Osaka Castle among walls and moats, with the city's skyscrapers behind
  1. Home
  2. Destinations
  3. Japan
  4. Osaka
  5. 3 day itinerary

Osaka in 3 days

  • 3 days
  • 6.4 km on foot
  • 17 stops
  • Audio guide

Three days is the ideal pace for getting to know Osaka without hurrying. You will see the temples, the castle and the districts of Minami, with time left to ride up a skyscraper, get lost in a quiet neighbourhood and have dinner at leisure. A plan for anyone who wants to eat well and walk without watching the clock.

Day 1Tennoji and Shinsekai

The morning is for the route «From Shitennoji to Shinsekai», from the ancient temple to Tsutenkaku Tower and Jan Jan Yokocho. Have takoyaki for lunch in Tamade, then go up Abeno Harukas to see the city from above. On the way down, take the metro to Nipponbashi and wander through Kuromon Market before a light dinner. A gentle day with a lot of flavour.

  1. Morning

    From Shitennoji to Shinsekai: Ancient Temples and Old-School Osaka

    Mixed · 1.8 km · 1 h 40 min

    1. Shitennoji TempleOne of Japan's oldest Buddhist temples, founded in 593 according to the chronicles and rebuilt time and again.
    2. Stone Torii and the Gate of ParadiseA torii from 1294 which, according to its inscription, marks the eastern gate of Buddha's Paradise.
    3. Isshinji TempleThe temple that, since 1887, has made Buddha statues from the ashes of hundreds of thousands of people.
    4. Chausuyama HillA small mound that served as Ieyasu's headquarters in 1614 and Sanada Yukimura's in 1615.
    5. Tsutenkaku TowerThe tower that "reaches to heaven", symbol of the Shinsekai district, rebuilt in 1956.
    6. Jan Jan Yokocho AlleyA covered alley from 1921 named after the shamisen, with games of shogi and the smell of kushikatsu.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Lunch

    Try Takoyaki at Aizuya (sede central). Tamade-nishi 2-3-1, Nishinari, Osaka

  3. Afternoon

    Abeno Harukas

    At 300 metres, it is one of Japan's tallest skyscrapers, with an observation deck on its upper floors. It sits next to Tennoji Station, so it fits right after the Shitennoji route. Best on a clear day.

    Directions

    Kuromon Market

    Kuromon is Osaka's pantry: a covered arcade of stalls selling seafood, fruit and skewers that you eat standing up. Come hungry and in no hurry, graze rather than sit down, then walk to Dōtonbori in a few minutes.

    Directions

Day 2The Toyotomi castle

The route «From Imperial Palace to Hideyoshi's Castle» takes the whole morning: Naniwa, Otemon Gate, the Tako-ishi stone, the keep and Yamazato-maru. For lunch, go down to Dōtonbori and order okonomiyaki. In the afternoon, head back north: the history museum, next to Naniwa, and a stroll around Nakanoshima by the water close the day gently.

  1. Morning

    From Imperial Palace to Hideyoshi's Castle: Fourteen Centuries of Power in Osaka

    History · 1.8 km · 1 h 40 min

    1. Naniwa Palace RuinsBeneath this lawn stood the capital of Japan in the 7th century, forgotten for more than a thousand years.
    2. Otemon Gate of Osaka CastleThe castle's main entrance, built in 1628, and a timber joint that for years looked impossible.
    3. Hokoku ShrineA shrine that worships Hideyoshi as a god, in the shadow of the castle he built.
    4. Sakuramon Gate and the Tako-ishi StoneThe castle's largest rock, weighing over a hundred tons, brought from Okayama across the Inland Sea.
    5. Osaka Castle KeepThe castle's third keep, paid for out of the pockets of Osaka's citizens in 1931.
    6. Yamazato-maru, Where the Toyotomi FellThe quiet corner behind the keep where, in 1615, Hideyori and his mother died as the castle burned.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Lunch

    Try Okonomiyaki at Okonomiyaki Mizuno. Dōtonbori 1-4-15, Chūō, Osaka

  3. Afternoon

    Osaka Museum of History

    Right beside the Naniwa Palace ruins, its upper floors look out over both the castle and the palace grounds. It tells the city's story from ancient times to today, with models and reconstructions. Check the opening hours.

