7-8 hour quick tour to cover "must-see" sites in Osaka!
After learning a bit about the history of Osaka during Osaka castle visit, you will visit nostalgic street of Shinsekai, Japanese subculture mecca and gadget paradise of Nipponbashi street, gourmand street of Kuromon Market, and Dotonbori street with glittering signs.
At your hotel or JR Osaka station
Osaka castle (Optional: Museum on the main tower @ 600 yen)
Optional: Osaka Museum of Housing & Living @600 yen + 500 yen for kimono experience (closed on Tuesdays)
Shinsekai & Osaka's local lunch
Optional: Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine via Hankai Tram
Nipponbashi (gadget, Japanese pop culture, toys etc.)
Kuromon Market for food stands and local specialties
Dotonbori (street with 3D & glittering signs)
Optional: Umeda Sky Building floating garden @1350 yen (with subway one-day pass discount)
Flexible
You will enjoy seeing the both historical and urban sides of Osaka during the tour.
While visiting some popular spots mainly in Minami area, you can try Osaka local foods and sweets on the street.
I will also try to show you many "photogenic spots" and hidden streets during the tour.
This tour is particularly good for people with limited time (like cruise ship travelers) and also for your first day of Osaka to get an idea of what the city is like and transportation system so that you can stroll around by yourself after Day 2!
Guide fee, hotel pick-up in Kyoto and Osaka
Transportation fee during the tour, lunch (1000-1500 yen per person),
*both for you and guide
Entrance fee
Please note below before booking and contact me first for availability:
1. My schedule on GoWithGuide site is open for the next 3-month only.
2. All my listed tours include hotel pick-up fee and guide fee. Please ask for quote for custom tours.
3. For tours in the peak season, I am currently prioritizing mult-day tour requests (at least two "full-day" tours per group) and accept one-day request between the booked tours etc.
***Excursions ***
I can guide you in Okayama (including Naoshima and Kurashiki), Hiroshima (Onomichi, Shimanami islands cycling, Miyajima, etc.) and Shikoku (Iya valley etc.) if you pay for my transportation.
The above areas can be visited from Osaka/Kyoto in one or two days.
You will be walking a lot during the tour, so please wear comfortable walking shoes and clothes and bring an umbrella or poncho in case of rain.
Transportation fee for the day will be 800-1,500 yen per person depending on your itinerary and hotel location. Please bring enough cash for the fare.
Please choose one of the below options (except for those meeting up in Kyoto):
1. River boat from Osaka castle to Dotonbori @1,200 yen (only available on weekends in spring-fall, free for the guide)
2. River boat ride in Dotombori @900 yen - see the Dotonbori street from the boat (may be a long waiting time during the peak season)
3. Umeda Sky Building "Floating Garden" at the end of the tour @1350 yen (with subway pass discount) for the sunset/night view of Osaka
It was selected as one of the "Top 20 Buildings around the World" by Times along with Taji-Mahal and Sagrada Familia.
4. Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine by Hankai Tram - if you are interested in a beautiful local shrine and Osaka's only Tram ride thru suburban areas.
5. Osaka Museum of Housing & Living @600 yen- learn about the city's history of life style and traditional Japanese housing (extra 600 yen for kimono experience)
We had the pleasure of having Seiko as our tour guide for 2 full-day tours in Japan. Seiko was very patient and helpful in creating a customized tour that included all of the places we were interested in visiting in Kyoto and Osaka. We exchanged several messages in in order to create our itinerary and her recommendations were spot on. Seiko was very flexible and patient with our questions while finalizing our agenda and in the end, it was perfect for us! She even sent us some restaurant recommendations so we could make reservations in advance. We learned a lot about the history and culture of the places we went to. We had an extremely pleasurable experience and would highly recommend Seiko to anyone looking for an English-speaking guide!
Thanks for your review, Rick. Through the communications we had before the tour, I already felt that I finally met my friend from US when we met at the station. Your efforts and preperation must be the biggest contribution to your family having good time in Kyoto/Osaka. I especially enjoyed the day in Fushimi and Osaka with you all, thanks to your trust in my recommendations. Glad to be able to show you how and what the locals eat and drink, and enjoy their life in different ways. I appreciate this "Ichigo-Ichie" - once-in-a-lifetime chance of having you and your family for 2 days! Thanks again! Seiko
We had a pretty packed agenda for our day in Osaka and Seiko made it possible for us to enjoy the day without being rushed. She spoke good English, was knowledgeable and friendly, communicated well with our 19-yo children, and was generally fun to be around with. We got a good sense for the historical backdrop as well as a taste of modern life. Great guide - strongly recommended.
Thank you Ivan for your review. Lucky me to be a guide for your family for 2 days! Your children are very friendly, smart and always tried to learn about our everyday life, culture and history with many good questions, which made our tour more fun and meaningful. It was such a great day with wonderful family. Thank you! Seiko
We had an amazing time with Seiko San on the evening tour. I would have never visited all the places if it was not for her. My family and I thoroughly enjoyed the evening. A fun person with a lot of knowledge.
Thank you Abraham! I especially loved talking to your daughters and appreciate you all showed me interests in different places and foods and gave me many questions! Wish I had more time with you guys! Seiko
A very enthusiastic person with a lot of knowledge. Fun to talk to and able to explain a lot of details.
Thank you Abraham! I had a great time with your family, too. Everything went smoothly and lots of fun thanks to all of you! Seiko