Osaka Travel Guide: 3 Days Itinerary

Osaka is 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.

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.

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 Taiwan, 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:

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

Osaka AMAZING Pass

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!

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

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.

UNIVERSAL STUDIO JAPAN