out. To get a taste of international culture and explore one of the country's most fascinating and underrated cities, head to Kobe.

While it's not the cheapest option, you can get a bullet train from Shin Osaka Station to Shin Kobe in just under 15 minutes, which is pretty astonishing if you consider it can take up to an hour by car. If you have a JR Pass, take advantage of it and maximize your day.

11:00 a.m.

Start your adventure with a stroll around the port. Like many of Japan's other port cities, Kobe was greatly influenced by international cultures. It was one of the first cities to open to foreign trade in the 19th century, alongside Yokohama, Nagasaki, Hakodate, and Niigata, and here, by the water, is where it all started.

Walk around Meriken Park, the waterfront park built on an outcropping of reclaimed land. There are modern art installations, iconic contemporary architecture like the red Kobe Port Tower, the Kobe Maritime Museum, and the popular shopping and entertainment areas Kobe Harborland.

1:00 p.m. 

Kobe is also the home of the eponymous Kobe beef, some of the finest beef not only in Japan but in the world, so if you're interested in trying it this is the place to do it. If you want to have the finest but don't want to break the bank, a local tip is going for lunch instead of dinner, as the prices can be as low as half what it'd cost for dinner. Meriken Hatoba Steak & Grill is a great choice with an English-friendly menu, an impressive selection of succulent melt-in-your-mouth beef steaks, and an accessible location just a few minutes from Motomachi Station.

3:00 p.m.

While Niigata is known for being one of Japan's most famous sake destinations, Kobe is in fact the biggest producer of sake in Japan. Why Niigata is more well known is that the sake is made and often enjoyed locally, but Kobe's sake goes across Japan and around the world.

The neighborhood of Nadagogo is the home of Kobe's sake production, and its name means "five sake production areas for Nada sake". Here the producers take advantage of Kobe's excellent water known as miyamizu, a type of water that gets its nutrients from the sea and the Rokko Mountains.

Go on a little sake pilgrimage with a visit to Hakushika Sake Museum to learn more about the process before going to Hakutsuru Sake Brewery Museum to sample some sake and pick up some souvenirs.

6:00 p.m.

Before heading back to Osaka, pop by Nankinmachi, Kobe's Chinatown, for dinner; this area was developed in the mid-late 1800s when Chinese merchants settled near Kobe Port after the city opened to foreign trade. It was named Nankinmachi after Nanjing, the former Chinese capital.

Not dissimilar to Yokohama's Chinatown, the area is a vibrant and popular tourist attraction home to shopping and excellent food. If you're just looking for a snack, swing by the food stands that sell steamed buns (manju) and various other Chinese specialties for something easy and on the go.

11:00 a.m.

Today is your last day in Osaka, and we recommend keeping this day's itinerary a little more open. The city is jam-packed with things to see and do, and chances are you'll have something you missed, or somewhere you want to revisit; this is a great day for it.

If you do want to fill out the day, though, kicking off at La Granda Familio in the cute, trendy neighborhood of Nakazakicho is an excellent place to start. This charming cafe serves excellent coffee and scrumptious, crunchy homemade granola, which is probably one of the last things you'd expect to enjoy in Osaka!

1:00 p.m.

If you've got the time to spare, spend it exploring the Nakazakicho neighborhood's streets in a little more depth. This downtown retro-style area has a pre-war atmosphere and is populated by small indie shops, galleries, and cafes that are both effortlessly cool and charmingly ramshackle.

Some tips: Check out Kaya Cafe, a store selling delicious tofu tiramisu, and Taiyo No To, a cozy kitsch cafe selling healthy, hearty lunch sets. Admire the street art on the walls as you make your way down the narrow alleys and pop by Nakazakicho Hall, an open-air event space that hosts flea markets and workshops. This is a real choose-your-own-adventure type location, so don't hesitate to wander around, stopping by anywhere that takes your fancy and popping your head in to say "hi" to the locals.

4:00 p.m.

From laid-back scenes to something a little buzzier, Amerika-mura is Osaka's youth hub, just west of the Shinsaibashi shopping district. It could, in some ways, be called the Osaka version of Harajuku. The area is known for its clubs, cafes, and fashion.

Its name in English translates to "American Village" thanks to its history of importing western merchandise, but today the styles that come out of this corner of the city are arguably as influential on the western world.

Shop-hop and spend a little time milling around Mitsu Park, aka Sankaku-koen (Triangle Park) since the 1970s, to people-watch. The park itself isn't really beautiful; in fact, it's really just a concrete square, but it's a popular place for the city's youth to gather, meet up, and peacock a little.

7:00 p.m.

Time to head back to the lively Dotonbori again for dinner, and for your final meal, try some of the city's most popular ramen, Kinryu Ramen. Kinryu means golden dragon, and you'll quickly understand why as you approach since there is a giant dragon on top of the restaurant. The ramen chain opened in 1982 and specialized in tonkotsu or pork-bone broth ramen.

The interior boasts an old-school charm with tatami mats for you to sit on while enjoying your ramen. Kinryu keeps things simple with only two ramen types: chashu ramen or tonkotsu ramen. Both have a lighter-than-usual broth since they mix it with chicken. There are four different locations (all with giant dragons) in Dotonbori, so if one is too busy, consider heading to another.