Full Day Osaka Day Tour with English Guide and Public Transportation (Private)

General information

Program details

Our team assists you to draft itinerary, prepare tickets, book restaurants/local experiences, communicate with local vendors, direct you to the destinations, keep time, assist you throughout the trip and more!

STEP1: Please select your favorite destinations from "What to Expect" and share with us your other special requests.

STEP2: Our team draft your tentative custom itinerary and share with you.

STEP3: We revise/finalize the itinerary base on your feedback REMARKS.

A. You can always make changes to the itinerary even while traveling on the van. The tour is flexible to your own needs and goals.

B. Extra 1~2 hours will be given for free in case of heavy traffic jam and unexpected delay(s) only.

C. Extra charges will be applied for over time service.

Itinerary

The construction of Osaka Castle (Ōsakajō) started in 1583 on the former site of the Ishiyama Honganji Temple, which had been destroyed by Oda Nobunaga thirteen years earlier. Toyotomi Hideyoshi intended the castle to become the center of a new, unified Japan under Toyotomi rule. It was the largest castle at the time. However, a few years after Hideyoshi's death, Tokugawa troops attacked and destroyed the castle and terminated the Toyotomi lineage in 1615.

Osaka Castle was rebuilt by Tokugawa Hidetada in the 1620s, but its main castle tower was struck by lightening in 1665 and burnt down. It was not until 1931 that the present ferro-concrete reconstruction of the castle tower was built. During the war it miraculously survived the city wide air raids. Major repair works gave the castle new glamor in 1997. The castle tower is now entirely modern on the inside and even features an elevator for easier accessibility. It houses an informative museum about the castle's history and Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes. Ticket not included.

Tsutenkaku Towerhinsekai ("New World") is a district in Osaka that was developed before the war and then neglected in the decades afterwards. At the district's center stands Tsutenkaku Tower, the nostalgia-evoking symbol of Shinsekai. The area was developed into its current layout following the success of the 1903 National Industrial Exposition, which brought over five million people to the neighborhood within just five months. Shortly after the expo closed its doors, work began to improve and update Shinsekai. Duration: 30 minutes. Ticket not included.

Standing 300 meters tall, Abeno Harukas in Osaka is the tallest skyscraper in Japan. The building stands on top of the Kintetsu Osaka Abenobashi Station and is conveniently located across from JR Tennoji Station. It houses a department store, an art museum, a hotel and an observation deck. The observation deck is called "Harukas 300" and occupies the building's top three floors (floors 58 to 60). The observation deck is accessed by elevators from the 16th floor. With large floor-to-ceiling glass panels all around, the 60th floor offers 360 degree views of Osaka, while the 58th floor features an attractively designed inner court with a wooden deck and cafe. A souvenir shop and restrooms with views are also available. Duration: 1 hour. Ticket not included.

The Umeda Sky Building is a spectacular high rise building in the Kita district of Osaka, near Osaka and Umeda Stations. It is also known as the "New Umeda City". Duration: 1 hour. Ticket not included.

A bustling commercial street that is representative of the Minami area of Osaka, always busy with playhouses and food shops from the Edo Period to today. Duration: 1 hour. Ticket not included.

Namba Yasaka Shrine has one of the most unique buildings of any shrine in the world! This Osaka shrine's iconic lion head-shaped building was built in the 1970s and isn't actually very old. However, the shrine itself has a long history, and its annual festival held in January(which incorporates an awesome tug-of-war competition) is designated as an intangible folk cultural property by the Japanese government. Duration: 30 minutes.

Shinsaibashi-Suji Shopping Street, which runs east to Mido-Suji Avenue, is the best-known shopping area in Osaka, and an enduring symbol of the city. With a history of 380 years, it was already an established shopping area in the Edo Period. Shops of all kinds and for all ages line the street, a roofed arcade 600 meters long. There are traditional kimono tailors, western clothing and footwear retailers, restaurants and fast food outlets, jewelers, and boutiques featuring the latest fashions. It?'s great to take a casual stroll through the Shinsaibashi area. Many people enjoy window-shopping and savoring the food along the way. Duration: 1 hour.