Osaka is one of the most exciting cities in Japan, with a reputation for being unpretentious, a little bit rowdy and completely food-obsessed. Below is my itinerary for 2 days in Osaka, based on our own trip to Osaka at the start of our 10-day trip to Japan. This itinerary includes a half-day trip to the magnificent Himeji Castle, which is an easy day trip from Osaka and the most beautiful castles in Japan.

Osakans live by the phrase “uidaore”, which means “eat until you drop”, and often is amended to include “until you go broke.” Legend has it that Osakans spend more money on food than anything else, and the extraordinary food culture is evident within minutes of walking around downtown Osaka. The food in Osaka is not only incredible, but also abundant and usually very affordable.

Osaka is a city that loves to eat, and doesn’t take itself too seriously!

Osaka was our first stop during our 10 Days in Japan. We’ve previously spent a week in Tokyo, so we had skipped Tokyo on this trip, instead choosing to fly in & out from Osaka’s Kansai Airport.  After Osaka, we visited Kyoto, Miyajima island and Hiroshima.

Read on for an itinerary for 2 days in Osaka, ideal for first time visitors!

Osaka Day 1: Kuromon Market, Dotonbori, Osaka Castle & Osaka Aquarium

Our first day in Osaka was packed with the best things to see & do in Osaka, including Kuromon Market, the famous Dotonbori, Osaka Castle and Osaka Aquarium.

We had arrived in the evening the night before, and were staying at Hotel Lively Osaka Honmachi, which I highly recommend!

Kuromon Market 

Dating back to the Edo Period, the Kuromon Market is the oldest market in Japan, and one of the best places to eat in Osaka. Osaka has a reputation as a food obsessed city, and the Kuromon Market is a testament to this. Dozens of food vendors line the long halls of Kurmon Market, which quickly fill with hungry Osakans and visitors shortly after opening at 8am.

We arrived at the Kuromon Market early, around 8am. When we first arrived, many stalls were beginning to open for the day, and by the time we left an hour or so later, the market was busy and in full swing. I liked visiting at the start of the day, so we could enjoy it with fewer crowds. It gets very busy!

There is SO much delicious food at the Kuromon Market that you’ll want to come hungry. Some of my favourite dishes were tuna sashimi at Enoki and the Cinderella Croissant at an unnamed cafe in one of the major market intersections. Check out my post about the 8 best things to eat at the Kuromon Market for more details.

Osaka Aquarium

I wouldn’t usually seek out an aquarium on my travels, but the Osaka Aquarium is regarded as one of the best in the world. The aquarium celebrates the diverse marine wildlife found in the Pacific Oceans’ “Ring of Fire”, a horse-shoe shaped string of volcanoes on the Pacific Rim. The exhibits take you around the world, with a series of different tanks on one side of the walkway, and a multi-storey, 9-metre deep central tank in the centre of the aquarium. The walkway winds around the large tank, offering incredible views from every angle.

The star of the show at the Osaka Aquarium are two whale sharks, which are in the central tank along with hammerhead sharks, rays and a variety of fish. The aquarium is home to puffins, three species of penguins, otters, seals, dolphins, squid, sharks, rays and more. One of my favourite smaller exhibits was of tiny jellyfish!

We spent a couple of hours  here. I’d highly recommend booking e-tickets for the Osaka Aquarium on Klook, because you can skip the line. We arrived quite early, around 9 or 9:30am and the line for tickets was already enormous, and you’re in full sun for most of the time.

This would be a perfect activity if you’re travelling with kids!

Ramen

The Osaka Aquarium is located in Osaka’s bay area, in the Tempozan Harbor Village. There is a large food court near the aquarium, but we chose to explore the surrounding streets to find somewhere to eat. We stumbled upon an excellent ramen bar, not too far from the aquarium. I couldn’t find its name in English, but the cafe beside it is called 9 Borden Coffee, which you can find in Google Maps. There aren’t lots of great options in this area, so I’d recommend saving this spot to your Google Maps or searching for 9 Borden Coffee.

It only serves two varieties of ramen, and not surprisingly, delivers both to perfection! Not surprisingly, it was better than even the best ramen I’ve had in both Australia and New York City (but the ramen we had in Hiroshima, takes the cake).

Osaka Castle

Osaka Castle is one of the most impressive castles in Japan. The castle was constructed in 1583 by Hideyoshi Toyotomi, a samurai and daimyo (feudal lord) who is one of Japan’s most significant historic leaders. It has been burnt, bombed and destroyed, and rebuilt again, several times since then, with the most recent construction in 1931.

Osaka Castle is surrounded by an expansive grounds and parkland, which we explored before walking up to the castle. I particularly loved the views of Osaka Castle, across the moat from the Nishinomaru Garden.

We didn’t enter Osaka Castle, because we were planning to spend half a day at Himeji Castle the next day, which is an original build. Inside Osaka Castle is a museum, we visited a similar exhibition inside Hiroshima Castle at the end of our trip. Judging by photos online, Osaka Castle’s reconstructed interior makes more of an effort to recreate the atmosphere of a feudal castle, than the modern interiors of Hiroshima Castle.

