One and a half days in Osaka: a visit to Kema-Sakuranomiya Koen, a pleasant park with cherry trees
Osaka, Kema-Sakuranomiya-Koen, a beautiful park in the city centre

 

Osaka is famous for its vibrant night-life. If you are pressed for time you may choose to stay in the Osaka for only one night. In this case you may have a day and a half for visiting the city.

In this page we describe a well-balanced itinerary aiming to guide you through some of Osaka’s most notable sightseeing places and landmarks.

 

Osaka 1,5-day itinerary

Choosing to stay in Osaka for one night makes for a much better experience than the usual one-day side trip from Kyoto. Though lacking the beauty of ancient neighbourhoods, Osaka is an interesting city and has something for anyone. A canonical itinerary includes visits to Osaka Castle, the skyscraper district of Umeda, the bustling area of Namba. With an additional half-day you may visit less touristy places or proceed in more relaxing way.

 

Itinerary: Umeda, Osaka Castle, Kaiyukan, Tennoji, Sumiyoshi Taisha

If you reach Osaka in the evening, you can reach your hotel, check in and spend some hours taking a walk in Dotombori, which is definitely the best place to be at if you want to discover Osaka’s night life.

 

Osaka 1,5-day itinerary

Umeda, Osaka Castle, Kaiyukan, Tennoji, Sumiyoshi Taisha

Evening arrival

Where to stay

Dotombori (Namba), Tennoji

Day 1

Destinations:

  • Umeda (department stores around Osaka Station)

  • Chuo (Osaka Castle and Osaka History Museum)

  • Minato (Kaiyukan Aquarium)

  • Minami (Namba, Dotombori, Hozenji-Yokocho)

 

How to get around:

  • By subway: Midosuji and Chuo Line

  • On foot

Day 2 (morning)

Destinations:

  • Tennoji (Keitaku-En garden, Abeno Harukasu tower)

  • Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine

 

How to get around:

  • From Namba to Sumiyoshi Taisha: by train, Nankai Line

 

Morning arrival

If you reach Osaka by noon, we suggest you leave your baggage at the station and begin your journey right away. With the obvious modifications you can follow the programme described above. The easiest option is to switch the schedules of the first and second day. Another option is to devote the whole afternoon and evening to the area around Namba and Tennoji. Take into account of the opening hours of museums, gardens and other sites.

 

Related articles:

Tokyo 3 day itinerary

Kyoto 3,5-day itinerary

Nara 1,5-day itinerary

Uji 0,5-day itinerary

Japan 10-day itinerary