    Directions

    Nakanoshima Island

    A river island in the middle of the city, with a park, a rose garden and historic brick buildings such as the Central Public Hall. It is the perfect place to slow down after the castle: a flat waterside stroll with good city views.

    Directions

Day 3Umeda and Minami mysteries

Spend the morning in Nakazakicho, a neighbourhood of little wooden houses, and on the views from Umeda Sky Building. Have a kitsune udon in Minami-senba and recharge. At dusk, take the mysteries route, from Imamiya Ebisu to Namba Yasaka and Ebisu Bridge, with the neon already lit. Finish with kushikatsu in Shinsekai, a short metro ride away.

  1. Morning

    Nakazakicho

    A neighbourhood of lanes lined with low wooden houses and old shops turned into cafés, galleries and little boutiques. It is quiet, very photogenic and a short walk from Umeda. Ideal for a slow morning, coffee included.

    Directions

    Umeda Sky Building

    Two towers joined at the top by a circular platform, the Floating Garden Observatory, with 360-degree views over Osaka. It stands in Umeda, the district of big skyscrapers and stations, and is well worth a visit late in the day.

    Directions

  2. Lunch

    Try Kitsune udon at Usami-tei Matsubaya. Minami-senba 3-8-1, Chūō, Osaka

  3. Early evening

    Deaf Gods, Giant Lions and a Curse: Osaka's Mysteries

    Mysteries & legends · 2.8 km · 1 h 50 min

    1. Imamiya Ebisu ShrineThe shrine of the merchants' god, who, so custom says, must be knocked on the back because he is hard of hearing.
    2. Namba Yasaka ShrineA twelve-meter lion's head that, people believe, swallows bad luck.
    3. Hozenji Temple and Mizukake FudoA moss-covered statue that everyone splashes with water, beside the old Sennichimae graveyard.
    4. Ebisu Bridge and the Curse of the ColonelDotonbori's busiest bridge, where a KFC statue ended up in the canal and a curse was born.
    5. Mitsutera TempleAn 1808 temple tucked under a hotel, a sacred camphor tree and the saddest tanuki in rakugo.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  4. Dinner

    Try Kushikatsu at Kushikatsu Daruma, sede central de Shinsekai. Ebisu-higashi 2-3-9, Naniwa, Osaka

The map

Osaka in 3 days, on the map

Each route’s stops are numbered in order; the stars are the extra sights.

Mixed History Mysteries & legends Extra sight

Loading the map…

Before you go

Tips for Osaka in 3 days

  • Getting between Umeda, Minami, Tennoji and the castle is too far on foot: rely on the metro and the city's trains.
  • Save the viewpoints for a clear day: Abeno Harukas and Umeda Sky Building are far less rewarding under low cloud.
  • Book dinner on weekends in Dōtonbori and Shinsekai: the popular places fill up early.

Questions

Osaka in 3 days: your questions

How many days do you need in Osaka?

Three days let you see the castle, temples, Shinsekai, Dōtonbori and two more districts or viewpoints without rushing. It is a good balance if you also want to eat unhurriedly and rest in the middle of the afternoon.

How far do you walk?

The routes in this itinerary add up to about 6.4 km (1.8 + 1.8 + 2.8), spread over three days. With the extras and the walks to restaurants, allow a little more each day.

Is it worth going up a viewpoint?

Yes: Abeno Harukas and Umeda Sky Building give very different views, of the south and the north of the city. If you only want one, choose according to where you are staying and the day's sky.

Other itineraries for 3 days

Osaka

More or less time?

1 day itinerary 2 day itinerary All about Osaka