You can book skip the line tickets to Osaka Castle (interiors) with Klook. You don’t need a ticket to walk around the grounds to view the exterior of the castle.

We were honestly pretty tired by this point of the day, it had been a huge day of walking! We dragged ourselves back to the hotel, to rest before heading out into Dotonbori in the evening.

Dotonbori

The Dotonbori is Osaka’s premier nightlife & restaurant district, and is the most famous area of Osaka. The Dotonbori runs alongside the Dotonbori Canal, which is illuminated every night by thousands of neon signs, lights and billboards from the hundreds of restaurants and bars along the canal. One block south of the canal, the main thoroughfare of Dotonbori is lined with more restaurants than I have ever seen in my life – and I used to live in downtown Manhattan!

We started at the Nipponbashi Bridge, which has some of the best views of the canal. You can walk down along the canal, or cut a block south to get to the Dotonbori. 

The night was visited was Halloween and a Saturday night, so it was extra crowded. We tried to get onto the Ebisubashi Bridge to see the view of the Glico Running Man billboard, which is Osaka’s unofficial mascot, but it was way too much of a crush. We returned the next night, when it was pouring with rain, and had much more room to move!

The Dotonbori is a pedestrianised street lined with restaurant after restaurant, most emblazoned with enormous, moving signs of giant crabs, octopus, or other Japanese dishes. It has a carnival-like atmosphere and is easily one of the most mind boggling places I have ever visited. It’s rare that I’ll return to the same street two days in a row on a trip, but we had to return to the Dotonbori the next night! 

It is worth spending at least 30 minutes just walking down the Dotonbori and discovering the backstreets, alleyways and malls that run off it. Hozenji Yokocho is a particularly charming laneway, lined with traditional buildings and high end restaurants.

We ate at Kashigi, an izakaya off the Dotonbori, and it was perfect for what we were after. It was super casual, and we could order small plates via mobile, which made ordering easier for us and meant we could order another plate or two until we were full.

Osaka Day 2: Day Trip to Himeji Castle

On our second day in Osaka, we made a day trip to Himeji Castle. Himeji Castle is in the town of Himeji, which is a 28-minute Shinkansen (Bullet Train) from Osaka. Despite taking up a half day of only 2 days in Osaka, it was completely worth it to see one of the most iconic landmarks in Japan!

Shinkansen (Bullet Train) from Osaka to Himeji

Shinkansen tickets from Osaka to Himeji cost approximately 3500 yen per person, each way, so it was approximately $150 AUD for return train tickets for us both, but visiting Himeji Castle and saving time on the fast train, was so worth it!

We purchased our train tickets at the shinkansen office at the train station, but I truly wish I’d booked our Shinkansen tickets on Klook instead. As a foreigner, we had to go to the ticket office at the train stations every time we wanted a bullet train ticket, where there was always an enormous queue.

We realised this on our trip to Himeji, after trying to purchase tickets from a machine. We needed two tickets each to go to Himeji, but the machine only sold one. We spent a long time trying to work out how we’d know which tickets we’d need, and how to get the second ticket, but we ended up at the ticket office every time – along with hundreds of other tourists. 

My friend went to Japan a week after me, and bought all of her bullet train tickets on Klook in advance, and it was a seamless experience. We spent more time trying to get a ticket for the bullet train, than we spent on the train!

Eating on public transport is taboo in Japan, EXCEPT on the Shinkansen, where it is considered a memorable part of the journey! We bought a bento box at the train station, which was very impressive considering it comes from a train station.

Himeji Castle 

There are plenty of things to do in Osaka, but I’m so glad we took the time to visit Himeji Castle.

Himeji Castle (Himejijo) is the oldest, largest and most beautiful castle in Japan. It’s known as the White Heron castle, for its beautiful white facades and  complex, well-preserved castle grounds which offer many vantage points of the Main Keep. 

Himeji Castle is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is the most visited castle in Japan. It was lightly raining on the day we visited, but I was still surprised how only lightly crowded the castle was. We arrived at around 9:30am, half an hour after opening.

We spent a couple of hours at in Himeji, between climbing up to the top of the Main Keep (central castle tower), visiting the West Bailey, which offers beautiful views of the Main Keep. The West Bailey is a long, raised building outside the Main Keep, that has several rooms coming off a long single corridor, and was formerly the residents of ladies-in-waiting and other members of the court, as well as offering defensive advantages. There were only a handful of other tourists at the West Bailey when we visited, which really enhanced the experience. 

Koko-En Garden

If you’re visiting Himeji Castle, don’t miss Koko-en Garden, next door. Koko-en is a beautiful collection of 9 Edo-style gardens, and one of my favourite gardens that I’ve visited in Japan. We bought a combined ticket at Himeji Castle, to the castle & Kokoen for 1050 yen per person (approx $10.50 AUD, $6.65 USD). Money very well spent!

Before we caught the train back to Osaka, we visited some of the gift shops opposite Himeji Castle on Jonan Rte. Definitely take a look at these! At one shop, we found the most beautiful range of Japanese confectionary, biscuits and other food products. This is the perfect spot for buying gifts to bring home (or enjoying yourself!).

