OSAKA 3 DAY ITINERARY
3 Days in Osaka: Your Ultimate Guide to Food, Fun, and Exploring
Osaka is known for its vibrant street food, historic landmarks, and lively districts. If you’re planning a 3-day trip, here’s a guide to help you make the most of your visit—filled with insider tips, top food spots, and affordable yet stylish hotels. I was traveling with 2 other friends during this trip and we opted for a triple room at Hotel Hankyu Respire Osaka. This hotel was located in Umeda district, north of the main attractions you may have heard of around Osaka like Dontonburi and Shinsaibashi. We ended up booking this hotel because it was one of the only hotels with a triple room available, however, we ended up loving the option to stay away from the main attractions and explore a little bit of the “newer” Osaka in Uemda district! It is close to the main train stations when you arrive to Osaka. For a little more tips about arriving at Haneda and getting to Osaka, check out our blog post Bullet train from Haneda to Osaka.
Day 1: Explore Shinsaibashi and Shop Vintage Designer Handbags
If you’ve read my blog post about my journey from Haneda to Osaka, you’ll know that I arrived at around 5 am to Haneda, which means I had a whole day to spend in Osaka while feeling jetlagged. We arrived at our hotel Hotel Hankyu Respire Osaka around 9 am, but check-in wasn’t available until 3 pm. So we left our luggage at the hotel, got into more weather-suitable clothing (it was hot!), and decided to start easy by strolling the streets of Shinsaibashi near the Dontonburi district. We easily hopped on the subway with our preloaded SUICA cards and realized our hotel was only a few subway stations away from the main Osaka attractions!
Since I went with my girlfriends, one of our main purposes was to shop til we dropped. We wanted to explore the famous vintage shopping in Osaka with second-hand reseller stores littered around the Shinsaibashi shopping district. Here are some of the shops we visited: Allu, Gallery Rare, Purchase Shop Riz, Komehyoginzo, Kaitori Fukuchan, and Hedy.
Tip: Make your rounds before finalizing your purchase! A lot of stores carry similar items but have varying pricing, so depending on the condition of the bag and your budget, you might find what you want in the next store! You can always revisit stores that you like; you’re still spending a pretty penny even if it is vintage! I didn’t have much luck until I finally came across a green Loewe bracelet bag and scored it for USD $300. A STEAL!
If designer shopping isn’t your thing, there are plenty of other stores to check out like Uniqlo and H&M; both of which offer localized styles and sizing. For a shorter Asian girl like me, I enjoyed seeing dresses and pants with the perfect lengths for me! Of course, you can’t forget the famous Japan originated shoe brand, Onitsuka Tiger, which is the trendiest shoes of this season.
In between shopping, we decided to check out a soba noodle restaurant that seemed to be popular during lunchtime. I had previously done my research on food, but we found it was easier to just eat something nearby and not spend more time looking for the next destination.
Day 2: KUROMON MARKET AND DONTONBURI
Start your second day with breakfast at Kuromon Ichiba Market. This vibrant food market is a paradise for seafood lovers—don’t miss the fresh sushi, grilled squid, or Kobe beef skewers! Tip: Many restaurants at the Kuromon market only accept cash, so it’s a good idea to have some yen on hand. You’ll find endless food options like takoyaki (octopus balls) and okonomiyaki (savory pancakes), two must-try local dishes. I started with one slice of the cantaloupe. Let me tell you, I normally don’t eat cantaloupe in the US, but this was the best piece of cantaloupe I’ve ever had! Don’t sleep on the fruits in Japan, they’re AMAZING! We also saw many vendors selling king crab legs, we couldn’t help but sit down for some king crab legs, beers, and A/C to beat the heat.
After Kuromon Market, we went back to Shinsaibashi to shop some more! Since we didn’t eat too much at Kuromon, we decided to try Yoshinoya for a quick bite. Again, don’t underestimate Yoshinoyas in Japan, they are far superior to the ones you find in the US. We loved every bite. We continued to shop til we dropped until dinner time, where we decided to check out Dontonburi in Namba district, where you’ll find everything from Michelin-starred restaurants to hidden gems serving authentic ramen. This is where you’ll find the famous Glico man! The street is super lively and crowded, so make sure you have a plan before you get lost in it! We were pretty tired from shopping at this point, so we decided to find an izakaya nearby that could seat us. This is where we tried our first kushikatsu, which is another famous food that originated in Osaka aside from takoyaki. It is a plate of deep-fried skewers hand-selected by you, served with beer at izakayas (Japanese bar restaurants)!
Day 3: OSAKA CASTLE
Finish your trip by visiting Osaka Castle, one of the city's most iconic landmarks. Arrive early to beat the crowds and enjoy the serene surrounding park. It was super hot when we went, so make sure you have your UV umbrellas with you and maybe try one of the cooling products sold at all stores across Japan (they really do work!). We did a nice hike to the top to see the castle, and after we finished admiring the beauty of this iconic landmark, we decided to head back for more shopping before we ventured off to Kyoto. If you want to check out where I stayed in Kyoto, check out my post: Where to stay in Kyoto.
Some other ideas for your last day are a day trip to Nara (just 40 minutes by train) to see the famous Nara Deer Park and explore ancient temples like Todaiji Temple. Alternatively, if you prefer to stay in Osaka, head to Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan, one of the largest aquariums in the world, or explore the quirky Amerikamura district, known for its vintage shops and street art. There is so much to see in just the few areas I mentioned in this post that I’m sure it will be enough to fill your day.
Final Thoughts
Osaka was truly a highlight of my 10-day trip to Japan in July earlier this year. I loved that it felt like a condensed version of Tokyo, but with cheaper prices on food and goods. I was glad I started the Japan trip in Osaka since I hit the ground running with my shopping spree. I noticed that you can generally buy similar things when you go to Osaka, Kyoto, and Tokyo, but for some reason the prices were the best in Osaka. So plan your luggage space and shopping spree in advance! Take a look at my blog about arriving at the Haneda airport and getting to Osaka for a little more tips for the first leg of your trip here: Bullet train from Haneda to Osaka.
