2 days in Osaka

Day by day

1. Day 1: Osaka Castle and Dotonbori

   Osaka Castle, Dotonbori, Umeda Sky Building Floating Garden Observatory and Kuromon Market, then Shinsekai and Tsutenkaku in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Osaka Castle

      Today's eight-storey keep is a 1931 reconstruction housing a museum about Hideyoshi, with an observation floor at the top. The massive stone walls, moats and the park around it — with plum and cherry groves and the Nishinomaru Garden — are the real highlight.

   2. Late morning

      Dotonbori

      Food stalls sell takoyaki and kushikatsu, and the Tombori River Walk runs along the canal.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Takoyaki

      Stands all over Dotonbori, Amerikamura and Shinsekai; many have counters to eat at.

   4. Afternoon

      Umeda Sky Building Floating Garden Observatory

      The open-air rooftop deck, 173 metres up, has 360-degree views over the city and Osaka Bay.

   5. Late afternoon

      Kuromon Market

      Now it is mostly aimed at visitors, with stalls grilling scallops, wagyu skewers and sea urchin to eat on the spot, alongside fruit and pickle shops.

   6. Evening

      Shinsekai and Tsutenkaku

      Eat kushikatsu at a counter and remember the rule: dip each skewer in the shared sauce only once.

2. Day 2: Universal Studios Japan and Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan

   Universal Studios Japan, Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan, Shitenno-ji and Sumiyoshi Taisha, then Abeno Harukas 300 in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Universal Studios Japan

      It is about 15 minutes from Osaka Station by JR.

   2. Late morning

      Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan

      Otters, penguins and Japanese giant spider crabs are favourites.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Okonomiyaki

      Okonomiyaki restaurants in Namba, Dotonbori and Umeda, many with hotplates at the table.

   4. Afternoon

      Shitenno-ji

      Its five-storey pagoda, main hall and corridors have been rebuilt several times but keep the original Asuka-period layout, and the stone torii at the west gate is one of the oldest in Japan.

   5. Late afternoon

      Sumiyoshi Taisha

      Its main halls show the Sumiyoshi-zukuri style, one of the oldest forms of shrine architecture.

   6. Evening

      Abeno Harukas 300

      Clear winter days give the longest views; the department store below has a large food hall.

Before you go

• Universal Studios Japan: Buy dated tickets online in advance; Super Nintendo World can require a timed entry ticket or an Express Pass on busy days.
• Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan: Buying tickets online lets you skip the ticket-office queue on weekends and holidays.

If it rains

• Swap in Cupnoodles Museum Osaka Ikeda (Ikeda): Take the Hankyu Takarazuka line from Umeda to Ikeda, about 20 minutes, and arrive early on weekends for the workshop.
• Swap in Tenjinbashisuji shopping street (Tenma): Start at Osaka Tenmangu, walk north and finish with dinner in the Tenma izakaya lanes.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 18–23 hours of visiting over 2 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 9.8 hours in December to 14.5 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

Getting between stops: Metro. Osaka Metro's nine lines run from about 5am to around midnight, with the Midosuji line the main north–south spine.

More or fewer days

• One day in Osaka
• 3 days in Osaka
• 4 days in Osaka
• 5 days in Osaka

Questions travellers ask