A Quick 3-Day Travel Guide in Osaka, Japan
Osaka was the first city I got to explore during my recent trip to Japan. I must say, it is a fun city and I am sure, you will enjoy it as much as I did.
So here is my 3-day in Osaka travel guide to make your visit worthwhile.
Pre-travel guide
🛂 Visa:
Filipinos need a visa to go to Japan.
I created a guide and shared my experience on how to get a visa, specifically in Cebu City.
Otherwise, please check the Japanese Embassy website for more details if you need a visa or not.
✈️ Flights:
We booked our flight via cebupacificair.com. It was the peak spring season and the cheapest we could get was going to Nagoya. From Nagoya, we just took the train to Osaka.
⛑️ Travel Insurance:
- Safety Wing
- If you are a Filipino, you can buy using GCASH which is a much cheaper option
🏨 Accommodations:
Reserve your accommodation ahead of time. I booked using Booking.com or Agoda.
During our visit to Osaka, we stayed at Backstage Hostel & Bar which is a 16-minute walk to Dotonbori. A subway station is also near which is great.
We arrived in the evening then got out, and went to Dontonbori for dinner which is a good amount of walking distance for excited tourists like us who want to explore Osaka. 😁
Here are some affordable options you can book if you are visiting Osaka:
Feel free to check other accommodations below:
Booking.com🎡 Tour and Activities:
If you like to book ahead of time on what activity you would like to do in Osaka, you can book it in Klook . They have a list of tours, activities, and even transportation. If you are a planner, you will love this site.
Here are the things we booked via Klook:
- JR West Kansai Pass (1, 2, 3 or 4 Days)
- Kansai Thru Pass 2 or 3 Days
- Osaka Amazing Pass (Osaka Pick Up)
🛜 How to stay connected?
We booked a 4G WiFi (Japan Pick Up) for Japan (Unlimited Data) during our trip.
You can also get an unlimited data 4G SIM Card if that is what you prefer.
How to get around Osaka
- IC card – This card will help you explore Japan with ease!
- ICOCA is the name of the IC card in Kansai Area. If you already have an SUICA card, you can use that instead.
- The IC Card comes with a preloaded JPY500 or JPY1,500 and a JPY500 deposit.
- To top-up your IC card visit any Automatic Ticket Vending Machine and Fare Adjustment Machine with an IC logo. You can only use cash (JPY) to top up the card.
- You can use an IC card for JR West trains, subways, private railways, and buses. Also, you can use it some in vending machines, selected stores/restaurants, and convenience stores.
- Kansai Thru Pass – This pass allows gives you unlimited train, subway, and bus rides in Kansai.
- If you will be exploring the Kansai Area for 2-3 days, this option is good for you.
- No need to load (like the IC Card), you can just use this pass on any subway or bus in Kansai.
- NOTE: You cannot use this in JR trains and Shinkanzen.
Things to do in Osaka for 3 days
➡️ Day 1 – Osaka Famous Tourist Spots
Ticket to buy: Osaka Amazing Pass (Osaka Pick Up)
✔️ Unlimited trip on the Osaka subway, tramway, and bus
✔️ Free entry to more than 50 iconic Osaka tourists. For more details, please check the official website
Since the Osaka Amazing Pass gives you a lot of places to access, please manage your time accordingly. I highly suggest to choose a few spots that you would love to visit.
Below are the spots I recommend.
Places to visit:
📍 HEP FIVE Ferris Wheel
📍 Umeda Sky Building Observatory
📍 Kema Sakuranomiya Park
📍 Osaka Castle
📍 Osaka-jo Gozabune Boat
📍 Tsutenkaku Tower
📍 Tsutenkaku Tower Slider
📍 Tombori River Cruise
It was raining on our first day of exploration in Osaka. Nevertheless, we were excited to explore this city.
We went straight to Namba station and got our Osaka Amazing Pass in the Tourist Information NAMBA. We also had our lunch at the station and bought sandwiches. It was delicious!
Then we headed out to use our Osaka Amazing Pass. Again, I highly suggest to plan already which tourist spots you want to visit. As for us, we only manage to visit the following in the photos below!
➡️ Day 2 – Dotonbori Food Trip & Shopping
I think your Osaka visit will not be complete if you do not visit Dotonbori.
During our visit, we were always in Dontonbor EVERY SINGLE NIGHT! I honestly enjoyed every visit. There were a lot of people. It was super touristy but I do not mind at all. Besides, it is touristy for a reason!
Places to visit:
📍 The Glico Running Man
📍 Dotonbori Food Crawl
📍 Shinsaibashi-Suji Shopping Street
Places we tried in Dotonbori:
- Ichiran Ramen Shinsaibashi – famous tonkatsu ramen
- Okonomiyaki Okaru
- Hozenji Sampei
- Pablo
Honestly, if I had more time, I would want to try more restaurants here. If you have recommendations, please feel free to comment below!
➡️ Day 3 – Whole day exploration
Option 1: Universal Studio Japan
Option 2: You can go to Nara for a day trip
During our trip, we did option 2 which is the Nara Day trip from Osaka. However, if you really love theme parks, you can go with Option 1 which is Universal Studios Japan.
Other tours you can try in Osaka
Klook.comWatch my Osaka Vlog!
Pin for later!
Feel free to download my Japan Travel Details + Notion Template below!
Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post do contain affiliate links that I earn a small commission for, but they come at NO extra cost to you! Any purchases you make through my links help keep the site running (and help me feed to survive). Still and the same, as I’ve mentioned above, I only recommend brands that I personally use or believe in. Thanks in advance for your support!
My Travel Faves!
🌎 Safetywing: For travel insurance
✈️ Google Flights: For finding flight deals
🏨 Booking.com: For searching hotels
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☀️ Klook: For tours and activities
📷 Canon G7X Mark II: My travel camera
🧳 Luggage: My favorite luggage