Salon de Mon Cher

After we got back to Osaka, we relaxed for a couple of hours at the hotel, before getting ready to go out for the night in Amerikamura and Dotonbori. 

We started at the rooftop bar at our hotel, Hotel Lively Osaka. It was raining, so we didn’t use the outdoor terrace as planned, but the indoor lounge had great downtown views. 

Our second stop of the evening was in Shinsaibashi, Osaka’s glamorous downtown luxury shopping district. After trying the Cinderella croissant at the Kuromon Market, which is filled with fresh Hokkaido cream, I was keen to try the famous roll cake at Salon de Mon Cher, a well known Osaka patisserie.

Salon de Mon Cher in Shinsaibashi has a beautiful tea room, where we tried the roll cake and had some tea, all of which was beautifully presented. It was delicious, although I think the cream inside the Cinderella croissant has an edge.

Takyoyaki in Amerikamura

Next, we walked into Amerikamura, which is one of Osaka’s most distinct neighbourhoods, a hub of Western-inspired youth culture which developed in the 1970s. Amerikamura is like Osaka’s own version of Harajuku in Tokyo, and is a small village between the luxury stores of Shinsaibashi and the restaurants and bars of Dotonbori.

Takoyaki is one of Osaka’s signature street foods, consisting of a tray of steaming of ball-shaped batter filled with diced octopus, tempura scraps, pickled ginger and green onion (scallion). They tray of takyoyaki balls is covered in brown takyoyaki sauce and mayonnaise, and covered in nori and dried bonito flakes. You can usually buy them in trays of 6, 8 or more and you’ll see stands and small restaurants serving takoyaki all over Osaka.

We found takoyaki in Amerikamura at a tiny takoyaki stand called Daigen. There was a small back room where we could eat in. I’m glad we shared a tray – it is a very rich dish, and I think we both would have felt sick if we tried to tackle one each! They were delicious though, and a lot better in Osaka than the versions I’ve tried in Australia.

Glico Running Man & Dotonbori Bars

By this time, it was absolutely pouring with rain. I had a new raincoat for the trip (from Rainkoat – a Tasmanian brand that makes raincoats without the typical toxic chemicals!), and Dave had an umbrella, so we braved the torrential downpour to return to Dotonbori. 

We had no trouble getting onto the Ebisubashi Bridge to see the Glico Running Man billboard this time! The rain kept the crowds away. The Glico Running Man is a large LED billboard that has become a symbol of Osaka and one of the most famous landmarks in the city.

Dating back to 1935, the Glico Running Man billboard has glowed over Osaka for more than 80 years, and regularly gets minor updates to celebrate various sporting triumphs. Glico is a Japanese food manufacturing company, that makes a range of confectionary including Pocky, which are the sugar-coated pretzel sticks.

The Glico Running Man is a fun photospot, but I wouldn’t say you’re missing much, if you can’t get there on your trip.

We had to escape the rain after this, so we took one of the malls off Dotonbori to look for a bar. Tiny laneways sprout off the malls, and we found one line with tiny, 4-6 seater bars.

We found one which had only a handful of seats, and was smaller than our bedroom at home. The bartender was so welcoming and friendly, and proudly showed us a Four & Twenty Pie she had sourced, when she heard we were from Australia. She said the bar’s name is Yakushin, but I haven’t been able to find it on Google Maps – most of the tiny bars only have names in Japanese on maps. Dave tried some Japanese whiskey and I had sake, served into a tiny glass sitting in a box, also filled with sake. It was a memorable bar experience, and much less intimidating than Tokyo’s Golden Gai, which is similar.

Nakazakicho

At the end of our 10 Days in Japan, we returned to Osaka so we could fly out of Kansai airport. We arrived from Hiroshima around midday, and had hours before we’d need to go to the airport, so we left our bags at the train station and went to Nakazakicho, Osaka’s “hipster” neighbourhood.

Nakazakicho  is a few blocks of traditional, low rise buildings, housing boutiques, vintage stores, cafes and salons. One of the trendiest cafes is Yatt, but there was an enormous queue, so we went to Picco Latte, which serves delicate cheesecake desserts and sweet drinks. 

Hotels in Osaka

Hotel Lively Osaka Honmachi $$ (Central Osaka)– We stayed at Hotel Lively Osaka in Honmachi, and I highly recommend it! It is a beautiful, modern hotel, very conveniently located in central Osaka and near Honmachi station. The rooms are very clean, comfortable and stylish, the hotel is beautiful and has regular social events, and has a cafe and rooftop bar. It was super easy getting around Osaka from this location, I would definitely stay here again. 

St Regis Osaka (Central Osaka) $$$ – A luxurious 5-star hotel, centrally located in Honmachi. Honmachi is centrally located between Kita & Minami, so while the area doesn’t have many attractions, it is super convenient for travelling all over the city.

Intercontinental Osaka (Kita) $$$ – A luxury hotel in Kita, Osaka’s largest commercial district with shopping, hotels, restaurants and museums, as well as the famous Umeda Tower. It’s close to major transport hubs, Umeda Station and Osaka Station.

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