Top Things To Do In Osaka

Tailoring each experience to your wishes by locals who love their city

Group of tourists standing in front of the Godzilla statue in Osaka with a local guide

Top things to do in Osaka

From exploring cool neighborhoods to eating with the locals to seeing iconic sites, these are some of our favorite experiences

Your Osaka, Your Way: A 4-Hour Experience Tailored to You
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Osaka Your Osaka, Your Way: A 4-Hour Experience Tailored to You

Discover Osaka’s contrasts with a half-day experience blending iconic highlights and hidden gems, all shaped around what excites you most.

$138 per person

4 hours

  • (480)

Eat Your Way Through Osaka’s Kitchen: A Street Food Lover’s Dream
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Osaka Eat Your Way Through Osaka’s Kitchen: A Street Food Lover’s Dream

Eat like a local in Japan’s street food capital, from Dotonbori’s neon stalls to Namba’s hidden gems—sizzling takoyaki, crispy kushikatsu & more.

$160.5 per person

3 hours

  • (163)

Shopping in Osaka
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Osaka Shopping in Osaka

Discover the unique shopping scene in Osaka from gadget emporiums, buzzing markets, and cutting-edge fashion in an experience tailored to your style

$138 per person

4 hours

  • (83)

Day trip to Nara, where past meets present
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Osaka Day trip to Nara, where past meets present

See some of Japan's most spectacular temples and gardens and snap a few shots with the deer roaming around in ancient Nara on a day trip from Osaka

$359 per person

9 hours

  • (58)

Discover bohemian Nakazakicho
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Osaka Discover bohemian Nakazakicho

Vine-draped alleyways, community spaces, off-the-wall concept stores and cat cafes.

$107 per person

3 hours

  • (99)

Ultimate Kansai region food experience
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Osaka Ultimate Kansai region food experience

From "fugu" puffer fish to "matsuba" crab and scrumptious "kushiage," taste some of the Kansai cuisine that has put Osaka on the culinary map!

$160.5 per person

3 hours

  • (36)

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Group of tourists standing in front of the Godzilla statue in Osaka with a local guide

Wondering what to do in Osaka?

Osaka is a city where good times are inevitable. Known for their wicked sense of humor and love of food, the friendly locals have largely shed all sense of Japanese conservatism, making Osaka one of the most entertaining cities in Japan. The atmosphere here is electrifying, and thousands of neon lights shimmer off the waters of the canals, exposing a spectacular array of things to do in Osaka. Whether you get swept up in a whirlwind of chaotic shopping, explore lantern-lit mazes of izakaya bars, or sing your heart out at a karaoke bar in one of the city’s LED-lit entertainment districts, the things to do in Osaka can’t help but leave you dizzy with delight.

Meet some of our Osaka local hosts

Tourist standing in front of an attraction in Osaka on a sunny day

Past meets present

At first glance, Osaka is a city with endless things to do and one foot firmly in the future: buildings are blanketed in dazzling LED screens and neon lights, the colorful cosplay scene covers several square-miles of unique entertainment, and high fashion overflows at gleaming department stores. But in fact, while Osaka has all the attractions of an ultra-modern metropolis, the city still manages to reflect Japan’s history and culture. The best things to do in Osaka span centuries, with ancient temples, shrines, and traditional gardens giving a glimpse into the city’s storied past.

Tourist enjoying a traditional meal with a local guide on a food tour of Osaka

The “Nation’s Kitchen”

Spend time with a local, and you’ll likely hear the city's unofficial slogan, kuidaore – “eat until you drop”. It’s no surprise that some of the best things to do in Osaka revolve around its fantastic food scene. Known as the “Nation’s Kitchen”, Osaka’s culinary culture is famous across Japan. The city’s food – found at its traditional markets, cafés, restaurants, and izakayas – is mind-blowingly delicious. From Okonomiyaki pancakes at a snaking line of street food stalls to a Michelin-starred meal at a high-end eatery, the foodie things to do in Osaka suit every palate (and pocket).

Tourist posing in front of neon lights on a busy street in Osaka

Osaka after sunset

When night falls, the city really starts to show off, and the list of things to do in Osaka gets even longer. Osaka transforms into a kaleidoscope of LED screens, giant billboards, and animatronic signs, and the fun begins. Perhaps you’ll start with a scrub down at a traditional sento before some well-deserved bar- or club-hopping, or maybe you’ll swivel your head between flashing restaurant signs and grab a meal at the one that beckons the brightest. If that’s not your scene, you could even slow things down in the lantern-lit alleys of a traditional entertainment district.

Osaka travel tips and inspiration from our Travel Magazine

Find essential city info, travel tips and the best things to do in Osaka and around the world recommended by our local hosts

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Latest reviews from our guests

    We had a great experience with Taku showing us some of Osaka highlights. We especially enjoyed lunch in the fish market!

    30 June 2026

    Mindy L

    We had a great time seeing Osaka highlights and eating lunch at the fish market. Taku was a great guide!

    29 June 2026

    Mindy L

    We enjoyed spending time with our guide. She was knowledgable, personable, spoke English well, and shared her city with us.

    25 June 2026

    Faith K

    Mayu is an amazing tour guide. She reached out several days before our tour and selected a meeting location that was conveniently close to our hotel. We booked a four-hour tour and covered a lot of the city. One of the highlights was visiting a local grocery store, where Mayu educated us about Japanese produce, Wagyu beef grading, and other local delicacies. As a former chef, she shared fascinating insights from her culinary background along with cooking tips that we found incredibly interesting.  We learned so much during our time with her that, when we later visited Kyoto, we had a much deeper understanding and appreciation of Japanese culture.  Mayu also took numerous photos throughout our tour, and I was amazed by  their quality. She is an exceptionally talented photographer, and the pictures are one of the highlights of our trip to Japan.  I would highly recommend Mayu to anyone looking for an informative, engaging, and memorable tour experience.

    22 June 2026

    Yvonne A

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