9:40 - 9:50 Meet Your Guide
Osaka Castle Meeting Time: 9:40 - 9:50 until December 2025; 9:50 - 10:00 from January 2026 ► Meeting Place: Hotel Hankyu Respire Osaka 9F Lobby ► How to Get: Take the Midosuji Line, Tanimachi Line, Yotsubashi Line, Hanshin Main Line, Hankyu Main Line, or JR Tozai Line to Osaka Station, and walk for 3 minutes. ► Advice for Hotel Selection: Since our gathering place is near Osaka Station and the return journey ends at Higashi-Umeda Station, we suggest choosing a hotel near either location, as there’s only a 5-minute walk between the two stations. * For your information: This Osaka day trip is also available if you are in Kyoto. Please contact our travel consultant if you need a departure from Kyoto. Since the spots on our itinerary are relatively close together, we’ll take the metro to avoid traffic congestion while experiencing Osaka’s fast-paced urban life, and walk between attractions to admire the unique street scenes. With the guide’s lively explanations of local customs throughout the journey, you can enjoy an engaging exploration like an independent traveler, even on a group tour. Today’s total walking distance is about 6 km (3.7 miles), so please travel light and dress casually.
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City Panorama from Floating Garden Observatory of Umeda
After receiving a greeting from the guide, we will shortly walk to the Umeda Sky Building, which consists of two high-rise towers connected by an open-air atrium at 170 meters (557 feet) above ground, known as the Floating Garden Observatory.
Looking up from below, the building’s curtain wall reflects the sky, and the vast circular zenith stretches in all directions, as if sending the atrium into the sprawling sky. Taking the elevator to the 35th floor and riding a suspended sightseeing escalator that resembles a time tunnel to the Floating Garden Observatory, you can enjoy a 360-degree view of Osaka’s cityscape, the expansive coastline of Osaka Port, and the distant Rokko Mountains.
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Have Lunch & Take Metro to Central Osaka
Since today’s tour starts in the late morning, we’ll return to the meeting hotel for a Western-style lunch after the first stop. If you need a vegetarian meal, please let us know when booking.
In the afternoon, continue our journey to explore central Osaka by taking the JR local train from Osaka Station to either Osakajokoen Station or Temmabashi Station; non-reserved seat tickets are included.
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Urban Sightseeing aboard Aqua Liner Cruise
Upon arrival, let’s board the Aqua Liner water bus for a cruise lasting about an hour through the “city of water”. Osaka’s natural rivers and artificial canals interweave into a network, supported by numerous bridges, ports, and water activities that have embedded the “water culture” into the city. As soon as the cruise ship departs from the Osaka Castle Pier and begins sailing along the Okawa River, which flows through the city center, you can immediately spot many striking historical buildings, such as Osaka Castle and the hundred-year-old Osaka City Central Public Hall, along with tunnels once used for transporting weapons. Moreover, ancient bridges like Tenmabashi, Yodoyabashi, and Tenjinbashi, along with the tree-lined banks of the Okawa River, draw you closer to the essence of the water city. ► If the cruise is unavailable, we’ll visit the Osaka Museum of History instead, which features a 1:1 replica of Japan’s earliest capital palace from the 7th century. The Okawa River Local Japanese Girls
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Explore Osaka Castle Park & the Main Tower
Our next destination is Osaka Castle, one of Japan’s three famous castles, built by lord Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1585 as a stronghold after unifying Japan. Unfortunately, this incredibly luxurious and magnificent castle, once the largest in Japan, was destroyed during the Siege of Osaka between the two powerful magnates, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu. When rebuilding Osaka Castle, the victorious Tokugawa shogunate ordered the new castle’s stone walls to be taller and its moats deeper than the original ones, obliterating all remnants of Hideyoshi’s Osaka Castle. Taking the elevator to the museum inside the Main Tower, you can witness the tragic showdown scene through the folding screens depicting the summer campaign. Through models of the Main Tower from successive dynasties and changes in the castle’s scale, you would clearly understand why it’s said that each ruler has created a new Osaka Castle. Nowadays, Osaka Castle Park has become an urban oasis centered around the Main Tower. A stroll with your guide through the expansive, lush space is genuinely relaxing, especially from late March to early April, when approximately 3,000 cherry trees are in full bloom. The magnificent and exquisite castle tower, complemented by the sea of pink cherry blossoms, showcases Osaka’s iconic scenery.
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17:15 - 17:45 Tour Ends after a Return Metro Ride
Finally, let’s walk to Temmabashi Station, and your guide will accompany you on a metro ride back to Higashi-Umeda Station, where the tour ends. You can then return to your hotel independently or ask the guide for directions to Osaka Station or other destinations.
► We also offer Kyoto, Nara, and Hiroshima day tours from Osaka. If you want a more personalized itinerary to other popular destinations like Tokyo and Nagoya, please contact us for a private tour tailored to your needs.
► Recommended Diner Location Nearby
If you’re looking for a quick dinner option, you can walk to the Umeda Sky Building in just 10 minutes, which features a retro-style food street on the B1F. As you stroll through the stone alley, you’ll encounter nostalgic street scenes such as the hand-pumped well, the round mailbox, the Inari Shrine, and the three-wheeled truck Midget, making you feel as if you’ve traveled back to Japan’s Showa era (1926-1989). While immersing yourself in the romantic Showa style, you can enjoy over 20 different types of restaurants, from those serving local dishes like fried skewers and okonomiyaki (Japanese pizza) to Western restaurants, izakayas, and cafes.
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